:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/25295347/20131214_jla_sr9_243.0.jpg)
Reminder: you can get your mailbag questions in to @rockchalktalk or rockchalkmailbag at gmail dot com. Also, we will be having a mailbag next Tuesday despite it being Christmas Eve for those unlucky folks who have to work (hi).
@RockChalkTalk What do you see as the ceiling for Andrew Wiggins? (My thoughts: a more athletic and explosive Paul George)
— Justin Riner (@rineroceros) December 17, 2013
I suppose if we are sticking to the definition of ceiling, that is possible. But it's also a 1% scenario. Paul George is probably the third best basketball player in the world right now, and as much as I love Wiggins and his game, it would be quite a feat for him to ever be the third best player on Earth.
My comp for him (and I hate comps) has always been Andre Iguodala. He's not a great shooter or ball handler, but he's one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, he can score effectively inside, and he has a really high basketball IQ. I think Wiggins could end up shooting better from the outside than Iguodala, but even if not, that's not a bad career at all.
@RockChalkTalk Is Tarik Black moving in to the Dayne Crist neighborhood on the degree of 5th yr transfer busts?
— Ebradnezer Scrooge (@Brad_Hope) December 17, 2013
Not yet for me. I understand the frustration around Black, obviously, as the 5th year Senior has barely stayed on the floor. When he's played, though, he hasn't been bad. He's shot 55%, done a good job on the defensive glass, and played effective post defense (the problem is that defense comes with fouling about 98% of the time). He probably won't start the rest of the year, but if Self can get even 15 minutes per game out of him then I think he'll end up having a fairly effective season.
@RockChalkTalk T or F: Keeping Greene on the bench and not starting Tharpe were mind games from an evil genius HCBS.
— The Heat Is On (@commercialeer) December 17, 2013
Yes and no. I think with how little Mason played last game, we've seen the Tharpe benching was more about Tharpe than anything to do with Mason. And I think we've seen that Tharpe is the guy who is going to take this team places (and that when Tharpe is playing well he's a pretty darn good player). Mason will certainly have his games, but his role right now is to be the guy who comes in and changes things up when the offense isn't going smoothly, rather than the guy who is tasked with keeping it running smoothly.
As for Greene, I still think that was just Self trying to figure out who works as a backup wing. Greene must be really outperforming White in practice or something though because, even injury aside, he clearly appears to be HCBS's favorite. It very well could be that it is because he has an extra year of eligibility remaining, I'm not sure. White is running out of time to crack the rotation this year, but I have to believe he'll be given another shot.
@RockChalkTalk thoughts on Selden coming off the bench/ running second unit?
— Brian Cronin (@KUBC3) December 11, 2013
We had a couple of Selden questions. I'm really not sure what to make of him. He is shooting a good percentage, both from two and three, and plays good defense at times, but the rest of his game is kind of lacking right now. I really thought he would be more of a bully down low against smaller guards and I really thought he'd be a better rebounder than he is. Some of it might be HCBS's philosophy, but I think some of it is him taking a bit longer to adjust to college basketball than we thought he would (which is fine. He looks like a 25 year old, but he's still just a Freshman).
As for him coming off the bench, I don't really see it. I think right now he works best as a complimentary piece and a guy who can get the ball to Perry Ellis and Joel Embiid in the post effectively. I will say though that it is worth trying, and this is the time to experiment, so maybe a game of him coming off the bench and being the focal point of the offense while Ellis and Embiid and Wiggins get some rest couldn't hurt.
What are you getting me for Christmas, you jerk
-your girlfriend
That's actually me writing in to myself, not my girlfriend. Although if my girlfriend did write in she probably would write something like that (that or "why can't you look more like Kliff Kingsbury?").
But I have no idea, so I'm going to throw it to be best soundboard i have: the RCT comments section. Those of you with boyfriends/girlfriends or husbands/wives, feel free to give gift giving advice. Please and Thank you.