Unfortunately, the World Cup has been characterized by terrible officiating that has shifted the emotional momentum of games, and worse cost teams games, indefensible flopping, and bringing out the stretcher after guys get tripped. The icing on the cake however is just watching these guys writhe in agony, as if they got shot only to be followed by them playing at top speed a minute and a half after they remove themselves from the stretcher that carried them off. It's comical.
I was sad to see the US team's 2010 campaign come to an end. They played hard. They have some good pieces, but are still a long way off from competing with those elite teams. I have assembled some observations and tactics that the US soccer program should consider going forward. Now these aren't all the way serious suggestions but they aren't tongue and cheek either. I know that at this high of a level, there is a certain elite style of play. BUT at the same time, the United States has proven that they can't play at the level they need to playing the way the rest of the world plays. It's time to reevaluate a few things, and these suggestions are meant to help.
1. WE NEED GUYS WHO CAN CARRY THE BALL THROUGH TRAFFIC: For a non-soccer guy, I think this is the biggest frustration. Why won't these guys be more aggressive and just try to dribble through people? Why are they always trying to be cute with little dinky passes and lobbing it into the middle? Those are fair questions. I realize that at the elite level, the best teams are passing technicians who make great vertical runs for goals. It's very systematic. Nobody touches the ball more than twice. Two touches and it's gone. It's pretty. And that's how the game is played. But I would like to see what happens if we had 5-6 guys who sacrificed a little fitness for power, and just worked to dribble through players with power with a high level of foot skill. There are so many times the non-soccer guy can point to examples when guys decide to carry and dribble the ball a little longer than they should, when they can look for easy passes, but don't and continue to dribble and draw a foul and free kick. That's more like it to me. Carry the ball, be strong, draw fouls. Which brings me into my next point.
2. AMERICAN FOOTBALL-LIKE SET PIECES RUN TO PERFECTION: This is another factor in a the game that I think is undervalued. That United States goal that was disallowed in the Slovenia game was run to perfection. Perfect ball. Perfect timing. Perfect spacing. We have to be much more advanced in the way we run these set pieces. We need to work hard to create situations that lead to free kicks. And think outside the box on how we can create formations that teams haven't seen. We basically need to bring in Josh McDaniel and Andy Reid. OR maybe Doc Rivers or Mike D'Antoni would be more appropriate. Have them create formations and sets in which all the guys on the field have an assignment. If they run it right, guys should come wide open. Some guys are screeners, some are cutters, etc. While I think there is a method to their madness, as evidenced by Maurice Edu's great goal that was disallowed, there is definite room for improvement. It requires new spacing, assignments, screening and picking legally, cutting to the goal hard, and perfect serving passes.
3. FOUL EVERY POSSESSION: Every time the opponent has the ball, he should be getting hit. We have to be as physical as possible, fouling with our legs and hips and butt. Every play. If you foul every play, they cannot call it every single time. If you make yellow card degree fouls every play, they can't call it every play. It's simple. Sure, we're gonna lose guys to 2 yellow cards sometimes. But as we get better at it, we'll learn to avoid making fouls that garner yellows. But when you're playing against teams with better players, you gotta be as physical as possible.
4. NEVER EVER FLOP ON OFFENSE: This is what amazes me. It nauseates me to watch these guys just flop and flop. These guys are without a doubt the biggest pussies in the world. I don't care how much money they make and how many girls are chasing them. It's unbelievable. But, no question, it gets rewarded. As we have seen throughout the Cup. My fix is to never ever flop. UNTIL it's the perfect moment. UNTIL the whole team hasn't flopped the entire game, and we get a run in the box where we're not gonna score but it looks like might. THEN FLOP. Flopping has to be timed perfectly. It has to be used only when we have a prime opportunity to create a penalty kick. If we haven't flopped the entire game, and have been playing through guys fouling us, the referee will be much more apt to believe us and reward us if we flop in a goal scoring situation. This goes back to being stronger and more powerful.
5. GOALIE OUTLET PASSES/PLAYS: Landon Donovan's game winning goal was spurred by an unbelievable outlet. You can argue that Algeria was out of position, tired, and that that doesn't happen often, but it created a great scoring opportunity. We need goalies who can throw the ball on time and on target to guys who can carry the ball and make something happen. The goalie has to be like a quarterback out there or like Kevin Love throwing outlet passes to Johnny Flynn. A great outlet pass can create positive momentum going at the goal.
