I am very passionet about this guy, he is ny favorite player on my favorite college team going to my pro team. The day that David Stern stutered his name was truly the best moment I had in the year 2007. I actually cried when he said that. I expect jokes, I expect ridicule but I really don't care. The same way Kobe fans are passionate about Kob is how I feel about "Hollywood". Don't get me wrong I don't put no athelete or entertainer above Kobe, but to have your 2 favorite athaletes on the same team is a great feeling. I already know the ballbreakers are gonna tell me that JC is trade bait and i'm all for it if it nets KG. But a trade with JO as the primary target is a serious mistake. It is a enormous mistake to leverage the future of this organization on the possibility that Jermaine O'neal makes us a contender. Do I believe he will Yup. But Garnette makes us a feared ball club as well. There is a trend in the leauge that more teams are designing their offenese to resemble the "Phoniex Suns". Well the hotter trend is stock piling talent, and waiting till the Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Kobe, and all these 10 year or more vets start their down slide. Look at Portland, Seattle, Golden State and the scariest of all San Antonio, not to mention Boston. Theses teams are carring young great players who will most likley be the future of the league. In Portland and San Antonoi's cases they are harboring talent overseas and running training camps over there that teach their system(brilliant). Yet do to the pressure of the fans (not just Kobe), the front office sees a pressing need to go for it now and be lower than mediocre latter by possible adding JO contract length which will hamper the team. Low and behold June 28th sent us a sign. He dropped, can't you see that he dropped. The teams that needed him passed a gift from above. From a christian school http://www.sacanet.com/ that believes in the same Christian values that his current coach was raised in by his parents. In a recent article he touches on this, but read his final statement he understands humility and the possibility of making mistakes already bracing for possible to the article http://www.pe.com/sports/breakout/stories/...15.3df8bf9.html, how many 19 year olds would have the presents of mind to do that. Check out another refreshing example of a well spoken, and humble young man. Watch the feature and compare it to some of the recent jocks and look at the humility and even the media pressence:http://www.ocsn.com/media_server/play.smil...don_feature.asx. This is at 18 years old ladies and gentelman. Notice the smile, the banter, the eye contact with the interviewer. But check the on the court action the confidence in his game, how at the end when he is mobbed at the end how he tells is keeping his team calm, how they mobb him as their leader(at 18). Am I taking this too far, no I want you to see it. listen to his interview on Roggin and Simmers and how Mr. Simmers continues to give him the Los Angeles meadis treatment and how he answers the questions without hesitation or emotion http://a1135.g.akamai.net/f/1135/18227/1h/...570_KLAC_SHOWS". Listen from 11:40 for the start , and at 14:25 in Simmers starts his crap only to be suprised. Here he is on PMS this is good stuff and check out the poise and what they say when the interview is over:http://a1135.g.akamai.net/f/1135/18227/1h/cchannel.download.akamai.com/18227/podcast/LOSANGELES-CA/KLAC-AM/070703%20PMS%20Hour%202.mp3?CPROG=PCAST&MARKET=LOSANGELES-CA&NG_FORMAT=sports&SITE_ID=727&STATION_ID=KLAC-AM&PCAST_AUTHOR=AM570_KLAC&PCAST_CAT=Arts_and_Entertainment&PCAST_TITLE=AM570_KLAC_SHOWS" starts at 26:05 in. Now after all of that he goes out in the Ls Vegas Summer league and plays a very controlled game and to top it off he does what our last heaven sent player does and this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDTwlaRbBzQ. Comes back next game and donought. Played sparingly we lose. Bounce back game (#3) CHURCH:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBauj63eDHw Game #4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWw_MNpsM9I Game#5 against a future rival Rodney Stuckey one word (Hollywood):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViPatHwvNzI Lets face it we have been waiting for it; a true backcourt mate for Kobe. The kid defends, competes, can shoot, has youth, court vision. To be tutored by Fisher and Kobe.... wait a minute. wait a minute; DUDE RAN THE TRIANGLE IN HIGHSCHOOL. Could God have blessed us any better at pick #19. Not convienced. How about a little showtime:http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=31...earch&plindex=0 Here is some cool content: A myspace fanpage:http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea...endid=174872524 Official myspace page:http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea...endid=200380982 Fansite:http://www.javariscrittenton.org/ Rivals profile: http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewprospect...=2&pr_key=12864 Great draft day article: http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=687649 Finally here is me on the LOOSE CANNONS talking about JC the day after the draft:http://a1135.g.akamai.net/f/1135/18227/1h/cchannel.download.akamai.com/18227/podcast/LOSANGELES-CA/KLAC-AM/070629%20Loose%20Cannons%20Hour%202.mp3?CPROG=PCAST&MARKET=LOSANGELES-CA&NG_FORMAT=sports&SITE_ID=727&STATION_ID=KLAC-AM&PCAST_AUTHOR=AM570_KLAC&PCAST_CAT=Arts_and_Entertainment&PCAST_TITLE=AM570_KLAC_SHOWS" listen about 15:00 in to the podcast. In a the city of angels, a city of turmoil a savior will be sent, in a position of need a savior will be sent JC will be his initials. Please copy and past podcast links.
