<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">10. Jorge Garbajosa, Raptors At age 29, the former Spanish League star is more mature and ready to contribute. Even if the 6-9 forward doesn't play a lot of minutes, he's already having an impact as a mentor for his former Benetton Treviso teammate Andrea Bargnani. 9. Rajon Rondo, Celtics The Celtics are looking for a fast-paced playmaker to spark their attack, and this 6-1 former Kentucky standout has shown signs he can provide that dimension. He'll have to share time with Sebastian Telfair, but look for him to work his way into the rotation. 8. Steve Novak, Rockets The 6-10 second-rounder from Marquette is already being hailed by his Rockets teammates as one of the NBA's best pure shooters. He could be a valuable piece to spread the floor and make foes pay for double teams on Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. 7. Ronnie Brewer, Jazz Jazz coach Jerry Sloan would rather dance the lambada than rely on a rookie, but this 6-7 shooting guard from Arkansas fills a need for an athletic wing man. If Brewer can defend at all, Sloan will have no choice but to run him out there. 6. Andrea Bargnani, Raptors The No. 1 overall pick probably won't be asked to do much right away, especially with Chris Bosh and Rasho Nesterovic in the frontcourt, but he'll get enough playing time to make an impact one way or another. 5. Tyrus Thomas, Bulls The 6-9 forward from LSU is raw, so expect the Bulls to remain patient with him. His ability to run the floor, fill the lane, put back offensive rebounds and make hustle plays could make him an X factor on a rising Chicago team. 4. Shannon Brown, Cavs The Cavs need some bench scoring to replace the departed Flip Murray, and this springy 6-4 shooting guard from Michigan State looked good in summer league. The opportunity will be there if he can take advantage of it. 3. Randy Foye, Timberwolves The 6-4 combo guard from Villanova has had a slow start in camp after an impressive summer league. But the T'Wolves need backcourt help off the bench, and Kevin Garnett will push to get the most out of his new teammate. 2. Adam Morrison, Bobcats Maybe the most intriguing rookie in that he could be the next Bird ... or the next Bust. There's no doubt he can shoot the ball, but can he defend? Either way, he's going to be in the spotlight like few other first-year players. 1. Brandon Roy, Trail Blazers Poised. Mature. Multi-skilled. The 6-6 guard from Washington has the complete package, and he'll get plenty of chances to play both guard spots for a rebuilding team. The preseason favorite for Rookie of the Year. </div> Link
why do they say Adam Morrisson is the next Bird or the next Bust? Why is he potentially a Bust? Cause he's WHITE?? pisses me off to read that. i don't like racism on either side of the coin and that's what i smell when i see people wondering whether Adam will be a bust
by now, every high pick has the potential to be a bust its just how people look at it. I don't think its because he's white. It's just because they may be seeing a way that he couldnt' adjust to the NBA game, which is definately different and not as much of a team sport as the college level. But yeah, Brandon Roy should be pretty damn good.
What about Aldridge? I know Randolph and Magloire are there, but he can still contribute if they're out.
<div class="quote_poster">phunDamentalz Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">why do they say Adam Morrisson is the next Bird or the next Bust? Why is he potentially a Bust? Cause he's WHITE?? pisses me off to read that. i don't like racism on either side of the coin and that's what i smell when i see people wondering whether Adam will be a bust</div>The thing is by no means being racist. The fact that he's white has nothing to do with whether or not he'll be a bust. The reason there could be potential speculation is if he's not committed to playing defense. If he can't play defense, he might not last too long in this league.
Don't understand why Bargnani is ranked higher than Garbajosa, in terms of immediate impact. Jorge's really a veteran (at 29) who's extensive international experience has given him a great feel for the game. He's going to find it easier to step in and contribute with shooting, rebounding, toughness. Bargnani's definitely talented, but the focus in Toronto is on allowing him to develop at his own pace.
<div class="quote_poster">Chutney Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Don't understand why Bargnani is ranked higher than Garbajosa, in terms of immediate impact. Jorge's really a veteran (at 29) who's extensive international experience has given him a great feel for the game. He's going to find it easier to step in and contribute with shooting, rebounding, toughness. Bargnani's definitely talented, but the focus in Toronto is on allowing him to develop at his own pace.</div> Probably because Bargnani was the #1 pick and because of that they want to put him high on the list.
<div class="quote_poster">SkiptoMyLue11 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Probably because Bargnani was the #1 pick and because of that they want to put him high on the list.</div> That about sums it up SkiptoMyLue. I really want to see Rudy Gay play in Memphis and see how he does. Also, Redick should do good in Orlando. Tyrus Thomas and LaMarcus Alridge should also do good.
<div class="quote_poster">phunDamentalz Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">why do they say Adam Morrisson is the next Bird or the next Bust? Why is he potentially a Bust? Cause he's WHITE?? pisses me off to read that. i don't like racism on either side of the coin and that's what i smell when i see people wondering whether Adam will be a bust</div> they didnt put that because hes white, they put it because he cant defend. It says it in the article....
