Although at Harpringsucks we generally eschew traditional sports column formats for more intellectual pursuits like Bingo and talking at length about a specific Matt Harpring Missed-Layup attempt, nothing lends itself to formulaic treatment quite like the NBA draft. In that vein, we present the individuals and teams that were the biggest winners and biggest losers of last nights draft.
Winners:
Joakim Noah's stylist: It may not have been the most appealing get-up we've ever seen but it certainly got some attention. YB and I couldn't decide last night if he was trying to evoke Sideshow Bob or Blackula. Others thought he was going for a Gallagher or Carrot Top look. If nothing else, that bowtie probably made Tucker Carlson a little envious.
Trailblazers: So their front-line rotation now includes Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Josh McRoberts. Wasn't that the McDonald's All-American game from a couple years ago? Also they got rid of Zach Randolph before had a chance to introduce Oden to any of his friends or infect him with Bell's palsy. Good move on the Blazer's part. The only negative is Oden's pretty much a sure bet to start having prostate trouble, collect social security, and watch re-runs of Matlock and the Golden Girls in about five seasons.
Rafael Arjuao: Despite the fact that the Jazz already had two young developing shooting guards (CJ Miles and Ronnie Brewer) and a European veteran who has a face destined for a Charles Dickens novel about starvation, they decided to pick yet another player who will wallow at the end of the bench while 6'1" Derek Fisher soaks up all the minutes at shooting guard. Had the Jazz gone with Josh McRoberts or Big Baby Davis, Hoffa would have likely started packing immediately to go to Europe as he knows there's no way he's taking minutes from Jarron Collins. As is, we may get another year out of the big flagrant foul machine.
San Antonio Spurs: They pick #28 and got a lottery talent in Splitter. The Spurs are like that guy in high school with perfect teeth who's on the football team, gets a scholarship to Yale, and dates hot twin cheerleaders. Even though he technically didn't do anything to you, you hate him anyway for being better than you on the merits and you have no defense. It's gotten to the point where I'm starting to believe that Gregg Popovich's facial pock marks have some kind of super-power.
Giorgos Printezis: I've never heard of him either, but everything Bryan Colangelo touches inexplicably turns to gold lately. Therefore, I can only assume that making this guy a useful NBA player is on Jesus' to-do list now.
Indiana: They drafted Stanko. This pretty much automatically makes them my second favorite team. They might even qualify as my favorite if they pull a Yao and put Stanko on the back of his uniform.
Greg Oden: Now that you're officially a pro, we can finally get office pools started on how long before we see you hawking anti-wrinkle cream.
Losers:
Steve Francis: When did Stevie Franchise turn into Penny Hardaway? Does anyone want this guy any more? He's been traded 3 times on this max contract. That never happens. We've come a long way from sullen Steve refusing to play for Vancouver. Now if Memphis offered him a job mopping the floor after practices he'd probably take it just to have control over his own destiny.
New York Knicks: A few things here. #1. I confess to not knowing anything about this "Wilson Chandler" guy, but every time I hear his name I picture Carlton from "Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire." This is not what you're looking for in an NBA player. #2. Spike Lee is getting old. Last night I'm pretty sure I caught glimpses of a colostomy bag next to his chair during the draft. A real blow to Knicks fans everywhere. #3. Eddy Curry's entourage fighting Zach Randolph's entourage could be a rivalry more heated than the Bloods and the Crips. I can't wait. #4. Isiah Thomas is still in charge. I'm convinced he will be the first target of an NBA mid-game assassination by a crazed fan.
Utah Jazz: Morris Almond is pretty much destined to continue in the long and (not so) proud tradition of Quincy Lewis, Deshawn Stevenson, Sasha Pavlovic, Kirk Snyder, CJ Miles, and Ronnie Brewer in being "young shooting guards who Sloan never lets see the light of day." I guess that makes Morris Almond a loser on draft day too. That being said Morris Almond is slow, unathletic, can't rebound, can't defend, and is a huge kiss-ass, but he plays hard and hustles so if he's bad enough to make Fisher, Harpring, and Collins look good Sloan may give him some time just to reward him for some hard work. Who am I kidding, the big loser here is Jazz Fans.
Celtics Fans: Congratultions guys. Your team just changed direction for the 5th time in five years. At this rate you'll have a credible team-building philosophy in slightly less time than it took to complete the Big Dig.
Yi Jianlian: There's no way China will let you play in Milwaukee. Just to spite the hubris of Senator Herb Kohl they'll probably slash both of your Achilles tendons and put you out to stud like a racehorse in order to breed the next batch of super-tall Chinese athletes. At least you won't have to learn to speak English now. Last night you sounded like mush mouth crossed with the cookie monster. It was so frightening that I wouldn't have been stunned if you tried to swallow Stuart Scott whole.
Houston Rockets: It's official, you're just getting monkeys drunk and having them throw darts at a wall full of player photos on draft night. It's bad when Kevin McHale, Billy King, and Billy Knight made fewer mistakes combined.
Matt Harpring: Nothing specific about last night. Just generally.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
The NBA Draft: Fashion Show, David Stern Podium Pounding, and Steven A. Smith Yelling. Oh my!
Our official draft-master isn't here yet. So I'm taking over for him until he shows up.
Madame Kicky will only refer to the supposedly 19-year old Greg Oden as "Mr. Wrinkle-face." I feel like you should know these things.
Today's biggest trade so far: Orlando literally sold the #54 to Houston for cash. I guess we know the 54 pick won't be a crucial piece of any Kobe or KG trade.
David Stern is giving his opening speech. I'm pretty sure he was fighting off the urge to give off a Moussolini-esque "We will prevail"
19:33:48 ‹whinygal› Wow, I can't wait to see who Portland will pick
19:34:21 ‹whinygal› Apparently the room just realized they have the first pick
David Stern is out ot make the first pick. He's wearing a purple tie with a slightly different color purple shirt. Somewhere the Queer eye guys are tearing their eyes out.
Portland selected Greg Oden first. Everyone is shocked. Pandemonium in the streets.
19:36:59 ‹The Pearl› Oden heading up to the podium to announce his retirement
SJF has arrived. Turning it over to the man himself. Enjoy the rest of the draft guys.
I'm not I've ever been so nervous continuing a live blog started by Kicky. Kicky is the king of live blogs. I will rely on my outside sources for the comic relief as I nervously make my way through this draft.
Is there any way Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Al Jefferson don't go deep into the Eastern Conference playoffs? Allen is soft and overrated, but that is a good trade for the C's.
Jay Bilas just called Kevin Durant a 'savant'. I'll assume he meant that as a compliment.
Uh oh. Mother-in-law interruption.
Now the draft gets interesting and the Countdown to Erin Gray begins.
I hope, for Portland's sake, that Oden is healthy. If he is, as great as Durant should be, that was an absolute no-brainer. I would even speculate that according to what I've seen on the internet that Oden might even be underrated.
19:47:05 ‹The Pearl› Sonics: Durrant gets 35 mins/game
19:47:15 ‹The Pearl› Utah: Durrant gets Reggie Theus minutes
I certainly wouldn't put it past Jerry, Pearl.
The Hawks just drafted the next Tito Horford. I remember that guy. He was actually a pretty good college player.
Okay, Mark Jackson just said the Hawks made a bad decision. I think the Hawks may have just drafted the greates PF ever to play the game.
Conley has "it". Whatever it is, Conley has it. He's a winner, plays defense, gets in the lane, sees the court. Conley can't shoot, so this might be a little early, but the guy can play.
19:54:22 ‹sirkickyass› Jay Bilas is going nuts over Conley. Does he think he went to Duke?
Mike Conley Sr. just dunked from behind the FT line. That has to be the most impressive feat I've ever seen from a 45 year old man.
So Jeff Green is a true 3. Durant is a true 3 (although he's fairly versatile). Rashard is a true 3. Makes me wonder if the Sonics have simply seen the writing on the wall that Rashard isn't going to re-sign. I like Green, but will he be better than Allen? That was clearly a "clean house" move on the Sonics part.
Speaking of the Sonics, David Locke was just fired as the play by play guy out there. Will we see him in Utah? The anticipation is killing me.
19:58:58 ‹sirkickyass› aren't the Bucks picking next? Maybe they'll take Spencer Hawes just to give Bogut someone to hang out with. Oh my.
Maybe I should make my next prediction. I'm pretty sure Yi has said he does not want to go to Minnesota or Milwaukee.
"With the sixth pick in the 2007 NBA draft, the Milwaukee Bucks select...Yi Jianlian."
Yes!!! I love myself. More predictions to follow.
I'm wary about some of these foreign guys, but Yi looks impressive on these videos playing against 5'5" Chinamen. Seriously, he looks good.
20:05:11 ‹tatermoog› Why is Nathan Lane commenting on international basketball?
I'm assuming that was a shot at a guy named Fran. Being compared to Nathan Lane is likely the most masculine comparison you could make to a guy named Fran.
