The 2008 NBA Draft is here. Finally. The Chick-Fil-A is hot, the tea is sweet, and the #50 Emeka Okafor Bobcats jersey is on my back. Thoughts as we go:
1. Derrick Rose goes #1. Obvi.
2. Michael Beasley goes #2. Not a big surprise. I felt that Miami would trade the pick if they found good value. Obviously they did not, so they stayed put and took Beasley. I think that's the right move.
3. Ovinton J'Anthony Mayo (!) goes #3. I had no idea his real name. I figured Oscar Jr. or something. J'Anthony? At least Minnesota did the right thing and took the best guy. They'd have kicked themselves for taking Kevin Love here (and yes, I thought they would be that stupid).
4. Russell Westbrook goes to Seattle at #4. It is clear to me that the Supersonics franchise has no interest in being any good any time soon. These guys are going to be patient with this team so that once they move to Oklahoma City (which is going to happen at some point sooner or later), they'll be good enough to make the playoffs. But Westbrook is going to take a lot of time in my opinion. I personally do not like this pick or Westbrook at 4. Westbrook at 14? Sure. But not 4.
5. #5 is Kevin Love to hell...or Memphis. And he claims to be excited.
6. New York takes Gallinari. And Knicks fans boo. Shocking.
I pause to mention that Bill Simmons writes a "running diary" of the NBA Draft every year, which is always a hilarious read. I am predicting these things as being mentioned: A. The fact that Derrick Rose's high school title game footage had a final score of 31-29. B. The look on David Stern's face as he realized he had to say "Danilo Gallinari" on national TV. C. OJ Mayo's name. That's a lock. D. The fact that Gallinari apparently was advised to talk about "winning and New York City" in his interview.
7. Eric Gordon to the Clippers.
8. Joe Alexander to Milwaukee.
9. The Bobcats. Bayless is available. I want him. Gramps predicts we take Brook Lopez. And I agree. With the 9th pick, the Charlotte Bobcats select:
DJ Augustin.
*insert loud expletive of choice here*
(I choose the one that begins with "S" and ends with "hit")
Augustin: he's 5-10. He is inconsistent shooting the ball. He weighs 172 lbs. David Stern is almost as tall as him. He looks 15. Derrick Rose ate his lunch, dinner, and dessert in the NCAA Tournament. Value at 15, but not at 9. On a separate note, Augustin does have on a sharp gray three-piece suit with a magenta shirt and striped tie. So at least he's got that going for him.
So now, is Felton our point guard? Does this mean he might be traded? I doubt it. But maybe pushed for the position at least. I just do not understand how, if they wanted a point guard, the Bobcats passed on Bayless.
Text message conversation -
Gramps: Strange pick
Me: Hang on, I gotta finish my noose
10. Brook Lopez goes at #10 to New Jersey. A solid scoring big man, especially at this spot in the draft. He has to improve his defense and rebounding, but I like him ok. Then again, if the Bobcats had picked him, I'd be threatening to do harm to myself. What? I already did that? Oh yeah, cause we just drafted a dwarf.
Brook Lopez sounds exactly like WWE's The Big Show. Good grief. If he starts choke-slamming guys, then maybe I'll want him on the Bobcats after all. I'd pay him to choke slam our front office right now, that's for sure.
11. Ok, moving past this probable draft disaster, the Pacers take Jerryd Bayless at #11. He has on a white suit, shirt, tie, and shoes. And he's not a Charlotte Bobcat. I may have to take my jersey off. I'd buy an Augustin jersey, but I bet it only comes in kid's sizes.
12. Jason Thompson is taken at #12 by the Kings. Um, what? Jay Bilas says, "a bit of a surprise". I'm mad Stephen A. Smith is doing draftee interviews (and not too well I might add. All he asks is, "what is player's name going to bring to team's name next year?") instead of screaming about this selection. "Horrible!!!" he'd say. I'm befuddled by this pick honestly, even though the Kings do typically find good players in the draft. Looks to me like they may have over-thought this one though.
13. Portland takes Brandon Rush at #13. Terrific pick. Geez, Portland could be flat out sick in three years.
For your information, I have spent 15 minutes trying to research and rack my brain to remember an All-Star point guard who was shorter than 6-0. I can't. Even Nate "Tiny" Archibald was 6-1 according to basketballreference.com.
14. Anthony (not J'Anthony) Randolph at #14 to Golden State. He who weighs 53.4 lbs. The actual total combined weight of Golden State's frontline of the future (Randolph and former Tar Heel Brandan Wright) is 408 lbs, or the equivalent of Oliver Miller. They need to ensure an all-you-can-eat buffet for their team every day on the road.
Dickie V makes his first appearance. We agree on Russell Westbrook and Jason Thompson both being questionable selections.