Here is a blog post from another fan who was at the summer league game: I convinced my wife to devote Saturday to NBA Summer League (no small feat), and have a few thoughts after seeing the final Lakers game against Detroit. My 18 month old daughter (all decked out in skimpy a Laker cheerleader outfit) accompanied me, so I was not able to sit directly behind the bench this time and overhear Rambis’ running stand up act. However, I did still track the game fairly closely. Preliminary Thoughts I think I witnessed enough of the Lakers schedule to have a pretty good feel for the makeup of the relevant players. I saw three of the five games from start to finish (games 1, 3, and 5), was present for the third and fifth games, and watched pieces of games 2 and 4. Admittedly, I missed most of the two games where Crittenton struggled, so my thoughts might be somewhat skewed as to him – hopefully others who saw those games can fill in anything I missed. I recognize that summer success is not a very reliable projector of real nba success. Too many players have been brilliant there and flamed out on the big stage (the “Tskitishvili rule,” after the infamous Nikoloz averaged 25.7 and 6 in the 2004 summer league, only to become the biggest bust of the decade). However, the league still serves its purpose. It allows you to identify players’ strengths and weaknesses, athleticism, and general feel for the game. To me, there are only four “relevant” players: Farmar, Crittenton, Karl, and Turner. The biggest need from the summer roster is a defensive big man, especially if we see a summer blockbuster that depletes our front line. Turner was the only big with any semblance of size and skill to justify a roster spot – the others were either too small or too raw (which is really saying something). The Lakers are set at the wings (Kobe, Evans, Walton, Radmanovic), and it does not look like any promising ones found their way onto the roster (probably for that reason). Karl is worth a look because we also may lose a point guard or two in a deal and he displayed flashes of real promise. Player Thoughts 1. Nate Turner. If the Lakers look to the summer roster to bring in a cheap big body for insurance frontcourt depth, I think it has to be Turner. He is a legitimate 6’11” and built like a chiseled mountain. Huge upper body and fairly mobile. In both the Wednesday and Saturday games, the Lakers made big second half runs to storm behind from big deficits and capture the lead (though ultimately losing on Saturday). During both runs, Turner keyed the defense with aggressive (but relatively foul-free), pick and roll trapping, solid low post defense, strong board work, and a nose for loose balls. He is ok on offense, capable of catching and dunking or throwing up a decent righty jump hook. I see him as a poor man’s Ronnie Turiaf or Anderson Varejao – an active, physical backup center who brings energy and hustle. Though, I’m not sure there’s a place in the league for a poor man’s Ronnie Turiaf… I’d be shocked if we see him in Hawaii. 2. Coby Karl. I’d also be very surprised if he makes the cut. As I noted in Thursday’s post, he is an interesting case because he does not have the requisite speed or ballhandling skills to be an effective point guard or the size of a shooting guard. Despite those limitations, he played very well in spurts, particularly in the early games, and displayed a coach’s son’s feel for the game. He has deep range with a quick release, rare passing instincts, a keen understanding of floor spacing in the triangle, and a relentless work ethic on defense. The Lakers strongest lineup consistently featured him, Farmar, and Crittenton, with Karl providing spacing on the perimeter and creative passing from the high post (including a crafty between the legs pass to a cutting guard from the free throw line). However, despite these virtues, I just see too many limitations that are unlikely to disappear. On offense, Karl is really only a stand still shooter. If a defender closes down on him and forces him to pick up the dribble, he does not have the speed to create real separation or the leaping ability to rise up and get off a high % jump shot. Instead, he is forced to pass the ball out to the reset the offense, or, at best, bull his way into the lane in the hopes of creating contact for free throws (which he did effectively a few times). On defense, Coby was just too slow and small to keep pace with the better guards (which does not bode well for success in the real nba). When matched against Martell Webster of Portland or Rodney Stuckey of Detroit, Karl consistently got beaten – badly – and forced his teammates to help, often leading to easy scores. So, despite his Walton-esque smarts and deep shooting range, I just don’t see him being able to fill a rotation spot with the team, given the glut of more talented guards already on the roster. I would not be surprised if someone else picks him up though. If nothing else, he has his Dad’s influence in his favor. Good old George, accompanied by a posse of spastic teenage boys, was sitting front and center on Saturday, expressing unrestrained passion for every little move from Coby. 3. Jordan Farmar. He finished the summer with unimpressive stats: 11.