FanPost

Luke Babbitt and Sample Size

So many experts here at Blazer’s Edge have characterized Luke Babbitt's abilities in less than stellar terms. Am I surprised by this? No! He really has not had much of a chance to prove that he belongs in the NBA. Does he belong? I'm not sure, but I haven't made up my mind yet either. We should be able to make a more informed decision after this year!

But to characterize the ceiling of his potential--based on the current sample size--as falling somewhere between the YMCA league and the D-League, is at best premature and at worst, related to his appearance. Anyone can see that he does not look like the typical NBA player. Sometimes I feel like shooting him a note telling him to grow his hair long again and get some tattoos--it just might improve people’s evaluations of him as a player.

And beyond his surface level appearance, he just does not seem to be very interesting. He is rather plain, rather bland. His posture and carriage are not the greatest. He lacks confidence. And the coaches do not seem to be showing a whole lot of confidence in him either. The natural question for many is, “Why is he even on the roster?”

Even his dribbling, playmaking, and shooting skill set is a little unusual for a 6'9" forward. And we don't even know what kind of a forward he is, … small? stretch? or power? Who can miss that overenthusiastic/childlike/unintelligent bounce in his stride when he first comes into a game? He simply does not look the part from any angle! Where did we get this guy from? Nevada??!

But, is this about looks or about skills and abilities? I think it's about the skills and abilities! And he has shown flashes of a unique skill set in the few NBA games that he has participated in. He has shown that he can make plays for his teammates from the forward position. Is that enough? I don't know! We need a larger sample size! And with the way this season lays out, hopefully we'll get it.