Is anyone else worried that the Lakers picked up a legitimate beast in Randle?

[KG Living Legend]

 Also it was an easy pick.

 Wiggins
 Parker
 Randle

 Embiid
 Smart

 In that order. The top three guys were easily the best players in college hoops. And there was nothing about Randle that says he can't do this in the NBA. In fact he's the new generation of PF that takes the rebound handles it and makes good passes, and he's a total beast going to the rim.

[Rondo9]

I love how a few decent games in preseason means that he's a future all star. Where was this in Smart?

[KG Living Legend]

 Not a knock on Smart. He literally would have been my next pick. Randle was just better that's all.

[jpotter33]

I love how a few decent games in preseason means that he's a future all star. Where was this in Smart?

You should know by now there's a double standard here. If it's a C's player shining in preseason, it's meaningless and most likely due to inferior competition. On the other hand, if it's another team's player shining in preseason, it's mostly likely due to transcending talent. It's maddening.

[LarBrd33]

I love how a few decent games in preseason means that he's a future all star. Where was this in Smart?

You should know by now there's a double standard here. If it's a C's player shining in preseason, it's meaningless and most likely due to inferior competition. On the other hand, if it's another team's player shining in preseason, it's mostly likely due to transcending talent. It's maddening.

Not as much of a double standard as you'd think.  There's always a bunch of bellyaching about how our prized youngsters don't get enough credit around here when compared to other team's elite prospects... until you look back at those "prized youngsters" in retrospect and realize half of them are out of the league and only two of them in the past 15 years developed into all-star caliber talent (Big Al and Rondo).  Sully was one of our most frequent "prized youngsters" and he's on the verge of being a 5th string big man this year.

Regardless of how Smart develops from here on out, it's widely acknowledged that he's an elite perimeter defender.  Worst-case scenario he'll end up a Bruce Bowen or Tony Allen type that sticks around the league for years as a defensive specialist.  Best-case scenario, he develops into a star, but that would require a major leap for him offensively.  Thus-far, he's been disappointing on that end.

Right now if you were to poll folks on the better prospect between Randle and Smart, Smart would absolutely win.  But that doesn't mean I'm not impressed by what I'm seeing out of Randle.  And as I've been saying for a couple weeks, it's a debate that will gain steam the more we see out of Julius.   I can't pretend like I'm not impressed by what he's doing right now.  He looks like he'll be a 20 and 10 player.  It's pre-season so take it with a grain of salt, but over his past 5 games he's averaging 14.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal with 59% shooting in 22.6mpg.   THat's per-36 numbers of:  22.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.6 steals.   That's not a double standard, it's just math.   If you watch him play, it's hard not to be impressed by his explosiveness with and without the ball.  It's hard not to notice his surprising ball-handling and passing.  It's hard not to notice his improvements on the defensive end.  He's got the "element of surprise" working in his favor right now and I still have questions about whether or not he can shoot (he just seems to be attacking the basket relentlessly). 

We acknowledge Smart is a legit prospect, but his struggles (offense) continue to be a struggle.  Over the second half of the season he shot 36%/32%/63% and his hit/miss performance in summerleague and pre-season don't do much to temper those fears.   Since a lot of folks (myself included) had Randle higher on the draft board... and Boston opted to take Smart due to Rondo and our PF log-jam, it's hard not to compare those two guys.   We'll be looking at Smart vs Randle for a while.   

Also I'll say that last year in pre-season, Smart seemed to be slightly better.  8.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.4 steals in 26.4mpg.   Randle averaged 8.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.1 assist in 20.9mpg.   If you evened out their minutes, Randle was slightly better statistically.   Obviously, we can't compare them during the regular season, because Randle played a total of 14 minutes.   But so far, Randle has been the more impressive during pre-season this year.   

Smart might win in the polls right now, but there's a real debate here we'll have to revisit at some point.

[Smartacus]

I love how a few decent games in preseason means that he's a future all star. Where was this in Smart?