Apparently you pronounce the name "Yi" like EE. Very nice.
Bold prediction: EEE Jianlian will be, at the very least, the second best Chinese player ever to play in the NBA.
20:09:51 ‹LostTacoVendor› Milwaukee's asian population just doubled.
Similar to what happened with SLC's black population when the Jazz drafted Karl Malone.
Interesting that last year's 14th selection is better than this year's 7th pick. Wasn't this draft supposed to be one of the strongest in several years?
Uh oh. Wife interruption. She's lost.
20:12:44 ‹tatermoog› I have a bad sensation Joakim Noah is going to pull a "One of the Guys" at the podium and rip his jacket off to reveal his bosoms.
I'm about this closeto simply using chat quotes for the rest of this blog.
In all seriousness, Corey Brewer really is a long, athletic, player with tremendous upside potential. There I said it.
I think Charlotte wanted Brewer. If they know what's good for them they will take a Gerald Wallace clone in Julian Wright.
Wrong Wright, Michael. But hey, he's a Tarheel. So at least he will get plenty of opportunities.
Jay Bilas going out of his way to show that he's not biased toward UNC. Whatever, Jay - nice try.
Best comment yet:
20:20:42 ‹tatermoog› Stephen A. Smith sucks as a human being.
Seriously, why is the least witty guy doing this frickin' thing?
I'll will die laughing if the Bulls take Hawes in hopes of finding that all elusive low post presence. There hasn't been a guy that soft enter the league since Aaron Gray. (sorry, Mr Fazekas)
20:22:02 ‹sirkickyass› Brandan Wright has a cold sore and braces. Imagine how tall he'll be after puberty is over. heh
Joakim Noah to the Bulls. The next Anderson Varejao. Guess they will continue to look for that offensive low post presence.
When I was a kid watching Yannick Noah play tennis, if anybody had told me he would have a kid drafted in the top 10 of the NBA draft, I'd have said "what, did he marry a tall Swedish super-model?"
Sacto should draft Wright since they are the morons who let Wallace get away for free. Here they have a chance to get the next closest thing.
First big white stiff off the board. This is only a good thing if you are a Jazz fan.
hehehehehehehe I should really find a Kings message board right now. The unintential comedy should be off the charts. Upside was just used twice to describe Hawes. But "not a great athlete" according to Bilas. Thanks, Jay.
Hawes doesn't do anything you want from a big man. Block shots on defense. Get to the FT line on offense (so you can command a double team) and rebound. He does none of that. Beautiful. But he can pass - good, the Kings just drafted a poor man's Brad Miller.
Meanwhile teams continue to pass on the draft's third best player.
Acie Law IV. Is he the first IV ever to be drafted? I have to say he is. Law can play though. Not sure he's a pure point that the Hawks need, but it's a pretty solid selection - if you aren't drafting for the BPA.
20:38:49 ‹sirkickyass› Acie Law III is actually Greg Oden
So does that mean Law and LeBron are brothers?
20:40:29 ‹sirkickyass› An actual conversation here at the Kicky Mansion: Madame Kicky: "What shots aren't contested?" Sirkicky: "The ones that **** ******** is assigned to defend against" "Madame: Fair point"
ahhh, Matt Harpring never ceases to entertain. (yes, the words "Matt" and "Harpring" are filtered in chat.
Does Philly take Thornton? I have to think so. Thornton isn't as good as Wright, but he is one of the most overlooked players in the draft. He's a great athlete and a great scorer. Would be a great pick here.
20:44:27 ‹YB› Please let them take Jason Smith. Please. Please.
Amen.
Thaddeus Young Einstein. 4.3 GPA? WTF? Did he realize he was an NBA prospect?
Julian Wright is getting pissed. Wright is good enough when he's happy. You don't want to play against a pissed off Julian Wright.
The consensus here has been that the Hornets take Nick Young. I like Young. I like Thornton. I like Julian. I don't want any of them playing with Chris Paul - he doesn't deserve it. They HAVE to take Jason Smith here.
20:50:25 ‹LostTacoVendor› Ray Nagin to make NO's draft pick hiding under his pillow.
wow. just. wow.
Worst freaking case scenario. My favorite player gets taken by Chris Paul. AHHHHHH!!!
Here's to hoping for the impossible - that Julian Wright will be a bust.
Honestly, I can't believe the Hornets got Wright. I'm so upset right now. The Jazz will take Kyle Visser just to finish me off.
I will predict the Clippers take Nick Young.
Al Thornton. Smart pick. He should have gone top six and they got him at 14. Great value.
For the last month or so, rumors have said that Stuckey received a promise from Detroit. I guess that means Detroit will take Nick Young.
Rodney Stuckey it is. Let that be a lesson - always trust pre-draft rumors.
Jay Bilas on Stuckey: "He's athletic as all get out". That's why they pay him the big bucks. Oh, and Stuckey really isn't that athletic. I watched him at Kentwood HS - great, great, HS player and a very good college player, but there is a reason they didn't show dunks on that highlight film.
Jason Smith, Nick Fazekas and Josh McRoberts still on the board. This can't be a good thing.
Randolph should be a great fit on the Knicks. Not sure why Portland would want Steve Francis with the great Jarrett Jack already at the point.
Sean Williams - So Smith, Fazekas and McRoberts are still available. I'm not sure I can even think coherently anymore. (assuming that I wasn't incoherent before)
This draft just ended for all intents purposes - Sean Williams was my only hope.
Belinelli - I don't understand all the Euro buy-out mularkey, but Rudy Fernandez will be a better NBA player than Belinelli. Take it to the bank.
Steven A says that without Kobe, Phil Jackson isn't going to win anyway so why does it matter he Phil comes back? Wait a second, did Phil win with Kobe there after Shaq left? Kobe wants a trade for a reason - because he can't win.
Lakers take Crittenton. I like Crittenton. He's a true PG at 6'5" - he has a chance to be very, very, good as he can both score and pass. He will need to cut down on the TOs, but this was a good pick and good value for LA.
The best player available now: Rudy Fernandez. He can score, shoot the three, slash, he's a great athlete, a good passer at the two and he can defend. Teams are either missing the boat on him or his buy-out is simply too complicated.
Jazz fans just caught the first break of the draft as Miami takes Jason Smith.
Still plenty of big stiff white guys remaining but this is a start.
Great question, Jim. Try to get Kupchak in trouble for tampering.
21:38:52 ‹LostTacoVendor› Halftime: Argentina 1-1 USA
hmmm. I wasn't aware they played Davis Cup at the same time as Wimbledon.
McRoberts and Fazekas are still alive. Not to mention Erin Gray.
Just got a "tremendous upside" from Jay Bilas regarding Daquean Cook. Good use of the phrase, Jay.
Sheesh - Sean Williams is impressive.
21:43:51 ‹sirkickyass› Daequan Cook "has everything you want in a basketball player" says Jay Bilas Then why the hell didn't he get picked earlier assclown
21:45:35 ‹sirkickyass› I think Tiago is some sort of European Yeti
Excellent pick by Charlotte. Jared Dudley might be a top 10 player in this draft. He's a great shooter, good rebounder and plays defense. A steal right here.
So the pre-draft rumors say the Knicks will take Wilson Chandler - we learned earlier in this blog that you don't, under any circumstances, question pre-draft rumors.
ESPN showing Zeke's track record - that is ugly.
Also, if Zeke is so good on draft day, why not take Balkman at #29 and get a good player at #22 or wherever Balkman was taken? They had two picks, why not get two good players rather than throw away the #22? Zeke sucks.
Rudy Fernandez is going to be great for Phoenix if they keep him.
Jazz took Morris Almond - I like Almond, but the Jazz needed defense. I'm done blogging.
Madame Kicky will only refer to the supposedly 19-year old Greg Oden as "Mr. Wrinkle-face." I feel like you should know these things.
Today's biggest trade so far: Orlando literally sold the #54 to Houston for cash. I guess we know the 54 pick won't be a crucial piece of any Kobe or KG trade.
David Stern is giving his opening speech. I'm pretty sure he was fighting off the urge to give off a Moussolini-esque "We will prevail"
19:33:48 ‹whinygal› Wow, I can't wait to see who Portland will pick
19:34:21 ‹whinygal› Apparently the room just realized they have the first pick
David Stern is out ot make the first pick. He's wearing a purple tie with a slightly different color purple shirt. Somewhere the Queer eye guys are tearing their eyes out.
Portland selected Greg Oden first. Everyone is shocked. Pandemonium in the streets.
19:36:59 ‹The Pearl› Oden heading up to the podium to announce his retirement
SJF has arrived. Turning it over to the man himself. Enjoy the rest of the draft guys.
I'm not I've ever been so nervous continuing a live blog started by Kicky. Kicky is the king of live blogs. I will rely on my outside sources for the comic relief as I nervously make my way through this draft.
