It's the summer of Tacko Fall, especially after the Celtics officially signed the big man on Thursday, but don't get too caught up in Tacko-mania just yet.
First of all, the 7-foot-7 sensation still has to battle for a spot on the active roster. Fall followed up the news of his signing with a message stating he's "hungry and determined" to make that happen, but it's clear he still has a long way to go.
One anonymous Celtics executive would tell you the same thing. The exec pointed out some mistakes made by Fall in Summer League to Celtics Blog's Keith Smith and noted the Central Florida product has plenty of developing to do.
“There was a play during the first game where he got called for a foul guarding a pick and roll," the C's executive told Smith. "He was upset at himself. Most players will slap the basket stanchion. Happens all the time. Fall slapped the arm that runs from the stanchion to the backboard. It was just a reminder of how big he is. As for his play, he’s got a long way to go. Everything he gets is just his size right now. The good news is that he got better as the week went along. Worth spending more time on his development for sure.”
Although there's skepticism about whether Tacko can be a consistent contributor at the NBA level, the Celtics executive made it a point to compliment the 23-year-old for his personality and his basketball IQ.
“First, he’s a quality person,” they said. “That stands out above all else. He’s incredibly smart. He might be the smartest person in this gym. (laughs) We’re hoping to be able to keep working with him through camp and beyond. You know that you can’t teach size and he’s got more than anyone we’ve ever seen. That’s worth investing in.”
It may take a while for Fall to develop into a formidable NBA player, but it seems he has the right kind of attitude to expedite the process. One thing is certain: Celtics fans will be rooting him to succeed the entire way.
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