15. Robin Lopez at #15 to Phoenix.
16. Philadelphia takes Marreese Speights at #16. Good potential here. Another season and he'd have been a mid-lottery pick in my opinion.
17. Toronto drafts Roy Hibbert for Indiana at #17 as part of the Jermaine O'Neal trade. Gramps and I had just finished discussing the Bobcats' upcoming pick at #20 and speculated that Hibbert would be the guy if he is available. I thought he'd go at #18 to Washington. I was off by one pick. And the night just got worse for the Bobcats. Unless they take Arthur or Greene. Knowing this, I'm expecting Alexis Ajinca instead. Go ahead and pull the car into the garage and turn it on for me. I'll close the garage door and stuff the tailpipe in a few minutes.
Fascinating "Miced Up" segment with The Big Show (aka Brook Lopez). He looked shocked when someone told him Lawrence Frank is the coach of the Nets. I do think, however, that Lawrence Frank could post DJ Augustin up though.
18. JaVale McGee goes 18 to Washington. No opinion.
I literally stopped in mid-pee to run back into my TV Lair to hear Ric Bucher's breaking report that Bayless and Diogu are being traded by Indiana to Portland for Jarrett Jack and Brandon Rush. Did I say Portland could be "flat out sick" earlier? How about "flat out mega-sick"? Rush would be a great fit on that team, but Bayless is a significant long-term upgrade over Jack.
The most impressive item in the above paragraph is that I have the bladder control to stop peeing in mid-stream. I said it.
19. Cleveland takes JJ Hickson from Moo U at #19. Good move on his behalf staying in the draft when others said he should wait a year. That means Arthur and Greene are both still available and...
With the Bobcats back on the clock and having finished my sweet tea 20 minutes ago, I am debating beer or liquor.
20. Liquor it is. And I swear on my love for our family dog, Pebbles, that I wrote the previous comment about taking Ajinca before this happened. If anyone needs me, I'll be in the garage.
Breaking news - Josh McRoberts is still in the NBA. He is to be included in the Portland/Indiana deal, going to the Pacers. I thought he was playing in Israel already. Further comment on this trade: I was confused as to why the Pacers would take Bayless when they are already getting TJ Ford and have Jamal Tinsley as well. It makes sense now.
21. New Jersey goes with Ryan Anderson at #21. I like this guy, I think he's going to be a good role player, especially stretching the floor at the 4-spot. It confused me how he was projected as a 2nd round player.
Darrell Arthur needs a hug.
22. Courtney Lee goes at #22 to Orlando. Apparently I am watching the WNBA draft, because Brook, Robin, and Courtney have all been drafted. I'm not surprised though, as I think this is actually the Charlotte Sting drafting instead of the Bobcats.
23. Kosta Koufos to Utah at #23. He looks like Mehmet Okur a bit, plays similarly, and will now be his teammate. A little confusing because Utah will be replicating the 5-spot with Okur and Koufos. However, if you find a successful player in your system, I don't guess it hurts to get a carbon copy of him to be a reserve.
We get a breakdown of the "Anatomy of Indiana's Pick". If this were the anatomy of the Bobcats' picks, they would say "Short" and "French". Sigh.
24. The Oklahoma City Not-Sonics select Serge Ibaka at #24. He is from Congo. Fran Fraschilla says "forget this name for about three or four years". Did I mention that the Sonics DO NOT CARE about winning right now AT ALL?!? This is like tanking over the course of four seasons. Unreal.
Doris Burke interviews a depressed Darrell Arthur. I think he messed up by wearing the green tie with the green shirt. U-G-L-Y you ain't got no alibi...
25. The Rockets take Nicolas Batum as the #25 selection. He was a supposed lottery pick last year had he come over, but waited, got diagnosed with a medical condition, and fell in the draft a bit.
Tarheelpwin weighs in via the phone on the Bobcats. He is none too happy either. It runs in the family apparently.
A note on the upcoming pick - earlier today, according to ESPN.com, the Spurs sent out a mass email to all NBA GM's stating that the 26th pick was for sale. I wonder now if the price for that pick has increased with Arthur still on the board.
26. The Spurs grab George Hill at #26. IUPUI in the house! I guess that answers my above question. Good for San Antonio, a good backup for Tony Parker. See, this is where you draft a good backup point guard. As opposed to 9th.
27. New Orleans finally ends the insanity and takes Darrell Arthur with the #27 pick. This pick is going to Portland, don't forget. So Portland has landed Ike Diogu, Jerryd Bayless, and Darrell Arthur tonight, along with getting rid of Josh McRoberts. Now that's a good draft night.