This argument ignores ignores the player he was before he was drafted. Randle has always been a unique talent with all star potential and him being injured in his first year didn't end the Smart vs. Randle debate it only postponed it.

Where was this in Smart?

Have there not been about a dozen threads started this last year about how Smart looks like a potential All Star in the making? If your asking why hasn't Smart had any preseason threads this year, what has he really shown so far this preseason that was particularly noteworthy?

I'm all for Smart and supported drafting him over Randle at the time mainly because I trust Danny's ability to draft well, but Randle has been one of the most impressive players in preseason on any team, and if he develops into a top 30-50 talent and Smart tops out as a fringe starter, you'd have to be a serious homer not to question the pick.

[jpotter33]

I love how a few decent games in preseason means that he's a future all star. Where was this in Smart?

You should know by now there's a double standard here. If it's a C's player shining in preseason, it's meaningless and most likely due to inferior competition. On the other hand, if it's another team's player shining in preseason, it's mostly likely due to transcending talent. It's maddening.

Not as much of a double standard as you'd think.

Regardless of how Smart develops from here on out, it's widely acknowledged that he's an elite perimeter defender.  Worst-case scenario he'll end up a Bruce Bowen or Tony Allen type that sticks around the league for years as a defensive specialist.  Best-case scenario, he develops into a star, but that would require a major leap for him offensively.  Thus-far, he's been disappointing on that end.

Right now if you were to poll folks on the better prospect between Randle and Smart, Smart would absolutely win.  But that doesn't mean I'm not impressed by what I'm seeing out of Randle.  And as I've been saying for a couple weeks, it's a debate that will gain steam the more we see out of Julius.   I can't pretend like I'm not impressed by what he's doing right now.  He looks like he'll be a 20 and 10 player.  It's pre-season so take it with a grain of salt, but over his past 5 games he's averaging 14.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal with 59% shooting in 22.6mpg.   THat's per-36 numbers of:  22.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.6 steals.   That's not a double standard, it's just math.   If you watch him play, it's hard not to be impressed by his explosiveness with and without the ball.  It's hard not to notice his surprising ball-handling and passing.  It's hard not to notice his improvements on the defensive end.  He's got the "element of surprise" working in his favor right now and I still have questions about whether or not he can shoot (he just seems to be attacking the basket relentlessly). 

We acknowledge Smart is a legit prospect, but his struggles (offense) continue to be a struggle.  Over the second half of the season he shot 36%/32%/63% and his hit/miss performance in summerleague and pre-season don't do much to temper those fears.   Since a lot of folks (myself included) had Randle higher on the draft board... and Boston opted to take Smart due to Rondo and our PF log-jam, it's hard not to compare those two guys.   We'll be looking at Smart vs Randle for a while.   

Also I'll say that last year in pre-season, Smart seemed to be slightly better.  8.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.4 steals in 26.4mpg.   Randle averaged 8.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.1 assist in 20.9mpg.   If you evened out their minutes, Randle was slightly better statistically.   Obviously, we can't compare them during the regular season, because Randle played a total of 14 minutes.   But so far, Randle has been the more impressive during pre-season this year.   

Smart might win in the polls right now, but there's a real debate here we'll have to revisit at some point.

The thing is, you never take context into the picture. Of course Randle is going to be putting up better numbers right now, because a) he's on a much worse team with a larger role and b) he has much more freedom in the offense than Smart. It's a bad analogy, just as it was last year when everyone wanted to compare him to Noel. Now I'll openly admit that a defensive big is more valuable than a defensive guard, but comparing Smart to either of those players right now based solely on their performance without considering the context is illogical.

It's similar to trying to compare Love's numbers in Cleveland versus Minnesota and making the argument that Minnesota Love was better than Cleveland Love, i.e. it fails to take the context of team dynamics into consideration.

So I'm not saying that it won't ever be a debate; I'm saying to be consistent and fair. You can't categorically dismiss player performances due to them being in the preseason for one team, which you undeniably did for most of the C's players, and not the others. You also have to take context into consideration with this debate. You can be impressed with Randle all you want, and you're probably justified in this belief. I haven't watched him, so I can't really say. However, at least treat him with the same type of skeptical judgment that you treat our own players with. You know the saying...

