MB vs JJ

[JCSunsfan]

Just comparing these two players. I am a big JJ fan but. . .

Athleticism: They are very similar. I do not have measurables for each, but its close.
Defense: JJ is a good defender, but MB was the best wing defender in college bball last year. I think he is a better, smarter, more finished defender.
Ball-handling: JJ is better, clearly.
Passing: Edge to JJ.
Shooting: Umm. Not even close. Never will be close.
Length: JJ is 6-8 with a 6-10 wingspan. MB is 6-7 with a 7-2 wingspan. Clear advantage MB.

Is it fair to say that MB, is JJ with a Markkanen jump shot? Yes it is. Food for thought.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Just comparing these two players. I am a big JJ fan but. . .

Athleticism: They are very similar. I do not have measurables for each, but its close.
Defense: JJ is a good defender, but MB was the best wing defender in college bball last year. I think he is a better, smarter, more finished defender.
Ball-handling: JJ is better, clearly.
Passing: Edge to JJ.
Shooting: Umm. Not even close. Never will be close.
Length: JJ is 6-8 with a 6-10 wingspan. MB is 6-7 with a 7-2 wingspan. Clear advantage MB.

Is it fair to say that MB, is JJ with a Markkanen jump shot? Yes it is. Food for thought.

So I guess you're comparing Mikal's 4th year in school to Jackson's first year? I think you're really stretching here to claim that Mikal's shooting will always greatly exceed Jackson's. Will it? Probably. But Mikal, after redshirting his first season, was still a weaker player in almost every way his first year playing in college including shooting. He improved tremendously with 4 years of great coaching. Let's see what Josh does. There's only about 6 months difference in age between the two (Mikal is older) but not everyone develops at the same pace.

 

[JCSunsfan]

So I guess you're comparing Mikal's 4th year in school to Jackson's first year? I think you're really stretching here to claim that Mikal's shooting will always greatly exceed Jackson's. Will it? Probably. But Mikal, after redshirting his first season, was still a weaker player in almost every way his first year playing in college including shooting. He improved tremendously with 4 years of great coaching. Let's see what Josh does. There's only about 6 months difference in age between the two (Mikal is older) but not everyone develops at the same pace.

I am comparing each player with where they are right now. Yes, Mikal is less than a year older. JJ has one year of NBA experience under his belt.

JJ has a chance to improve, surely, and Mikal has not played in the NBA yet so we will see.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Is it fair to say that MB, is JJ with a Markkanen jump shot? Yes it is. Food for thought.

No it's not...

You mentioned things that JJ is clearly better at and there are other things that JJ is clearly better at as well (shooting off the dribble, driving and cutting to the basket and getting to the foul line).

So, no it is not fair to say that and I might suggest that it is ridiculous to think that.

JJ is without question a better athlete as well.

 

[Hoop Head]

Length: JJ is 6-8 with a 6-10 wingspan. MB is 6-7 with a 7-2 wingspan. Clear advantage MB.

Advantage could be Bridges but I don't think it's fair to say it's a clear advantage yet until we can see how Mikal uses his size in the NBA. I think most would agree with me in saying that JJ uses his size very well. Perhaps better than Bridges. Those extra inches in length mean nothing if he's not using them well. Barbosa was really long and was projected to be a good defender with time and coaching but he never used his length very well. I'm not saying that will be the case with Bridges but I'd rather have a player with a 6-10 wingspan that knows how to use every inch of it compared to a guy that is super long with a 7'2 wingspan who doesn't use it and you wouldn't know he's that long unless someone mentions his measurements.

 

[Finito]

We are lucky to have both. I think you can run a lineup out there like this

Booker
Bridges
Jackson
Bender
Ayton

Now all of a sudden your very long and you got some good shooters and defenders. Man I hope Bender can become something I know I know but I'm still holding out hope.

 

[SirStefan32]

I hate comparing the players who haven't played in the NBA yet to the actual NBA players. On paper/ on tape, I am far more excited about Bridges than JJ, and I am a big JJ fan. They are different though. I think Bridges is a better defender (I think JJ is a little bit overrated there), and he is an outstanding shooter, which I don't think JJ will ever be. He is also an extremely smart player, which is something you can't teach. I don't think JJ has a particularly low basketball IQ either, but I think Bridges is just really really smart. On the other hand, I don't think Bridges can dribble like JJ and I don't think he will ever be able to get to the hoop the way JJ can. I think they are different players, and as someone pointed out already, we are lucky to have both.

