Saturday, March 29, 2008

Prospect Profile: J.J. Hickson

Warriors' biggest need is a big body in the middle that is mobile enough to run with the team. Right now, Biedrins and Wright are too thin to handle the Boozers, Duncans, and future stud PF/C's of the league. We need a guy that could slow them down as well as become a scoring threat in the paint. J.J. Hickson is an extremely strong rising star in the college ranks. Only a freshman, he's proven to be able to handle post duties and has the potential to be a dominant rebounder and good shot blocking presence. There is still a lot of room for growth, but he appears to be on his way to being a very good pro player. If he keeps his name in the draft, the Warriors could address a big need and secure a complimentary big man to play with our existing roster.


Statistics
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=36375



from nbadraft.net

http://www.nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/jjhickson.html

Birthday: 9/4/1988
NBA Postion: Power Forward
Class: Freshman
Ht: 6-9
Wt: 242
College Team: NC State
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
High School: Wheeler

NBA Comparison: Chris Wilcox


Strengths: Powerful, athletic forward with intriguing upside … Has a great combination of agility and “strength potential”, appears as thought he’ll be able to add another 20 pounds to his frame without losing much if any mobility … Already has good strength with powerful legs and a solid upper body … Has a very strong base with thick legs that make him tough to push around … With his long wing span and strength/athleticism he has the potential to become a dominant rebounder … Bouncy four-man who runs the court well, and finishes well above the rim … Shows solid fundamentals shooting mid range jump shots … Has soft hands and good touch … Has above average ball handling ability and likes to face the basket and take opponents off the dribble …


Weaknesses: Needs to develop his offensive post moves … Must learn better footwork inside on both ends of the floor … At times he appears to have mental lapses … Needs to gain better focus for entire ball games … Must learn how to use his great strength without drawing fouls. Improved footwork and concentration on fundamentals will help him. Not falling for ball fakes … Can dominate opponents with sheer athleticism, but that won’t be the case in the ACC next year, must gain better skill level … Has a tendency to wander away from the basket for mid range jumpers, but is more effective using his strength inside … His heavy legs give him great strength inside, but limit his lateral foot speed and may eventually slow him down some in transition …

Aran Smith - 12/8/2006






from DraftExpress:

NCAA Weekly Performers, 3/6/08-- Part TwoMarch 7, 2008After an extremely hot start to his college career (profiled below), J.J. Hickson and N.C. State cooled off substantially as the season moved on, losing their last seven games in the ACC (a massive disappointment considering the preseason expectations), while getting “just” 12.5 points on 50% shooting from their star freshman in conference games. Teams have figured out how to defend Hickson more effectively as the scouting reports have gotten out, as he’s not the most polished or versatile player you’ll find around.

The majority of Hickson’s game revolves around his ability to play with his back to the basket, despite standing just 6-8 or 6-9. Over 50% of his offense comes on post moves (the rest mostly on cuts to the basket and offensive rebounds), and he’s mostly limited to setting up on the left block and utilizing the 2-3 moves he is extremely effective at, while not showing any real skills facing the basket or finishing with his left hand. Hickson has limited range on his jump-shot (out to about 12 feet or so) and does not appear comfortable at all putting the ball on the floor from the high post, looking out of control and committing offensive fouls when forced to do so. This limits his effectiveness in N.C. State’s half-court sets, as if he’s not lowering his shoulder and going to work with his back to the basket, there really isn’t a whole lot more he can offer at this point.

The things he does do well, though, Hickson is extremely talented at—as evidenced by the terrific 59% he shoots from the field. He’s a very reliable presence cutting to the rim or running the floor in transition, thanks to his superb length, hands, strength, toughness, aggressiveness, and the way he finishes around the rim. He likes to dunk everything he gets his hands on, being extremely quick getting off his feet, and having no problem going right through contact—drawing a good amount of fouls in the process.

Hickson has a great feel for scoring in the post, showing a nice combination of quickness, footwork, strength, and a few very solid moves. His drop-step is already an excellent weapon for him, and his turn-around jump-shot is quickly becoming an effective part of his arsenal. He establishes good, deep position inside, knows how to utilize shot-fakes, and has some nice spin-moves he executes with great quickness.

His problem at the moment is that he doesn’t have much of a left hand, and at times has a tendency to hold the ball excessively and force the issue barreling his way into brick walls, looking a little bit selfish in the process and turning the ball over more than he should. To his credit, he seems to be doing a better job of passing out of double teams than he did earlier in the season, even if his .39 assist to turnover ratio is still nothing to write home about (it was much worse earlier in the year). He’s a player who lives off his instincts more than off any kind of great feel for the game, at times looking out of place in some of N.C. State’s more complex half-court sets.