Is there any way Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Al Jefferson don't go deep into the Eastern Conference playoffs? Allen is soft and overrated, but that is a good trade for the C's.
Jay Bilas just called Kevin Durant a 'savant'. I'll assume he meant that as a compliment.
Uh oh. Mother-in-law interruption.
Now the draft gets interesting and the Countdown to Erin Gray begins.
I hope, for Portland's sake, that Oden is healthy. If he is, as great as Durant should be, that was an absolute no-brainer. I would even speculate that according to what I've seen on the internet that Oden might even be underrated.
19:47:05 ‹The Pearl› Sonics: Durrant gets 35 mins/game
19:47:15 ‹The Pearl› Utah: Durrant gets Reggie Theus minutes
I certainly wouldn't put it past Jerry, Pearl.
The Hawks just drafted the next Tito Horford. I remember that guy. He was actually a pretty good college player.
Okay, Mark Jackson just said the Hawks made a bad decision. I think the Hawks may have just drafted the greates PF ever to play the game.
Conley has "it". Whatever it is, Conley has it. He's a winner, plays defense, gets in the lane, sees the court. Conley can't shoot, so this might be a little early, but the guy can play.
19:54:22 ‹sirkickyass› Jay Bilas is going nuts over Conley. Does he think he went to Duke?
Mike Conley Sr. just dunked from behind the FT line. That has to be the most impressive feat I've ever seen from a 45 year old man.
So Jeff Green is a true 3. Durant is a true 3 (although he's fairly versatile). Rashard is a true 3. Makes me wonder if the Sonics have simply seen the writing on the wall that Rashard isn't going to re-sign. I like Green, but will he be better than Allen? That was clearly a "clean house" move on the Sonics part.
Speaking of the Sonics, David Locke was just fired as the play by play guy out there. Will we see him in Utah? The anticipation is killing me.
19:58:58 ‹sirkickyass› aren't the Bucks picking next? Maybe they'll take Spencer Hawes just to give Bogut someone to hang out with. Oh my.
Maybe I should make my next prediction. I'm pretty sure Yi has said he does not want to go to Minnesota or Milwaukee.
"With the sixth pick in the 2007 NBA draft, the Milwaukee Bucks select...Yi Jianlian."
Yes!!! I love myself. More predictions to follow.
I'm wary about some of these foreign guys, but Yi looks impressive on these videos playing against 5'5" Chinamen. Seriously, he looks good.
20:05:11 ‹tatermoog› Why is Nathan Lane commenting on international basketball?
I'm assuming that was a shot at a guy named Fran. Being compared to Nathan Lane is likely the most masculine comparison you could make to a guy named Fran.
Apparently you pronounce the name "Yi" like EE. Very nice.
Bold prediction: EEE Jianlian will be, at the very least, the second best Chinese player ever to play in the NBA.
20:09:51 ‹LostTacoVendor› Milwaukee's asian population just doubled.
Similar to what happened with SLC's black population when the Jazz drafted Karl Malone.
Interesting that last year's 14th selection is better than this year's 7th pick. Wasn't this draft supposed to be one of the strongest in several years?
Uh oh. Wife interruption. She's lost.
20:12:44 ‹tatermoog› I have a bad sensation Joakim Noah is going to pull a "One of the Guys" at the podium and rip his jacket off to reveal his bosoms.
I'm about this close
In all seriousness, Corey Brewer really is a long, athletic, player with tremendous upside potential. There I said it.
I think Charlotte wanted Brewer. If they know what's good for them they will take a Gerald Wallace clone in Julian Wright.
Wrong Wright, Michael. But hey, he's a Tarheel. So at least he will get plenty of opportunities.
Jay Bilas going out of his way to show that he's not biased toward UNC. Whatever, Jay - nice try.
Best comment yet:
20:20:42 ‹tatermoog› Stephen A. Smith sucks as a human being.
Seriously, why is the least witty guy doing this frickin' thing?
I'll will die laughing if the Bulls take Hawes in hopes of finding that all elusive low post presence. There hasn't been a guy that soft enter the league since Aaron Gray. (sorry, Mr Fazekas)
20:22:02 ‹sirkickyass› Brandan Wright has a cold sore and braces. Imagine how tall he'll be after puberty is over. heh
Joakim Noah to the Bulls. The next Anderson Varejao. Guess they will continue to look for that offensive low post presence.
When I was a kid watching Yannick Noah play tennis, if anybody had told me he would have a kid drafted in the top 10 of the NBA draft, I'd have said "what, did he marry a tall Swedish super-model?"
Sacto should draft Wright since they are the morons who let Wallace get away for free. Here they have a chance to get the next closest thing.
First big white stiff off the board. This is only a good thing if you are a Jazz fan.
hehehehehehehe I should really find a Kings message board right now. The unintential comedy should be off the charts. Upside was just used twice to describe Hawes. But "not a great athlete" according to Bilas. Thanks, Jay.
Hawes doesn't do anything you want from a big man. Block shots on defense. Get to the FT line on offense (so you can command a double team) and rebound. He does none of that. Beautiful. But he can pass - good, the Kings just drafted a poor man's Brad Miller.
Meanwhile teams continue to pass on the draft's third best player.
Acie Law IV. Is he the first IV ever to be drafted? I have to say he is. Law can play though. Not sure he's a pure point that the Hawks need, but it's a pretty solid selection - if you aren't drafting for the BPA.
20:38:49 ‹sirkickyass› Acie Law III is actually Greg Oden
So does that mean Law and LeBron are brothers?
20:40:29 ‹sirkickyass› An actual conversation here at the Kicky Mansion: Madame Kicky: "What shots aren't contested?" Sirkicky: "The ones that **** ******** is assigned to defend against" "Madame: Fair point"
ahhh, Matt Harpring never ceases to entertain. (yes, the words "Matt" and "Harpring" are filtered in chat.
Does Philly take Thornton? I have to think so. Thornton isn't as good as Wright, but he is one of the most overlooked players in the draft. He's a great athlete and a great scorer. Would be a great pick here.
20:44:27 ‹YB› Please let them take Jason Smith. Please. Please.
Amen.
Thaddeus Young Einstein. 4.3 GPA? WTF? Did he realize he was an NBA prospect?
Julian Wright is getting pissed. Wright is good enough when he's happy. You don't want to play against a pissed off Julian Wright.
The consensus here has been that the Hornets take Nick Young. I like Young. I like Thornton. I like Julian. I don't want any of them playing with Chris Paul - he doesn't deserve it. They HAVE to take Jason Smith here.
20:50:25 ‹LostTacoVendor› Ray Nagin to make NO's draft pick hiding under his pillow.
wow. just. wow.
Worst freaking case scenario. My favorite player gets taken by Chris Paul. AHHHHHH!!!
Here's to hoping for the impossible - that Julian Wright will be a bust.
Honestly, I can't believe the Hornets got Wright. I'm so upset right now. The Jazz will take Kyle Visser just to finish me off.
I will predict the Clippers take Nick Young.
Al Thornton. Smart pick. He should have gone top six and they got him at 14. Great value.
For the last month or so, rumors have said that Stuckey received a promise from Detroit. I guess that means Detroit will take Nick Young.
Rodney Stuckey it is. Let that be a lesson - always trust pre-draft rumors.
Jay Bilas on Stuckey: "He's athletic as all get out". That's why they pay him the big bucks. Oh, and Stuckey really isn't that athletic. I watched him at Kentwood HS - great, great, HS player and a very good college player, but there is a reason they didn't show dunks on that highlight film.
Jason Smith, Nick Fazekas and Josh McRoberts still on the board. This can't be a good thing.
Randolph should be a great fit on the Knicks. Not sure why Portland would want Steve Francis with the great Jarrett Jack already at the point.
Sean Williams - So Smith, Fazekas and McRoberts are still available. I'm not sure I can even think coherently anymore. (assuming that I wasn't incoherent before)
This draft just ended for all intents purposes - Sean Williams was my only hope.
Belinelli - I don't understand all the Euro buy-out mularkey, but Rudy Fernandez will be a better NBA player than Belinelli. Take it to the bank.
Steven A says that without Kobe, Phil Jackson isn't going to win anyway so why does it matter he Phil comes back? Wait a second, did Phil win with Kobe there after Shaq left? Kobe wants a trade for a reason - because he can't win.
Lakers take Crittenton. I like Crittenton. He's a true PG at 6'5" - he has a chance to be very, very, good as he can both score and pass. He will need to cut down on the TOs, but this was a good pick and good value for LA.
The best player available now: Rudy Fernandez. He can score, shoot the three, slash, he's a great athlete, a good passer at the two and he can defend. Teams are either missing the boat on him or his buy-out is simply too complicated.
Jazz fans just caught the first break of the draft as Miami takes Jason Smith.
Still plenty of big stiff white guys remaining but this is a start.
Great question, Jim. Try to get Kupchak in trouble for tampering.
