Dawson Back

[shannonhashops]

Smart decision.

http://www.mlive.com/spartans/index.ssf/2014/04/michigan_states_branden_dawson_50.html

 

[gotime909]

Hopefully he stays healthy all offseason and really works on his jumper. He adds that and he's a great pro prospect.

 

[MSUMatt28]

Yep, good choice. Hopefully he can make the necessary improvements to take his game to the next level. Either way next season got more promising.

 

[Sbee]

Great news, he could be dominant next year

 

[Spartanmack]

He's a great role player but he's really going to have to step up if the burden of scoring is going to fall on him. He really struggled against UConn and other teams with size.

 

[MSUMatt28]

Which is exactly what he did in the Big Ten tournament and NCAAs. I'm not sure we can expect that kind of production for an entire season, but it would be nice and it shows he'd capable of it at times. Mostly he just needs to do the work in the off-season and then be who is. If he spends all next season trying to show scouts that he has a perimeter game, that can be detrimental to the team. Many teams have come undone that way in the past.

I don't see the scoring burden as necessarily falling on him though he may lead them in scoring. The team may not have a go-to scorer next year the way they had this year (which was one of Izzo's most talented offensive teams) with Harris and Payne. Which is why expectations will be lower.

They'll still be a heck of a lot better with him than without him.

 

[Spartanmack]

No doubt he makes the team better but I'd be shocked to see that kind of production out of him consistently when defenses no longer have to worry about Payne and Harris.

 

[boogerlovejoy]

Hopefully he stays healthy all offseason and really works on his jumper. He adds that and he's a great pro prospect.

No. He is a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG way from a great pro prospect.

1. He's a tweener....not nearly big enough to play the 4.....not skilled enough to play the 3.

2. He has ZERO offensive skill. Awful handle. Bad passer. He absolutely cannot get his own shot. Even adding a 15 ft jumper wouldn't be enough.

Look, I love Dawson. He is so fun to watch out there. He's an athletic freak, which is the only reason he's even getting looked at. But he's isn't anything more than a 8th -10th guy in the NBA. He'll end up overseas.

 

[LuciousGameWinner]

Dawson has what you can't teach. Huge hands and freakish athletic ability. You can teach someone to shoot the ball and dribble. If you spend the whole summer seriously dedicated to learning to shoot and handle the ball you'll be good at it. I see Dawson as a first rounder with a solid NBA career. I honestly think harris won't amount to much in the NBA.

 

[MSUMatt28]

Sometimes shooters can be made. Sometimes not. I'm guessing Aaron Craft probably spent a ton of hours in the gym each summer, and it didn't really help him.

 

[shannonhashops]

Lets just hope Dawson can play like he did in the post season. He's not a shooter. I don't see him being much improved in that aspect.

 

[gotime909]

No. He is a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG way from a great pro prospect.

1. He's a tweener....not nearly big enough to play the 4.....not skilled enough to play the 3.

2. He has ZERO offensive skill. Awful handle. Bad passer. He absolutely cannot get his own shot. Even adding a 15 ft jumper wouldn't be enough.

Look, I love Dawson. He is so fun to watch out there. He's an athletic freak, which is the only reason he's even getting looked at. But he's isn't anything more than a 8th -10th guy in the NBA. He'll end up overseas.

If Josh Smith can make a decent career as a small forward in the NBA it's not out of the realm of possibilities that if Dawson adds a decent jumper to his game he could too.