What about Smiley!

So good, Alch!

Patrick Kennedy

I just don't believe he will be able to stay healthy with that body..he also reportedly had one of the worst draft interviews of all time. Good for Denver taking a swing on him, but lets see how it plays out.

Athletic Alchemy

Hey unc... what are your thought on people saying we should have taken Bol Bol instead of smiley

@thecryptoPA

Good call.. he is a heavy striker.. probably why when can elevate it’s big.

Athletic Alchemy

He seems foot heavy, probably needs to work on his core and that would hopefully help the posture as well as sliding on D.

John Z

I remember Šarūnas as a kid..If my memory serves me, he was kinda of like a bigger Goran Dragić in the way he played. Fearless slasher. The hands talk and tests at the combine should get more attention.

Athletic Alchemy

Alch, you make a lot of very insightful observations here, but I would add my 2 cents behind the value of a player with large soft hands and how that can be an asset on both ends of the floor. There are so many past players as examples but you couldn't do any better than showing Smiley video of Šarūnas Marčiulionis . "Rooney" was a terror on the defensive end, always low and in his stance, he was always just laying in wait to reach in with 2 hands and literally take the ball from both front and backcourt players. Like Smiley, Rooney was a player that played to advantage with contact on both ends, he knew how to give contact and take contact on both ends and he was not a vertical defender but an always low and in his stance defender that took an offensive players space. That straight back retreat thing that Smiley does really makes me cringe, it means he doesn't really know the purpose of retreating on defense....but that's a longer conversation. Good stuff, you're bringing your A game when it is most needed by NBA fans.

Steven Stanley

🙏🏽

Athletic Alchemy

Very nicely done, in all respects. Entertaining and edifying. Thanks for another flower in your b-ball bouquet.

Thanks! We got 5 or 6 weeks I should be able to get to the youngsters.

Athletic Alchemy

Been excited for ur player breakdowns and this was a great start! I see a lot of potential in Smiley to be a real rotation piece in a couple years. Maybe if we're unable to keep Chriss then Smiley will be prepared to fill in. Would be really excited to see vids like this of Chriss, Paschall, Wiggins and Poole as well

Simhesh Shastry

That’s a good way of putting it.

Athletic Alchemy

I like Smiley. I can’t put my finger on why exactly. Maybe it’s his exuberance. He really seems to be like a kid in a candy store out there

Tao Rodriguez-Seeger

Javale was pretty meaningful in his minutes tho, I can recall quite a few games that Javale single handedly won us with his energy.

Ezra Abbey

he is too similar to Javale for Kerr to use him meaningfully

Kevin Chan

😁 Now I don’t want to get carried away! He is aways away.. but if he pans out he will be a certified goon.

Athletic Alchemy

You had me at "He's the closest thing we have to Draymond on the roster." We always need another member of the goon squad.

Dave Han

He is a boom or bust prospect.. probably in the 20’s

Athletic Alchemy

I hear you... but you have to look at it as value and internal development. He is locked up at very little. There not going to let him iso much. But pick n pop, or spot him up in the corner where he attacks closeouts very well. He is not going to impede whoever they try to fill the wing roll with. It be more of a “oh Chriss your not playing with energy tonight”...

Athletic Alchemy

Probably has the most potential of all the youngins.. but there is a chance he just doesn’t mature gets frustrated and heads back overseas.

Athletic Alchemy

Yeah it’s a concern.. That’s why I brought up the JaVale type usage. Keep him bottled up, and then let him explode for 4 or 5 min when the momentum is not in our favor.

Athletic Alchemy

I think he's going to get into a lot of travel type turnovers when the defender pulls the carpet and doesn't give him the contact he's expecting. He's certainly very exciting to watch, but I have concerns that it's going to translate to winning, especially with the Warriors. He seems to need the ball in his hands, and a bit of a blackhole. How many posessions are we really going to ask him to be the scorer? I think we need to fill the hole left by Livingston and Iggy, defense, pushing in transition, passing, communicating etc.

Kevin Weng

Love it, I'm curious too, the type of leash Kerr is willing to have early in the season for his development. Alch, if he was put back into this year's draft, where you think he would go?

Stevie Ray

I think he's to much of a hot head for kerr to give him meaningful minutes. looney and Chriss will eat up his minutes and if we draft wiseman he might never play for us again

Nice little update on smiley. Not even gonna act like I didn't "forget" about him. Smiley is okay, I have very average hopes for him tbh. I'll have to see progress next year. I wish we had spellman back now he was the one imo.

KendrickTheCreative