Hansbrough's NBA future?

[Classof06]

However, the calls he gets in college he won't get in the NBA. If 1/3 of his points are at the free throw line I think that shows he will be far less of a scoring threat playing against the big boys.

Co-signed.

[soccerstud2210]

Tyler will play the 4 or PF position in the pros. Howard and Ming are without a doubt 5s or Centers, and Duncan and KG play quite a bit of Center. Against the magic he would actually face Rashard Lewis who he would OWN down low, and against the Rockets he would have faced Chuck Hayes (be4 Yao was injured) who is an average defender.

i would take lewis any day over hans, and most likely yao will be back next year, or if hans stays one more year, then the year after that as well... the point i was making was his shots he throws up are going to have a higher percentage of getting blocked especially by the great centers of the nba

[soccerstud2210]

I didn't realize until today (from an article in the N&O) that a full 1/3 of Hansbrough's points have come at the free throw line. I think that is a testament to how hard he works (even if he plays at UNC I'm not going to trash him, he is one of the hardest working players I have ever watched).

However, the calls he gets in college he won't get in the NBA. If 1/3 of his points are at the free throw line I think that shows he will be far less of a scoring threat playing against the big boys.

great point...

[davekay1971]

The last dominant big man in the ACC was Duncan. Hansbrough would have made him look bad this year - as bad as what Camby made him look when Wake played UMass.

And Camby turned out to be a MUCH better pro than Duncan. Given that the thread here is Goofy T's pro potential, I'm not sure what point you're trying to make by that comparison. And, by the way, I think you're wrong...imho college Duncan would have done just fine against college Hansbrough.

[Edouble]

The last dominant big man in the ACC was Duncan. Hansbrough would have made him look bad this year - as bad as what Camby made him look when Wake played UMass.

How dominant do you have to be to be dominant? Why wasn't double-double National POY Elton Brand dominant enough for you? What about Jamison (POY the year before him?)? If you don't consider those two players to be big guys b/c they are 4s playing the 5 spot, well, so is Hanstravel.

I don't buy that Hansfrog would have made Timmy D look bad.

[MIKESJ73]

Hanstravels top 10 (my opinion) competition:

1) Dirk
2) J. O'neal
3) Duncan
4) Garnett
5) Boozer
6) Brand
7) Bosh
8) Marion
9) Aldridge
10) K. Martin

He will get killed. If he can stay in the league as long as Laettner, that would be a success. I believe Laettner would eat him up right now and leave a shoe print on his chest. It's funny how other fans look at Laettners career as disappointing, not many players average 13 pts and 7 rebs for 13 seasons and make an all star team.

[Hector Vector]

I think Hansbrough's floor is probably Nick Collison, solidly productive part-time starter, averages about 10/7, and is capable of bigger more productive games. But as some have observed, his productivity has continuously outstripped what we would have projected from him given his body, athleticism and skill set. A Laettner career -- infrequent, lower tier all-star -- is probably realistic. I have a hard time seeing him as productive as Boozer, but then I never would predicted Boozer to be as productive as Boozer (even though I thought it was ridiculous that he went in 2d round).

While I am rooting for Kansas, I have to say the most intriguing finals matchup is UNC-UCLA, with Love and Hansbrough going head to head, two earthbound, superproductive warriors.

I would also have to concede that in college basketball, no player is more "deserving" of a championship. There was a wonderful 3 year run from 2000-2002, when seniors Cleaves, Battier, and Dixon, all iconic players for their respective programs, won championships. It almost happened the next year for Collison and Hinrich, but Carmelo prevailed. Okafor and May, albeit only juniors, fit this mold to some extent. But of course, it doesn't always work out -- see Redick, J.J. With so much early entry, particularly from elite programs, there aren't that many players who fit this mold, but I begrudgingly admit that Hansbrough does.

[MarineTwinsDad]

Hansbrough has never really impressed me. I've seen too much leeway given him by over-the-back rebounding, traveling, pushing off on his shots, and constant praise by everyone. Energy has to come from somewhere, and with Hansbrough, he finds that everyone around him feeds his emotions.

His skill set isn't that remarkable. An earlier post spoke of how Shelden Williams didn't do that well against Hansbrough. However, at that time Shelden pretty much had to carry the defense, leaving his man to cover for others. If Shelden had half the support that Hansbrough has had, he could have handled Hansbrough just fine. Does anyone remember how well defensively Zoubek handled Hansbrough last year? Taller, heavier players who aren't so easy to bounce around give Hansbrough trouble, both offensively and defensively.

Once Hansbrough leaves the womb of UNC, he won't have the energy sources to feed upon, and he will become an ordinary tall college basketball player who may find little future in the NBA. His best bet is to stay for another year, get his first NBA contract, then find a career that suits him better.

[SilkyJ]

i would take lewis any day over hans,

as would i. but that doesn't make lewis a good defender. tyler would abuse him in the paint.

the point i was making was his shots he throws up are going to have a higher percentage of getting blocked especially by the great centers of the nba

The point I was making is that he won't be posting up CENTERS but rather power forwards.

[sandinmyshoes]

I think that one pro scout who talked about him and said something to the affect that the reason he might work out nicely in the pros is because he'll work at whatever he has to work at to make it. We've seen the expanding range on his jumper. He's become a decent defender because he's learned that if guys can shoot over him he'll have to front them or anticipate the pass into the post and sneak around for the steal.

Above somebody said he can't go to his left. Is there any doubt in anyone's mind that if a coach, agent, scout, tells this kid he has to work on going to his left that he'll do anything but work his butt off on going to his left?

His athletic limitations are overstated, although they exist, but anywhere in the middle of the first round, I'm taking a chance that he will work himself into a very productive player.

Thing is, I heard some of the same cautions about him as a high school player. Heck, I have to admit to having said the same thing myself when he was a recruit. I thought he was productive in high school just because he was a little older and stronger than everyone else. I may have been right, but where I was in error was the assumption that he wouldn't continue to improve.

[Scoring Point]

Hansbrough has never really impressed me. I've seen too much leeway given him by over-the-back rebounding, traveling, pushing off on his shots, and constant praise by everyone. Energy has to come from somewhere, and with Hansbrough, he finds that everyone around him feeds his emotions.

His skill set isn't that remarkable. An earlier post spoke of how Shelden Williams didn't do that well against Hansbrough. However, at that time Shelden pretty much had to carry the defense, leaving his man to cover for others. If Shelden had half the support that Hansbrough has had, he could have handled Hansbrough just fine. Does anyone remember how well defensively Zoubek handled Hansbrough last year? Taller, heavier players who aren't so easy to bounce around give Hansbrough trouble, both offensively and defensively.

Once Hansbrough leaves the womb of UNC, he won't have the energy sources to feed upon, and he will become an ordinary tall college basketball player who may find little future in the NBA. His best bet is to stay for another year, get his first NBA contract, then find a career that suits him better.

You and I must have been watching a different game in the 06 regular season finale. Hansbrough repeatedly took Shelden, playing him straight up, off the bounce in that game. I remember it vividly, because it shocked me at the time. And recall that the 06 Heels were not exactly loaded with slashers, either.

Your point about taller, heavier players is a fair one, though Hansbrough certainly produced against Roy Hibbert, among others. But it ignores the reality that as an NBA PF, he will mainly be matching up against 6-9/6-10 guys who may be more athletic, but not much bigger or, especially, stronger.