Defensively, Hickson doesn’t have great size at 6-8 or 6-9, although his terrific wingspan compensates for that to a certain extent. His feet are quick enough to get out and hedge screens on the perimeter, but his general understanding of how to play team defense is not yet developed enough to consider him anything more than an average defender at best. He gives up too much space in the post and is not physical or aggressive enough putting his tools to good use, lacking some intensity and awareness on this end of the floor at this point in his career (which is not unusual for a freshman). He suffers from mental lapses, not boxing out his man, and losing his focus and such, but generally speaking is a very productive rebounder.

Hickson publicly says that he is still undecided whether or not he’ll be declaring for this year’s draft, but persistent rumors we’ve been hearing all season indicate that he will almost certainly put his name in when it’s all said and done. That would probably be a mistake if that’s indeed the case, as he does not look anywhere near ready to see minutes on an NBA team (defensively, or operating as a true power forward should facing the basket), and would greatly benefit from expanding his game through another season in college. His talent will still likely be too great for most teams to pass up on in the first round--even if he’ll have to spend time in the D-League polishing his all-around game--and therefore he’d likely get drafted somewhere in the bottom half of the first round barring bad workouts or off the court red flags that pop up during the draft process.


Strengths:• Physical tools (minus height)• Wingspan• Athleticism• Frame• Coordination• Explosiveness• Second bounce• Ability to score w/back to basket• Strength for age• Hands• Finishing ability (through contact)• Tenacity• Hunger for scoring• Wants to dunk everything• Ability to get to FT line• Footwork/Spin moves• Rebounding• Potential


Weaknesses:• Undersized• Offensive versatility• Will post game translate?• Ability to face the basket• Shooting range• Ball-handling skills• Left hand• Decision making• Ability/Willingness to pass out of post• Poor assist/turnover ratio• Fundamentals/Feel for game• Defensive awareness• Defensive intensity• Gets lost on rotations• Lacks focus at times• Played for underachieving team w/bad chemistry• 2-3 years away from contributing




from ESPN:

http://insider.espn.go.com/nbadraft/draft/tracker/player?playerId=19215&draftyear=2008


Draft Projection: Mid to late first round

Notes: Hickson has declared for the 2008 NBA Draft but hasn't hired an agent to preserve his college eligibility.

Positives: Athletic big man with an NBA body. Explosive leaper. Physical. Good finisher around the basket. Does most of his damage inside the key. Can hit the midrange jumper. Can put the ball on the floor and create his own shot. Excellent rebounder. Good shot-blocker.

Negatives: Still lacks some basketball IQ. Post moves are raw. Not especially quick.Summary: A rising young player who has had a stellar freshman season for NC State. Teams love his body and athleticism. One of this year's draft sleepers. A mid-first-round pick if he stays in the draft. A potential lottery pick in 2009

J.J. Hickson - Rivalsnetwork

Friday, March 28, 2008

Mock Draft 1.0

      This is a early take on how the 2008 NBA Draft might go down. Some of the players listed might not declare, others might jump in, but here is a preliminary guess on who teams would draft based on best available talent and team needs. In an extremely deep draft with no clear cut future superstars, the Warriors should land a very good player even picking in the low 20's. As you will see, there are many good options 'on the bubble' when Golden State and Chris Mullin are on the clock. This will be a tough draft to get a handle on this early in the game.
      This list will change weekly so look for updates.

    1. Heat - Michael Beasley
    2. Supersonics - Derrick Rose
    3. Timberwolves - Brook Lopez
    4. Grizzlies - DeAndre Jordan
    5. Knicks - Jerryd Bayless
    6. Clippers - OJ Mayo
    7. Bucks - Eric Gordon
    8. Bobcats - Kevin Love
    9. Bulls - Blake Griffin
    10. Pacers - D.J. Augustin
    11. Nets - Danilo Gallinari
    12. Kings - Donte Greene
    13. Trail Blazers - Darren Collison
    14. Nuggets - Ty Lawson
    15. Hawks - Kosta Koufos
    16. 76ers - Anthony Randolph
    17. Raptors - Nicolas Batum
    18. Wizards - Darrel Arthur
    19. Cavaliers - Russell Westbrook
    20. Warriors - J.J. Hickson

    On the bubble:

    Joe Alexander, Tyler Smith, Earl Clark, Chase Budinger, Marreese Speights, JaVale McGee, Hasheem Thabeet, Roy Hibbert, Richard Hendrix, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Tyler Hansbrough, Ryan Anderson, Serge Ibaka, Nick Calathes, Cortney Lee, Austin Daye, Jason Thompson, Nikola Pekovic, Robin Lopez, Brandon Rush, Stephen Curry, James Harden

    J.J. Hickson puts up 33 Points

    Thursday, March 27, 2008

    Chris Mullin Highlight Reel

    Our GM in action

    by Kblaze8855

    Wednesday, March 26, 2008

    Prospect Profile: Joe Alexander

    I got a chance to watch him play in the tourney and have come away very impressed. He always seems to make the right play and never takes a play off. His will to win and unselfishness are keys to West Virginia's success this season.

    Read the NY Times piece and you will see what kind of player he is and why he would likely appeal to Chris Mullin on draft day. He's a gym rat in every sense of the word.


    From nbadraft.net:

    http://www.nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/joealexander.html

    Birthday: 12/26/1986
    NBA Postion: Small Forward
    Class: Junior
    Ht: 6-8
    Wt: 230
    College Team: West Virginia
    Hometown: Mt. Airy, MD
    High School: Linganore

    NBA Comparison: Tom Gugliotta/Tom Chambers
    Strengths: Talented wing player with a winner's mentality and high motor ... An above the rim athlete capable of highlight dunks and spectacular finishes ... Has a warrior's demeanor, unafraid of contact and likes to mix it up with inside guys and crash the boards ... Put on 20 lbs between his sophomore and junior seasons, and appears as though he could add another 15-20 without hurting his agility much ... The additional weight has made him much tougher finishing around the rim and muscling for rebounds ... Really excels on the glass where he uses his amazing leaping ability and tenacity ... Hustles and scraps for every loose ball, never lacking for effort ... Has a tremendous body as a big 6'8 forward with a long wingspan. Could even possibly play some power forward on the next level with additional core strength ... Good speed and quickness, gets up and down the floor very well ... Has excellent touch around the rim ... Has gotten a lot stronger in his upper body and is able to fight through contact to finish around the rim ... Does a solid job of getting to the line where his FT shooting has really improved: 80% ... His midrange shot (10-18 feet) has shown a good deal of improvement ... Has a polished turnaround jumper which he can hit going left or right ... Has improved in his ability to get to the rim off the dribble ... Incorporates a pretty jump hook and shows solid back to the basket aptitude ... Gets a fair share of blocks due to his length and leaping ability ... Developing a strong court sense, rarely in a rush or forcing things ... Has a great attitude and is extremely coachable ... Has the chance to be a special player as he appears to have a ton of untapped potential ...



    Weaknesses: To really take his game to the next level he needs to improve his outside shooting ... He can knock down perimeter shots, and shows excellent shooting mechanics, but needs to develop better range and consistency ... Also needs to improve his ability to create off the dribble ... Ball handling ability while improved is still sloppy, and the root of his turnover problems ...Can be a little overeager defensively and leave his feet on pump fakes. Also can be foul prone. Must develop a little better discipline on D, although you gotta love his intensity level ... His lateral speed is just average for a NBA small forward, hurting him a slight degree defensively. Also should try to get a little lower in his defensive stance ... Needs to improve his consistency on a game to game basis. Seven single digit games is too many for a junior with his talent ... Can be a little too reckless flying around the rim, so he'll need to be careful about injuries with opponents upending him on drives ...
    Aran Smith - 3/4/2008




    From DraftExpress:


    http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Joe-Alexander-1185/

    March 26, 2008


    We’ve closely tracked the progress of West Virginia forward Joe Alexander over the past two seasons, watching him emerging from raw, unpolished athlete to a bonafide NCAA star. That’s what happens when you dominate the Big East conference tournament and then lead your team to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA’s, going through powerhouse programs like Duke and Arizona on the way. Now that the entire country has finally caught on, we’d like to take another look to see how his skill-set is developing and how he currently projects as an NBA draft prospect.


    Physically, Alexander remains the same intriguing prospect he always was, standing 6-8, with a good frame, long arms and excellent athletic ability. What seems to be developing the most, though, is his mentality, becoming the unquestioned go-to guy of this West Virginia squad. The Mountaineers run a lot of isolation sets for him, and he’s look more and more comfortable asserting himself and putting his talent on display. He’s become nothing short of outstanding with his post-up moves on the low block, converting at an extremely high rate with his terrific turnaround jumper, getting to the free throw line at a solid rate, while showing great flashes of talent in many other parts of his game.


