Sounds similar to what happened last year in the
Fila League.
I liked what I saw from Bergerson last year, and
wondered why we did not give Sanchez a try out. He has good size and is a good
floor leader which is what we need. They may be concerned with his
speed.
Well, I just got done watching the one Shaw game most of us
will see. I am seething because
the power-mad worthless referees decided to turn the affair
into a free throw shooting contest.
There was literally a foul on every possession for both
teams. What a horrible game to have as
your one offseason treat. Even a goodly supply of Kozy
Shack pudding and beer couldn't make
it better. OK, with that off my chest, here are my
impressions of the players.
I read the very positive things that were said about Jerome
Allen and David Vanterpool coming in,
but both guys are flatout scrubs. I'm sorry, but
there's no other way to put it. Neither could penetrate
or distribute; both held up at the top of the key, waiting
to be relieved of the ball on each possession.
Neither could hit anything, and both were unimpressive
defenders. I won't lose any sleep on either of
them being missed. In fact, I'll be glad to see the
back of them.
Jerome Moiso is the real deal, however. He is a truly
dangerous shot blocker, incredibly quick off his
feet, and a truly fluid and natural scorer on the other
end. He wasn't able to go to his right hand at all,
but then every time he got the ball he or someone else was
immediately fouled, so this was not conclusive.
But you can see how wrong we all were to think of this guy
as a wasted pick. I am definitely impressed.
Mark Blount was also a genuine NBA talent, a must-have as a
free agent reserve. The bush league announcers
ESPN dug up to cover the game obviously didn't know a thing
about any of the players, and spent most of the
game rehashing rumor and received wisdom from last month's
NBA columnists; so they passed along the info
that Mark Blount was 6 foot 10. But he has grown since
he was drafted out of Pitt, and is clearly now around
7'1", or that's what Leo Papile says -- and I believe
him. This guy can block shots. He's a better shot
blocker
than Moiso, at least at this level, and an aggressive
rebounder as well. He also has some touch around the basket,
and he's no stringbean either. He's a real he-man, and
the idea of him playing alongside Moiso and/or Battie is
VERY appealing.
Kris Klack is strong and can jump high, but doesn't look
like much of a player to me. His shot is shaky, and he
didn't seem to be making much of an impact on defense.
The swingman who really impressed me is Roberto Bergersen.
This guy is big, fast, and has a lot of finesse
talent. He's very aggressive, a good shooter, and I don't see much
difference
between him and Tariq Olivier St Jean, to tell you the
truth. Maybe his flaws would be more apparent on closer
viewing,
but he really strikes me as a player. He's like a more
athletic Rick Fox; I like him a lot. Silas Mills has some nice
skills,
is aggressive, and knows how to play, but Bergersen made
much more of an impression. Nobody else stood out.
Oh,
JaRon Rush didn't play, another gift of Celtic good fortune
for viewers.
Oppostion player of note: Pepe Sanchez is
unreal. The guy dominated on offense and defense nearly every minute he
was
in. In his first six minutes, he had three steals and
three assists. I don't care if never shoots a basket, he is a true point
guard
of the kind that are born and not made, and we need him in
Green tomorrow. Philly is booked up at the one spot, and
some
lucky team is going to get this guy for the minimum.
He is a major talent. He's not stone cold, either; he hit an open 20
foot
jumper. I think it's madness that he's looking for a
job. The whole game I felt that familiar constipated feeling, the pain
of watching
halfcourt basketball leading to isolation contested
jumpshots. Basketball is meant to be all about passing, and that
dimension
of the game is held hostage to the selfishness and
incomptence of modern point guards. Sanchez is a throwback, a
Cousy/Stockton/Cheeks type player who also happens to be a hard-nosed big
defender. Seriously. If Vanterpool or Allen get a job ahead of
him, I have to figure he has AIDS or something.
OK, over and out. What did you guys think? I
know you all watched it. How much did you want to kill Ronnie Nunn?