[jazzy1]

I have serious concerns when it comes to Hamilton, it seem as if we're going to look to him to be our featured player but is he 1st option material, offensively he scores off screens with the medium range jumper and he's a speed demon in transition but sometimes struggles 1on1 to get his shot off. And in the 4th quarter of games you need to be able to create shots off the dribble in the half court offense which on numerous occasions last year especially when Jordan was out he struggled with and the team really struggled. I love Rips scoring ability but unless he gains the physical strength to push past tight defense may have we reached the end of where his potential lies. Last year he got on the weight training program with Jordan in the morning and started to show commitment there, if he hit the weights hard and got stronger he could be a 25 pt per game scorer and possibly a superstar . Defensively he played better last year but he's still horrible defensively there were too many 4tQuarters where the other teams sg isolated him at the end of games , with his contract coming up in 2 years can we afford to A. pay him the big bucks if he doesn't improve physically in that time and B. commit to making him our 1st option if he continually struggles in the 4th quarter of games ,Our saving grace I guess,if Kwame turns out to be as good as I think he can be then RIP could be our 2nd option but Rips going to cost our team and ton of money to keep him around not producing in the fourth. I really like Rips game but have we reached the ceiling in his game, I don't know. he could help his game also if he moved his range back out the 3 pt line to keep teams from being physical and jamming his medium range game.

 

[BCH]

Rip shot quite a few 3s the year before last. I think he focused more on the team game rather than jacking 3s last year. I think as he gets stronger his 3pt proficiency will increase.

I think also as he gets stronger he will be able to overcome his issues with fading in the 4th period. I think it is just a matter of strength and in my opinion he is working to overcome that.

Rip can be the man. There is no reason he can play as well as he does the first 3 periods, and not be able to do it in the 3th. I think this season we will begin to see that more and more.

 

[jazzy1]

I agree as he gets stronger his range could increase because stretching his range out makes the defense move further so if he didn't get stronger he colud play more like Reggie Miller forcing defenses to chase him all the way out there. I'm looking for a big year from RIP this year.

 

[hOnDo]

I think that Hamilton will have a pretty good year, I dont think that we can look for him to dominate or explode. He'll keep getting better and I think that eventually he'll be All-Star material and a great player.

 

[local_sportsfan]

Rip is the type of guy who scores in the floor of the game. He gets his pts off transition layups, midrange jumpers, and free throws. He doesn't have a go to move that superstars have. However, he can score is so many different ways thats its hard to stop him, very much like George Gervin.

I forsee Rip averaging 23 ppg, 4 rpg, 3 apg by next year. If he wasn't benched in November in light of Nesby and Simmons, and he didn't injure himself, he could have reached these numbers last season.