[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Flash: Ben Pepper is nine feet tall!!
No way. You can't trade talent for position. And Kandi is far too
much of a question mark to make it worthwhile.
---peter delevett wrote:
>
> Hey, anybody see Banana Boy's line against the Pacers: 9 boards and
4 blocks
> in like 24 minutes. Leading me to conclude either a) he was holding
out on the
> Celtics or b) my grandmother could probably get six boards and two
swats if
> she were playing alongside Shaquille O'Neal.
>
> On another note, check out yesterday's column from Jesse Barkin of
the San
> Jose Mercury News:
>
> "Pierce's draft-day slide allowed Celtics to score
>
>
> AFTER HIS pre-draft workout with the
Warriors in
> June, Kansas forward Paul
> Pierce sounded excited about the
prospect of the
> Warriors taking him with the fifth
> pick. He had spent a couple of years
growing up
> in Oakland, and he expressed nothing
> but positives after meeting the
coaching staff.
>
> But Pierce didn't believe he would
become a
> Warrior because he thought he would be
> long gone before the fifth pick rolled
around.
> Most pre-draft lists had him going third to
> Denver or fourth to Toronto. Frankly,
Pierce
> thought that was too low.
>
> ``I want to be the first pick,'' he
said.
>
> When the draft arrived, the 6-foot-7
college
> junior sat anxiously at General Motors Place
> in Vancouver, and waited. And waited.
Nine teams
> passed over him before the Boston
> Celtics took him with the 10th pick.
>
> The season is just over a week old, so
it's way
> too early to make judgments. Especially
> this season, when first-year players
didn't have
> the benefits of summer league, the
> normal training camp and a full slate of
> exhibition games.
>
> But it's not too early to wonder how
nine teams
> could have passed on a player who has
> stepped into the NBA so seamlessly.
Pierce is
> averaging 17.3 points on 47.2 percent
> shooting. He had 19 points, nine
rebounds, five
> assists, four blocks and two steals in
> his debut at Toronto, then scored 11
of the
> Celtics' final 12 points the next night in the
> home opener against Cleveland. He also
had key
> baskets down the stretch in a victory
> over Miami a few days later.
>
> ``Crunch time is a time that separates
men from
> the boys,'' Pierce said. ``Even though
> I'm a rookie, I want to be in there. I
put high
> expectations on myself. I'm a confident
> player. Once I get going, I can play
against anyone.''
>
> Here's a brief update on the nine
rookies chosen
> ahead of him.
>
> 1. Michael Olowokandi, Clippers (14.3
points,
> 7.0 rebounds, 1.3 blocks): The
> 7-footer from the University of the
Pacific is
> displaying quick feet and is developing the
> kind of footwork that makes him look
extremely
> promising. He is raw but learning fast.
>
> 2. Mike Bibby, Grizzlies (11 points, 8.3
> assists, 3.0 turnovers, 1.8 steals): The point
> guard from Arizona is having trouble
making his
> shots, hitting 34 percent overall and 20
> percent on three-pointers. Like all
Vancouver
> point guards, he has to live with the fact
> his teammates, on the whole, aren't
very good.
>
> 3. Raef LaFrentz, Nuggets (16 points,
9.8
> rebounds, 1.0 block): He's not big enough
> to be a starting center, but the
slender 6-11
> player is doing a good job of pretending.
> He's a defensive liability, but his
offensive
> production has been tremendous. He had
> 18 points, 12 rebounds and three
blocks in 38
> minutes of Friday's 100-94 victory over
> Dallas.
>
> 4. Antawn Jamison, Warriors (4.8
points, 4.6
> rebounds): In a word, the consensus
> college player of the year from North
Carolina
> looks ``uncomfortable.'' He simply
> doesn't have small forward skills thus
far, yet
> that's the position he's going to have to
> play to be successful. (Technically,
the Raptors
> drafted Jamison at No. 4, then swapped
> picks with the Warriors, who sent the
No. 5 pick
> and cash).
>
> 5. Vince Carter, Raptors (12.3 points,
3.8
> rebounds, 1.8 assists): Jamison's North
> Carolina teammate is coming off the
bench and
> doing well, shooting 50 percent and
> displaying an impressive combination of
> strength, athleticism and physical maturity.
>
> 6. Robert Traylor, Bucks (3.3 points,
4.7
> rebounds, 1.3 blocks): Like Jamison,
> Traylor will have to find a position.
He was a
> burly 6-8 center at Michigan. The question
> is whether he'll be able to score
inside despite
> a huge height disadvantage. Is he Larry
> Johnson or Byron Houston? We don't
know yet.
> (Traylor was drafted by Dallas,
> then traded with No. 19 pick Pat
Garrity to
> Milwaukee for No. 9 pick Dirk
> Nowitzki.)
>
> 7. Jason Williams, Kings (18 points, 4.0
> assists, 3.8 rebounds): The flashy point
> guard from Florida must prove his
troubles
> (marijuana) are behind him, and that he can
> make the simple pass. He has been
exciting so
> far, and a big scorer.
>
> 8. Larry Hughes, 76ers (10.8 points, 4.5
> rebounds): He already has lost his starting
> job at point guard to Eric Snow. Is
the 6-5
> guard from St. Louis a shooting guard or
> point guard? He has been terrible from
the
> perimeter, hitting 12.5 percent on three-point
> attempts.
>
> 9. Nowitzki, Mavericks (9.8 points, 6.2
> rebounds): The 20-year-old from Germany
> considered going to Cal, where he
might be
> leading the Bears to an NCAA title if he had.
> The 7-foot wunderkind has looked
sensational at
> times, particularly with his 44.4
> percent accuracy on three-pointers."
>
> Question for the day: if, theoretically, the Clippers were to offer
Olowakandi
> straight up for Pierce, would you do it?
>
> Not that I expect this would ever happen, but let me throw this one
out there:
> Say the Clippers offered to trade Olowakandi for Pierce straight up.
Would you
> do it?
>
_________________________________________________________
DO YOU YAHOO!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com