21:38:52 ‹LostTacoVendor› Halftime: Argentina 1-1 USA
hmmm. I wasn't aware they played Davis Cup at the same time as Wimbledon.
McRoberts and Fazekas are still alive. Not to mention Erin Gray.
Just got a "tremendous upside" from Jay Bilas regarding Daquean Cook. Good use of the phrase, Jay.
Sheesh - Sean Williams is impressive.
21:43:51 ‹sirkickyass› Daequan Cook "has everything you want in a basketball player" says Jay Bilas Then why the hell didn't he get picked earlier assclown
21:45:35 ‹sirkickyass› I think Tiago is some sort of European Yeti
Excellent pick by Charlotte. Jared Dudley might be a top 10 player in this draft. He's a great shooter, good rebounder and plays defense. A steal right here.
So the pre-draft rumors say the Knicks will take Wilson Chandler - we learned earlier in this blog that you don't, under any circumstances, question pre-draft rumors.
ESPN showing Zeke's track record - that is ugly.
Also, if Zeke is so good on draft day, why not take Balkman at #29 and get a good player at #22 or wherever Balkman was taken? They had two picks, why not get two good players rather than throw away the #22? Zeke sucks.
Rudy Fernandez is going to be great for Phoenix if they keep him.
Jazz took Morris Almond - I like Almond, but the Jazz needed defense. I'm done blogging.
Monday, June 25, 2007
A day in Jazzfanz Rookie chat
A Tatermoog and Sirkickyass collaborative production:
CJThug4Life: And then I sunk the game winning basket for the Idaho Stampede and my homies were going nuts. Even all those crazy white guys in idaho, I call them my 'thrilla nillas,' were ready to make me one of those salvation paintings like Melo has. You know, that one of him on the cross and all dat. I drank hypnotiq all night.
Man-sap: That's pretty much the same thing that happened this one time we beat Sacramento state. The crowd practically stormed the court. I felt bad for both Sacramento fans. Those days in the WAC were good times.
HOFFA enters YoungGunz chat room
[HOFFA] Welcome to YoungGunz Chat! IMPORTANT: Please respect each other and know that private messages (whispers) may not be private. Use this feature at your own risk.
R_Brewer enters YoungGunz chat room
[R_Brewer] Welcome to YoungGunz Chat! IMPORTANT: Please respect each other and know that private messages (whispers) may not be private. Use this feature at your own risk.
CJThug4Life: Look who finally shows up. Brew-boy, what the dilly? U called this meeting. I thought u was maybe bein a busta and gonna tell the big boss we was all meetin' instead of workin' on our defense and hustle. I ain't goin' back to juvie over this shizzle.
R_Brewer: Sorry guys. It was hard getting out of the ESA. Matt kept throwing himself on the floor in front of me for no reason. He said he was practicing hustling but I think he was just falling over again. And you've never been to juvie, STFU.
HOFFA: HOFFA LOVE IT WHEN MATT DO THAT. MATT SO FUNNY.
CJThug4Life: What's ur 'scuse Raf? I left the pre-draft meeting wit' u. U shoulda been back an hour ago.
HOFFA: HOFFA FORGET PASSWORD AGAIN.
R_Brewer: Dude, your password is "password." We went over this last time. It's the easiest thing possible.
HOFFA: HOFFA REMEMBER, BUT THEN HOFFA KEEP FORGETTING WHAT LETTER HE ON. SCREEN ONLY SHOW DOTS, NOT LETTERS.
Man-Sap: At least he made it in this time. Remember last time when he kept trying to put in his pin number?
FightingIlliniDee: Dag'gum. My momma usedta whip us wit' da belts when we's fool enough to give out dat sort of sensitivity finances material sho nuff.
R_Brewer: Ok guys, we're all here and Hoffa remembered this time so we need to get down to business. We all know the draft is coming up this week and the big guys upstairs are probably going to draft another shooting guard. This is getting silly. First I had to suffer through the indignity of some 6'1" career point guard play ahead of me, then I got no time even when he was missing time in New York, now they're going to bury me on the end of the bench even farther behind some geeky white guy. How do you guys think I should go about getting more minutes?
Man-Sap: That's really why we're here? So you can whine about not being a big enough part of the team. Dude, Sloan even claims to like me and I play just fine when I'm out there and he has still never run a play for me. He even has plays for Jamie Watson in his playbook still.
R_Brewer: Shhhhh! Don't say his name! He might appear.
Man-Sap: I've told you a million times, he's not Beetlejuice!
HOFFA: HOFFA LOVE MICHAEL KEATON!!!11!
FightingIlliniDee: Quitcha bellyachin.' He'll get you all some time if'n when youse good to the system. Maybe work on your shootin' and when you're as good as me he'll put you in the game eh?
CJThug4Life: Dat right there is some all good advice from my man Dee. If you hit more shots then coach'll will play you more.
FightingIlliniDee: Sloan Rocks!
Man-Sap: Yeah, just look at AK. He increased his shooting percentage from last year and he got more playing time AND shots this year. Oh wait....dear god he's never going to run plays for me at this rate.
R_Brewer: Whoa. Wait a second. I have to hit more shots to get more playing time?! I shot 53% this season and 56% when I started. How many more do I have to hit? All of them? What did you guys shoot this season? I know CJ started almost as many games as I did and Dee got way more minutes down the strech.
CJThug4Life: But you don't got range boy! I can make it rain from outside.
FightingIlliniDee: I was Big 10 player of the year in college sho nuff. Even when I miss, I miss right. Coach takes a gander at me and says "Is you is or is you aint a big time shooter" and I look at 'em and says "I is."
R_Brewer: Bruce Weber really taught you how to talk man. But this shooting thing can't possibly be the answer. I mean, I know I can't shoot the three but at least I'm not just jacking them up there to miss everything like Fisher or AK. If anything I'm practicing good shot selection. I mean CJ got almost as many starts as I did and he shot 34% from the field and 22% from 3 and Dee shot 33% from the field and 21% from three.
FightingIlliniDee: That's only if you count the first 3 months of the season. Everyone knows all dem shots I missed back then don't count a lick. Not statistically significant or some such nonsense. Since then my shot's been smoother than butter on my mammy's home-made grits.
Man-Sap: You guys got to shoot! I practically had to grab offensive rebounds out of my teammates hands if I wanted to shoot!
HOFFA: HOFFA TRY GRABBING REBOUND FROM SOMEONE'S HAND ONCE IN HIGH SCHOOL. HOFFA TAKE HANDS INSTEAD OF BALL. HOFFA STILL NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER STATE OF MONTANA.
CJThug4Life: Maybe u should just try and dazzle him wit' ur athleticism like urs truly. I got drafted by doing a cross-over while wearing my platinum fronts and decked out in Fubu with some Air Jordan III's.
Kris Humphries enters YoungGunz chat room
[Kris Humphries] Welcome to YoungGunz Chat! IMPORTANT: Please respect each other and know that private messages (whispers) may not be private. Use this feature at your own risk.
Kris Humphries: Anyone want to look at my free pics? Go to my website at http://www.cammanwhores.com/FJ1283 !
HOFFA: HOFFA BE BACK LATER
Hoffa exits the room
Kris Humprhies kicked from room by moderator. Reason: Spam
FightingIlliniDee: His momma oughtta be ashamed of him, carryin' on in public like that. Especially after he done publicly got ridda that Amaechi fella last month.
R_Brewer: CJ you're 6'6" 210 pounds. I'm 6'7" 217 pounds. If anything I'm faster and more experienced than you. How in the hell am I supposed to convince coach I'm more athletic than you when we practically have the same body?
CJThug4Life: Day-um Son! Maybe talk to D-Rock! That guy just shows the big boss his bling on his finger and gets a job.
Man-Sap: I don't envy you guys at all. I may have it rough but at least there isn't a big log-jam at the 3 and the 4 on this team like you guys have. I only have AK, Boozer, and Harpring in front of me.
R_Brewer: Actually I think they want me to play 3 now.
Man-Sap: Maybe they'll draw up one new play and we can share it.
Deron Williams enters YoungGunz chat room
[Deron Williams] Welcome to YoungGunz Chat! IMPORTANT: Please respect each other and know that private messages (whispers) may not be private. Use this feature at your own risk.
CJThug4Life: Da Man hisself returns!
Deron Williams: Oh geez. How'd I end up in YoungGunz? I ain't been here for ages.
R_Brewer: Yo D! How'd you get the tractor man to give you a chance? I'm racking my brain here.
FightingIllinisDee: My down-home brother returns to visit lowliest ol' me. His ever-faithful Dee.
Deron Williams: Yeah, Dee. That's exactly what's going on here.
Deron Williams: I'm not sure what happened. I think I could have done pretty much all the same stuff the year before dude but suddenly Jerry started playing me. I think Larry's funny elbow took a liking to me or something.
R_Brewer: Bribing the owner eh? That's a thought. What should I bribe him with though? Is it Larry or Frank Layden that likes to drink gravy straight? I can never remember.