They show David Stern clapping as Darrell Arthur walks to the stage. Dad says he's clapping because he only has to do this for three more picks.
Darrell Arthur's mama, Sandra, weighs more than the new Bobcats' point guard and the Golden State frontline combined. But, she's relieved that her baby just got drafted. And I'm legitimately happy for her.
28. Memphis goes with Donte Greene at #28. I honestly forgot my boy was still around. Too bad he's going to Memphis to dwell in obscurity. He could be a great compliment to Rudy Gay in a few years.
29. De-troit Basket-ball selects DJ White with pick #29. Interesting selection considering his knee injuries. But, he's crafty and pretty tough; I'll admit coming around on him this past season.
30. Boston takes JR Giddens at #30, ending the first round. He is tremendously talented, but has some baggage. Stephen Jackson was my comparison earlier today, and not just on the floor. If he settles down, he'll be a terrific player to have gotten at 30.
Adam Silver takes the torch from David Stern and kicks off the lightning round. I'll summarize the first round quickly, then add a bit about the Bobcats' second-rounder and overall performance tonight. Might want to put the kids to bed for that one.
Winners - Portland, New Jersey, Minnesota, San Antonio, & Boston
Losers - Sacramento, Seattle (really, what the heck), The Golden State Welterweights, Darrell Arthur, and...the Bobcats.
Dickie V did just make me feel better by reminding us that North Carolina will have no players drafted tonight (barring Q being selected by the Bobcats. At this point, anything is possible). Rumor has it that the Tar Heels will be pretty good this coming season.
Value players in the second round - Mario Chalmers (I thought he'd be gone before the Cats picked again at #20. He's still around), Chris Douglas-Dash-Roberts, DeAndre Jordan. Think those guys are wishing they stayed in college after all? Seriously, other good values are Bill Walker & Kyle Weaver.
Larry Brown interview: "I'm satisfied I got a job". Great. Note that he did not say "I'm glad we drafted a midget and a foo-foo".
With the #38 pick, the Bobcats select Kyle Weaver. Finally, a good pick. I really like this guy. 6-6, versatile, solid defender and smart player. Good system fit for Larry Brown's system. Not really sure about the glut of shooting guards and small forwards, but he is a valuable asset and adds depth for now.
On a related Bobcats note, the Kings picked Sean Singletary at #42. Singletary is a 5-11.5 point guard. Sound familiar? Look at the stats:
Augustin: 19.2 points/gm, 5.8 assists/gm, 2.1/1 a/t ratio, 43.9 FG%
Singletary: 19.8 points/gm, 6.1 assists/gm, 1.6/1 a/t ratio, 42.6 FG%
So except for their assists-to-turnovers ratio, the numbers are quite similar. And remember Augustin played in an Elite Eight team while Singletary was blessed to play on a Final Four team...of the CBI Tournament. Thus, a talent difference exists. Somehow, one was the 9th pick, the other the 42nd pick.
Maybe I'll feel better tomorrow. But don't bet on it. I'm out of here now, got to go pick up a DJ Augustin jersey for Mini-Me. Holler if you hear me.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
How Dare You Mock My Draft
The Blue Team's NBA Mock Draft, as constructed with the ESPN.com Draft Machine
Quick notes:
Quick notes:
- I am assuming in this version that Miami and Seattle make a trade. Seattle gets the #2 pick (Beasley) and takes on a contract (Mark Blount probably) for the #4 (Mayo after Minnesota chickens out and drafts Kevin Love at #3), the # 24 (where Miami takes Speights), Chris Wilcox, and a future 2nd rounder.
- Also operating off the assumption that the Jermaine O'Neal trade is completed as promised, thereby making Toronto's need for a traditional center and Indiana's need for a point guard that doesn't shoot guns in the air at strip clubs moot.
- The Draft Machine had not yet been updated to reflect Charlotte's pick at #20 or Portland's additional selection at #27.
- In this version, the Bobcats pass on Brook Lopez at #9, taking Augustin instead, and grabbing the other Ms. Lopez at #20 (Robin). I made the point this morning to Andrew that it does not look like a good point guard will be available at #20, but plenty of big men will still be around. Therefore, I could see the Cats reaching a bit to take a point guard with the #9 and waiting on the best available big guy at #20.
Enjoy tonight. And hold my calls.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
This Guy Oozes Upside...He's Long
With the NBA Draft fast approaching (as in this Thursday night), a few passing thoughts on what may or may not go down.