 

[HeHasRosen]

I hate comparing the players who haven't played in the NBA yet to the actual NBA players. On paper/ on tape, I am far more excited about Bridges than JJ, and I am a big JJ fan. They are different though. I think Bridges is a better defender (I think JJ is a little bit overrated there), and he is an outstanding shooter, which I don't think JJ will ever be. He is also an extremely smart player, which is something you can't teach. I don't think JJ has a particularly low basketball IQ either, but I think Bridges is just really really smart. On the other hand, I don't think Bridges can dribble like JJ and I don't think he will ever be able to get to the hoop the way JJ can. I think they are different players, and as someone pointed out already, we are lucky to have both.

Yea this. I think MB will be a better overall player eventually but they are both gonna start so don't really need to compare the guys. They are different types of players.

 

[Ronin]

We are lucky to have both.

Yup.

 

[GoldGloveschmidt]

Beyond measurements I really like what JJ showed last year while Booker was out. He stepped up and showed that he wanted to be the #1 option and wanted the ball in his hand with the game on the line. Even hit some big shots (thinking of the Houston game for one). We'll see if MB has that same mentality. I think they will be complimentary players, not ones that should be compared to each other directly.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Beyond measurements I really like what JJ showed last year while Booker was out. He stepped up and showed that he wanted to be the #1 option and wanted the ball in his hand with the game on the line. Even hit some big shots (thinking of the Houston game for one). We'll see if MB has that same mentality. I think they will be complimentary players, not ones that should be compared to each other directly.

Precisely. The only thing they have in common is that they are both wings and are both known for good defensive abilities. The comparison really stops there as they each have a completely different list of strength from there.

 

[Raze]

We are lucky to have both. I think you can run a lineup out there like this

Booker
Bridges
Jackson
Bender
Ayton

Now all of a sudden your very long and you got some good shooters and defenders. Man I hope Bender can become something I know I know but I'm still holding out hope.

Keep holding out hope. The kid is 20 and shows a lot of heart.

Honestly, since Book is the star, this is a GREAT lineup defensively. Very similar to Golden State who hide Steph's defense by putting 4 solid defenders with him. Why can't we have our own version of that?

Offensively, as Jackson matures he'll be a far better distributor than anyone realizes (Pippen). Book and JJ can share the ball handling duties. With JJ driving he'll have Book, Bridges, and Bender to hit for 3 and Ayton for lobs and dumps. That's potent.

Book can do his superstar thing.
Ayton can OWN the post.
Bender and Bridges can spot up shoot.
Josh fills all the gaps.

This actually comps better to Jordan's Chicago team who had no legit PG. Pax, Kerr, BJ, etc., were just there to hit from 3. Jordan, Pippen, Toni, and Harper pretty much shared the ball handling duties.

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

Keep holding out hope. The kid is 20 and shows a lot of heart.

Honestly, since Book is the star, this is a GREAT lineup defensively. Very similar to Golden State who hide Steph's defense by putting 4 solid defenders with him. Why can't we have our own version of that?

Offensively, as Jackson matures he'll be a far better distributor than anyone realizes (Pippen). Book and JJ can share the ball handling duties. With JJ driving he'll have Book, Bridges, and Bender to hit for 3 and Ayton for lobs and dumps. That's potent.

Book can do his superstar thing.
Ayton can OWN the post.
Bender and Bridges can spot up shoot.
Josh fills all the gaps.

This actually comps better to Jordan's Chicago team who had no legit PG. Pax, Kerr, BJ, etc., were just there to hit from 3. Jordan, Pippen, Toni, and Harper pretty much shared the ball handling duties.

I agree with all of this, but for what it's worth, the Suns have been on record recently stating they want to generally avoid using Booker as a point guard.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I think jj’s shot creation abilities are what ultimately will prove more valuable than Bridges shooting. Don’t get me wrong, Bridges 3-D is I credibly important - particularly to a team in desperate need of both. But shot creation is perhaps the most important ability in the nba. And we also have very few of those beyond booker.

Stoked to have both but JJ is the superior player with more upside imo.

 

[SirStefan32]

I think jj’s shot creation abilities are what ultimately will prove more valuable than Bridges shooting. Don’t get me wrong, Bridges 3-D is I credibly important - particularly to a team in desperate need of both. But shot creation is perhaps the most important ability in the nba. And we also have very few of those beyond booker.

Stoked to have both but JJ is the superior player with more upside imo.

That is very true. Outside of Booker, Warren is the only guy who can really create his own shot, and I think Warren is as good as gone at this point. Suns really need to find a distributor at 1 soon.

 

[GatorAZ]

Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter.

 

[mojorizen7]

If Ayton comes as advertised he'll create shots for others.

 

[JCSunsfan]

That is very true. Outside of Booker, Warren is the only guy who can really create his own shot, and I think Warren is as good as gone at this point. Suns really need to find a distributor at 1 soon.

Ayton? I think he can create his own shot.