Man-Sap: I think that's Larry. Layden likes to eat butter by the stick.
Morris Almond enters YoungGunz chat room
[Morris Almond] Welcome to YoungGunz Chat! IMPORTANT: Please respect each other and know that private messages (whispers) may not be private. Use this feature at your own risk.
Deron Williams: Oh geez. This guy's been following me around all day. He's like a puppy that comes home with you no matter how many times you kick it. I'm out guys.
Deron Williams moves to SaltLakeSnatch room
Morris Almond: Hey guys! I just wanted to let you know that playing for the Jazz would be a dream come true! I really want to be just like Matt Harpring!
R_Brewer: Did you say the same thing, but about Brian Scalabrine in the Boston chat room last night?
Morris Almond: Well yeah, but I really meant it here.
Man-Sap: Wait, didn't you say that same thing about a dream come true about Phoenix last week too?
Morris Almond: But I meant a nightmare there and I meant a cool dream, like that one I always have about Jessica Alba, here.
FightingIllinisDee: I done had dat dere same dream, but wit Star Jones bout a fortnight ago. That's a woman wit a fine set of gams.
Morris Almond kicked from room by moderator. Reason: Suck-up
CJThug4Life: Why y'all give him the URL again? Now I gotta get my boyz to change where this chat is again. My entourage got limited time you know.
Man-Sap: Look Ronnie, I think the only thing I've learned about dealing with Sloan is that he is what he is and you just gotta deal with him. There really isn't much of anything you can do regardless of how good you are to get him to play you. Sometimes you get lucky and you're Jarron Collins, and sometimes you're well....you. Of course just cause you play doesn't mean he actually runs plays for you.
DeereTractorLuvr enters the room
[DeereTractorLuvr] Welcome to YoungGunz Chat! IMPORTANT: Please respect each other and know that private messages (whispers) may not be private. Use this feature at your own risk.
R_Brewer: I told you guys! That was the third time we say his name and then suddenly he just shows up!
DeereTractorLuvr: All you get in bed. It's past curfew. I don't care if its the offseason. Unless you're farming, eating, sleeping, or hustling you're not being productive.
Man_Sap exits the room
CJThug4Life exits the room
FightingIlliniDee exists the room
R_Brewer: Coach, as long as we're in here alone I thought maybe I would ask a question. I really want to contribute. What do I have to do to make myself a better player and earn more time?
DeereTractorLuvr: WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?
CJThug4Life: And then I sunk the game winning basket for the Idaho Stampede and my homies were going nuts. Even all those crazy white guys in idaho, I call them my 'thrilla nillas,' were ready to make me one of those salvation paintings like Melo has. You know, that one of him on the cross and all dat. I drank hypnotiq all night.
Man-sap: That's pretty much the same thing that happened this one time we beat Sacramento state. The crowd practically stormed the court. I felt bad for both Sacramento fans. Those days in the WAC were good times.
HOFFA enters YoungGunz chat room
[HOFFA] Welcome to YoungGunz Chat! IMPORTANT: Please respect each other and know that private messages (whispers) may not be private. Use this feature at your own risk.
R_Brewer enters YoungGunz chat room
[R_Brewer] Welcome to YoungGunz Chat! IMPORTANT: Please respect each other and know that private messages (whispers) may not be private. Use this feature at your own risk.
CJThug4Life: Look who finally shows up. Brew-boy, what the dilly? U called this meeting. I thought u was maybe bein a busta and gonna tell the big boss we was all meetin' instead of workin' on our defense and hustle. I ain't goin' back to juvie over this shizzle.
R_Brewer: Sorry guys. It was hard getting out of the ESA. Matt kept throwing himself on the floor in front of me for no reason. He said he was practicing hustling but I think he was just falling over again. And you've never been to juvie, STFU.
HOFFA: HOFFA LOVE IT WHEN MATT DO THAT. MATT SO FUNNY.
CJThug4Life: What's ur 'scuse Raf? I left the pre-draft meeting wit' u. U shoulda been back an hour ago.
HOFFA: HOFFA FORGET PASSWORD AGAIN.
R_Brewer: Dude, your password is "password." We went over this last time. It's the easiest thing possible.
HOFFA: HOFFA REMEMBER, BUT THEN HOFFA KEEP FORGETTING WHAT LETTER HE ON. SCREEN ONLY SHOW DOTS, NOT LETTERS.
Man-Sap: At least he made it in this time. Remember last time when he kept trying to put in his pin number?
FightingIlliniDee: Dag'gum. My momma usedta whip us wit' da belts when we's fool enough to give out dat sort of sensitivity finances material sho nuff.
R_Brewer: Ok guys, we're all here and Hoffa remembered this time so we need to get down to business. We all know the draft is coming up this week and the big guys upstairs are probably going to draft another shooting guard. This is getting silly. First I had to suffer through the indignity of some 6'1" career point guard play ahead of me, then I got no time even when he was missing time in New York, now they're going to bury me on the end of the bench even farther behind some geeky white guy. How do you guys think I should go about getting more minutes?
Man-Sap: That's really why we're here? So you can whine about not being a big enough part of the team. Dude, Sloan even claims to like me and I play just fine when I'm out there and he has still never run a play for me. He even has plays for Jamie Watson in his playbook still.
R_Brewer: Shhhhh! Don't say his name! He might appear.
Man-Sap: I've told you a million times, he's not Beetlejuice!
HOFFA: HOFFA LOVE MICHAEL KEATON!!!11!
FightingIlliniDee: Quitcha bellyachin.' He'll get you all some time if'n when youse good to the system. Maybe work on your shootin' and when you're as good as me he'll put you in the game eh?
CJThug4Life: Dat right there is some all good advice from my man Dee. If you hit more shots then coach'll will play you more.
FightingIlliniDee: Sloan Rocks!
Man-Sap: Yeah, just look at AK. He increased his shooting percentage from last year and he got more playing time AND shots this year. Oh wait....dear god he's never going to run plays for me at this rate.
R_Brewer: Whoa. Wait a second. I have to hit more shots to get more playing time?! I shot 53% this season and 56% when I started. How many more do I have to hit? All of them? What did you guys shoot this season? I know CJ started almost as many games as I did and Dee got way more minutes down the strech.
CJThug4Life: But you don't got range boy! I can make it rain from outside.
FightingIlliniDee: I was Big 10 player of the year in college sho nuff. Even when I miss, I miss right. Coach takes a gander at me and says "Is you is or is you aint a big time shooter" and I look at 'em and says "I is."
R_Brewer: Bruce Weber really taught you how to talk man. But this shooting thing can't possibly be the answer. I mean, I know I can't shoot the three but at least I'm not just jacking them up there to miss everything like Fisher or AK. If anything I'm practicing good shot selection. I mean CJ got almost as many starts as I did and he shot 34% from the field and 22% from 3 and Dee shot 33% from the field and 21% from three.
FightingIlliniDee: That's only if you count the first 3 months of the season. Everyone knows all dem shots I missed back then don't count a lick. Not statistically significant or some such nonsense. Since then my shot's been smoother than butter on my mammy's home-made grits.
Man-Sap: You guys got to shoot! I practically had to grab offensive rebounds out of my teammates hands if I wanted to shoot!
HOFFA: HOFFA TRY GRABBING REBOUND FROM SOMEONE'S HAND ONCE IN HIGH SCHOOL. HOFFA TAKE HANDS INSTEAD OF BALL. HOFFA STILL NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER STATE OF MONTANA.
CJThug4Life: Maybe u should just try and dazzle him wit' ur athleticism like urs truly. I got drafted by doing a cross-over while wearing my platinum fronts and decked out in Fubu with some Air Jordan III's.
Kris Humphries enters YoungGunz chat room
[Kris Humphries] Welcome to YoungGunz Chat! IMPORTANT: Please respect each other and know that private messages (whispers) may not be private. Use this feature at your own risk.
Kris Humphries: Anyone want to look at my free pics? Go to my website at http://www.cammanwhores.com/FJ1283 !
HOFFA: HOFFA BE BACK LATER
Hoffa exits the room
Kris Humprhies kicked from room by moderator. Reason: Spam
FightingIlliniDee: His momma oughtta be ashamed of him, carryin' on in public like that. Especially after he done publicly got ridda that Amaechi fella last month.
R_Brewer: CJ you're 6'6" 210 pounds. I'm 6'7" 217 pounds. If anything I'm faster and more experienced than you. How in the hell am I supposed to convince coach I'm more athletic than you when we practically have the same body?
CJThug4Life: Day-um Son! Maybe talk to D-Rock! That guy just shows the big boss his bling on his finger and gets a job.
Man-Sap: I don't envy you guys at all. I may have it rough but at least there isn't a big log-jam at the 3 and the 4 on this team like you guys have. I only have AK, Boozer, and Harpring in front of me.
R_Brewer: Actually I think they want me to play 3 now.
