Originally Posted by roscoe36

I think Stuck and AJ to a lesser degree are very different from Maxiell and Afflalo, in that both played against lesser competition, and did not have to bear the burden of a national spotlight.

You can see the difference in how they play. Afflalo clearly has limits on his upside, and plays within them. Maxiell has quickly figured out that if he doesn't work hard, he won't get anything done.

But Stuckey and AJ are still struggling a little to find their game at this level. They are learning what they can do, what they can't do, and then the next step is focusing on what they need to do.

Upside

Stuckey has very good speed, and a nose for the paint (or at least to shorten up long shot attempts). He's a decent finisher at the rim and a fairly good FT shooter. Surprising passing game.

Amir has insane athleticism, and a nose for the ball. His slight build doesn't prevent him from succeeding in traffic near the hoop.

Criticisms

Stuckey is prone to lazy passes, particularly in a league where the role players are veteran defenders, who look specifically for passes to pick off. His jumpshooting is erratic, could be his hand. Man defense is fine if he is aggressive, team defense is lousy.

Amir is good using his athleticism, but still doesn't get good position for rebounds, and doesn't have much of a post game. If he could clean this up with a couple solid moves, and better placement, he could be a dominant inside player. IF.

When it comes to team defense, Amir has been getting better, but he's still got a long way to go. He seems to be a natural replacement for Ben Wallace, with his speed and agility allowing him to defend all of the way out to the perimeter, as well as show and recover on P&Rs in a way that Antonio McDyess cannot.

Good players, lots of potential, lots of learning and seasoning required. I can already see the transition from over confidence, to lack of confidence, which is good, because you have to tear down some of the swagger and replace it with skills.