    Skill-wise, Alexander remains largely a work in progress, although he’s clearly come a long ways from the player who averaged just 1 point per game only three years ago playing prep school basketball at Hargrave Military Academy. He relies heavily on his size, length, athleticism, footwork and smarts to create scoring opportunities for himself, be it from operating in the mid-range area, in the post, or from the top of the key. He’s not one of those super smooth, fluid players for whom everything comes easily for, his game looks largely self-made—mechanical to a certain degree. He’s at his best banking in mid-range jumpers while fading away off the block, but is also highly adept at facing up from 15 feet and using his quick first step and long strides to get to the rim off a single dribble.

    Still not a player who can consistently create his own shot from the perimeter by putting the ball on the floor and beating defenders off the dribble, he needs to continue to work on his ball-handling skills to make the transition to playing on the wing full-time. He struggles changing directions in traffic when operating off the bounce, not quite able to always get all the way to the rim, which diminishes his finishing ability, which would otherwise be extremely strong due to his phenomenal leaping ability. Once Alexander is able to improve his advanced skill-set, he’ll likely be able to do a much better job showing off just how athletic he is. Unlike most NCAA juniors, his learning curve is still extremely steep (he only started playing organized basketball as a junior in high school), and because of his reportedly outstanding work ethic (as profiled exceptionally well by Pete Thamel of the NY Times today), he also has a fairly high likelihood of reaching his very high ceiling. The fact that he has a very good feel for the game, as evidenced by his nice assist rates, further support that theory.

    As a shooter, Alexander has solid form—nice mechanics, coupled with a high release point—but he still doesn’t enjoy great accuracy from behind the arc, hitting just 11/40 on the season so far. He’s equally streaky with his feet set as he is off the dribble, going through periods where he can’t buy a bucket to being unstoppable from outside. He obviously still has a lot of work to do in this area, but clearly has plenty of room to grow as well. He’s pretty solid from 16-18 feet, though.

    Defensively, Alexander has nice tools, including great size and length, and seems to put in a pretty solid effort, but there will be some major question marks about his ability to guard NBA small forwards at the next level. He struggles staying in front of quicker wing players already, showing average lateral quickness and footwork in the process, and thus gets beat off the dribble on a regular basis. He’s a little too stiff and upright in his stance, which does not allow him to contest quite as many shots as you’d hope within West Virginia’s zone. To his credit, he does play at the very top of this zone, often matched up against smaller guards, which probably makes him look a bit worse than he actually is here, but there will be big concerns regardless. His very nice timing, combined with the quickness in which he gets off his feet, makes him a decent shot-blocking threat, at 1.5 per game.

    Considering the developments we’ve seen over the past month, including the rumors we’re hearing from various sources, it appears very likely that Alexander will be entering the draft when it’s all said and done. He still holds his draft card in hand as a junior, but seems to have a perfect mix of potential and current production to maximize his draft stock without taking the risk of not improving as much as expected next season. It’s pretty clear that he could use another season to hone his skills, and could probably even work his way into lottery discussions if he returns and has the type of season many envision him having, but there will be a lot on the line if he does decide to do so.



    From NY Times:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/sports/ncaabasketball/25wvu.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5087&em&en=041567b8905008a0&ex=1206590400


    Midnight Practice Prepares a Player for Prime Time
    By
    PETE THAMEL
    Coming out of high school in suburban Maryland, Joe Alexander could not entice a Division II program to offer him a scholarship. Now, as he finishes his junior season at West Virginia, he is suddenly confronted with the decision of whether to enter the N.B.A. draft.

    The details of Alexander’s path from recruiting afterthought to breakout star are unique. He spent six years of his childhood in China and barely played on his prep school team. But the recipe he has used to rise to stardom is familiar — he has a work ethic so maniacal that one of his brothers refers to it as “unhealthy.”

    That is what spurred Alexander to shoot at midnight in parks in Beijing, sleep in West Virginia’s basketball arena, and have his cellphone voicemail message say that he will not call back until the Mountaineers’ season ends.

    “It needs to be understood that he’s been obsessed with practicing,” said Jeremy Alexander, one of Joe’s older brothers. “At times growing up, I didn’t really know him. He’d leave for 10 hours, go to the Y and pack a lunch. He has worked his butt off.”