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.6 turnovers, 35.6 fg’s, and 33.3 3fg. However, after watching him closely, I am not concerned. Farmar’s game is not tailored to summer league success. Roughly speaking, there are two types of basketball players: (1) stars, aggressors, those who drive the action and carry teams, and (2) role/dependent players, those who react to the situations created by stars and fill in the cracks. Farmar is a classic type 2 player. He is never going be a star or capable of carrying a team offensively; his success will be dependent on him feeding off of the stars. Though, I think he will ultimately become one of the better role players in the league, as he combines nice skills and athleticism with a real mental commitment to the game. Place him next to stars and intelligent teammates, and Farmar will thrive. However, when placed next to a mismash of raw summer league teammates, most of whom don’t understand the offense and aren’t concerned with doing anything other than shooting as soon as they get the ball, Farmar is going to struggle a little. We saw that throughout the summer league. Jordan spent a great deal of energy orchestrating traffic and trying to get his less experienced teammates into the right spots in the triangle. He also repeatedly had the burden of making something out of nothing when the offense broke down. Consequently, we saw a lot of pressured jump shots late in the clock and turnovers that really weren’t his fault. However, we also saw a lot of bright spots. Farmar was at his best when Crittenton joined him on the floor, for then he had a talented finisher to capitalize on his playmaking and deft management of the triangle. Jordan repeatedly broke down the defense with penetration off the weak side screen roll or triangle weave, culminating in him hitting a cutting or spotting up Crittenton for an easy basket. When Critt wasn’t around, Farmar instead tried to finish the play himself. But, he doesn’t have the strength to absorb contact in the paint and finish at the rim – leading to several unsuccessful floaters or fade away layups. On defense, Jordan was dedicated to keeping his man in front of him. Though, he often ran into problems fighting through screens or preventing determined penetration, because he simply does not have the great strength or size. I think Farmar’s principal shortcomings in summer play will largely be alleviated during the regular season when he is surrounded by more capable and schooled teammates. On offense, he will only be required to keep the ball moving quickly to the right attack points in the triangle, hit open jump shots, and occasionally penetrate and kick out. He can do these things very, very well. He will not have the burden of coaching his teammates into proper positioning or being the primary distributor. On defense, he will still struggle with bigger opposing guards, but will have better help defenders to cover on the screen roll. Overall, I think he showed good improvement and will be a valuable contributor next season. More than anything, he appears more confident and sure of himself. Maybe, too sure… Without me saying anything, my wife constantly remarked, “why does that guy keep arguing with the coaches and yelling at the players?” I doubt that attitude carries over when Phil resumes control and Kobe is around. <font color=""Red"">4. Javaris Crittenton. I saved the best for last. I saw numerous games in person last week, and Crittenton has as much “wow” factor as anyone else I watched. He made fans buzz in the stands. Over the course of the week, my stance on him progressed from, “great trade bait pick,” to “maybe he’ll challenge Farmar for backup point guard minutes next year,” to “keep him at all costs, he is a star in the making.” To me, he’s a “type 1 player” – definite star potential. Crittenton finished the summer with impressive stats: 17 points, 3 assists, 1.6 turnovers, and 48.5% fg. All league first team. If you throw out that odd second game where he only played