Posts Tagged ‘Kemba Walker’

What Happened to College Basketball?

Monday, March 26th, 2012

By Brandon McConnell

Growing up, I lived and breathed college basketball.  My earliest basketball memory was watching Keith Smart (above) hit the game-winner against Syracuse.  I remember when everyone was a Running Rebels fan.  Does anybody remember that “Fab 5” member that called the timeout against Carolina in the championship game, or number 32 for the Duke Blue Devils that hit the shot against Kentucky?  What memories do you have of the last 10 years of college basketball?  Absolutely nothing!

In the ’90’s, college basketball had great teams and great players to carry the sport.  Back then you actually watched the whole NBA draft to see your favorite player get picked.  Now we stop watching after the 5th pick.  The ’90’s were full of great college players like Larry Johnson, Christian Laettner, Chris Webber, and Glen “Big Dog” Robinson.  There were actually great teams of which you could remember the whole starting five.  You had the 1991 Duke Blue Devils, 1994 Arkansas Razorbacks, and the 1996 Kentucky Wildcats teams.  I could name you the starting five of all those teams.

So, what happened to the sport?  I actually had to Google who won the national championship last year.  Nobody is going to remember Kemba Walker or the other 4 players that played with him 10 years from now.  This year the media is predicting that Kentucky’s freshman center Anthony Davis will win the Naismith Player of the Year.  I checked his stats and found out he averages 14.3 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks per game.  Are you kidding me.  I’m going to give you the stats of some of the Naismith winners in the 1990’s.

1991 Larry Johnson  22.7 pts 10.9 rbs 3 ast
1992 Christian Laettner 21.5 pts 7.9 rbs 2 ast
1994 Glen Robinson 30.3 pts 10.1 rbs 1.9 ast
1996 Marcus Camby 20.5 pts 8.2 rbs 1.8 ast
1997 Tim Duncan 20.8pts 14.7 rbs 3.2 ast

What has happened to college basketball when a FRESHMAN who averages 14.3 points per game is our possible player of the year.  Nothing against Anthony Davis, but I have a problem with the lack of talent that is being produced in college.  We don’t even draft from college anymore.  The majority of the players drafted come from overseas.  Reminds me of our economy.  MESSAGE!  Let me know what you think and how can we improve the talent we produce in college basketball.

Brandon McConnell of “Respect Da Game”, for War Room Sports

Brandon Jennings, Tyreke Evans & Derrick Williams Show NO MERCY to High School kids!

Friday, August 26th, 2011

What I Learned from the 2011 NBA Draft About the State of Basketball at the Highest Level

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

By Bradley Anderson

Do you remember when the #1 through #10 players in the NBA draft where almost assured to have a 70% Thriller-Killer to Bust-Crème Puff Filler ratio?  Do you remember when in the second round you could find guys who may be short on elite athleticism but LOOOOONG on collegiate resume and high on basketball skill and acumen?  Do you remember when the matriculation from High School to college was largely unknown…but the bright lights, big cities, and making of one’s manhood on the hardwood (II) began in the toughest conferences of the NCAA’s Division 1?  Do you remember when the only FIBA and Euro-ballers to make the jump were the Sarunas Marciulionis’, the Drazen Petrovics, the Arvydas Sabonis’, the Detlef Schrempfs, the Toni Kukocs and the Sarunas Jasikevicius (MD Terps dude) (yeah, some of those dudes came over without being drafted but you get my point where the talent level is concerned, on who and how international NBA players came about being a part of the “Greatest Show on Earth)…the crème de la crème of International players, the BEST the world had to offer was the second or third tier stars coming over.  Yeah, occasionally the Spurs, who happen to have NBA scouts placed on Pluto, Jupiter, Mars, and every continent back here on Earth, would draft someone resembling Sergeant Shultz of Hogan’s Heros.  Or, Abe Pollin would draft a brother from East Africa who was 7 foot 7 and could shoot 3’s and was more interested in the world cup than the NBA.  But other than that, from top to bottom, the NBA Draft was teeming with tough morsels of talent raring to get at the vets in practice.  Boys who had done all they could do with their amateur children’s collegiate career and were ready to swim in waters with no bottom, with sharks who had no consciences.Kyrie Irving is going to be a special point guard, Derrick Williams is more athletic than we give him credit for, and will be too skilled and quick for 4’s, and too strong and skilled for 3’s (If Jared Dudley can make it, why are we worried about Williams?).  Enes Kanter reminds me of a combo of Pau and Marc, with some Kaman thrown in.  Kemba is Kemba…a winner.  Jimmer will teach you how to Jimmer, and Alec may be ok.  And then there is Bismack…Bismack, Bismack, Bismack!  It is not that I wish failure for Bismack, it’s not that I think he’s a bad guy.  In fact, this isn’t REALLY about Bismack as much as he happens to be the poster child for what is wrong with the current trend in pro basketball.  LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG on athleticism…I mean LONG!  Dude’s vertical, his quickness, his potential, are all through the roof.  His skill, his development, his IQ, is about as tall as a stacked pile of tissue paper containing 4 sheets.  And Bismack wasn’t a 2nd rounder.  No!  Bismack Biyombo at 6’7” was the 7th overall pick.  A lottery pick was used on a Ruben Patterson-like defensive specialist.  Now, as you review the list of names drafted that night, beginning in the lottery, and juxtaposing it upon the draft’s storied history, you will ask yourself: “Self”, I say.  “Where are the difference makers?  Where are the stars?  Where are the HOF’ers?”