    He has combined that with an intellectual and quirky personality to become, along with Davidson’s Stephen Curry, one of the surprise stars of this year’s college basketball postseason.

    Alexander entered the spotlight with a Hallmark moment, dunking on Connecticut’s Stanley Robinson in the Big East quarterfinals. That punctuated a breakthrough 34-point performance, made the rounds on the highlight shows and offered a window into his sharp wit.

    “Are you a dunker?” Alexander asked a reporter. “Well, usually if you’re on a fast break one-on-one with someone and the game is not on the line, you wait for them and dunk on their head. That’s the unwritten code of dunking.”

    Alexander will lead seventh-seeded West Virginia against No. 3 Xavier in a West Region semifinal of the

    N.C.A.A. tournament Thursday. And it will be the most notable stop on a long basketball journey.

    Alexander’s father worked overseas, so Joe and his family lived in Taiwan, China and Hong Kong for eight years. While in high school in Beijing, Jeremy Alexander remembers being out in a park with his friends at midnight drinking beer. All of a sudden, his friends heard a noise in the distance and wondered what it was.

    “Don’t worry,” he told them. “That’s just Joe playing basketball.” With a laugh, he added, “By himself, of course.”

    Be it in China or playing high school ball in the United States, Joe Alexander always had a ball in his hands. He would dribble in the school locker room for nearly four hours until volleyball practice ended and he could use the gym.

    Arnie McGaha, who coached him at Linganore High in suburban Maryland, remembered Alexander trying to persuade the school’s athletic director to give him a key so he could use the gymnasium. As Alexander pleaded his case, McGaha recalled the athletic director finally saying, “Would you stop dribbling that ball?”

    Both Jeremy, 24, and John Alexander, 26, played college basketball at Washington College, a Division III program in Maryland. Even they have had a hard time digesting just how quickly their brother has developed.

    They said that growing up, they would physically dominate Joe, 21, forcing him to learn how to shoot over them and how to outsmart them. Jeremy said he remembered Joe rigging up a device out of paper clips and dental floss to shut off the light switch in the room they shared. Being the little brother meant working harder and thinking quicker.

    “He’s very much a cerebral personality,” Jeremy Alexander said.

    Both Jeremy and John were athletic enough to dunk in their primes. But neither sprouted like Joe, who grew to 6 feet 8 inches and has a YouTube clip in which he dunks from the free-throw line. But Joe Alexander’s problem had been that he was a late bloomer.

    He had a solid high school senior season, and his desire to play Division I basketball drove him to Hargrave Military Academy, a school in Chatham, Va., usually reserved for top-flight prospects who need to improve their grades. Alexander’s academics were fine, but he needed better competition.

    At Hargrave, Alexander said he averaged about 1 point a game but benefited from playing against future Division I players like Pittsburgh’s Sam Young every day. He admitted that he was too skinny to earn significant minutes, but he caught the eye of the West Virginia assistant Jeff Neubauer, now the coach at Eastern Kentucky, in a workout.

    Most recruiting visits involve coaches trying to persuade players to go to their college. Alexander’s case was the opposite. Alexander, who ended up picking West Virginia over Tulane, told Neubauer that he was ready for the Big East.

    “He was the most convincing kid that I ever recruited,” Neubauer said. “He said, ‘I want to play in the N.B.A.’ And he was staring right through me when he said it.”

    Once Alexander got to West Virginia, things did not go smoothly. He barely played his freshman year, but impressed teammates by running up and down hotel steps during road trips to stay in shape. Last season, he averaged 10.3 points but faded down the stretch, scoring in single digits the last nine games.

    Last season, he started sleeping three nights a week on a blue leather couch in the Mountaineers’ locker room. No sheets or blankets, just team-issued sweats. He figured out a way to unscrew the safety lights that hang over the pool table in order to make it dark.

    Although he lives only a few minutes away in an off-campus apartment, Alexander likes to shoot by himself late at night. When asked why he sleeps in the locker room, he offered his favorite kind of answer — a simple deadpan one: “It’s close to the court.”

    When Coach John Beilein left for Michigan after last season, so did the reluctance for his players to lift weights. Alexander transformed his body, and late this season his game followed.

    Alexander now averages 16.8 points, had 22 against Duke in the second round and has scored more than 20 points in six of the past eight games. He attributes his increase in production to Coach Bob Huggins, who took over the Mountaineers in the spring of 2007.


    “To be honest, he’s our friend,” Alexander said. “We don’t feel like we’re his employees or slaves or anything like that. He’s in this with us.”