[jpotter33]

I love how a few decent games in preseason means that he's a future all star. Where was this in Smart?

This argument ignores ignores the player he was before he was drafted. Randle has always been a unique talent with all star potential and him being injured in his first year didn't end the Smart vs. Randle debate it only postponed it.

Where was this in Smart?

Have there not been about a dozen threads started this last year about how Smart looks like a potential All Star in the making? If your asking why hasn't Smart had any preseason threads this year, what has he really shown so far this preseason that was particularly noteworthy?

I'm all for Smart and supported drafting him over Randle at the time mainly because I trust Danny's ability to draft well, but Randle has been one of the most impressive players in preseason on any team, and if he develops into a top 30-50 talent and Smart tops out as a fringe starter, you'd have to be a serious homer not to question the pick.

Doesn't the same apply to Smart as well? Also, who you were before you were drafted isn't always necessarily representative of who you will be in the NBA:

[Rondo9]

Wasn't Smart hyped up to be a poor mans Dwyane Wade?

[LarBrd33]

I love how a few decent games in preseason means that he's a future all star. Where was this in Smart?

You should know by now there's a double standard here. If it's a C's player shining in preseason, it's meaningless and most likely due to inferior competition. On the other hand, if it's another team's player shining in preseason, it's mostly likely due to transcending talent. It's maddening.

Not as much of a double standard as you'd think.

Regardless of how Smart develops from here on out, it's widely acknowledged that he's an elite perimeter defender.  Worst-case scenario he'll end up a Bruce Bowen or Tony Allen type that sticks around the league for years as a defensive specialist.  Best-case scenario, he develops into a star, but that would require a major leap for him offensively.  Thus-far, he's been disappointing on that end.

Right now if you were to poll folks on the better prospect between Randle and Smart, Smart would absolutely win.  But that doesn't mean I'm not impressed by what I'm seeing out of Randle.  And as I've been saying for a couple weeks, it's a debate that will gain steam the more we see out of Julius.   I can't pretend like I'm not impressed by what he's doing right now.  He looks like he'll be a 20 and 10 player.  It's pre-season so take it with a grain of salt, but over his past 5 games he's averaging 14.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal with 59% shooting in 22.6mpg.   THat's per-36 numbers of:  22.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.6 steals.   That's not a double standard, it's just math.   If you watch him play, it's hard not to be impressed by his explosiveness with and without the ball.  It's hard not to notice his surprising ball-handling and passing.  It's hard not to notice his improvements on the defensive end.  He's got the "element of surprise" working in his favor right now and I still have questions about whether or not he can shoot (he just seems to be attacking the basket relentlessly). 

We acknowledge Smart is a legit prospect, but his struggles (offense) continue to be a struggle.  Over the second half of the season he shot 36%/32%/63% and his hit/miss performance in summerleague and pre-season don't do much to temper those fears.   Since a lot of folks (myself included) had Randle higher on the draft board... and Boston opted to take Smart due to Rondo and our PF log-jam, it's hard not to compare those two guys.   We'll be looking at Smart vs Randle for a while.   

Also I'll say that last year in pre-season, Smart seemed to be slightly better.  8.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.4 steals in 26.4mpg.   Randle averaged 8.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.1 assist in 20.9mpg.   If you evened out their minutes, Randle was slightly better statistically.   Obviously, we can't compare them during the regular season, because Randle played a total of 14 minutes.   But so far, Randle has been the more impressive during pre-season this year.   

Smart might win in the polls right now, but there's a real debate here we'll have to revisit at some point.

The thing is, you never take context into the picture. Of course Randle is going to be putting up better numbers right now, because a) he's on a much worse team with a larger role and b) he has much more freedom in the offense than Smart. It's a bad analogy, just as it was last year when everyone wanted to compare him to Noel. Now I'll openly admit that a defensive big is more valuable than a defensive guard, but comparing Smart to either of those players right now based solely on their performance without considering the context is illogical.