1. The #1 pick - It'll be Derrick Rose. Although Beasley may be a better fit short-term, Rose could turn into a great team leader on a title contender. It seems that a lot of people have criticized Rose's game recently, but I think many are forgetting that he's just 19 years old. His game will improve. Is he as polished as Deron Williams was when he was the #3 pick in 2005? Of course not, Williams had played two additional years in college and worked on his game in that time. So, Rose will get better and, pending good health, be a great NBA point guard for years to come. The bigger issue for Chicago is the rest of the team. Trading Kurt Hinrich now, with his value at its lowest point, would be short-sighted. I think they are still a good player or two away from competing in the East with Boston, Detroit, Orlando, or Cleveland, so playing out the upcoming season with both Hinrich and Rose might be their best option. Let Hinrich play his value back up and then pair him with Nocioni or a re-signed Ben Gordon and try to find a solid low-block player. So, the real impact of drafting Rose remains to be seen over a season or two.
2. The #2 pick - will Miami trade it? ESPN has been reporting this possibility (which has to be annoying to the teams and their decision-makers. Would you want everyone to know your business?) for the past day or so. It seems that they will, and they should if they do not feel that Beasley is the best fit for their team. I question a Mayo/Wade backcourt, but I think that combination might be better than drafting Beasley and trading Marion (or Haslam). If the Heat can figure out a way to draft Mayo and pick up something in return, then this will be a great draft for them. That being said, if Mayo is their guy, then just draft him at #2 as opposed to moving down (such as to #7 in a trade with the Clippers) and settling for another guy.
3. The Lottery - what a jumbled mess the lottery looks right now. I challenge you to find consistency in the experts' Mock Drafts, even a day before the actual draft. Outside of Rose, Beasley, and to a certain extent, Mayo, there is little consensus among GM's, scouts, writers, or fans. I attribute this to the youth of many of these talented players. Imagine looking at half a painting; you would have little clue as to what the finished product will look like. Will it be a $200 piece of art? $2,000? $200,000? Or will it look like I painted it (um, that's not a good thing. Think finger painting from pre-school)? That's what teams are having to try and do with many of these prospects. Some are going to be hits, others misses. Unfortunately, that is just the nature of the draft nowadays.
4. The Upside Guys - unfinished or not, there are some players that might be drafted a bit later that I think could be really good. Donte Greene jumps out at me, the 6-9 forward from Syracuse. Darrell Arthur of Kansas also, but to a lesser extent, at the same position. I like Marreese Speights from Florida as well as Koufos from Ohio State as more low-block guys. Koufos, in the right system, could really be good, a la Mehmet Okur. He could also be the next Primoz Brezec. And just writing Primoz Brezec made me throw up a bit in my mouth. I'm not a huge fan of many of the guards outside of the top 10 or so, but Brandon Rush should be solid. Bill Walker has outstanding talent if he can overcome his injury issues (not that I find that possibility to be particularly promising). Personally, I am a supporter of Kyle Weaver. Again, in the right system, Weaver will serve as a solid backup who contributes some points, but mostly great D, good rebounding for a guard, and smart hustle plays. JR Giddens and James Gist also seem like possible late-second sleepers.
5. The Bobcats - last topic here are my hometown Bobcats. The Bobcats have never been so bad, nor had tremendous draft lottery luck, to gain a top talent in a good draft (although they did trade up to take Okafor in 2004). Okafor, Felton, Morrison, and Wright (traded for Jason Richardson) have been the first selections thus far. Not exactly a homerun, superstar player among that group. Well, this year is not different. Barring an aggressive and expensive move into the top 3, the Bobcats will be forced to select another quality player or two and continue to lack a dominate force on both ends of the floor. No Kobe, no LeBron, no Carmelo...not even a Joe Johnson or Chris Bosh type of second-tier star. Gerald Wallace and Jason Richardson are great players, but neither can be the unstoppable force to lead this team to a title. Thus, the Bobcats continue to stockpile young players and hope that land enough assets to make a good trade in a year or two...at least that's what I hope they are doing.
So what do the Cats do Thursday night? Well, drafting #9 and now #20 (added a pick from Denver today for a future protected 1st rounder), the Fightin' Bobs have the chance to fill both their needs in the first round - PG and C. All the talk of Brook Lopez at #9 makes me a bit queasy, but he would fill a team need. I honestly might prefer him on this squad than Kevin Love (a slow 4 man) or Anthony Randolph (he weighs like 87 pounds or something) even though his defense is fairly lacking. But, with good coaching (which it seems the Cats may have in Larry Brown), he could improve greatly. Roy Hibbert has apparently also caught the attention of the Charlotte staff, which I thought was an awful thing last year. However, he could be more ready to contribute now than anyone else taken with our high pick, so grabbing him at number 20 would be ok.
