http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...illanueva-promises-not-to-be-lazy-this-season Charlie's work ethic, heart, and ability were all questioned last season while he was stinking up the joint. Rookie forward Jonas Jerebko significantly outplayed him for much of the season, and even frequently replaced his high-priced teammate in the starting lineup. For his part, Charlie doesn't think it's fair that he is being made the scapegoat. "It's definitely unfair, it's a team sport," Villanueva recently told the Detroit News. He went on to say that he chose to sign with the Pistons because they were a successful and classy organization, implying that the team should stick up for him. Aside from the obvious—namely that he signed with the Pistons solely because they offered him much more than any other team—Charlie seems to be forgetting a couple key points. First, he showed up to Pistons' training camp overweight and out of shape. This will not usually impress your new employers. Second, he is forgetting how talented he is. He is a very athletic, 6'11", and is a young player who should easily be averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. His career averages? A rather pedestrian 13 points and six rebounds per game. There is a word for a genuine athlete who is close to seven feet tall and has legitimate basketball skills, yet puts up the kind of numbers Chaz does—that word is "underachiever." People have been questioning Charlie's heart and work ethic since his sophomore year in college. After a very solid freshman season playing behind Josh Boone and Emeka Okafor on the 2004 championship-winning UConn team, Charlie underwhelmed Connecticut fans in 2005. Charlie was supposed to emerge as "the Man" on that team, and while he did lead the team in scoring with just under 14 points per game, it was clear he could have done so much more. For whatever reason, he just wasn't up for the challenge. Instead of continuing to develop, and maybe turn into a special player, Charlie went against coach Jim Calhoun's advice and declared for the NBA draft. To the surprise of many, the Toronto Raptors selected Villanueva with the seventh pick of the draft. Charlie's people probably saw how weak the draft class was that year, and took the opportunity to cash in while they could. It is not often that a lottery pick is traded after his rookie year, but that is exactly what happened to Charlie. Toronto traded him to Milwaukee in 2006 for T.J. Ford. This should have been a hint that he needed to work harder. Hint ignored. Charlie has never been able to earn starter's minutes on any of the three teams for which he has played so far, averaging just 25 minutes per game. The reasons should be obvious to him, but, somehow, they are not. Charlie doesn't play defense. With his size and athleticism, he could be an excellent post defender—he's not. Charlie doesn't rebound. Again, the tools are there, but he averages just six rebounds a game. A seven-footer can get seven rebounds by accident. Charlie loves the three-pointer. Chuck jacked up 185 three-point attempts in 2007-08, 258 in 2008-09, then an amazing 282 last season. Having a 6'11" cat who can hit the long ball (a respectable 35%) is a great weapon, but should he really lead your team in attempts? Isn't that what guards are for? Villanueva might sense that he is close to becoming a total bust. Playing basketball for a living is not a right, but a privilege. He stayed in Detroit over the summer and worked with the strength coach to lose the extra pounds he carried all last season. I hope they were working on his toughness as well. He vows to work hard and "rediscover" his game, rewarding the Pistons for the commitment they made to him in the form of his five-year contract. That's all nice and good, but, in reality, Charlie's game hasn't yet been discovered. Unless he wants to forever be a bust in the NBA, Charlie is going to have to increase his level of dedication on and off the court. He needs to work hard and play hard. He needs to realize that big men play in the post, not behind the three-point line. If he doesn't, he has to know that he could quickly find himself playing behind both Jerebko and impressive rookie Greg Monroe at the power forward spot. Basically, he needs to remember why it is called the "power" forward position.