    West Virginia’s team has clearly taken on Huggins’s defiant traits. That would include the reserve guard Joe Mazzulla’s slapping the floor against Duke to mock a Blue Devils tradition, and Alexander’s wondering aloud which were the eight Blue Devils named McDonald’s all-Americans.

    And while Alexander lacked the high school credentials, he is now on the cusp of the N.B.A., where scouts love his polished midrange game. “I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t know what the right thing to say is. I’m happy you asked, but I’m not really thinking about it right now.”

    He is happy to still be playing. From the Beijing park shootarounds to the locker-room slumber parties, that is all he has ever wanted.



    Joe Alexander Dunk



    Joe Alexander Helps WVU upset Duke

    Webber Experiment Over...Now What?

    It was over before it seemed like it had a chance be begin. Webber wasn't the ideal acquisition considering his questionable health and bad history with the team, but somehow, Mullin and Nelson managed to accumulate more 'pros' than 'cons' to justify the move in lieu of making a trade by the NBA Trade Deadline. It was a minimal risk move financially, but with the move, the Warriors ended up wasting time, resources, and a roster spot for the duration of the experiment.

    I wish we would have just stuck with Stephane Lasme instead of opting for Mbenga first, than Webber. Lasme is a freak shot blocker who rebounds well and plays with high energy - exactly what this team is short on. Unfortunately, the Miami Heat have snatched him up from the D-League and we are left to contemplate who, if anyone, is worthy to garner a roster spot on our run 'n gun system.

    I wouldn't necessarily sign a guy that rebounds and blocks shots. I really believe we already have a guy that could fill that need better than anyone we could pick up in the D-League or Free Agency. His name is Patrick O'Bryant. I know he's been in Nelson's doghouse ever since he had that breakout game earlier in the year vs. the Clippers, but that guy has some skills and his length could definitely help us on the glass and with post defense.

    Here are a few names of potential pick-ups that come to mind.....

    1. Julius Hodge - my favorite pick; versatile guard that would fit well in Nelli-ball; he's doing extremely well in the D-League and so far we've had lots of luck picking up talent from there; currently averaging: 24.0 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 6.6 apg, .9 spg, .4 bpg, .596 fg%, .750 ft%
    2. Ruben Patterson - the 'Kobe Stopper' could bring additional toughness, defense, and rebounding if he has kept himself ready for a call-up
    3. Elton Brown - one of the top bigs in the D-League; he can score, block some shots, and best of all rebound the ball
    4. Brandon Wallace - super athletic shot blocker, but offense could hold him back quite a bit
    5. Rob Benson - best rebounder in the D-League, but can he score enough for Nelson's taste? Not sure.
    6. Justin Williams - rebounding and shot blocking specialist who won't be able to be on the playoff roster; recently released by the Rockets; could audition for next season

    Hopefully, Mullin could find someone to fill that roster spot. I would love for O'Bryant to move back into the rotation for a few minutes every other night or when teams are scoring at will in the paint. Adding a player like Hodge will only make the team stronger, improve practices, and add depth in case of injuries.

    Don't sit on your hands, Mullin. We are so close to the playoffs. Once we are in we'll need all the help we can get.

    Tuesday, March 25, 2008

    The New Baron - For Better or For Worse


    Baron has learned to play with less recklessness. The earlier, high flying, AK47 dunking Baron is replaced with a crafty finisher that plays below the rim and is very perimeter oriented.

    Good: No missed games (anti-Jinx in effect)

    Bad: Not able to put away opponents early (leads to wins and more rest time)

    You get a 3/4 speed Baron for 40+ min/game ALL season long, but at the expense of allowing the bench to become more of a factor in games. Ball movement suffers late in the game, defensive intensity wanes, shots fall short, drives to the basket become fewer and fewer, and leads disappear. The heavy minutes have forced him to miss practices (his rest time) and thus time for him to gel with teammates, perfect plays at full speed, work on defensive assignments at full speed, and maximize the benefits of practice for the team as a whole. Game time is Baron's only time to really gel with the less established rotation players like Wright, Pietrus, Barnes, Azubuike, and Watson.

    I can't argue with the results too much, but I just wish Nellie would trust his bench a little more; let Monta run the point, let CJ spell him for a few minutes, see if Barnes can get back into the flow (also relieve Jackson). When leads start dwindling, it wouldn't hurt to change it up a bit to stop the bleeding, would it? Maybe this will allow Baron to rest during games and be more of an integral part of practice.
    NBAStore.com