6. LOCKDOWN BEASTLY DEFENDERS: If we are going to have guys carrying the ball through traffic more, and committing a lot of men to set pieces, we are no doubt gonna be caught in bad situations. So we need to put a premium of physical defenders who can ride guys out, steal the ball, and hold down the fort until we get more guys back. This is a pivotal ingredient.
That's just a couple things. Obviously, there are some problems and difficulties that arise with the suggestions. The simple and pretty way: two-touch, serving it into the middle, vertical runs, etc. is a beautiful way to play. No question about. But as team USA, we gotta think outside the box. We gotta use unique tactics. Cause we don't have any good players. Just something for USA Soccer to think about.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
JC's MOCK LOTTERY
We are approximately 36 hours away from one of my favorite sporting events of the year. I love the NBA draft. Not as much as I love the NFL Draft, but it's close. I love the evaluation process, and how it continues to evolve and become more and more scientific and complex. Yet every year, the majority of the league misfires on their guys, and it's often those under the radar guys that end up ruling the day 2-3 years down the line.
As I writing this, a blurb came across the bottom line saying the Bucks traded for Corey Maggette, sending Chuck Bell amongst another player and a pick. In my best Harry Doyle voice, "obviously Jon Hammond's thinking, well I don't know what the hell he's thinking." That's the last guy in the history of this world that I would be trading for. Maggette is the biggest cancer walking around this league right now. He's a selfish offensive player, who dominates the rock and takes teams outta their flow. This is the kind of move that will contribute to the demise of Scott Skiles. Skiles is so tough and so hard core, Belichickian. He gets his teams to cut hard as hell, defend, screen, be unselfish, and play their butts off every night. And he's successful at it. Then the team adds a couple Corey Maggette's and his teams go south cause they refuse to practice or play hard. And Skiles get sent home. I just don't understand the move. I agree that Salmons isn't your long term guy, but Corey frickkin Maggette?
Also getting a little buzz that the Blazers might try to get in and trade for Mo Williams. HOW SOON CAN WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN? I'll pack his bags and sell his house for him?
Alright well here's my mock first round. I have done my best to stay away from looking at any mocks. This is just my careful evaluation and film study. This is also considering that everyone stays where they are. Lotta buzz about Minny moving down. By the way, is Chad Ford the most important writer at ESPN. Why is all his stuff Insider? Is his stuff that good? Why does he get that distinction? Why isn't Simmons insider? Or Buster Olney? I know he's always got good buzz, but I mean c'mon. It's the frickkin NBA. Not many people care about it.
Washington Wizards: John Wall
Done and done. Obviously a no-brainer here. Special athlete. Electric with the ball in his hands. Gonna be a dominant high ball screen and iso player. It seems like he takes winning pretty seriously. He's a pretty serious dude when he's between the lines. What I love about him is he's gets you the ball right on frickkin time almost always, especially on the break. You see a lot of these guys who are late passers: meaning they try to get their shot right until they can't and throw it to guys in bad spots, off target, 1.5-2 seconds late. Wall did very little of that when I watched him. If you ran out on that break with him, he gave it up. He gave it to you on time on target, so your footwork was easy. As nasty as he's gonna be, he'll have his bad nights. Might be a little slow mentally picking up the intricacies of how teams will play him defensively on ball screens and other situations. His jumper has to improve and will. But he's a guy.