The biggest problem the Bobcats had this past season was defending the other teams with a versatile 4 man. Guys like Bosh, Lewis, Dirk and Marion constantly gave Okafor fits and foul trouble and made our bench guys look bad. Finding a constant low-post scorer that can also guard this position would be ideal, but guys like Arthur and Randolph have seen their stock tumble. I do think finding a backup point guard (or potential starter if Felton is not going to be the guy long-term) is important, but not worth a high selection. All that being said, I'm cool with drafting Lopez at #9 and Donte Greene at #20 or taking Joe Alexander (if he's available) at #9 and Hibbert at #20. Then, they can draft a backup point guard in the second round (Kyle Weaver anyone?).
I'm excited about this draft, but not as much as recent years. I really think this could be a great draft if a lot of these "upside" guys pan out, but it could look like the 2001 draft if they do not. Just a lot of bang or bust potential here. That being said, I'll probably have some immediate thoughts posted after the draft. I doubt it will be a "running diary" per say, but some time-stamped, draft pick-stamped thoughts nonetheless.
Stuntin' like my daddy...
1. The #1 pick - It'll be Derrick Rose. Although Beasley may be a better fit short-term, Rose could turn into a great team leader on a title contender. It seems that a lot of people have criticized Rose's game recently, but I think many are forgetting that he's just 19 years old. His game will improve. Is he as polished as Deron Williams was when he was the #3 pick in 2005? Of course not, Williams had played two additional years in college and worked on his game in that time. So, Rose will get better and, pending good health, be a great NBA point guard for years to come. The bigger issue for Chicago is the rest of the team. Trading Kurt Hinrich now, with his value at its lowest point, would be short-sighted. I think they are still a good player or two away from competing in the East with Boston, Detroit, Orlando, or Cleveland, so playing out the upcoming season with both Hinrich and Rose might be their best option. Let Hinrich play his value back up and then pair him with Nocioni or a re-signed Ben Gordon and try to find a solid low-block player. So, the real impact of drafting Rose remains to be seen over a season or two.
2. The #2 pick - will Miami trade it? ESPN has been reporting this possibility (which has to be annoying to the teams and their decision-makers. Would you want everyone to know your business?) for the past day or so. It seems that they will, and they should if they do not feel that Beasley is the best fit for their team. I question a Mayo/Wade backcourt, but I think that combination might be better than drafting Beasley and trading Marion (or Haslam). If the Heat can figure out a way to draft Mayo and pick up something in return, then this will be a great draft for them. That being said, if Mayo is their guy, then just draft him at #2 as opposed to moving down (such as to #7 in a trade with the Clippers) and settling for another guy.
3. The Lottery - what a jumbled mess the lottery looks right now. I challenge you to find consistency in the experts' Mock Drafts, even a day before the actual draft. Outside of Rose, Beasley, and to a certain extent, Mayo, there is little consensus among GM's, scouts, writers, or fans. I attribute this to the youth of many of these talented players. Imagine looking at half a painting; you would have little clue as to what the finished product will look like. Will it be a $200 piece of art? $2,000? $200,000? Or will it look like I painted it (um, that's not a good thing. Think finger painting from pre-school)? That's what teams are having to try and do with many of these prospects. Some are going to be hits, others misses. Unfortunately, that is just the nature of the draft nowadays.
4. The Upside Guys - unfinished or not, there are some players that might be drafted a bit later that I think could be really good. Donte Greene jumps out at me, the 6-9 forward from Syracuse. Darrell Arthur of Kansas also, but to a lesser extent, at the same position. I like Marreese Speights from Florida as well as Koufos from Ohio State as more low-block guys. Koufos, in the right system, could really be good, a la Mehmet Okur. He could also be the next Primoz Brezec. And just writing Primoz Brezec made me throw up a bit in my mouth. I'm not a huge fan of many of the guards outside of the top 10 or so, but Brandon Rush should be solid. Bill Walker has outstanding talent if he can overcome his injury issues (not that I find that possibility to be particularly promising). Personally, I am a supporter of Kyle Weaver. Again, in the right system, Weaver will serve as a solid backup who contributes some points, but mostly great D, good rebounding for a guard, and smart hustle plays. JR Giddens and James Gist also seem like possible late-second sleepers.
5. The Bobcats - last topic here are my hometown Bobcats. The Bobcats have never been so bad, nor had tremendous draft lottery luck, to gain a top talent in a good draft (although they did trade up to take Okafor in 2004). Okafor, Felton, Morrison, and Wright (traded for Jason Richardson) have been the first selections thus far. Not exactly a homerun, superstar player among that group. Well, this year is not different. Barring an aggressive and expensive move into the top 3, the Bobcats will be forced to select another quality player or two and continue to lack a dominate force on both ends of the floor. No Kobe, no LeBron, no Carmelo...not even a Joe Johnson or Chris Bosh type of second-tier star. Gerald Wallace and Jason Richardson are great players, but neither can be the unstoppable force to lead this team to a title. Thus, the Bobcats continue to stockpile young players and hope that land enough assets to make a good trade in a year or two...at least that's what I hope they are doing.