a handful of minutes and didn’t score, his stats are through the roof (21.3 points on 52.5% fg’s). Crittenton really doesn’t have any obvious holes in his game. He is the total package physically: tall, strong, quick, great balance, explosive leaper. He has a well rounded offensive game. He combines speed, strength, and a great handle to get to the paint in a variety of ways – isolated on the weak side, splitting the defenders in the screen and roll, lightning fast cut off the elbow weave, etc. Once in the paint, he (unlike Farmar) has the strength to bull through defenders and absorb contact to finish effectively right at the rim (though, he seems to overly favor going right and finishing with the right hand). On the perimeter, he has a consistent, soft spot up jumper out to the college three, but doesn’t seem to have consistent nba three point range. He also seems to lose accuracy when pulling up off the dribble, but the footwork and mechanics are there, suggesting he’ll quickly improve there. Javaris also showed controlled, but effective playmaking, setting up big men for high percentage layups and avoiding turnovers (though his college numbers suggest we should expect a high turnover rate for a while). He played brilliantly off the ball, consistently making smart cuts and finding openings in his wheelhouse on the perimeter when Farmar penetrated. On defense, I think Crittenton has the tools and focus to be a lock down defender. He is long, quick, and strong. He struggled a big in knowing when to come over the top of screens and when to switch, but he took well to Brian Shaw’s constant instruction on the issue. Now, I’m not suggesting Crittenton is ready to come in right away and start. I’m not even sure that he’ll be a valuable rotation player this year. But, the tools are there for him to eventually be a dominant point guard. And, sooner than I previously thought. If it comes down to trading Farmar or Crittenton in a deal, I now strongly prefer keeping Javaris. I think he’s really not that far behind Jordan in development and has a much, much higher ceiling. Mitch Kupchak attended the game with a few Laker front office members. Afterwards, Mitch raced down to the court and into the locker room, but the others strolled out to an elevator leading to the parking lot. Using my irresistible daughter as a deflective charm, I followed them into the elevator and tracked their conversation. They were gushing about Crittenton. One turned to the leader of the group, an older man (whose name I don’t know) and said, “nice pick on Crittenton.” He replied, “well, he wasn’t my pick, but boy is he good. They say with guards you need either speed or strength and he really has them both.” Then, more unrestrained praise. I almost asked what McHale and Bird thought about Crittenton, but chickened out… </font>
More Critt praise: The people on LG who are hyped up about JC's summer performance, and are truly good judges of talent/skill, are not impressed by the numbers he put up, but rather the skill/talent/determination/physical ability he displayed while doing it. Von Wafer? 42 pts-impressive? Not to me. He is a run jump athlete. He could be a solid And1 player, but he doesn't have the hoop iq to be productive on a winning nba team at this moment. Critt showed creativity in breaking the defense down time and time again. He was able to get to the rim almost any time he wanted. Mid range jumper? Check NBA 3? Only weaker area, but it improved as the games went along. Setting up teammates? Critt got into the teeth of the defense and set up teammates beautifully. I really didn't know that he would have the precision passing that he did, it really impressed me. Speed, Strength, tenacity? Did you see him get into the paint, or finish on fast breaks? Did you ever see him down when he was struggling with his shot? or did you see him keep at it and still come up with a big performance in the second half? Defensively? Crittenton was a ball hawk. Stripping defenders with beautiful timing. Staying in front of smaller defenders as well. Only thing I saw on defense was that he needs to work on not getting pinned on screens, which the coaching staff can easily correct if they spend alot of time on the defensive end this season. The tri? Perfect offense for him, where he wont be forced into being a full time playmaker for other players. He will have opportunities to score and assist equally. Defensively, after some seasoning, he should vastly improve the Lakers defense. He has the skills to be a force on both ends of the floor, and that is how championships are won. I look forward to watching him develop.
