Now that Joe's made a trade and moved the most talked about draft pick in Pistons history, I thought it might be time to take a look at Jason Maxiell, our last 1st round pick.
Here is a quick rundown on Maxiell.
He's a wide upper body undersized PF. Keeping with Joe's penchant for acquiring long athletes (Prince, Wallace & Wallace), Jason has a 7 foot 3 inch wingspan, while being generously listed at 6 foot 7 inches.
He has a soft jump shot, natural shotblocker instincts, and can destroy a rim with his ferocious dunks.
On the downside, he is small and wide making a move to Center or Small Forward a challenging matchup. Not an outstanding rebounder, and like any rookie who has seen little court time, there is going to be an adjustment as he learns his way.
J-Max played at the University of Cincinnati, for Coach Bob Huggins, who was recently fired for an off the court scandal. Coach Huggins is one of the winningest coaches in Conference USA history, and his program has sent several players to the NBA in recent years including DeMarr Johnson, Rueben Patterson, Kenyon Martin and Danny Fortson. Coach Huggins is known for physical defensive basketball and coaching work ethic and intensity.
In fact, the Danny Fortson comparisons in the Yahoo draft capsule make me laugh as most people will assume they refer to the enforcer that Fortson is today, and not the promising Power Forward he was when entering the league.
Take a look at Danny's first couple of years. Until his foot injury and falling out in Golden State, he was developing into a double double a night player.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/...fortsda01.html
At the Vegas Summer League tournament last July, J-Max won First Team honours, as well as finishing second in the league for Blocks per game.
Our own
congoman and
The Low reported their take on Maxiell based on SL games they saw in Sin City.
congoman Quote:
| Game 1: We have a definite winner in Maxiel. He has arms almost down to his knees. He is very quick and strong. He's like Corlis on speed. He has a nice 15 ft jumper that he hit every time. He is a very strong rebounder...like Ben.
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Quote:
| Game 2: Maxiel is a monster...very aggressive.
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Quote:
| Game 3: Maxiell is the real deal. He played the 4 all game and covered Kaman and another 7 footer alot. He not only has long arms but has some hops as well. He has a good feel around the basket and a nice (but flat)12 footer.
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The Low Quote:
Game 1: Ok, I must say that Maxiell looked pretty good from the start today. At first glance, big wide body. This guys isn't built quite like Ben, but one year in the gym with the Fro and it's OVER. This guy will put on muscle and become a monster.
Game time, this guy is a pretty good shooter from 10 to 12 ft. Teams will not be able to just walk away from this guy. He's got a reach on his jumper like Sheed; not quite the full body extension, but his arms are long enough to where he won't have to out-jump guys to get a shot up over them. He does appear to struggle (but not much) with the turn-around jumper off the block, but that's probably more a balance issue than his actual shot mechanics. He runs the floor pretty well, he won't get caught lagging behind the pack, however, he doesn't quite jump like Ben. I noticed he has a bit of trouble finishing on quick jumps (dunks) and tip jams. I'm sure there's something they can do to help him improve his vertical in that aspect. Excellent two footed jumper in the paint, though.
Maxiell played in spurts so he didn't really get extremely long minutes each time, but the kid looks good and I think once he hits the weights...LOOKOUT!
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Game 2: Through the first and second quarters this guy is really hitting the boards well and finishing at the basket. He's put down some monster dunks today...HARD. It seems like everytime this guy leaves the floor they call him for something. Maybe he should put on a Denver jersey and then he wouldn't get the calls against him.
I don't have alot on Maxiell today because this guy was simply solid. I honestly expect him to see some PT this year if he shows well in practices. I think they will need to work with him on avoiding contact. Especially since the league is trying to legislate contact out of the sport. But I will tell you this, Maxiell is backing down from no one. He and Ben should have some classic battles. Didn't shoot as many jumpers today, but did knock down a couple. Did most of his damage around the basket.
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Here at PF.com, some of us have taken an early shine to the rookie, and in game chat, either
linwood or
mercury (assuming my memory is right) dubbed him "
The Brahma".
Brahmas are bulls, best known as an exotic bucking rodeo breed.
I've also included some choice links on the Baby Bull.
Yahoo - Jason Maxiell Draft Capsule
University of Cincinnati News Record - Jason Maxiell: "The Quiet Monster"
Detroit Free Press - GETTING PERSONAL WITH ... Jason Maxiell
NBA.com Jason Maxiell Player Page 82games.com - Jason Maxiell
Cincinnati Enquirer - Cheers to Maxiell for doing it right, Basketball only part of Max's legacy at UC Cincinnati Enquirer - He'll help keep "D" in Detroit Jason Maxiell @ Wikipedia
NBA.com Jason Maxiell Draft Profile Pistons.com Rookie Diary Latest Diary Entry (#7) ~~ Comments on The Brahma? ~~