So what do the Cats do Thursday night? Well, drafting #9 and now #20 (added a pick from Denver today for a future protected 1st rounder), the Fightin' Bobs have the chance to fill both their needs in the first round - PG and C. All the talk of Brook Lopez at #9 makes me a bit queasy, but he would fill a team need. I honestly might prefer him on this squad than Kevin Love (a slow 4 man) or Anthony Randolph (he weighs like 87 pounds or something) even though his defense is fairly lacking. But, with good coaching (which it seems the Cats may have in Larry Brown), he could improve greatly. Roy Hibbert has apparently also caught the attention of the Charlotte staff, which I thought was an awful thing last year. However, he could be more ready to contribute now than anyone else taken with our high pick, so grabbing him at number 20 would be ok.
The biggest problem the Bobcats had this past season was defending the other teams with a versatile 4 man. Guys like Bosh, Lewis, Dirk and Marion constantly gave Okafor fits and foul trouble and made our bench guys look bad. Finding a constant low-post scorer that can also guard this position would be ideal, but guys like Arthur and Randolph have seen their stock tumble. I do think finding a backup point guard (or potential starter if Felton is not going to be the guy long-term) is important, but not worth a high selection. All that being said, I'm cool with drafting Lopez at #9 and Donte Greene at #20 or taking Joe Alexander (if he's available) at #9 and Hibbert at #20. Then, they can draft a backup point guard in the second round (Kyle Weaver anyone?).
I'm excited about this draft, but not as much as recent years. I really think this could be a great draft if a lot of these "upside" guys pan out, but it could look like the 2001 draft if they do not. Just a lot of bang or bust potential here. That being said, I'll probably have some immediate thoughts posted after the draft. I doubt it will be a "running diary" per say, but some time-stamped, draft pick-stamped thoughts nonetheless.
Stuntin' like my daddy...
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Enjoy the Ride
"North Carolina is now the overwhelming favorite to win the 2009 NCAA men's basketball tournament."
"Heels loaded for '09 title bid"
"UNC will be loaded"
"Merry Christmas Tar Heel fans"
Those are just a few of the headlines after rising juniors Tywon Lawson and Wayne Ellington, along with rising senior Danny Green, withdrew from the NBA Draft and retained their eligibility for the 2008-2009 season. All in all, it was a great day for Carolina fans everywhere, as the Tar Heels will now be the pre-season number one team and has a very legitimate shot at their sixth national championship.
So why am I so grouchy? Three reasons: academics, expectations, and enjoyment.
In the official press release from UNC Athletic Communications, there is never a mention of academics. None. Danny Green is returning to (we hope) earn a degree in something. I say something only because tarheelblue.com, the official website of UNC Athletics, does not list his major. Or anyone else's, with the exception of the walk-ons (the Blue Team mind you). Of course they only list the majors of these walk-ons in order to make their bios look a little better. These guys are all student-athletes, a term the NCAA mandates they be referred to as. Any time you listen to a post-game press conference in the tournament, you will always hear the moderator call the players "student-athletes". It is a running joke that the only people who think these guys are actually students is the NCAA. Well, that joke is not funny. It's sad.
I'm not trying to come off as some academia apologist here. Anyone who knows me knows that I love college sports for the competition, work in the business of selling it, and want to see my team win. But, I do think that too many people lose sight of the fact that these athletes are also on campus to earn a degree. It is frustrating when the players (I said players, I know), the head coach, and the communications department all make comments and never once mention academics. Are we to assume then that none of these three players are planning on graduating? Are we to assume that they are here strictly to play ball? For as strong an academic institution as Carolina is, and with the NCAA's new system for measuring academic performance by its teams, one would hope that these guys are planning on working as hard in the classroom as on the basketball court.
*gets off the soapbox*
The expectations for the 2008-2009 edition of the Tar Heels are already through the roof. I never read message boards on any UNC-related website, but I will bet my dog (Pebbles!) that people are talking about things like "Final Four or bust, a perfect season, greatest team ever." One of my buddies told me that people in his office are saying similar things already. I will acknowledge two things here:
1. Carolina will be very, very good this season
2. The NCAA Tournament is the most unpredictable event in sports
Nothing more than that can be stated as close to fact right now. The translation of the above is that even if Carolina is very, very good, it is no where near guaranteed that the Tar Heels will win the national title, or even advance to the Final Four. Ask UNLV, circa 1991, and they were the defending national champs. I am fine with high expectations - I too expect the Heels to be very good (see #1 above). I am fine with being pre-season numero uno. What I am not fine with is people saying things like "National Title or bust." That is ridiculous. I cannot believe that in the original press release yesterday, it led off with "North Carolina is now the overwhelming favorite to win the 2009 NCAA men's basketball tournament." That's unbelievable to be coming from the school itself. Let ESPN decide that crap, don't promote it on your own.