2. Philly 76ers: Evan Turner (DeMarcus Cousins)
See this isn't gonna happen. But it should. I know the pick is Evan Turner here. By the way, did anyone see Jrue Holiday at the draft lottery show. Did you see his face when the Wizards got the first pick and the Sixers got the second? It was awesome. Like a kid on Christmas. The "thank God, John Wall isn't gonna bury me on the bench until they move me to another team face." I like Cousins here. I think he's the second best guy and they should suck it up and take him. No question. And he's a great fit for the Doug Collins' 76ers. They just moved Sammy Dalembert, and now have Andres Nocioni and Spencer Hawes. Both of those guys are great rotation guys, Andres being a good blender playing physical inside and outside, and Hawes being a better than average big. You need a front line starter. I know Evan Turner is great, but they have a better Evan Turner in Andre Iguodala. They have Thad Young, who plays inside out, mostly on the wing. They 2 up and coming slashers in Lou Williams and Jrue Holiday. Just make it simple. Don't create an alpha dog battle between Iggy and Turner. Draft a mean, beastly 6-11 monster. Put him on the block and let him play. Doug Collins is a perfect coach for Cousins. He'll be able to speak his language and coexist with him. Get the 20 and 10 guy. But for Evan Turner, he's gonna be a good pro. He can control a game, get to the free throw line at will, and find open guys. Plays with a big chip on his shoulder. He's a matchup problem. I think he's gonna do well. His personality is a bit off tho. He could have some run ins with teammates and coaches.
3. New Jersey Nets: Wes Johnson
This is a simple and solid pick. No frills. Just a really good kid who can really play. Came on like a freight train the first 15 games this season, as Cuse got off to a great start and was number 1 in the country for a while. I remember seeing Cuse highlights early in the year and seeing this light skinned wing just dominate. I remember thinking and saying to myself as I saw him create a steal, run the wing on the break and catch an alley oop at the top of the box: what is Shawn Marion doing playing for Syracuse? He was that kinda presence. He's not as long as the Matrix, but he does similar things. Great offensive player. Pretty polished, can drive and shoot. Good technique on his jumper, so should be able to improve range and hit corner NBA threes. He's just an active player. You gotta account for him. He sticks his nose in there and gets offensive and defensive rebounds. He seems to be a great guy. Teams are raving about his interviews and maturity. This is a good safe pick for Avery Johnson and Rod Thorn. Cousins should be the pick, but I doubt Avery and Rod Thorn want that headache. Favors is another guy here, but I dunno if Avery Johnson sees it in Derrick Favors. I think they'll error on the side of caution and take a good wing. They could go Cousins here. They might be taking Wes J cause Minny wants him and they'll make Minny come pay for the pick.
4. Minny Timberwolves: Derrick Favors
Again, this a no-brainer here for me. Cousins should go here. But as we have seen here before, David Kahn, Wolves GM, is a fucking moron. And he'll find a way to mess this up. He'll probably trade this pick. He'll probably trade Johnny Flynn, who he drafted in the top 10 a year ago. Minny's gonna make someone else's season at the expense of their own I am sure, and you can thank David Kahn. Derrick Favors: same measurements as Dwight Howard. Number 2 guy coming outta high school behind Avery Bradley and John Wall. An unbelievable specimen. Lotta positives. Lotta question marks. If you watched 10 of his games this season, you were shaking your head at 8.5 of them. Didn't play with a lot of effort. Kinda glided around, not much activity. Go get a rebound. Go foul somebody. Set an illegal screen, do anything man. They would throw it into him, the big defending him would push him off the box and he'd kick it back out to a shitty guard. Doesn't have a go to move or a counter to when you stop his go to move. Very tenative and uncomfortable when its 1 on 1 in the post and he's supposed to score. Kind of a slouch. On his good days though, he was a beast. Double-double by halftime. Shot a high percentage. Made his free throws. Was active defensively, coming off the weak side to block shots. Momentum shifting dunks. So a lot of good here, just might have to wait 3.5 seasons to see it.
5. Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins
Finally, the second best player in the draft comes off the board. And the Maloofs and Geoff Petrie laugh all the way to hopefully the 7th or 8th seed in the west next season. Cousins is a potential 20 and 10 guy. Not many of those guys just walking around the neighborhood. Makes his free throws. Dominant rebounder. Hunts the ball on the offensive glass. Really comfortable on the block in a 1 on 1 situation. Has a couple go to moves. Capable shooter outside 15 feet. Definitely not where you want him to be, but can knock it down. Runs the floor very well for a guy weighing 280 pounds. And he's out there to play. He's not out there to see what it feels like to sweat. He has some anger issues. He's gonna get some technicals. He's gonna pout. But I don't see it being a problem at all. He's gonna be fine when he's playing. He's much more Rasheed Wallace than Ron "Queensbridge" Artest. The big question mark is what is he gonna do in the offseasons, when he has his boys with him and suddenly has 2.5 million in his bank account to play around with. But I think he's the second best guy, and the Kings will have some big time players. They gotta find a 2 who can shoot threes and play.