<div class="quote_poster">phunDamentalz Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">why do they say Adam Morrisson is the next Bird or the next Bust? Why is he potentially a Bust? Cause he's WHITE?? pisses me off to read that. i don't like racism on either side of the coin and that's what i smell when i see people wondering whether Adam will be a bust</div> I don't think it's because Morrison is White he might be a big bust, it's more likely to do with the fact he is pretty slow. Is he slow because he is White? Nope. It has to do with his parent's genes and the ones he's inherited from them. His parents both being white is purely coincidental.
Now seriously, sometimes race can play a factor in physical qualities (muscle build, flexibility, super fast twitch muscles). Look at the Kenyans in the Olympics. Their gene pool has many individuals who are predisposed to kicking ass at running or any athletic event which requires you to have certain physical traits. Everyone should be treated with equal respect, but we can't treat everyone the same physically and hide the physical differences like they don't exist at all. Morrison is a big slow white guy, but he can ball. But most of the league is highly athletic African (and American) or East European and that is different from College where both black and white are about same athleticism level in most cases. There are unathletic black players and athletic white players, but size, career focus, and skill level do play a factor for who goes into the nba. Right now there is a shortage of 6'6 and over players who can play the positions they need to match up with in the league. It is why scouts are looking at Europe, Africa, South America, the Carribean islands and Asia to see who has skills, height, and quickness. Morrison has one thing going for him and that is he can shoot tremendously and create his own shot with little space to breathe. Every player we've tried to send to the Olympics cannot shoot that well except for maybe Ray Allen or the throwback players of the early 90's and 80's. We got guys who can create a shot, but they cannot shoot well, especially the three pointer. Morrison is also very competitive and has a meanstreak. That's a bonus.
<div class="quote_poster">custodianrules2 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Now seriously, sometimes race can play a factor in physical qualities (muscle build, flexibility, super fast twitch muscles). Look at the Kenyans in the Olympics. Their gene pool has many individuals who are predisposed to kicking ass at running or any athletic event which requires you to have certain physical traits.</div>I agree, and I'm not going to deny that. But when the MVP of the league is as white as they get, I think it's time that people move past the "white guys can't ball" mindset that a FEW people have. Also Dirk and AK are doing alright for themselves. ANd Yao Ming is having a good preseason, we'll see what he does this year. Most of my favorite players are black, but people need to move beyond race and there's a lot of racism as well as REVERSE racism in America today. There's more to the game than athletic freakosity. If there wasn't the Atlanta Hawks would have won a championship and Andre Igoudala would be the MVP. I try not to see color at all if I can help it. I also hate the way some NFL people have a problem with black quarterbacks - those people are assholes
<div class="quote_poster">phunDamentalz Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I agree, and I'm not going to deny that. But when the MVP of the league is as white as they get, I think it's time that people move past the "white guys can't ball" mindset that a FEW people have. Also Dirk and AK are doing alright for themselves. ANd Yao Ming is having a good preseason, we'll see what he does this year. Most of my favorite players are black, but people need to move beyond race and there's a lot of racism as well as REVERSE racism in America today. There's more to the game than athletic freakosity. If there wasn't the Atlanta Hawks would have won a championship and Andre Igoudala would be the MVP. I try not to see color at all if I can help it. I also hate the way some NFL people have a problem with black quarterbacks - those people are assholes</div> Yes, there's no denying there's some prejudice when it comes to color, but you're missing the point. Look at where most people are coming from: They see that Steve Nash, the MVP of the league, is not a sloth of an athlete and he's got tremendous skills for his position. Neither is AK a sloth, neither is Dirk Nowitzki a sloth and they've both got skills, size, and athleticism. Yao is as mobile as they get for somebody 7'6 and 300 odd lbs and he's got skills (especially in the footwork and shooting department and occasionally he's a good playmaker). Skills on both ends of the floor + teamwork ability + decent athletic ability + size + intensity are what makes can't miss stars in this league. If one is missing one of those things, people start to doubt and it is why players like Chris Mullin and Larry Bird are non-existant these days. It's all about the league and the current matchups and what they will allow to survive in the NBA. If one is missing something like physical ability, all-around skill, or intensity, people doubt. It's why Yao gets in trouble when he isn't aggressive. It's why Morrison gets in trouble when he can't play defense because he's not quick enough. It's why some people doubt Dwight Howard, Dorrel Wright, Jr Smith, Amare Stoudamire or some of these high school rookies that haven't had the college basketball program experience to grow. It's because there's very little time to learn in the NBA and teams want performance for the time they're spending on these guys. A successful player ain't just one thing, they're a whole lot of things. So I wouldn't say race is the primary factor here, it's the fact Morrison is a slow player and we don't know if he can shoot or pass as well as the league's best to compensate for that. A guy like Larry Bird was slow, but he made others better and he made shots in the clutch. Not many slowpokes can do that but he had a unique game which worked for him very well. Same thing with Mullin. He wasn't quick in the feet, but he had quick hands and could shoot it quick like Nowitzki or Michael Redd and attack the lane some using either hand to finish. Guys who are slow and fundamentally sound typically know they can do other things to get to the basket sooner like practicing their movement off the first few steps off the dribble.
