Shavon Shields and Paul Pierce

[FredsSlacks]

I made the comparison between shields and pierce in the game thread yesterday.

I see a lot of similarities in their games:

 

- Both are very good at the step back jump shot .

- Both about 6'6. same body type

- Both are good athletes but not great.

- both use their body very well to create space.

 

Pierce was probably a slightly better shooter and ball handler in college, but I think Shavon has all the tools to develop into at least a paul pierce light.

 

Pierce freshman stats:

                                  min        fg%      3pt          ft     reb     ast      to       blk      st         pts

95-96 Kansas     25.4  41.9  30.4  60.6  5.3  1.8  2.4  0.8  1.3  11.9

 

I think shields's stats will look very similar to that at the end of this season.

 

pierce averaged 16 pts and 6.7 reb in 28 minutes his sophomore year.

 

[HF_]

I don't really see it.  Shields is nowhere near the athlete Pierce is.  Pierce has never been a guy who put much work in developing his body and has always looked soft, but I'd say he's an elite-type athlete naturally.

 

Shields is a Ryan Anderson or Brandon Ubel-type athlete.  Not very quick, doesn't have much of a vertical, not explosive at all.

 

In terms of ball-handling, that is also not a strong comparison.  Right now I'd say Shields is a pretty poor ball handler at his size.  Reminds me a bit of Toney McCray in that he just looks a little scary when he dribbles it too much.  Pierce was and is an excellent ball handler for a player of his size...again, probably an elite-type ball handler in comparison to Shields.

 

That being said, I like Shields and think he can end up being a decent player (solid starter, but not an all-conference type)...but when it comes to comparing him to Pierce, I don't see it.  

[HF_]

And just wanted to add...I do think Shields will improve his ball handling as well as all other areas of his game under Miles.  He will be a lot better in 3 years than he is right now.

 

The reason why I don't see him ever developing into all all-conference level player is simply his physical tool set puts limitations on what he can do out there on the court.

 

If he was 2-3 inches taller I think I'd have a different outlook for him.

[Concrete]

i think you two need to meet somewhere in the middle.  Shavon isn't Paul Pierce but he's certainly more athletic than Ryan Anderson and he gets to the rim easier than Toney McCray could even dream of.

 

I don't think Shavon is fully developed right now (obviously not many freshman are).  Heighth wise probably, but it looks like he still has a lot of awkward/baby fat that will naturally go away in the next year or two and allow him to be a more fluid athlete.

[Buglem]

One thing to remember is genetics. Shevon's father came to Nebraska undersized and left an all American. Not saying Shevon will be an all American, just saying he's got the frame to build strength and I suspect what he looks like today isn't anything near what he'll look like next year, let alone when he's a senior.

[FredsSlacks]

A lot of people also forget that Shavon only played about 5 non-conference games. His number would be even better if he had been playing all season.

[Norm Peterson]

Paul Pierce was a much better athlete and a much more skilled basketball player.  The OP kind of sells Pierce short in order to make the comparison.  Pierce was an All-American in hoops and has enjoyed a lengthy NBA career.  You don't get there by being a sub-par athlete with mediocre skills.

 

Not really fair to compare Shields with Pierce.  Shields is a good player.  Just because Pierce is all around better (so is Lebron James, btw) doesn't make Shields bad.  Shields is very good.  But he's no Paul Pierce.

[HF_]

i think you two need to meet somewhere in the middle.  Shavon isn't Paul Pierce but he's certainly more athletic than Ryan Anderson and he gets to the rim easier than Toney McCray could even dream of.

 

I don't think Shavon is fully developed right now (obviously not many freshman are).  Heighth wise probably, but it looks like he still has a lot of awkward/baby fat that will naturally go away in the next year or two and allow him to be a more fluid athlete.

 

He's more athletic than Anderson, but not by much.  I'd say he's slightly more explosive than Anderson but he's certainly not as quick with his hands or feet.  Overall very slight edge to Shavon.

 

McCray could get to the rim and finish - we just didn't see him have the aggression to do it.  Toney was also a much better athlete.  Obviously we know a lot of Toney's issues were between the ears.  Didn't have a high basketball IQ and and didn't have a motor at all.  

 

Shields is way ahead of McCray in those two areas.  He plays with intensity and fire.  If anything I'd say that's where he'd actually compare somewhat to Pierce.

[FredsSlacks]

the point of this topic was that I felt Shield's game reminded me most of Pierce out of the great players in the nba and to also point out that they put up similar numbers as a freshman in college. I don't think Shavon is actually going to be the next Paul Pierce. It is nice to know that we have a legitimate 4 year starter though in Shields.