6. Golden State Warriors: Greg Monroe
Dear Greg,
Here's a list of assignments: Pass us the ball. Don't even think about shooting. Offensive rebound and kick it to us. Set good screens. Actually don't set good screens, just sit right on the base line in the short corner. Outlet the ball to us. We'll take it from here. Thanks.
Signed, Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry
Not crazy about Greg Monroe. Soft. Kind of a glider out there. Not physical. Thin and not strong. Little light in the butt. He's left handed tho, which can be deceiving, and he showed that he can go on good runs and score and dominate the game. Gonna need to prove he can bang in the post on a night to night basis. I feel bad for whoever goes here. Whether it's him, Ed Davis, Epke Odoh, whoever. Warriors are terribly dysfunctional, with no plan. And on top of all that, this is the worst place to be in this draft. It goes downhill after 5.
7. Detroit Pistons: Ekpe Udoh
This guy is a good player. Plays hard. Still growing into the game. Doesn't have a great feel for the offensive flow. Natural shot blocker. He's got better upside than Ed Davis. That's basically where I am going here. He's heavier and more athletic. He's plenty long. The Stones need a couple guys to play hard and do the dirty work. There's a role here for Udoh if he keeps progressing.
8. LA Clippers: Al Farouq Aminu
One of my least favorite guys in the draft. Big risk/reward guy. Lotta talent. Good offensive tools. Scores in different ways. Just highly questionable effort level and consistency. Rail thin, will have a hard time playing through the bumps and physical nights in the league. Aminu likes to be a jump shooter. He settles all day for crappy shots, and he goes from there. If he knocks down a three ball early, he gets in a good flow and he'll give you 24 and 10. If he's cold he goes more on the 2-12 track and mails it in defensively. The latter outweighed the former at Wake. If he plays harder, maybe their coach survives. Very similar to Favors: congrats guys, you're potential has made you lottery picks, but let's start to be pros and earn the money. Play with some energy and effort please.
9. Utah Jazz: Luke Babbit
Dis frickkin guy has soared up the draft board. Only seen him play a couple games. Both times, the defense was quick to double and rotate on him and he had a hard time getting loose. This guy shoots the shit outta the ball. That's his meal ticket. He's Mr. King of the mid-range. He's very good at putting it on the floor for a couple dribbles either way and elevating into a j. That's a big part of his rise I would assume. I am sure he's been killing these workouts cause these guys running them expect him to be a catch and shoot guy but he's blazing the nets on the shots off the dribble as well. I am not sold. I dunno if he has the ability to get space against these NBA defenders. He's thick and strong, but I dunno if he is quick enough. He's a good fit for the Jazz here. If he works hard enough he can produce in that system. He's got a little more game and versatility than Kyle Korver. He needs to hang around Matt Harpring for a bit.
10. Indy Pacers: Xavier Henry
Value pick here. I think Henry is a high ceiling guy. Really polished shooter. Hard not to take him here if he's still on the board. He's a big guard. He can defend 2's and 3's while at the same time those same guards would have a hard time checking him with his bulk. He's a knockdown shooter. Good mechanics on his j. Hasn't really had to put it on the floor much. KU was dominant enough to where he was a catch and shoot player and a catch and dunk in transition player. He's a high character coachable kid. His question mark is can he get space when he puts it on the floor. Can he lose his guy off the dribble? We'll see. I think this guy is a player. He'll translate better in the pro game than he did in his one year in college.
11. New Orleans Hornets: Ed Davis
The Hornets need a lot of help, and I dunno if Davis is the guy to do it, but if he's still on the board you might have to take him here. Ed Davis should have come out last year in a bad draft. He would have gone in the top 5. Now he's kind of exposed himself as a questionable athlete whose injury prone. He got fat off the 5 pros he played with as a freshman, and was the benefactor of Ty Lawson and Tyler Hansborough drawing 5 guys to them. Davis for was there for drive and dish dunks. He had a little trouble scoring when he got the lion share of the touches early in the year. He's young though and that's hard for anyone, especially when you have every team in the country gunning to beat you. Davis is squirmy though on the offensive boards. He knows where to find the ball. He's left handed which helps him and has a solid hook shot over his right shoulder. I think he's two years away from helping a team, but he's a good guy to have.