Man-Sap: Maybe they'll draw up one new play and we can share it.
Deron Williams enters YoungGunz chat room
[Deron Williams] Welcome to YoungGunz Chat! IMPORTANT: Please respect each other and know that private messages (whispers) may not be private. Use this feature at your own risk.
CJThug4Life: Da Man hisself returns!
Deron Williams: Oh geez. How'd I end up in YoungGunz? I ain't been here for ages.
R_Brewer: Yo D! How'd you get the tractor man to give you a chance? I'm racking my brain here.
FightingIllinisDee: My down-home brother returns to visit lowliest ol' me. His ever-faithful Dee.
Deron Williams: Yeah, Dee. That's exactly what's going on here.
Deron Williams: I'm not sure what happened. I think I could have done pretty much all the same stuff the year before dude but suddenly Jerry started playing me. I think Larry's funny elbow took a liking to me or something.
R_Brewer: Bribing the owner eh? That's a thought. What should I bribe him with though? Is it Larry or Frank Layden that likes to drink gravy straight? I can never remember.
Man-Sap: I think that's Larry. Layden likes to eat butter by the stick.
Morris Almond enters YoungGunz chat room
[Morris Almond] Welcome to YoungGunz Chat! IMPORTANT: Please respect each other and know that private messages (whispers) may not be private. Use this feature at your own risk.
Deron Williams: Oh geez. This guy's been following me around all day. He's like a puppy that comes home with you no matter how many times you kick it. I'm out guys.
Deron Williams moves to SaltLakeSnatch room
Morris Almond: Hey guys! I just wanted to let you know that playing for the Jazz would be a dream come true! I really want to be just like Matt Harpring!
R_Brewer: Did you say the same thing, but about Brian Scalabrine in the Boston chat room last night?
Morris Almond: Well yeah, but I really meant it here.
Man-Sap: Wait, didn't you say that same thing about a dream come true about Phoenix last week too?
Morris Almond: But I meant a nightmare there and I meant a cool dream, like that one I always have about Jessica Alba, here.
FightingIllinisDee: I done had dat dere same dream, but wit Star Jones bout a fortnight ago. That's a woman wit a fine set of gams.
Morris Almond kicked from room by moderator. Reason: Suck-up
CJThug4Life: Why y'all give him the URL again? Now I gotta get my boyz to change where this chat is again. My entourage got limited time you know.
Man-Sap: Look Ronnie, I think the only thing I've learned about dealing with Sloan is that he is what he is and you just gotta deal with him. There really isn't much of anything you can do regardless of how good you are to get him to play you. Sometimes you get lucky and you're Jarron Collins, and sometimes you're well....you. Of course just cause you play doesn't mean he actually runs plays for you.
DeereTractorLuvr enters the room
[DeereTractorLuvr] Welcome to YoungGunz Chat! IMPORTANT: Please respect each other and know that private messages (whispers) may not be private. Use this feature at your own risk.
R_Brewer: I told you guys! That was the third time we say his name and then suddenly he just shows up!
DeereTractorLuvr: All you get in bed. It's past curfew. I don't care if its the offseason. Unless you're farming, eating, sleeping, or hustling you're not being productive.
Man_Sap exits the room
CJThug4Life exits the room
FightingIlliniDee exists the room
R_Brewer: Coach, as long as we're in here alone I thought maybe I would ask a question. I really want to contribute. What do I have to do to make myself a better player and earn more time?
DeereTractorLuvr: WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?
Sunday, June 24, 2007
The 2007 Draft: Who Will Keep Brewer Company?
I've always considered myself a draft geek. The NBA draft is my favorite sporting "event" of the year. The NCAA tournament is second on that list, mainly because I'm watching for prospects in preparation for the NBA draft. I take to the draft like Oprah takes to a box of Krispy Kreme's or like Rosie O'Donnell takes to a Mary Kay Saleswoman. I devour it, I eat it up.
This season, I've hardly given the draft a second thought. It probably has something to do with the fact that all the best prospects available for the Jazz at #25 will be wing players who, if drafted by the Jazz, will likely spend the 2007-2008 season sitting next to Ronnie Brewer and CJ Miles on the Jazz bench during games and after the games will be in the video room with AK watching the newly released Matt Harpring Instructional Video.
Without further Freddy Adu (Real frickin' Salt Lake just beat DC United, this is my way of paying tribute to a big win) let's get to this thing.
To prepare for the draft, NBA teams will make a draft board, essentially ranking the prospects from best to worst. Rather than a Mock, I will do the same by making my draft board, then will guess as to what the Jazz' draft board will look like.
My draft board:
1. Greg Oden
2. Kevin Durant
Tyson Gay just ran a 19.61 200m in the U.S. Track and Field meet I'm watching as I type this - the second fastest time ever. That was impressive.
3. Julian Wright
4. Nick Young
5. Al Thornton
6. Mike Conley
7. Corey Brewer
8. Al Horford
9. Yi Jianlian
10. Jeff Green
11. Brandan Wright
12. Morris Almond
13. Sean Williams
14. Acie Law
15. Rudy Fernandez
16. Joakim Noah
17. Spencer Hawes
18. Jared Dudley
19. Alando Tucker
20. Javaris Crittenton
21. Nick Fazekas
22. Thaddeus Young
23. Derrick Byars
24. Zabian Dowdell
25. Marco Belinelli
26. Rodney Stuckey
27. Jason Smith
28. Marcus Williams
29. Glen Davis
30. Gabe Pruitt
Those are the best 30 players in the draft.
The Jazz draft board will look something like this...
1. Aaron Gray
2. Spencer Hawes
3. Nick Fazekas
4. Kyle Visser
5. Josh McRoberts
6. Morris Almond (he gets a spot here on the Jazz board thanks to his apparent admiration for a certain former football player on the current Jazz roster)
7. Jason Smith
8. Tiago Splitter
9. Marc Gasol
10. Adam Haluska
11. Marco Belinelli
12 thru 30. "just a bunch of troublemakers who don't take the game seriously, have no idea how to practice, have no sense of basic basketball fundamentals, won't learn the plays, will dunk the basketball when they have an opportunity, etc. Or to sum it up - "talented athletes".
In conclusion, if he's available, expect Aaron Gray (in what the Jazz would consider a stroke of luck akin to Chris Mullin agreeing to trade Derek Fisher) to be the starting center for the Jazz next season (sorry, Memo but you just can't compete with that), with Ronnie Brewer holding down the fort (pun intended) on the Jazz bench for another season.
This season, I've hardly given the draft a second thought. It probably has something to do with the fact that all the best prospects available for the Jazz at #25 will be wing players who, if drafted by the Jazz, will likely spend the 2007-2008 season sitting next to Ronnie Brewer and CJ Miles on the Jazz bench during games and after the games will be in the video room with AK watching the newly released Matt Harpring Instructional Video.
Without further Freddy Adu (Real frickin' Salt Lake just beat DC United, this is my way of paying tribute to a big win) let's get to this thing.
To prepare for the draft, NBA teams will make a draft board, essentially ranking the prospects from best to worst. Rather than a Mock, I will do the same by making my draft board, then will guess as to what the Jazz' draft board will look like.
My draft board:
1. Greg Oden
2. Kevin Durant
Tyson Gay just ran a 19.61 200m in the U.S. Track and Field meet I'm watching as I type this - the second fastest time ever. That was impressive.
3. Julian Wright
4. Nick Young
5. Al Thornton
6. Mike Conley
7. Corey Brewer
8. Al Horford
9. Yi Jianlian
10. Jeff Green
11. Brandan Wright
12. Morris Almond
13. Sean Williams
14. Acie Law
15. Rudy Fernandez
16. Joakim Noah
17. Spencer Hawes
18. Jared Dudley
19. Alando Tucker
20. Javaris Crittenton
21. Nick Fazekas
22. Thaddeus Young
23. Derrick Byars
24. Zabian Dowdell
25. Marco Belinelli
26. Rodney Stuckey
27. Jason Smith
28. Marcus Williams
29. Glen Davis
30. Gabe Pruitt
Those are the best 30 players in the draft.
The Jazz draft board will look something like this...
1. Aaron Gray
2. Spencer Hawes
3. Nick Fazekas
4. Kyle Visser
5. Josh McRoberts
6. Morris Almond (he gets a spot here on the Jazz board thanks to his apparent admiration for a certain former football player on the current Jazz roster)
7. Jason Smith
8. Tiago Splitter
9. Marc Gasol
10. Adam Haluska
11. Marco Belinelli
12 thru 30. "just a bunch of troublemakers who don't take the game seriously, have no idea how to practice, have no sense of basic basketball fundamentals, won't learn the plays, will dunk the basketball when they have an opportunity, etc. Or to sum it up - "talented athletes".