Even Peja Stojakavic, a mostly pure shooter, is not a sloth of an athlete. All these guys they are bringing from Europe are not sloths. Pau Gasol is not a sloth. Our American born Mike Miller is not a sloth. Jason Williams is not a sloth. The only uber slow white Europeans are guys over 7 feet tall and most people that tall are not fast. Only Shaq in his heyday is the real special guy that weighs 310 lbs or more and can jump and move quickly, has tenacity, and skills. There's nobody else like that. Eddy Curry doesn't count because he's got a game full of holes and lack of desire. Hell, my favorite players are slow guys, but you know they can't be beat on defense constantly and they have to do other things to make up for it. It is a very rare case for slow perimeter guys to be stars in this league as of now just like undersized guys like Charles Barkley tearing up the 6'4 power forward department. I mean we got Sam Cassell as 6'3 very slow, combo guard and... anybody else? Keith Van Horn was a failed case because he was too slow for SF, too weak for PF. Dunleavy Jr. has been struggling. Danny Ferry failed to do anything significant besides front office management. Those three were some of the biggest or pretty important NCAA college players. And their games did not translate to the NBA very well outside of maybe one or two things. Maybe it is not because they are White, it's because they are slow as hell and stuck in between being too slow or weak for certain positions. Right now, Adam Morrison is kind of a tall guard, but what if he is too slow for small forward? He definitely cannot play power forward because then he'd be too weak. That's why NBA league is looking for matchups that favor a mix of power, finesse, and quickness and skills unique to that position. Today's nba is like that and maybe they are looking for the wrong players because of guys like Ben Wallace and Brad Miller that didn't even get drafted. BTW Brad Miller is decently athletic for 7 footer as well, compared to Mehmet Okur or Zyldrunas Illgauskus or Troy Murphy type sizes. And you know what, Brad Miller is a better defender than all three and least likely to be a team's major defensive liability out there on the floor. Quickness counts for something in the NBA because it's about physical reaction time as well as mental reaction time.
Bobby Hurley was white. He was quick and crazy on the court. Just because a player's white just doesn't mean they aren't athletic. Just means the black people are more athletic. LOL JK but seriously though it doesn't mean anything.
athletic just means more potential to do things non-athletic people can't do. For instance, if peole cannot meet another player up in the air, then the guy with the hops and uber long arms is going to come down at point-blank range with a dunk all over the defender. It's a high % play. Not many people have the wingspan, timing, quickness, to make such plays like a Ben Wallace or Andrei Kirilenko. Guys who have versatile, all-around, top half of the league skills and can finish above the rim are typically guys who are special players in this league. But besides jumpin ability, you still need quickness, good balance, strength, decision-making ability to react and utilize that quickness, finesse, and the ability to be dynamic according to the situation. Kobe Bryant doesn't dunk everything, but he has tremendous amount of quickness for his size and he is great finishing while off balance and making the right play as a scorer. If Kobe Bryant was not athletic, he'd have to adjust his game based on his limitations and strengths. He would be a very different player and not as dominant as a shooting guard.
<div class="quote_poster">CLos Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">That about sums it up SkiptoMyLue. I really want to see Rudy Gay play in Memphis and see how he does. Also, Redick should do good in Orlando. Tyrus Thomas and LaMarcus Alridge should also do good.</div> agreed, why don't people think Gay/Thomas are going to do real well?
I'd just like to point out that the top two on that list are from the state of Washington. COME SEE US.
First of all, great points Custodian, and nice job of actually tackling the subject of race in sports in a mature way - not many sports fans, or writers for that matter, can do that. I really wanted to comment in this thread because of their selection of Shannon Brown though. Any one who has read my posts knows that I'm a big SB6 (Shannon Brown) junkie, and I've been hailing this guy as the next player in the Stevie Franchise mold ever since he was in high school (although that was about '01 - a more acurrate comparison with today's game would be Dwyane Wade). However, as much as I love the guy, #4 is too high for one simple reason: he got drafted by the wrong team. On the Cavaliers, now with David Wesley, he's really going to struggle getting playing time at the two guard spot, and his game isn't ready for the point guard position at the NBA level yet. He's a unselfish, a great distributer, and a great decisionmaker, but his ballhandling is erratic and he's turnover prone, so I doubt he ever gets a starting point guard nod with the Cavs. Also, Tyrus Thomas is a horrible selection. He's just raw talent at this point with no direction, and he's in a stacked, veteran Bulls frontline. I'd put Rudy Gay down on the list as well, maybe even #1. With Pau Gasol out, Gay could wind up being the Grizzlies' go-to-guy before long. There's also no doubting that he's one of the two or three most talented players in the class. It's just a question of whether or not he has the desire, and so far he seems pretty motivated to make his mark on the league early on.