12. Memphis Grizzles:: Paul George
Under the radar guy who is rising fast. Played at Fresno and I haven't seen much of him. Definitely a high ceiling sleeper type guy. Tall skinny wing, who has the tools to be a guy. Lotta T-Mac comparisons so take that for what it's worth.
13. Toronto Raptors : Avery Bradley
I see a lot of Russell Westbrook in Bradley. And we all know how that's working out. Guy's a monster. Bradley is definitely in that category of better in the pro game than the college game. He's quick and explosive, and he'll benefit from a more spread open court, where he has more 1 on 1 opportunities. He's great in transition and can play well in the half court. Pesky defender who looks to gamble and get in the passing lanes. Saw him take a make a lot of mid range jumpers. Texas and Rick Barnes had a tough time figuring it out last season. They had a lot of good guys, lotta injuries, so they didn't maximize Bradley. When they were playing well earlier in the year, he was a catalyst. A very hard guy to stop. Then they hit a wall and his minutes declined. But like I said, I think this is a guy who can thrive in a more wide open 1 on 1 game. I like him to come off the board earlier than people expect.
14. Houston Rockets: Cole Aldrich
Not really sure where Daryl Morey and his statistical models will head with this pick. I think Gordon Hayward is good enough to pick here, but I think they need more a guy with an athlete or a big here. Chase Budinger makes Hayward a little less appetizing. Aldrich makes sense here. He has a lot of good little derivatives that Morey and his computers look for. Great defender both, on ball and off. Can guard 4's or 5's. Runs the floor. Shoots a high percentage from the field and line. KU involved him in a ton of ball screens on the wing and at the top of key, so that should be a smooth tranisition/strength for him. Aldrich is pretty safe. Pretty good at everything. Hard pick to gauge cause Morey keeps his guys real close to the vest. And his track record has been great. So we'll see here. Wouldn't be surprised if he goes Dominque Jones here. Or even Daniel Orton
Non-Lottery Guys I Love:
Dominque Jones
Gordon Hayward
Larry Sanders
Darington Hobson
Stanley Robinson
Luke Harangody
Eric Bledsoe
Mikhail Torrance
Terrico White
Willy Warren
Marquis Blakeley
Jerome Randle
Quincy Pontdexter
Non-Lottery Guys I Like:
Jordan Crawford
Raymar Morgan
Ben Ozoh
Solomon Alabi
Trevor Booker
Grevis Vasquez
Elliot Williams
Deep Sleepers:
Ryan Thompson
Tyren Johnson
Ryan Wittman
As I writing this, a blurb came across the bottom line saying the Bucks traded for Corey Maggette, sending Chuck Bell amongst another player and a pick. In my best Harry Doyle voice, "obviously Jon Hammond's thinking, well I don't know what the hell he's thinking." That's the last guy in the history of this world that I would be trading for. Maggette is the biggest cancer walking around this league right now. He's a selfish offensive player, who dominates the rock and takes teams outta their flow. This is the kind of move that will contribute to the demise of Scott Skiles. Skiles is so tough and so hard core, Belichickian. He gets his teams to cut hard as hell, defend, screen, be unselfish, and play their butts off every night. And he's successful at it. Then the team adds a couple Corey Maggette's and his teams go south cause they refuse to practice or play hard. And Skiles get sent home. I just don't understand the move. I agree that Salmons isn't your long term guy, but Corey frickkin Maggette?
Also getting a little buzz that the Blazers might try to get in and trade for Mo Williams. HOW SOON CAN WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN? I'll pack his bags and sell his house for him?
Alright well here's my mock first round. I have done my best to stay away from looking at any mocks. This is just my careful evaluation and film study. This is also considering that everyone stays where they are. Lotta buzz about Minny moving down. By the way, is Chad Ford the most important writer at ESPN. Why is all his stuff Insider? Is his stuff that good? Why does he get that distinction? Why isn't Simmons insider? Or Buster Olney? I know he's always got good buzz, but I mean c'mon. It's the frickkin NBA. Not many people care about it.