In conclusion, if he's available, expect Aaron Gray (in what the Jazz would consider a stroke of luck akin to Chris Mullin agreeing to trade Derek Fisher) to be the starting center for the Jazz next season (sorry, Memo but you just can't compete with that), with Ronnie Brewer holding down the fort (pun intended) on the Jazz bench for another season.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
MR. OFFENSIVE?
I must admit the AK vs. The Jerry Larry Jazz tug of war has intrigued me on multiple levels:
It is the first time that one of Jerry's elite player's has questioned his on court strategy, at least in a forum outside of the enclave of the locker room or practice facility. AK is treading on sacred Indian burial grounds. Chief No Change For Nobody is not happy. In my experience the battle between entrenched management and a "questioning" employee usually gets resolved in favor of....well, not the employee.
Dovetailing off the first point is that I find it interesting that a question of strategy is not being repudiated with answers as to why said strategy is being employed but rather it is the "questioner's" character and on-court attributes that make up the bulk of the defendant's defense strategy.
I also have gotten quite the enjoyment out of watching "Jazzfanz" reactions. The reaction is now almost universal in the conclusion that all "complaints" are "invalid" and by extension must than be partitioned on the hard drive inside the brain as "whining". No surprise there. It is the easy way. Combine that with the built in belief by almost all fans that professional athletes by their economic conditions have crossed the fiscal "Maginot Line" in that they must now endure any and all transgressions, either real or imagined.
Finally, it is rare for an athlete to have obvious "prima facie" evidence on his side. In his All-Star year, Mr. Kirilenko averaged nearly 12 shots a game. This year he averaged 6 a contest. Now in most parts of the country except the deep south where only high school students would tackled such a complicated math problem and in Illinois where 5th grade math begins the introduction to subtraction, 1st or 2nd grade math points out the obvious. Regardless of the reason, his primary grievance is solid. Unless the official NBA scorer has a one or more amputated fingers and is tallying individual points throughout the course of the game using Chisenbop, one can find it hard to score points without shooting.
The Tsunami from Jerry Larry Jazz, the SLC Drive-By sports media, and the majority of fans for the explanation of 12 to 6 has been a variation of "didn't work on his game this past summer, can't shoot, doesn't work hard, has no offensive skills, etc. A recent smattering:
Sloan:
"He needs to work on his shooting and then his confidence will be there, and when he gets shots, and he can take the same shots he took whenever he was on the All-Star team, and they go in."
Sloan:
"He made three-point shots that year. He was a pretty good three-point shooter. There was no problem. But when you don't make shots, that becomes my fault."
Monson:
He shot the ball, at times, as though he were loading Maytags onto a delivery truck.
Monson:
Kirilenko, then, must rediscover his proper hunger, his shooting touch, build some strength, and add a couple of dependable signature offensive moves around the basket, otherwise the Jazz should unload him.
KOC:
We had a darn good year, and we want Andrei to come back stronger and shoot the ball a little better."
Let us jump in the DeLorean together, hit reverse and go back to the summer of 2006. Let us also suppose that AK dedicated his entire off season to shooting, working on his offense, and pausing and taking notes on his newly acquired Matt Harpring DVD instructional video. Note: I sense the DVD instructional video with a foreword by Jerry Larry Jazz will be a popular add on to the Matt Harpring Sucks basketball camp this summer.
As a result of such diligence AK arrives at camp with the jumper of Downtown Freddie Brown. Now suppose every game unfolded exactly has it had, one would expect according to the Anti-AK entourage an almost parabolic jump in production. I mean, his offense sucked this year.
Let's assume all circumstances, each play of each game were exactly the same and AK shot this year equal to his career highs in 2pt FG%, 3ptFG%, and FT%. What do you suppose, given this year's touches that his new found offensive skill set would produce for a result in PPG?
Remember, as a baseline, he averaged 8.3 ppg.
Guessing yet? 12ppg? 14pppg? More? 16ppg as in his All-Star year?
Remember he will shoot at career highs in all categories....
chirp....chirp.....
Envelope please.
Answer....
9.1ppg
9.1
9.frickin 1
"add a couple of dependable signature offensive moves around the basket." Actually Mr. Monson, this season was Mr. Kirilenko's second best 2ptFG% in his career at 52.8%. By the way readers, guess what his 2ptFG% was in All-Star year?
52.7%
Now for those of you not educated in government schools you are probably rightfully saying something to the effect to yourself "but if AK would have taken all those shots as he did in his All-Star season, it would have been a disaster."
Glad you asked. In fact, Jerry said much the same thing.
"He needs to work on his shooting and then his confidence will be there, and when he gets shots, and he can take the same shots he took whenever he was on the All-Star team, and they go in."
Come Sherman, to the Time Machine.
Mr. Offensive played 70 games this year and 78 his All-Star year. I will even be fair and adjust for this number. Now let us assume Mr. Offensive acquired the Zen-like mind of one Derek Fisher in that once a shot left your hand you have no memory of it, therefore you have no idea if you made it or not and it will have zero effect on your next attempt. Unlike AK this year who:
"He needs to work on his shooting and then his confidence will be there, and when he gets shots, and he can take the same shots he took whenever he was on the All-Star team, and they go in."
Assume our Russian friend declared a free-fire zone and launched away as in his All-Star season but yet still shot as he did this year:
Remember, his offense sucks this year. He didn't work on it in the off-season. He reads Russian novels instead of warming up. He plays Pac-Man all night.
If I apply his Michael Ruffin like offense this year to his "touches" his All-Star year, what does Sherman and Peabody get?
Remember he averaged 16.5ppg his All-Star year. His career best.
Remember:
"He needs to work on his shooting and then his confidence will be there, and when he gets shots, and he can take the same shots he took whenever he was on the All-Star team, and they go in."
Remember:
"He made three-point shots that year. He was a pretty good three-point shooter. There was no problem. But when you don't make shots, that becomes my fault."
Remember:
"He made three-point shots that year. He was a pretty good three-point shooter. There was no problem.
Remember:
Monson:
He shot the ball, at times, as though he were loading Maytags onto a delivery truck.
Monson:
Kirilenko, then, must rediscover his proper hunger, his shooting touch, build some strength, and add a couple of dependable signature offensive moves around the basket, otherwise the Jazz should unload him.
KOC:
We had a darn good year, and we want Andrei to come back stronger and shoot the ball a little better."
Remember, he dogged it, didn't play hard.
Remember the question?
What would his stats be with this year's poor offensive shooting if he were given the touches that he had in the All-Star year?
All-Star year: PPG 16.5
This year if given same touches: 15.1 PPG
This would be a good time to note that his PPG the two seasons prior to this were 15.6 and 15.3
Get the big picture yet?
In the words of Opie the Hick Oracle:
" Pa, it ain't chicken poop if you put it on Aunt Bea's apple pie and the pie still tastes like apple pie."
It is the first time that one of Jerry's elite player's has questioned his on court strategy, at least in a forum outside of the enclave of the locker room or practice facility. AK is treading on sacred Indian burial grounds. Chief No Change For Nobody is not happy. In my experience the battle between entrenched management and a "questioning" employee usually gets resolved in favor of....well, not the employee.
Dovetailing off the first point is that I find it interesting that a question of strategy is not being repudiated with answers as to why said strategy is being employed but rather it is the "questioner's" character and on-court attributes that make up the bulk of the defendant's defense strategy.
I also have gotten quite the enjoyment out of watching "Jazzfanz" reactions. The reaction is now almost universal in the conclusion that all "complaints" are "invalid" and by extension must than be partitioned on the hard drive inside the brain as "whining". No surprise there. It is the easy way. Combine that with the built in belief by almost all fans that professional athletes by their economic conditions have crossed the fiscal "Maginot Line" in that they must now endure any and all transgressions, either real or imagined.
Finally, it is rare for an athlete to have obvious "prima facie" evidence on his side. In his All-Star year, Mr. Kirilenko averaged nearly 12 shots a game. This year he averaged 6 a contest. Now in most parts of the country except the deep south where only high school students would tackled such a complicated math problem and in Illinois where 5th grade math begins the introduction to subtraction, 1st or 2nd grade math points out the obvious. Regardless of the reason, his primary grievance is solid. Unless the official NBA scorer has a one or more amputated fingers and is tallying individual points throughout the course of the game using Chisenbop, one can find it hard to score points without shooting.
The Tsunami from Jerry Larry Jazz, the SLC Drive-By sports media, and the majority of fans for the explanation of 12 to 6 has been a variation of "didn't work on his game this past summer, can't shoot, doesn't work hard, has no offensive skills, etc. A recent smattering:
Sloan:
"He needs to work on his shooting and then his confidence will be there, and when he gets shots, and he can take the same shots he took whenever he was on the All-Star team, and they go in."
Sloan:
"He made three-point shots that year. He was a pretty good three-point shooter. There was no problem. But when you don't make shots, that becomes my fault."
Monson:
He shot the ball, at times, as though he were loading Maytags onto a delivery truck.