As we left the lottery we had three types of player: 1) The athletic freak, minimal skill, 1 to maybe 2 collegiate seasons.  2) The highly skilled, underwhelming talent who played 3 to 4 years, headed towards a Duhon-ish career.  3) The EURO…the Euro players who have been playing professionally, a number of them since 15 and 16 years old, have a jumpstart on the other two types as they’ve (a) been playing with grown men in their 20s and 30s, (b) had coaching from professional eat-sleep-drink-feed-my-family coaches whose job is to make them a complete, well rounded, money generating, win-getting production center.  But, they are largely unknown quantities to everyone but the Spurs and those that watch FIBA.  Then you face the buyout clauses with their current clubs, the fact that they have no merchandising value, and a fan that came to see a built/born/bred in the US product.

The draft is just one more indication of the huge plunge into mediocrity and inferior product the league is facing.  No longer is there a premium placed on honing skill, mastering craft, and marrying athletics to talent, skill, heart, and IQ.  The premium is placed on what you can sell and/or market, how fast you can get to the marketplace (with a largely unfinished product), how much Sportscenter airtime you can get, and who you can copy-cat your moves and game from.  And so…we have an inferior product.  An entire generation enamored with high-flying and getting rich as opposed to winning and being the best.  The uber-athletes have flawed games and low IQs, and to take a gamble on the draft, the weak athlete develops himself to the peak of his talent and pinnacle of ability.  But alas, if the natural order of things were set right, he’d be a D-Leaguer, a CBA’er, or in Euro-League.  Hell, if you want to be accurate about the situation, certain players wouldn’t be in major D1 programs if the attention to really teaching the game and developing talent was held to the proper standard.  WE, the fans would see a better quality product, and every draft class would be filled with talent and not just top-heavy outliers.

And so this draft served to confirm what I already know.  Basketball is dying much like Hip Hop.  A carotid artery is constricting tighter and tighter.  Oxygen and life’s blood is being restricted and growth has stopped.  You have to look no further than the current labor issues as another indirect indicator.  An inferior product loses money, an inferior player is a bum, and a bum shouldn’t be there.  He shouldn’t have been in the draft and the fan shouldn’t have to pay to see a guy who can jump over a house but can’t shoot a 15-footer, dribble with his left, or hit over 75% from the line.

Tune back in as I explain how all of this plays into where the labor agreement is, and why only 8 teams out of 32 are profitable.  Some say contraction is the answer.  I say it goes way deeper than that.  The system from 11 years ago and on needs revamped (why are we now ranking the top 7th graders? ).

Bradley “B. Austin” Anderson of The War Room, for War Room Sports

2011 NBA Mock Draft

Thursday, June 23rd, 2011

By Brandon Pemberton

Here is my first and final 2011 NBA Mock Draft.  There is no way I will get every pick correct.  There might be trades, and then there are NBA GM’s who have no clue what they are doing.  My picks are based on logic and  where I believe players should fall according to team needs and what I’m hearing from the few connects I’ve acquired over the past couple years since my days at broadcasting school.