Washington Wizards: John Wall
Done and done. Obviously a no-brainer here. Special athlete. Electric with the ball in his hands. Gonna be a dominant high ball screen and iso player. It seems like he takes winning pretty seriously. He's a pretty serious dude when he's between the lines. What I love about him is he's gets you the ball right on frickkin time almost always, especially on the break. You see a lot of these guys who are late passers: meaning they try to get their shot right until they can't and throw it to guys in bad spots, off target, 1.5-2 seconds late. Wall did very little of that when I watched him. If you ran out on that break with him, he gave it up. He gave it to you on time on target, so your footwork was easy. As nasty as he's gonna be, he'll have his bad nights. Might be a little slow mentally picking up the intricacies of how teams will play him defensively on ball screens and other situations. His jumper has to improve and will. But he's a guy.
2. Philly 76ers: Evan Turner (DeMarcus Cousins)
See this isn't gonna happen. But it should. I know the pick is Evan Turner here. By the way, did anyone see Jrue Holiday at the draft lottery show. Did you see his face when the Wizards got the first pick and the Sixers got the second? It was awesome. Like a kid on Christmas. The "thank God, John Wall isn't gonna bury me on the bench until they move me to another team face." I like Cousins here. I think he's the second best guy and they should suck it up and take him. No question. And he's a great fit for the Doug Collins' 76ers. They just moved Sammy Dalembert, and now have Andres Nocioni and Spencer Hawes. Both of those guys are great rotation guys, Andres being a good blender playing physical inside and outside, and Hawes being a better than average big. You need a front line starter. I know Evan Turner is great, but they have a better Evan Turner in Andre Iguodala. They have Thad Young, who plays inside out, mostly on the wing. They 2 up and coming slashers in Lou Williams and Jrue Holiday. Just make it simple. Don't create an alpha dog battle between Iggy and Turner. Draft a mean, beastly 6-11 monster. Put him on the block and let him play. Doug Collins is a perfect coach for Cousins. He'll be able to speak his language and coexist with him. Get the 20 and 10 guy. But for Evan Turner, he's gonna be a good pro. He can control a game, get to the free throw line at will, and find open guys. Plays with a big chip on his shoulder. He's a matchup problem. I think he's gonna do well. His personality is a bit off tho. He could have some run ins with teammates and coaches.
3. New Jersey Nets: Wes Johnson
This is a simple and solid pick. No frills. Just a really good kid who can really play. Came on like a freight train the first 15 games this season, as Cuse got off to a great start and was number 1 in the country for a while. I remember seeing Cuse highlights early in the year and seeing this light skinned wing just dominate. I remember thinking and saying to myself as I saw him create a steal, run the wing on the break and catch an alley oop at the top of the box: what is Shawn Marion doing playing for Syracuse? He was that kinda presence. He's not as long as the Matrix, but he does similar things. Great offensive player. Pretty polished, can drive and shoot. Good technique on his jumper, so should be able to improve range and hit corner NBA threes. He's just an active player. You gotta account for him. He sticks his nose in there and gets offensive and defensive rebounds. He seems to be a great guy. Teams are raving about his interviews and maturity. This is a good safe pick for Avery Johnson and Rod Thorn. Cousins should be the pick, but I doubt Avery and Rod Thorn want that headache. Favors is another guy here, but I dunno if Avery Johnson sees it in Derrick Favors. I think they'll error on the side of caution and take a good wing. They could go Cousins here. They might be taking Wes J cause Minny wants him and they'll make Minny come pay for the pick.
4. Minny Timberwolves: Derrick Favors
Again, this a no-brainer here for me. Cousins should go here. But as we have seen here before, David Kahn, Wolves GM, is a fucking moron. And he'll find a way to mess this up. He'll probably trade this pick. He'll probably trade Johnny Flynn, who he drafted in the top 10 a year ago. Minny's gonna make someone else's season at the expense of their own I am sure, and you can thank David Kahn. Derrick Favors: same measurements as Dwight Howard. Number 2 guy coming outta high school behind Avery Bradley and John Wall. An unbelievable specimen. Lotta positives. Lotta question marks. If you watched 10 of his games this season, you were shaking your head at 8.5 of them. Didn't play with a lot of effort. Kinda glided around, not much activity. Go get a rebound. Go foul somebody. Set an illegal screen, do anything man. They would throw it into him, the big defending him would push him off the box and he'd kick it back out to a shitty guard. Doesn't have a go to move or a counter to when you stop his go to move. Very tenative and uncomfortable when its 1 on 1 in the post and he's supposed to score. Kind of a slouch. On his good days though, he was a beast. Double-double by halftime. Shot a high percentage. Made his free throws. Was active defensively, coming off the weak side to block shots. Momentum shifting dunks. So a lot of good here, just might have to wait 3.5 seasons to see it.
5. Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins
Finally, the second best player in the draft comes off the board. And the Maloofs and Geoff Petrie laugh all the way to hopefully the 7th or 8th seed in the west next season. Cousins is a potential 20 and 10 guy. Not many of those guys just walking around the neighborhood. Makes his free throws. Dominant rebounder. Hunts the ball on the offensive glass. Really comfortable on the block in a 1 on 1 situation. Has a couple go to moves. Capable shooter outside 15 feet. Definitely not where you want him to be, but can knock it down. Runs the floor very well for a guy weighing 280 pounds. And he's out there to play. He's not out there to see what it feels like to sweat. He has some anger issues. He's gonna get some technicals. He's gonna pout. But I don't see it being a problem at all. He's gonna be fine when he's playing. He's much more Rasheed Wallace than Ron "Queensbridge" Artest. The big question mark is what is he gonna do in the offseasons, when he has his boys with him and suddenly has 2.5 million in his bank account to play around with. But I think he's the second best guy, and the Kings will have some big time players. They gotta find a 2 who can shoot threes and play.
6. Golden State Warriors: Greg Monroe
Dear Greg,
Here's a list of assignments: Pass us the ball. Don't even think about shooting. Offensive rebound and kick it to us. Set good screens. Actually don't set good screens, just sit right on the base line in the short corner. Outlet the ball to us. We'll take it from here. Thanks.
Signed, Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry
Not crazy about Greg Monroe. Soft. Kind of a glider out there. Not physical. Thin and not strong. Little light in the butt. He's left handed tho, which can be deceiving, and he showed that he can go on good runs and score and dominate the game. Gonna need to prove he can bang in the post on a night to night basis. I feel bad for whoever goes here. Whether it's him, Ed Davis, Epke Odoh, whoever. Warriors are terribly dysfunctional, with no plan. And on top of all that, this is the worst place to be in this draft. It goes downhill after 5.
7. Detroit Pistons: Ekpe Udoh
This guy is a good player. Plays hard. Still growing into the game. Doesn't have a great feel for the offensive flow. Natural shot blocker. He's got better upside than Ed Davis. That's basically where I am going here. He's heavier and more athletic. He's plenty long. The Stones need a couple guys to play hard and do the dirty work. There's a role here for Udoh if he keeps progressing.
8. LA Clippers: Al Farouq Aminu
One of my least favorite guys in the draft. Big risk/reward guy. Lotta talent. Good offensive tools. Scores in different ways. Just highly questionable effort level and consistency. Rail thin, will have a hard time playing through the bumps and physical nights in the league. Aminu likes to be a jump shooter. He settles all day for crappy shots, and he goes from there. If he knocks down a three ball early, he gets in a good flow and he'll give you 24 and 10. If he's cold he goes more on the 2-12 track and mails it in defensively. The latter outweighed the former at Wake. If he plays harder, maybe their coach survives. Very similar to Favors: congrats guys, you're potential has made you lottery picks, but let's start to be pros and earn the money. Play with some energy and effort please.
9. Utah Jazz: Luke Babbit
Dis frickkin guy has soared up the draft board. Only seen him play a couple games. Both times, the defense was quick to double and rotate on him and he had a hard time getting loose. This guy shoots the shit outta the ball. That's his meal ticket. He's Mr. King of the mid-range. He's very good at putting it on the floor for a couple dribbles either way and elevating into a j. That's a big part of his rise I would assume. I am sure he's been killing these workouts cause these guys running them expect him to be a catch and shoot guy but he's blazing the nets on the shots off the dribble as well. I am not sold. I dunno if he has the ability to get space against these NBA defenders. He's thick and strong, but I dunno if he is quick enough. He's a good fit for the Jazz here. If he works hard enough he can produce in that system. He's got a little more game and versatility than Kyle Korver. He needs to hang around Matt Harpring for a bit.