[FredsSlacks]

i think you two need to meet somewhere in the middle.  Shavon isn't Paul Pierce but he's certainly more athletic than Ryan Anderson and he gets to the rim easier than Toney McCray could even dream of.

 

I don't think Shavon is fully developed right now (obviously not many freshman are).  Heighth wise probably, but it looks like he still has a lot of awkward/baby fat that will naturally go away in the next year or two and allow him to be a more fluid athlete.

 

He's more athletic than Anderson, but not by much.  I'd say he's slightly more explosive than Anderson but he's certainly not as quick with his hands or feet.  Overall very slight edge to Shavon.

 

McCray could get to the rim and finish - we just didn't see him have the aggression to do it.  Toney was also a much better athlete.  Obviously we know a lot of Toney's issues were between the ears.  Didn't have a high basketball IQ and and didn't have a motor at all.  

 

Shields is way ahead of McCray in those two areas.  He plays with intensity and fire.  If anything I'd say that's where he'd actually compare somewhat to Pierce.

I would say McCray is more comparable to Rivers than Shields. Anderson is similar to Shields, but wasn't Anderson only 6'4? I think Shields will be 6'7 by the time he's a senior.

[Norm Peterson]

I understand what you're trying to say, TS.  Where I have to differ from you is when you say Pierce was only slightly better as a ballhandler and shooter.  I'd say Pierce was significantly better.  And I'd say he was a substantially better athlete as well. 

 

I guess I don't see their games being all that similar.  Not sure who I'd compare Shavon to.  It wouldn't be Pierce.

[Norm Peterson]

I'd love to see Shavon about 2 inches taller.  He has tremendous tools to be a top notch power forward if he just had about 2 more inches in size and added about 25 pounds to his frame.  He's going to be a strong kid.  He's so smart as a player.  If he had a bit more size, he'd be a fantastic PF.  He'd be one of those rare bigs who could either pick and roll or pick and pop.  He'd create some real matchup problems, posting up smaller players and driving on bigger ones.  But, alas, I have no idea if he has another growth spurt in him.  Be nice if he did, though.

[Concrete]

i think shavon is already closer to 6'7 than 6'6.  He has a couple inches on talley, who seems to be a legit 6'5

[FredsSlacks]

I understand what you're trying to say, TS.  Where I have to differ from you is when you say Pierce was only slightly better as a ballhandler and shooter.  I'd say Pierce was significantly better.  And I'd say he was a substantially better athlete as well. 

 

I guess I don't see their games being all that similar.  Not sure who I'd compare Shavon to.  It wouldn't be Pierce.

Your probably right about Pierce being a better athlete. I still think they have a lot of the same offensive moves, are comparable in size, and both use their bodies well to get position.

 

If Shavon does keep getting taller, this comparison may not be very accurate at all.

[Norm Peterson]

i think shavon is already closer to 6'7 than 6'6.  He has a couple inches on talley, who seems to be a legit 6'5

I agree.  I can't remember the thread, but I made the comment earlier in the season that Shavon isn't much shorter than Ubel.  If he has another inch or two of growth left in him and can add the beef (which I'm certain he can do) I could see him being a Drew Gooden kind of player.  Now how is THAT for a comparison to a former KU kid?

[Hooper]

Bill Parcells once said that if he sees a player do something once, it’s on the coaches to get him to where he can do it over and over again. Shields is a player who started to show intermittent flashes of ability almost immediately once he started to get healthy. In some games, it would just be one or two plays, but he always did something that forced people to take notice. Then came the Purdue game where he put in 18 and grabbed 8 rebounds, followed by the incredible 29-point game against Penn State three days later.

After that, he pretty much fell back to being the player he’d been before the Purdue game. People were wondering if the grind of a long B1G season had finally caught up to him, and if he’d hit the proverbial wall.

The first half of the Michigan State game last night definitely didn’t do anything to dispel that theory, but Shields came out and lit it up in the second half, scoring 19 points and finishing the game with a team-high 13 rebounds (Ubel had 4) – his first double-double. And this wasn’t against bottom feeder Penn State – it was against one of the best defensive teams in the nation.

As others here have mentioned, Shavon isn’t a dominant athlete, but he brings a lot to the table when you consider his shooting touch, both around the basket and out to three-point range, his propensity to grab rebounds, his court intelligence and willingness to accept coaching.

