Obviously the genetics is first and foremost, but I feel like a lot of work has to go into it as well. I bet a kid naturally better at a sport than his peers finds it easier to fall in love with it, and thus plays/practices more.

But I bet coaches/scouts etc see these kids and mark them out as special, and then put a lot of effort into improving them. It’s a snowball effect.

I think the person you’re replying to is perhaps a little down on just how much work goes into kaki g the league (while still acknowledging that genetics starts it all!)

They aren’t naturally gifted for their age, they just train a lot more than the kids around them. My nephew plays AAU ball, he was the best player on his team in 8th grade despite not playing on the circuit until that year, he played for his middle school and was dominant. The difference between him and the other kids who had more time playing AAU is that he trained a hell of a lot more than them with all the time he wasn’t traveling. So, while they had game experience on him, he had more skill than them and it showed right away. His other edge was also that he was more athletic than most kids, because I had him doing calisthenics since he was 9-10, and he ran track doing the 100m, 200m and long jump, he placed top 5 in those events for the season.

Talent is just the result of hard work, it’s why you rarely hear about guards or wings discovering the game late and being great. Bigs can do that because there’s so few people in the world over 6’10” that someone picking up a ball later in life can get away with it, but almost all guards have to start early, and the earlier you start the better (avoid burnout). I’m a big believer in multisport athletes, if I could have that much of an impact on my nephew just seeing him on weekends, I have to imagine a dedicated parent can result in D1 at the very least.

It was 2013, she was in 6th grade, 11 years old, and the guy was a dad of another kid but also ran a website scouting Minnesota girls HS basketball. He compared her to Diana Taurasi and tweeted she was the best 6th grader he’d ever seen. She was playing against 9th and 10th graders at the time.

The other insane Bueckers story is that her HS coach first noticed her when she was in 2nd grade and was dominating a game where all the other kids were in 6th grade. I think that’s actually more ridiculous, if you’ve ever met a 2nd grader.

eh I don’t like how Doc used any player but Hield isn’t JJ, JJ was a true movement shooter who could fly off screens, Hield can’t really do that, he needs to set a lot more (elite shooter though)

he was on the squad of master of modern offense and we have a pretty famous clip of him taking the shot instead of passing to greatest shooter of all time. it’s probably not doc’s fault. or blake’s.

That’s before he looked in the mirror and drank his crunk juice.

Ayton was one of the leaders on that Bahamas Olympic squad, gotta watch more than just NBA 

VJ’s bar to clear is on the floor if we’re comparing him to “dominayton”

He’s going to be ok for a while because he’s got some motivAyton to get a new contract

Ayton has all the talent to be a top center, problem is he only gives a fuck like 20% of the time.

He’s streaky but I wouldn’t consider him ass. He was the best player on the floor in the 2 games lakers lost due to bron being gassed

not really tbh. DA was a meaningful contributor on a team that made it to the finals

Eh, nobody expected Ayton to be as ass as he got after his FINALS run - it could still go downhill for VJ

DAs peak was earning him Wilt comps during his first playoff run. Y’all gotta calm down 

I’m as big of a Kon evangelist as you can be but there is a very real case that if you draft that top 4 again they go in the same order. All of them have very clear paths to stardom

That’s Philly fans with all your Nova guys

I think I like SGA more than most. His game is very smooth and even though he foulbaits, he doesn’t really flop nor really complain to the refs, which is an important distinction

Dort is a cunt though