It's similar to trying to compare Love's numbers in Cleveland versus Minnesota and making the argument that Minnesota Love was better than Cleveland Love, i.e. it fails to take the context of team dynamics into consideration.

So I'm not saying that it won't ever be a debate; I'm saying to be consistent and fair. You can't categorically dismiss player performances due to them being in the preseason for one team, which you undeniably did for most of the C's players, and not the others. You also have to take context into consideration with this debate. You can be impressed with Randle all you want, and you're probably justified in this belief. I haven't watched him, so I can't really say. However, at least treat him with the same type of skeptical judgment that you treat our own players with. You know the saying...

Sounds more like you are making excuses for poor performance.  Having a deep team isn't why smart shot 30% in summer league.

Noel is a superior prospect.  Randle might be too.  We will have to see

[Neurotic Guy]

If Randle becomes an all-star and Marcus becomes a fringe player, then I'll wish we had picked Randle.  Obviously.   You can judge picks purely in hindsight, but that's a little unfair to the selector.

How many of you would have chosen Greg Oden over KD?  Probably most of us.  If Oden were available with the #2 selection that year, how many would have let Greg drop to #3?  Probably none.  The C's absolutely would have selected Embiid had he fallen to #6, and I'm sure most here would have been jubilant. 

My opinion is that the right pick at the moment IS the right pick.  If we were taking a big risk on Smart (picked above expectations like Rozier or Fab Melo), then it would be right to complain about not taking Randle if Smart doesn't pan out as well.  But I think there was consensus that it was a close to a coin flip between Smart and Randle and I don't think there was any intelligence out there to suggest that one was a much better risk than the other.

[LarBrd33]

If Randle becomes an all-star and Marcus becomes a fringe player, then I'll wish we had picked Randle.  Obviously.   You can judge picks purely in hindsight, but that's a little unfair to the selector.

How many of you would have chosen Greg Oden over KD?  Probably most of us.  If Oden were available with the #2 selection that year, how many would have let Greg drop to #3?  Probably none.  The C's absolutely would have selected Embiid had he fallen to #6, and I'm sure most here would have been jubilant. 

My opinion is that the right pick at the moment IS the right pick.  If we were taking a big risk on Smart (picked above expectations like Rozier or Fab Melo), then it would be right to complain about not taking Randle if Smart doesn't pan out as well.  But I think there was consensus that it was a close to a coin flip between Smart and Randle and I don't think there was any intelligence out there to suggest that one was a much better risk than the other.

Smart was a fine pick regardless.  There seemed to be a consensus top 8. I had smart 8th and eventually 7th as stuff about vonleh came out heading into draft night.  I was fine with any of those guys.   But randle vs smart was a tough decision.

[chambers]

I'm not sure why some people think that pointing out Randle's recent great play equates to being disappointed with Smart.

Is it because Randle plays for the Lakers so it stings?
I wouldn't care if Randle was on another team, it just sucks that he's looking good for the Lakers and I'd prefer we had a larger 'gap' between our rebuilds considering the general free agency/location advantage.

Anyway, I wouldn't change a thing and I love Smart. I just think Randle is looking pretty awesome as an athlete with intangibles.
Removing the Laker hate from the equation, he's  looking like a monster vs some decent NBA caliber competition and much more poised than his age/NBA experience would suggest-similarly to Smart actually.

[colincb]

Right now Smart's 2015 preseason offensive-defensive net rating is 13th best in the NBA according to NBA.com's advanced stats. Randle's is 280th out of 532.

Randle's in the preseason CBlog HOF. Why can't Smart not even get a sniff from CBloggers?

[alldaboston]

Living close to LA, I get a ton of people bragging to me about Randle, and naturally it's making me a bit scared since he IS looking really good. But his defense is atrocious and unfortunately the majority of the delusional lakers fan base doesn't seem to understand that defense is very important as well. I point to smart's defense and they respond by pointing to his weak offense and how Clarkson is now better because he can score more than smart. It gets on my nerves so much, but I just can't wait until we prove all the haters wrong.