When you look at the body of work he’s put together already as a true freshman, you see the potential for dramatic improvement and what it could mean 2-3 years down the road. I could see him developing into more of a power forward if he puts on a lot more weight, or a very effective wing player whose shooting skills will have to be respected. Shields doesn’t have ideal height to play in the paint, but he’s already shown solid rebounding ability, which makes you wonder what he’d be capable of with 20-25 lbs. of additional muscle and a more refined inside game.

To be a legitimate B1G contender that can move ahead of teams like Iowa and Purdue and into that middle group of B1G basketball programs, Nebraska will obviously have to get a ton more quality depth on the roster, but the first goal is to put five legitimate starters on the court who can compete at the highest level.

I believe Shields is the first player of the Miles era to step forward and establish himself as one of the critical puzzle pieces for this team as it moves forward over the next three years. He’s a guy we can win with, and his best basketball is unquestionably ahead of him.

As far as this season is concerned, I believe that a change in mindset needs to occur. I’d like to see this team abandon the mindset of trying to figure out ways to get open shots for Ray Gallegos and become one that focuses more on getting open looks for Shavon Shields. It’s time to acknowledge that Shields is our best player, work to build his confidence and make him the focal point of the offense. A player like Gallegos with zero ability to drive to the rim and a pedestrian .370 FG% cannot be the focal point of an offense in my opinion.

[bison husker]

Paul Pierce was a much better athlete and a much more skilled basketball player.  The OP kind of sells Pierce short in order to make the comparison.  Pierce was an All-American in hoops and has enjoyed a lengthy NBA career.  You don't get there by being a sub-par athlete with mediocre skills.

 

Not really fair to compare Shields with Pierce.  Shields is a good player.  Just because Pierce is all around better (so is Lebron James, btw) doesn't make Shields bad.  Shields is very good.  But he's no Paul Pierce.Very good post.  Pierce was very good from the time he stepped on the court at KU.....shields has a good chance to be good but doubt he gets to the level of Paul as you said he has been great in college and close to great in the NBA.

[Cookie Belcher]

... what

[nustudent]

Shavon is going to have a solid career here for us.   That being said...the comparison to Pierce seems a bit much at the moment

[bobcat402]

he reminds me more of a DaJuan Summers type or possibly a Drew Gooden esque if he grows a little bit, but i will hold opinion  til at least next yr, i look at Otto porter from GTOWN, (sorry if it seems that im going to that well to often on this board but there my legit second favorite team). however otto did a lot of what Shavon has done in his frosh year, offseason came and he put some work in lost some youthful baby fat if you will, looks longer, leaner, quicker, faster the 7 million dollar man if you will and now they are suprising a lot of analysts this season. i think shavon can do the same thing in the offseason and next season.

[Huskerpapa]

Paul Pierce is likely a boarderline NBA hall of famer...tough to compare or hold a 19 year old kid to that kind of standard.  But there are a whole lot of attributes about Shavon that is to be loved...he is basketball smart, he looks like he works his butt off, he has the ability to get to the basket, he can rebound, he seems to be able to run the court, he has good range, he can draw fouls and hit this free throws, he plays decent defense.  Tie those attributes with the assumption that he may still be a growing man (I do not see hair on his legs yet) and that his Dad should be in the NFL Hall of Fame, leads to a very, very positive outlook for this young man. 

[Norm Peterson]

Yeah, we can get a whole lot of good done with a kid who might not be a future NBA Hall-of-Famer but who's pretty darned good in his own right.

[49r]

I don't know whether Shavon's the next Paul Pierce or not...

 

What I do know is I like the kid.

[bobcat402]

Paul Pierce is likely a boarderline NBA hall of famer...tough to compare or hold a 19 year old kid to that kind of standard.  But there are a whole lot of attributes about Shavon that is to be loved...he is basketball smart, he looks like he works his butt off, he has the ability to get to the basket, he can rebound, he seems to be able to run the court, he has good range, he can draw fouls and hit this free throws, he plays decent defense.  Tie those attributes with the assumption that he may still be a growing man (I do not see hair on his legs yet) and that his Dad should be in the NFL Hall of Fame, leads to a very, very positive outlook for this young man. 

WILL SHIELDS ISNT IN THE ALL OF FAME YET? BUT LARRY ALLEN IS?"!!!! is Neil Smith at least in?

[royalfan]

It is always tough to compare a decent college player to an incredible NBA player.  I get where you are coming from though.  Certainly some similarities to the types of game they play.  Pierce obviously a way better shooter.