Hollinger: Free Sonny Weems!

[Check my Stats]

Free Sonny Weems!

 

Weems has the talent to be an elite defensive player though he seems more concerned with developing his offensive game. While he can be a bit indulgent at that end, he's good enough at rising over defenders for jumpers and finishing in transition to be a solid scoring threat. He's averaging 22.4 points per 40 minutes on solid percentages, and his 19.27 PER thus far is the best of any Raptors perimeter player.

 

With starters Linas Kleiza and DeMar DeRozan both struggling, it seems Weems is long overdue for a promotion from his current 21.7 minutes per game.

 

This is an insider article on ESPN that I saw posted on RealGM. I think it is kind of interesting. I would like to see him get consistent minutes, it would result in him probably being less concerned with getting as many shots in as possible if he knows where his minutes are coming from.

 

Weems and Derozan would at the very least be an exciting back court to watch.

 

Also, am I the only one scared Weems is going to get a 5 year 40 million dollar deal or something from BC this year? lol.

[The Lone Granger]

The only reason that contracts are going so high in the first place is because they will probably end up getting lowered and cash given back to those teams under a new agreement or something. Was hearing about that on the radio.

 

Anyway, Weems has been very impressive so far in his playing time for the Raps. I agree that they should give him more minutes as long as he's producing with them. Also the comment you made about him not wanting to get as many shots up if he's playing consistent minutes is so true. When your not sure how long, or how often you'll be going into the game, then your going to try to put some points up when you get the chance.

 

As for defensively, I think he could turn into a very good defender. He has the quickness, quick hands, and ability to make quick decisions that he could turn out to be someone like a Shane Battier in my opinion. On offense though is where I see him possibly having struggles. He doesn't seem to have that great of shot selection, and that's usually hard to correct. If he can calm himself down and play team basketball, then he'll be just fine. But I agree with Hollinger for once, that Toronto should give him more minutes and see what he can do. And I also agree with you that it would at least be an exciting back-court to watch.

[Check my Stats]

I don't think Weems has the IQ to be an elite defender, but the physical tools are definitely there for him to be very effective defensively, like he already is (he is probably our best wing defender).

 

The problem with Weems is that it is difficult to carve out a specific role for him, which is why I am so unsure of him. He isn't a spot up shooter and is effective with the ball in his hands, especially in the mid range. He basically isn't very effective playing off the ball, but he isn't really effective enough with the ball to have the ball in his hands a lot. He is awesome in transition though.

 

But him getting 12 points in 23 minutes on over 50% definitely warrants more playing time, it is just hard to find the minutes because Linas and Barbosa need minutes on the wing too. Barbosa getting surgery would be huge for Sonny's minutes, and he probably knows it lol.

 

If Weems develops a competent 3 point shot, not potent, but solid, he could easily be a starter in this league, hopefully it is here though because I like his game when he is playing his game, and not trying to get a shot per minute up.

 

I love when Jack Armstrong calls Sonny out on his chucking during broadcasts though lol.

[Built Ford Tough]

It ulimately comes down to having a defined role with the team.

 

Jack Armstrong talked about it in last night's game. If a player knows when he is going to be coming into the game, roughly how many minutes he will be getting, what kind of role he will have when on the floor and things like that, he will be less inclined to press and force the issue because he won't be looking over his shoulder every second. It isn't a coincidence that DeRozan had his best of the season, hell his career, last night without Barbosa or Kleiza in the lineup, just like it isn't a coincidence that Weems has had his best games of the season with Barbosa out of the lineup.

 

If he continues his play as of late, I don't see how you can't give him an increase in himutes. As much as I like what Kleiza is "capable" of doing, the bottom line is that he has been realtively unimpressive so far this season and is a turnover machine when asked to do anything other than shoot the three ball or take a couple of dribbles. Maybe it has been the achillies injury that has supposedly been bothering him since Sacramento, but either way he has clearly been outplayed by Sonny.

 

I just want Barbosa to go and have that surgery already. It would open things up so much for everybody to get the minutes that they should be getting. If he has surgery and the minutes come out to something like:

 

DeRozan - 32

Weems - 28

Wright - 16

Kleiza - 24 (gets some minutes at the 4)

 

I would be really happy with that.

[MFFL41]

Weems is really talented. I saw him during the preseason, and he's a baller.

[Clutch]

i became a fan of his last year, he is great, reminds me a lot of courtney lee, but i think he has more potential than courtney lee

Edited November 13, 2010 by Clutch

[Multi-Billionaire]

Weems the forgotten Nugget

 

Remember though he was traded for by the Nuggets... the Nuggets wanted him. It sure meant something... because we're a factory of virtually unknown players that grow into very good players, e.g. Arron Afflalo, Shelden Williams, etc.

[BasX]

Weems the forgotten Nugget

 

Remember though he was traded for by the Nuggets... the Nuggets wanted him. It sure meant something... because we're a factory of virtually unknown players that grow into very good players, e.g. Arron Afflalo, Shelden Williams, etc.

When Did either of them become unknown

[Newman]

^Gary Forbes is definitely a previously unknown player discovered by the Nuggets, but Afflalo and Williams have been role players in their previous team(s).

[Built Ford Tough]

Weems the forgotten Nugget

 

Remember though he was traded for by the Nuggets... the Nuggets wanted him. It sure meant something... because we're a factory of virtually unknown players that grow into very good players, e.g. Arron Afflalo, Shelden Williams, etc.

 

Shelden Williams was unknown? News to me.

 

I'm sure you could use numerous teams and say the same thing. Hell, you can do it with Toronto and throw out names like Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon, Jose Calderon and Jorge Garbajosa.

 

I don't think Weems has the IQ to be an elite defender, but the physical tools are definitely there for him to be very effective defensively, like he already is (he is probably our best wing defender).

 

Wright is the best wing defender, but he doesn't get consistent enough minutes to really count (same thing with Banks). Out of Barbosa, Kleiza and DeRozan, Weems is definitely the best defender of the bunch because he doesn't really have any glaring weaknesses like those three do. Barbosa is too small, Kleiza is too slow and DeRozan can't get through screens to save his life. Weems isn't great at anything, but I can't say that he is bad at anything defensively either.

[headliner]

Sonny Weems is in my mind improving on his overall basketball IQ. People like to talk about how he takes bad shots and I do agree at times he takes ill advised shots but it’s shots that he can make and Sonny knows he can make those shots its just at time in the flow of the offense its not the right shot to take. He has an excellent mid range game which we saw that last season and were seeing it again this season. He even able to hit the three from time to time but Sonny’s issue on the offensive end is consistency from game to game.

 

Defensively Sonny doesn’t know how capable he is. He is too focused on the offensive end meanwhile he can be a much better defensive player. I just think that Sonny has the overall package to be a solid NBA player for years to come.