What's more ridiculous is how everyone will react all season long. I promise you that there are people who really expect this team to go undefeated, who say "this season will not be a success if we do not win the title." Come on. Really? I'll say this: if you really have that high an expectation (not a hope, an expectation) then you don't know jack about college basketball. You cannot seriously expect a team to go undefeated. You cannot say a season is successful based solely on winning a national championship. Do you want that? Sure. But expect it? That's different. As Andrew told me, this is a year that the peripheral fans are going to be talking out their butts about "greatest team ever" and all that crap. I urge you, young reader, do not get caught up in it. Just...
Enjoy it. Keep it all in perspective. I acknowledged yesterday that this will be a tough season to enjoy for many fans, potentially myself included. With the trio returning, suddenly the Heels have gone from "celebrate Tyler Hansbrough, hope the young guys develop, we'll make the tournament, maybe the Sweet 16, anything else is gravy" to "we have to win it all, we have the best team, we're number one". Everyone, as mentioned above, will expect everything from the 08-09 team: sweep Dook, beat State by 50, undefeated in conference play, win the national title. Anytime one of those things does not happen, people are going to freak out. Don't. Just sit back and enjoy this. Celebrate Hansbrough - we'll never see another like him. Cry on his Senior Night when they hang his jersey on the front row of the rafters (right before we beat Dook again...just saying). Enjoy Marcus Ginyard being tougher than most players in our history, sacrificing his stats for the team. Enjoy every stupid joke Bobby Frasor makes and every three-pointer he hits. When Danny Green dribbles it off his foot out of bounds, then makes a big steal and dunk thirty seconds later, enjoy it. As Thompson blocks a shot, tips it to Ty, who zips by three guys down the court, then kicks it to Wayne the Rain for a back-breaking three, enjoy it. As Roy stomps and crouches and yells and nearly passes out, enjoy it (and make sure he's ok). Enjoy every night we hit 100 points and get Bojangles the next day.
There are not going to be many Carolina teams as talented, deep, experienced, or flat out good as what we are about to see this year. Baring a major injury or the team having internal strife over playing time, this will be a special group with a very real shot to hang a big banner during Late Night '09. It'll be the last season for the four seniors, plus Lawson and Ellington if all goes according to plan. So I urge you, beg you, and challenge you to just enjoy this. Once it gets March, sure, it's time to get serious. Put on that lucky shirt, drink a Coke for Roy, and don't let out the good pee. Do your part to make sure the last six games are wins. But during each game, thank God that we're lucky enough to be fans of this squad and get to see a great team play.
I realize this blog posting is a bit of a contrast. On one hand, I'm urging the university and the players to value their academics more. On the other, I'm urging us to all enjoy watching these guys play ball. It's really all the same thing though. Everyone needs to enjoy their college experience, as it is far too short to waste away with expectations and pressure. The saying goes "don't miss the forest for the trees" - do not ignore the big picture. Well, it works in reverse too: don't miss how beautiful each tree can be along the way to finding out what that big picture is. So buckle up Carolina fans, it's going to be a heckuva season; just promise me you’ll enjoy the ride.
"Heels loaded for '09 title bid"
"UNC will be loaded"
"Merry Christmas Tar Heel fans"
Those are just a few of the headlines after rising juniors Tywon Lawson and Wayne Ellington, along with rising senior Danny Green, withdrew from the NBA Draft and retained their eligibility for the 2008-2009 season. All in all, it was a great day for Carolina fans everywhere, as the Tar Heels will now be the pre-season number one team and has a very legitimate shot at their sixth national championship.
So why am I so grouchy? Three reasons: academics, expectations, and enjoyment.
In the official press release from UNC Athletic Communications, there is never a mention of academics. None. Danny Green is returning to (we hope) earn a degree in something. I say something only because tarheelblue.com, the official website of UNC Athletics, does not list his major. Or anyone else's, with the exception of the walk-ons (the Blue Team mind you). Of course they only list the majors of these walk-ons in order to make their bios look a little better. These guys are all student-athletes, a term the NCAA mandates they be referred to as. Any time you listen to a post-game press conference in the tournament, you will always hear the moderator call the players "student-athletes". It is a running joke that the only people who think these guys are actually students is the NCAA. Well, that joke is not funny. It's sad.
