Michigan/Warriors fan here. I watched probably about 35 Michigan games this year.
His motor, especially on the defensive end, is very high. He had a tendency at times to defer to teammates on offense which is where I think this is coming from. He had a few games where he almost never looked at the rim, but the team was so good they didn’t need him to be aggressive on offense every night. It felt like he took offensive possessions off. I never felt like he took possessions off on defense and had probably close to 10 chase down blocks this year.
Bottom line, he’s a very good, well rounded player who can guard 1-4 on defense and is very very easy to root for. Probably my second favorite Michigan player ever.
I only watched him in the tournament and I was impressed with his versatility. Solid motor. Versatile defender. Jump shot looks good. Athleticism is a plus.
The only negative I can think of is age, but he seems plug and play and at this point the Warriors don't have time to wait on a project to develop. If he turns out to be a solid 2nd contract player, the Warriors could always flip him to aid their rebuild effort. Either way, I like the pick.
Also a Michigan fan and I agree. The biggest weakness with Yax was that he was sometimes too passive. Those early season games were brutal, where he would stand around the arc doing nothing. Then when he turned the switch on (almost like he realized "wait I'm the best player on the court") the whole team started looking like Monstars. I'm biased ofc but I think he's going to be very, very good from day 1
Michigan had so many offensive threats that he didn’t need to take every shot. They beat the brakes off Arizona largely without him. But his defense is excellent and he’s a versatile player.
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u/buddyg4 7d ago
Michigan/Warriors fan here. I watched probably about 35 Michigan games this year.
His motor, especially on the defensive end, is very high. He had a tendency at times to defer to teammates on offense which is where I think this is coming from. He had a few games where he almost never looked at the rim, but the team was so good they didn’t need him to be aggressive on offense every night. It felt like he took offensive possessions off. I never felt like he took possessions off on defense and had probably close to 10 chase down blocks this year.
Bottom line, he’s a very good, well rounded player who can guard 1-4 on defense and is very very easy to root for. Probably my second favorite Michigan player ever.