I'm loving Java's game so far. I really hope he can turn into a scorer for this team and be an impact rookie. I have a feeling Phil will play this kid, it's been noted that Phil was really high on Java and was a huge reason why they selected him.
Scout.com > Preps I Got Next -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matt Remsberg PrepInsiders.com Oct 5, 2005 Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (Ga.) point guard Javaris Crittenton, who’s rated the nation’s No. 16 hoop recruit in the Class of 2006, takes his place as Atlanta’s top baller. This article appears in the October 2005 edition of SchoolSports magazine. <font color=""Purple"">LeBron James had already been dubbed King when his AAU team ran into the Atlanta Celtics in the finals of a Houston-area tournament during the summer of 2002. At the time, Javaris Crittenton was a 14-year-old backup guard playing on the Celtics’ 17-and-under team. As he sat on the bench early in the game, he sensed his teammates were playing scared — playing to avoid embarrassment at the hands of the NBA’s preordained savior. But that was never Crittenton’s style. Though he was only a rising freshman, he saw nothing but opportunity when he got his chance to match up with King James. LeBron beat Crittenton a few times, but the youngster also picked the legend’s pocket more than once. The game’s defining play came when Crittenton used a behind-the-back move to leave LeBron flat-footed at the arc. Current Boston Celtics center Kendrick Perkins was waiting in the lane as Crittenton charged ahead, but an up-and-under layup left the two future NBA first-round picks watching the ball rattle home as Crittenton jogged back on defense. “I’ve probably told that story more than any story in my life,” says Crittenton, now a Georgia Tech-bound senior point guard at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (SACA) who’s rated the nation’s No. 16 hoop recruit in the Class of 2006 by SchoolSports.com. “I’ll be telling it ’til I’m an old man.” </font>As LeBron was practicing his handshake and getting fitted for his draft-night attire the following school year, Crittenton was busy establishing himself as one of the nation’s top freshmen. A few months after leaving LeBron in his wake, Crittenton entered Southwest Atlanta Christian. The Atlanta Public Schools system was all he’d known, so adjusting to SACA’s strict daily regimen was a constant struggle. He thought about leaving every day of his freshman year and came close on numerous occasions. But basketball always steered him back. More accurately, Courtney Brooks always did. Brooks was in his fourth year as basketball coach at the small school of 300 students when Crittenton was a freshman. Countless discussions brought the two closer together than the average player and coach. Brooks treated Crittenton like a son. They spent so much time together, Brooks’ own children began referring to Crittenton as their big brother. “I could tell the things he was dealing with spiritually and mentally were really weighing on him,” says Brooks, who’s now in his seventh year at SACA. “I also knew that if he could get to a place where he was comfortable, the sky was the limit. He had the potential to graduate as the best guard to come through this school.” Basketball was the easy part for Crittenton as a freshman. He averaged 11 points, five assists and six rebounds per game while teaming with eventual No. 1 NBA draft pick Dwight Howard to torch the competition in Class A and lead SACA to the state championship game, where the Warriors fell to Whitefield Academy. But the same off-the-court issues nagged Crittenton as his sophomore year began. Early on, he informed Brooks — more emphatically than ever — of his intention to return to public school. Rather than trying to change his mind, Brooks asked Crittenton to spend some time thinking about why he was making that decision. For Crittenton’s sake, Brooks just wanted him to settle on a path so he could move on with his life. “I asked myself, ‘Why are you rebelling against something like this?’” Crittenton says. “I thought I wanted to be in public school. But I just judged. I hadn’t given private school a chance. When I really thought about it, I realized God was sparing me. There was a reason I was where I was. God sent me there.” Finally settled in and happy at SACA, Crittenton and Howard, then a senior, had a state championship to win that season. The regular