I may have underestimated Gary Trent when I repeatedly compared him to Tony Snell. One commentators suggestion of a different comparison, Wes Matthews, might be more appropriate at this point. The defense, the three-pointers (no bow-and-arrow celebration though), the low usage which combines nicely with the Chuck Bros of Lillard and McCollum…it matches up way too nicely.
Apparently this guy was extremely hyped coming out of high school. A five-star recruit, as they say. I don’t pay attention to high school hoops at all so I couldn’t tell you if that hype was hyper hyped or normal hype or overblown hype. But his stock fell while he was at college and he ended up getting drafted in the second round last year. Well, anybody out there who continued to believe in him is yelling “I told you so!” at random passersby right now because GTJ seems to be growing into the potential that he allegedly had as a young’un.
Another point of comparison between Matthews and Trent: both went to high-school in the upper midwest, which is not known as a hotspot of basketball talent (Trent in Minnesota, Matthews in Wisconsin). The cold and anguish of the harsh northern winters certainly made them tougher and stronger. It definitely made me stronger. I can withstand significant adversity thanks to the lessons that Wisconsin has taught me. For example, I can write paragraphs upon paragraphs of bullpoo and unblinkingly peddle it without feeling guilty at all. At all.