I'm not trying to come off as some academia apologist here. Anyone who knows me knows that I love college sports for the competition, work in the business of selling it, and want to see my team win. But, I do think that too many people lose sight of the fact that these athletes are also on campus to earn a degree. It is frustrating when the players (I said players, I know), the head coach, and the communications department all make comments and never once mention academics. Are we to assume then that none of these three players are planning on graduating? Are we to assume that they are here strictly to play ball? For as strong an academic institution as Carolina is, and with the NCAA's new system for measuring academic performance by its teams, one would hope that these guys are planning on working as hard in the classroom as on the basketball court.
*gets off the soapbox*
The expectations for the 2008-2009 edition of the Tar Heels are already through the roof. I never read message boards on any UNC-related website, but I will bet my dog (Pebbles!) that people are talking about things like "Final Four or bust, a perfect season, greatest team ever." One of my buddies told me that people in his office are saying similar things already. I will acknowledge two things here:
1. Carolina will be very, very good this season
2. The NCAA Tournament is the most unpredictable event in sports
Nothing more than that can be stated as close to fact right now. The translation of the above is that even if Carolina is very, very good, it is no where near guaranteed that the Tar Heels will win the national title, or even advance to the Final Four. Ask UNLV, circa 1991, and they were the defending national champs. I am fine with high expectations - I too expect the Heels to be very good (see #1 above). I am fine with being pre-season numero uno. What I am not fine with is people saying things like "National Title or bust." That is ridiculous. I cannot believe that in the original press release yesterday, it led off with "North Carolina is now the overwhelming favorite to win the 2009 NCAA men's basketball tournament." That's unbelievable to be coming from the school itself. Let ESPN decide that crap, don't promote it on your own.
What's more ridiculous is how everyone will react all season long. I promise you that there are people who really expect this team to go undefeated, who say "this season will not be a success if we do not win the title." Come on. Really? I'll say this: if you really have that high an expectation (not a hope, an expectation) then you don't know jack about college basketball. You cannot seriously expect a team to go undefeated. You cannot say a season is successful based solely on winning a national championship. Do you want that? Sure. But expect it? That's different. As Andrew told me, this is a year that the peripheral fans are going to be talking out their butts about "greatest team ever" and all that crap. I urge you, young reader, do not get caught up in it. Just...
Enjoy it. Keep it all in perspective. I acknowledged yesterday that this will be a tough season to enjoy for many fans, potentially myself included. With the trio returning, suddenly the Heels have gone from "celebrate Tyler Hansbrough, hope the young guys develop, we'll make the tournament, maybe the Sweet 16, anything else is gravy" to "we have to win it all, we have the best team, we're number one". Everyone, as mentioned above, will expect everything from the 08-09 team: sweep Dook, beat State by 50, undefeated in conference play, win the national title. Anytime one of those things does not happen, people are going to freak out. Don't. Just sit back and enjoy this. Celebrate Hansbrough - we'll never see another like him. Cry on his Senior Night when they hang his jersey on the front row of the rafters (right before we beat Dook again...just saying). Enjoy Marcus Ginyard being tougher than most players in our history, sacrificing his stats for the team. Enjoy every stupid joke Bobby Frasor makes and every three-pointer he hits. When Danny Green dribbles it off his foot out of bounds, then makes a big steal and dunk thirty seconds later, enjoy it. As Thompson blocks a shot, tips it to Ty, who zips by three guys down the court, then kicks it to Wayne the Rain for a back-breaking three, enjoy it. As Roy stomps and crouches and yells and nearly passes out, enjoy it (and make sure he's ok). Enjoy every night we hit 100 points and get Bojangles the next day.
There are not going to be many Carolina teams as talented, deep, experienced, or flat out good as what we are about to see this year. Baring a major injury or the team having internal strife over playing time, this will be a special group with a very real shot to hang a big banner during Late Night '09. It'll be the last season for the four seniors, plus Lawson and Ellington if all goes according to plan. So I urge you, beg you, and challenge you to just enjoy this. Once it gets March, sure, it's time to get serious. Put on that lucky shirt, drink a Coke for Roy, and don't let out the good pee. Do your part to make sure the last six games are wins. But during each game, thank God that we're lucky enough to be fans of this squad and get to see a great team play.
I realize this blog posting is a bit of a contrast. On one hand, I'm urging the university and the players to value their academics more. On the other, I'm urging us to all enjoy watching these guys play ball. It's really all the same thing though. Everyone needs to enjoy their college experience, as it is far too short to waste away with expectations and pressure. The saying goes "don't miss the forest for the trees" - do not ignore the big picture. Well, it works in reverse too: don't miss how beautiful each tree can be along the way to finding out what that big picture is. So buckle up Carolina fans, it's going to be a heckuva season; just promise me you’ll enjoy the ride.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)