season was little more than a showcase for Howard to improve his draft stock, but once the postseason rolled around, the Warriors were unstoppable. Crittenton averaged 17 points per game in the playoffs while Howard poured in 23 points and added 10 blocks a game as SACA avenged its loss from the previous year by taking out Whitefield for the Class A state title. Just a few months later, Crittenton watched Howard and fellow AAU teammate Josh Smith go from prep peers to millionaires as first-round picks in the 2004 NBA Draft. And Randolph Morris, another Atlanta Celtics teammate, signed with Kentucky as one of the nation’s most sought-after recruits. As close as he was with those guys, Crittenton had been waiting for this moment. It was time to prove himself. Entering his junior year, few believed Crittenton was capable of leading the Warriors back to the state title game. The Life After Dwight Era would be too overwhelming for a player who averaged only 14 points and eight assists per game as a sophomore, the haters said. But Crittenton proved the doubters wrong by guiding SACA to a 21-7 regular season mark before taking his game to an even higher level during the postseason, averaging 25 points per game in the playoffs to lead the Warriors to the state finals once again. In the title game, Crittenton willed SACA back from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to get within seven in the final minutes, but Randolph-Clay hung on to take the championship. “The way people wrote us off, wrote me off, I live for stuff like that,” says Crittenton, who averaged 28 points, seven assists and six rebounds overall as a junior. “I like being the underdog. I was the top sophomore in the state the year before, just comin’ down and throwin’ it off the glass to Dwight. People didn’t realize what I could really do." Paul Hewitt and the Georgia Tech coaching staff were convinced. Crittenton committed to play for the Yellow Jackets following his junior year and now has visions of Carmelo Anthony and Marvin Williams winning NCAA titles as freshmen running through his head. Even though he’s now the top-ranked recruit in Atlanta and an ACC power like Georgia Tech is convinced the 6-foot-5, 190-pounder can play point guard at the next level, Crittenton still felt he had much to accomplish in his final AAU season this past summer. First and foremost was proving he was in fact one of the nation’s best point guards in the Class of 2006. That effort culminated in July at the adidas Superstar Camp when he was named MVP of the Wallace Prather Memorial All-Star Classic after scoring 31 points. The honor was even more satisfying to Crittenton because it was the first year the game was named after Prather, the legendary coach of the Atlanta Celtics who had died just a few weeks earlier. Crittenton started playing for Prather when he was 9 years old. “I was really amped up for that game before I even knew we were playing in his honor,” Crittenton says. “That just added so much to it. I went out on a good note. I proved everything I wanted to prove.” As if schooling LeBron wasn’t enough. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Story URL: http://preps.scout.com/2/448300.html Copyright ? 2007 Scout.com and PrepInsiders.com
I'm pretty high on Javaris Crittenton as well. He's played great in the summer leagues. He has great size for the triangle offense, he's athletic, can run the point, seems like a humble guy, and most of all, he has the potential to be a pretty good defender in the league one day, which is something we really lack. Most people say Crittenton is the second best point guard prospect of this draft, behind Mike Conley Jr. and ahead of Acie Law. Some even say Crittenton is the best prospect of the draft, even higher than Conley because Crittenton never played with a player of Greg Oden's calibure. Conley played with Oden in college, as well as high school, I believe. The kid is only 19 years old, so I'm really optimistic about his future. As much as I like Kobe Bryant, I'm not going to lie to you, I really want to see what our youngsters can become in a couple of years. We've got a solid young core in Bynum, Turiaf, Farmar, and Crittenton. I would love to see these group of players grow and mature in front of our eyes, plus the players overseas (Sun Yue and Marc Gasol). But championships are most important. If the deal is right, we've got to trade away some of our young core to get the right player
