Game 13: LAC (3-8) @ DAL (3-9) 7:30 PM CT

[hakeemfaan]

Well, that's what I'm saying, though. I actually think he IS a natural scorer, just not a natural PG. It has been like 10 years since we've seen Dirk at his peak around here, and I think a lot of the fan base has forgotten what's involved in getting a "scorer" like that involved in the offense. Even before Luka, they were trying to make the PG's into score first guys, and I kind of get why Kidd (or Harrison?) would want to try that with Flagg right out of the gate. PG or not, he's going to need an on-ball component to his game to thrive in the modern NBA, obviously. 

When you say he's not a natural scorer, you might mean he's not great with a live dribble above the break and a lot of time on the shot clock. If that's what you mean, I agree, but I think he'll get better. But, you also might mean that he's not super aggressive when the ball gets to him later in the possession, after a couple of other guys have touched it, and if so, I vehemently disagree with that. In that situation, I've seen a kid who's super aggressive looking to score and unafraid to go at anyone. Maybe you mean that he's not great at making himself available in the right spots to receive the ball at that point, but if so, I'd refer you to point #1 about Dirk and suggest that maybe that particular shortcoming should be shared by his teammates and even the offensive system. 

It's certainly true that he's got a way to go in terms of shotmaking, which has been hit and miss in bigger moments, but I'm officially and publicly not worried about that in the least.

I think it was unfair of people to expect him to have the impact of year 2 Luka right away (even Luka in year 1 didn't really impact winning), and I don't think that unfair expectation was mitigated or helped at all by throwing Flagg out there as a PG for the first 5-6 games (maybe that will make sense eventually, but not now), but ever since that ended I've been super thrilled by his progress.

What I meant was his jump shoot didn't look pure to me.  I am not saying you have to be a Curry or a KD or a Luka or a Jokic to whom scoring comes too easily, but let's take someone like Bron who has an ugly shot but his fadeway is totally money.  Let's look at Duncan who had a super consistent bank shot that you could go to the well again and again.  Even Derik Queen or Bailey seem like much more natural scorers, though Flagg with his defense will hopefully have a much better overall impact than either of those two. 

So it was not knowing whether you could go to Flagg over and over again and have him still score that is telling me to not burden him with the hype  At least not yet. However, I didn't see the floaters either before they drafted him.  That left handed floater he hit off McClung made me go 'woah'.  Also he has shown confidence in taking shots on the break as I mentioned to cow. I am super hopeful.