 
2011 NBA Mock Draft (First Round):

1 Kyrie Irving
  Cleveland

2 Derrick Williams
  Minnesota

3 Enes Kanter
  Utah

4 Jonas Valanciunas
  Cleveland

5 Brandon Knight
   Toronto

6 Jan Vesely
   Washington

7 Kemba Walker
   Sacramento
8 Tristan Thompson
   Detroit

9 Kawhi Leonard
  Charlotte

10 Klay Thompson
   Milwaukee

11 Alec Burks
   Golden State

12 Jimmer Fredette 
   Utah

13 Marcus Morris
   Phoenix

14 Nikola Vucevic
   Houston

15 Markieff Morris
    Indiana

16 Bismark Biyombo
    Philadelphia

17 Chris Singleton
   New York

18 Marshon Brooks
    Washington

19 Kenneth Faried
    Charlotte

20 Iman Shumpert
   Minnesota

21 Tobias Harris
    Portland

22 Tyler Honeycutt
    Denver

23 Donatas Motiejunas
    Houston

24 Jordan Hamilton
    Oklahoma City

25 Jeremy Tyler
    Boston

26 Nikola Mirotic
    Dallas

27 Reggie Jackson
    New Jersey

28 Justin Harper
    Chicago

29 Norris Cole
    San Antonio

30 Shelvin Mack
    Chicago
Brandon Pemberton of Brandon on Sports, for War Room Sports

2011 NBA Draft Top (American Born) Prospects

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

By Brandon Pemberton

The NBA Draft Lottery was last Tuesday night (May 17) and the Cleveland Cavaliers ended up winning the lottery and have the 1st and 4th picks in the draft.  I’m officially in draft geek mode right now and here are the top 30 draft prospects, in my opinion.  The list has been put together on something I call the “Brandon Pemberton Eye Test”.  Potential, and how the player’s game translates to the NBA.  These are American born college players, as I have watched the Euro leagues, I don’t possess the knowledge on these players like I do college players in the U.S.  Also, let me remind you that the 2011 draft class is a weak class due to potential lottery picks returning to school because of the looming NBA lockout.  The 2011 NBA Draft will take place on June 23rd.

1. Kyrie Irving PG
19 years old, Freshman
6′ 3″ 185lbs.
Duke2. Derrick Williams PF/SF
19 years old, Sophomore
6′ 8″ 235lbs.
Arizona

3. Enes Kanter PF/C
19 years old, Freshman
6’11″ 261lbs
Kentucky

4. Alec Burks SG
19 years old, Sophomore
6′ 6″ 200lbs.
Colorado

5. Tristan Thompson PF
20 years old, Freshman
6′ 9″ 235lbs.
Texas

6. Brandon Knight PG/SG
19 years old, Freshman
6′ 3″ 185lbs.
Kentucky

7. Kemba Walker PG
21 years old, Junior
6′ 0″ 180lbs.
Connecticut

8. Kawhi Leonard SF
19 years old, Sophomore
6′ 7″ 225lbs.
San Diego State

9. Marcus Morris SF/PF
21 years old, Junior
6′ 8″ 225lbs.
Kansas

10. Jordan Hamilton SF/SG
20 years old, Sophomore
6′ 7″ 210lbs.
Texas

11. Markieff Morris PF
21 years old, Junior
6′ 19″ 245lbs.
Kansas

12. Klay Thompson SG/SF
21 years old, Junior
6′ 6″ 187lbs.
Washington State

13. Reggie Jackson PG
21 years old, Junior
6′ 3″ 208lbs.
Boston College

14. Tyler Honeycutt SF
20 years old, Sophomore
6′ 8″ 200lbs.
UCLA

15. Jimmer Fredette PG
22 years old, Senior
6′ 2″ 195lbs.
BYU

16. Tobias Harris SF/PF
18 years old, Freshman
6′ 8″ 210lbs.
Tennessee

17. Chris Singleton SF/PF
21 years old, Junior
6′ 8″ 210lbs.
Florida State

18. Kenneth Faried PF
21 years old, Senior
6′ 8″ 225lbs
Morehead State

19. Trey Thompkins PF
20 years old, Junior
6′ 9″ 245lbs.
Georgia

20. Josh Selby PG/SG
20 years old, Freshman
6′ 2″ 190lbs
Kansas

21. Travis Leslie SG
21 years old, Junior
6′ 4″ 202lbs
Georgia

22. Justin Harper PF/SF
21 years old, Senior
6′ 10″ 225lbs
Richmond

23. Darius Morris PG/SG
20 years old, Sophomore
6′ 4″ 190lbs
Michigan

24. Nolan Smith PG/SG
22 years old, Senior
6′ 3″ 185lbs.
Duke

25. JaJuan Johnson PF
22 years old, Senior
6′ 10″ 215lbs.
Purdue

26. Jimmy Butler SF/SG
21 years old, Senior
6′ 7″ 220lbs.
Marquette

27. Norris Cole PG
22 years old, Senior
6′ 2″ 185lbs.
Cleveland St.

28. E’Twaun Moore SG
22 years old, Senior
6′ 4″ 191lbs.
Purdue

29. Kyle Singler SF/PF
23 years old, Senior
6′ 8″ 210lbs.
Duke

30. Shelvin Mack PG
21 years old, Junior
6′ 3″ 215lbs.
Butler

Brandon Pemberton, Blogger for War Room Sports