Watching the game today against the Oakland Grizzlies, it was pretty clear that Tristan has a lot of work to do if he hopes to earn a living playing basketball anywhere but Turkey. Granted, he could save some money bunking with Dogus' family, but I know he'd like to play in the NBA some day.
Let's discuss a few of the areas he needs some work.
Post defense: He let Benson catch the ball right at the block far too many times. He's going to have to work on his lower body strength in order to push players out away from the lane. This is something he might be able to address with another few off seasons under the watchful eye of Todd Wright.
Charity Stripe: He also has to work on his free throws. It's a basketball shot, not a trebuchet, son. 1000 a day in Denton Cooley is just the ticket.
Over-Exuberance: He often runs down the court so fast that he's the first guy down there. Nobody can throw it that far. Slow down, young man. Wait for your teammates.
Grace: And I don't want get too personal but he runs kind of funny. He's a little gangly. NBA crowds are very rude and are likely to ridicule him. I think some of those Todd Wright running drills over the next few summers could move him from goof to gazelle. He also should check out Chariots of Fire. And Personal Best. But still, there's no guarantee. He'll need to put in some work in Austin if he wants to play in the NBA.
There are many other obstacles standing between Tristan and the NBA. Which ones are you guys seeing?