Basketball from a fans perspective
This is different
Rivals and ESPNU Recruiting only contain a listing of American prospects. Thon Maker was omitted from both sites once he moved from the U.S. to Canada. I discovered Scout Hoops takes an entirely different view of prospects when it was announced Omer Yurtseven from Turkey had made a commitment to North Carolina State.
The commitment part is not unusual for the 6-11 230 pound power forward however his status is. Unlike Rivals and ESPNU sites Scout Hoops includes international players and Yurtseven is listed a 5-star prospect in the Class of 2016. In addition the site listed more than 10 international players who are also included in the Class of 2016; all are commitments to schools in the U.S. so I’m unsure if that’s the basis for tracking.
Blue Devils in the association
As we prepare for the NBA draft and the possibility of Brandon Ingram being added to the count lets check the record. Duke has managed to send a number of players into the NBA over the years. A number have tasted success while others managed just a brief period. We have no idea how good an NBA player Bobby Hurley or Jay Williams might have been had they not suffered injuries which cut their careers short. Grant Hill was a different story, he had a
19-year NBA career but never approached his pre-injury self.
Hill was Rookie of the Year and many believed was headed to the Naismith Hall of Fame if not for injuries. We could make the same statement for Christian Laettner with a competent 20-year NBA career. Both Hill and Laettner left the NBA with respectable numbers for their years. Kyrie Irving, J.J. Redick, Luol Deng and over 17 other former players from Duke were in the NBA this past season. Duke’s sent a significant of athletes into the association over the past several years.
Speaking of
An ESPN reporter to use his words; “Coach K. is bullish on his team.” I don’t believe any of us would fail to believe that. With the number one (or two depending on your source) recruited freshman class in the nation why wouldn’t he be thrilled. With all this incoming talent it will be interesting to see how the coach molds this team to fit his image.
Why
Maybe I should stop reading and watching television sports. I often hear incredibly stupid statements at times. “Friend” Mike Greenberg of ESPN once again. “I hope Phil Jackson wasn’t influenced by players or fans when he chose to hire Jeff Hornacek as the coach of the Knicks.” I don’t tweet so I couldn’t respond but if I could.
“All of us are amenable to our bosses, why would PJ hire someone for such a critical position and then be standing by to fire him? By the way this is the same group that claimed “Nate McMillian would be fired in three years.” McMillian is yet to run a single scrimmage and Greenberg’s got him terminated. I’m considering placing Greenberg on my “Stephen A. Smith-Skip Bayless” boycott.
Watch your words
Sometimes your statements can come back and haunt you. I read the piece in the New York Times last month; “What Happen When Venture Capitalist took Over the Golden State Warriors." Owner Joe Lacob appeared to be standing on top of his desk pounding his chest with pride. “We’ve crushed them on the basketball court, and we are to continue to for years because of the way we built this team.” Well Mr. Lacob you can see how quickly things can change especially in the NBA.
Mr. Lacob’s business sense gives him great insight into present and future corporate moves, the moves in the NBA are not quite so precise. After a record breaking regular season won-loss record and the incredible exploits of Steph Curry the Warriors are at the edge of a cliff peering over. The automobile (Warriors) is about to go over the edge and come crashing down to the ground. I hope this is not considered a criticism of Lacob the Warriors or their fans because that’s not the intent. It’s simply an attempt to point out somebody at some point might do it better despite what you might believe is preparation.