10. Indy Pacers: Xavier Henry
Value pick here. I think Henry is a high ceiling guy. Really polished shooter. Hard not to take him here if he's still on the board. He's a big guard. He can defend 2's and 3's while at the same time those same guards would have a hard time checking him with his bulk. He's a knockdown shooter. Good mechanics on his j. Hasn't really had to put it on the floor much. KU was dominant enough to where he was a catch and shoot player and a catch and dunk in transition player. He's a high character coachable kid. His question mark is can he get space when he puts it on the floor. Can he lose his guy off the dribble? We'll see. I think this guy is a player. He'll translate better in the pro game than he did in his one year in college.
11. New Orleans Hornets: Ed Davis
The Hornets need a lot of help, and I dunno if Davis is the guy to do it, but if he's still on the board you might have to take him here. Ed Davis should have come out last year in a bad draft. He would have gone in the top 5. Now he's kind of exposed himself as a questionable athlete whose injury prone. He got fat off the 5 pros he played with as a freshman, and was the benefactor of Ty Lawson and Tyler Hansborough drawing 5 guys to them. Davis for was there for drive and dish dunks. He had a little trouble scoring when he got the lion share of the touches early in the year. He's young though and that's hard for anyone, especially when you have every team in the country gunning to beat you. Davis is squirmy though on the offensive boards. He knows where to find the ball. He's left handed which helps him and has a solid hook shot over his right shoulder. I think he's two years away from helping a team, but he's a good guy to have.
12. Memphis Grizzles:: Paul George
Under the radar guy who is rising fast. Played at Fresno and I haven't seen much of him. Definitely a high ceiling sleeper type guy. Tall skinny wing, who has the tools to be a guy. Lotta T-Mac comparisons so take that for what it's worth.
13. Toronto Raptors : Avery Bradley
I see a lot of Russell Westbrook in Bradley. And we all know how that's working out. Guy's a monster. Bradley is definitely in that category of better in the pro game than the college game. He's quick and explosive, and he'll benefit from a more spread open court, where he has more 1 on 1 opportunities. He's great in transition and can play well in the half court. Pesky defender who looks to gamble and get in the passing lanes. Saw him take a make a lot of mid range jumpers. Texas and Rick Barnes had a tough time figuring it out last season. They had a lot of good guys, lotta injuries, so they didn't maximize Bradley. When they were playing well earlier in the year, he was a catalyst. A very hard guy to stop. Then they hit a wall and his minutes declined. But like I said, I think this is a guy who can thrive in a more wide open 1 on 1 game. I like him to come off the board earlier than people expect.
14. Houston Rockets: Cole Aldrich
Not really sure where Daryl Morey and his statistical models will head with this pick. I think Gordon Hayward is good enough to pick here, but I think they need more a guy with an athlete or a big here. Chase Budinger makes Hayward a little less appetizing. Aldrich makes sense here. He has a lot of good little derivatives that Morey and his computers look for. Great defender both, on ball and off. Can guard 4's or 5's. Runs the floor. Shoots a high percentage from the field and line. KU involved him in a ton of ball screens on the wing and at the top of key, so that should be a smooth tranisition/strength for him. Aldrich is pretty safe. Pretty good at everything. Hard pick to gauge cause Morey keeps his guys real close to the vest. And his track record has been great. So we'll see here. Wouldn't be surprised if he goes Dominque Jones here. Or even Daniel Orton
Non-Lottery Guys I Love:
Dominque Jones
Gordon Hayward
Larry Sanders
Darington Hobson
Stanley Robinson
Luke Harangody
Eric Bledsoe
Mikhail Torrance
Terrico White
Willy Warren
Marquis Blakeley
Jerome Randle
Quincy Pontdexter
Non-Lottery Guys I Like:
Jordan Crawford
Raymar Morgan
Ben Ozoh
Solomon Alabi
Trevor Booker
Grevis Vasquez
Elliot Williams
Deep Sleepers:
Ryan Thompson
Tyren Johnson
Ryan Wittman
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