Monson:
Kirilenko, then, must rediscover his proper hunger, his shooting touch, build some strength, and add a couple of dependable signature offensive moves around the basket, otherwise the Jazz should unload him.
KOC:
We had a darn good year, and we want Andrei to come back stronger and shoot the ball a little better."
Let us jump in the DeLorean together, hit reverse and go back to the summer of 2006. Let us also suppose that AK dedicated his entire off season to shooting, working on his offense, and pausing and taking notes on his newly acquired Matt Harpring DVD instructional video. Note: I sense the DVD instructional video with a foreword by Jerry Larry Jazz will be a popular add on to the Matt Harpring Sucks basketball camp this summer.
As a result of such diligence AK arrives at camp with the jumper of Downtown Freddie Brown. Now suppose every game unfolded exactly has it had, one would expect according to the Anti-AK entourage an almost parabolic jump in production. I mean, his offense sucked this year.
Let's assume all circumstances, each play of each game were exactly the same and AK shot this year equal to his career highs in 2pt FG%, 3ptFG%, and FT%. What do you suppose, given this year's touches that his new found offensive skill set would produce for a result in PPG?
Remember, as a baseline, he averaged 8.3 ppg.
Guessing yet? 12ppg? 14pppg? More? 16ppg as in his All-Star year?
Remember he will shoot at career highs in all categories....
chirp....chirp.....
Envelope please.
Answer....
9.1ppg
9.1
9.frickin 1
"add a couple of dependable signature offensive moves around the basket." Actually Mr. Monson, this season was Mr. Kirilenko's second best 2ptFG% in his career at 52.8%. By the way readers, guess what his 2ptFG% was in All-Star year?
52.7%
Now for those of you not educated in government schools you are probably rightfully saying something to the effect to yourself "but if AK would have taken all those shots as he did in his All-Star season, it would have been a disaster."
Glad you asked. In fact, Jerry said much the same thing.
"He needs to work on his shooting and then his confidence will be there, and when he gets shots, and he can take the same shots he took whenever he was on the All-Star team, and they go in."
Come Sherman, to the Time Machine.
Mr. Offensive played 70 games this year and 78 his All-Star year. I will even be fair and adjust for this number. Now let us assume Mr. Offensive acquired the Zen-like mind of one Derek Fisher in that once a shot left your hand you have no memory of it, therefore you have no idea if you made it or not and it will have zero effect on your next attempt. Unlike AK this year who:
"He needs to work on his shooting and then his confidence will be there, and when he gets shots, and he can take the same shots he took whenever he was on the All-Star team, and they go in."
Assume our Russian friend declared a free-fire zone and launched away as in his All-Star season but yet still shot as he did this year:
Remember, his offense sucks this year. He didn't work on it in the off-season. He reads Russian novels instead of warming up. He plays Pac-Man all night.
If I apply his Michael Ruffin like offense this year to his "touches" his All-Star year, what does Sherman and Peabody get?
Remember he averaged 16.5ppg his All-Star year. His career best.
Remember:
"He needs to work on his shooting and then his confidence will be there, and when he gets shots, and he can take the same shots he took whenever he was on the All-Star team, and they go in."
Remember:
"He made three-point shots that year. He was a pretty good three-point shooter. There was no problem. But when you don't make shots, that becomes my fault."
Remember:
"He made three-point shots that year. He was a pretty good three-point shooter. There was no problem.
Remember:
Monson:
He shot the ball, at times, as though he were loading Maytags onto a delivery truck.
Monson:
Kirilenko, then, must rediscover his proper hunger, his shooting touch, build some strength, and add a couple of dependable signature offensive moves around the basket, otherwise the Jazz should unload him.
KOC:
We had a darn good year, and we want Andrei to come back stronger and shoot the ball a little better."
Remember, he dogged it, didn't play hard.
Remember the question?
What would his stats be with this year's poor offensive shooting if he were given the touches that he had in the All-Star year?
All-Star year: PPG 16.5
This year if given same touches: 15.1 PPG
This would be a good time to note that his PPG the two seasons prior to this were 15.6 and 15.3
Get the big picture yet?
In the words of Opie the Hick Oracle:
" Pa, it ain't chicken poop if you put it on Aunt Bea's apple pie and the pie still tastes like apple pie."
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Any Given Day in Mayberry
[scene: interior of Taylor house. Aunt Bea, Opie, and Andy are eating breakfast together]
Andy: Law, mercy, Aunt Bea, I’m gonna have to buy me a new belt if you keep pampering me and Opie like this.
Aunt Bea: Oh, you hush. Flattery won't get you out of doing the dishes.
Opie: It sure is good, Aunt Bea. Hey, Pa, what are we gonna do today after you finish the dishes?
Andy: Well, Opie, I thought I’d give you a little education today, take you around town, show you what I do on an average day on the job in Mayberry.Opie: Gosh, Pa, really?
Aunt Bea: I’ll pack you two some chicken for lunch. You be careful with Opie out there, Andy.
[Aunt Bea turns away from table, wipes away tears. Cut to new scene, exterior Mayberry, Andy and Opie walking along street]
Andy: Ope, the trick to keeping Mayberry running smoothly is to just let things keep moving the way they always have. Sure, we might not be as fancy as the big city, but people here don't seem to mind.
[Andy and Opie reach street corner, where Leon is eating sandwich]
Leon: [offers sandwich]
Andy: No thanks, Leon.
Leon: [offers sandwich]
Andy: No thanks, Leon.
Opie: But Pa, you keep havin' to deal with the same problems over and over. I mean, you’ve arrested Ernest T. Bass for disturbing the peace at least three times. Couldn’t you make things easier by trying to stop stuff before it happens? Andy: Well, that’s one way, but until somebody complains, no need to fix what ain’t broke, son.
Opie: Well, Ben Weaver there complains all the time.
Weaver: [grumbles incoherently, stalks off-camera]
Andy: Oh, Ben just likes to put on a show. He's as happy as everyone else around here if you pay attention. Well, here we are at the courthouse. Let’s go in and see Barn.
[as Opie and Andy enter courthouse, camera pans down street, showing Ernest T. Bass in front of store window]
Ernest: YEEEEEEEEEEE! [throws brick at window, misses, brick bounces harmlessly away]
Ernest: YEEEEEEEEEEE! [throws brick at window, misses, brick bounces harmlessly away]
[scene change, switch to interior of Mayberry Courthouse. Barney is cleaning up while Otis sleeps in his cell. Enter Andy and Opie]
Andy: Hey, Barn, holdin’ the floor down?
Barney: Hey, Andy. Just performing the necessary duties of the deputy, keeping the equipment and/or working quarters of the law clean and efficient.
Barney: [scowling] Ha ha, very funny, Andy. It’s not like you give me anything useful to do, I’m just here to stand around and look good. I promise, Andy, if you’d let me go after some of those hardened criminals from Raleigh, I’d show you how the long arm of the law reaches out of Mayberry. [smiles smugly, pats gun. Gun goes off, shoots hole in floor]
Andy: Barrrrrrrrrrneeeeeeeeeeeeey!
Otis: Andy? Shomethin’ jusht happ’n? Thought I was hearin’ thingsh…
Opie: Pa, I got a question.
Andy: Yeah, son?
Andy: Oh, Barney doesn’t need to shoot. I just keep him around because he’s a nice guy and not bad to talk to. It doesn’t really matter if he’s not the best at his job.
Andy: Goober! Again?!
Barney: ALL right, boys, you might wonder why you’re all here dressed as deputies. Well, I’ll tell you why…[pauses]…um, Andy? Why are they all here again?
Gomer: Andy, it ain't that, it's just...aw, shucks, I'll go along, as long as things change in the next few days.
Barney: Otis, just hold on a cotton-picking minute! Andy said you’re going to be a deputy, so you’re going to be a deputy!
Otis: But Barney, I promised the wife I’d be home on time for once. I know, I know, I'm not always around the house, but, but…for once I promised!
Andy: One minute, Ope. OK, when Inelda shows up, I’ll got out and talk to her while you guys wait…
Barney: Hey, Andy. Just performing the necessary duties of the deputy, keeping the equipment and/or working quarters of the law clean and efficient.
Andy: [winking at Opie] That’s just fancy talk for sweeping.
Barney: [scowling] Ha ha, very funny, Andy. It’s not like you give me anything useful to do, I’m just here to stand around and look good. I promise, Andy, if you’d let me go after some of those hardened criminals from Raleigh, I’d show you how the long arm of the law reaches out of Mayberry. [smiles smugly, pats gun. Gun goes off, shoots hole in floor]
Andy: Barrrrrrrrrrneeeeeeeeeeeeey!
Otis: Andy? Shomethin’ jusht happ’n? Thought I was hearin’ thingsh…
Andy: Otis, just go back to sleep. Barney shot another hole in the floor.
Opie: Pa, I got a question.
Andy: Yeah, son?
Opie: Gee, I don’t know, but it seems like a deputy should be pretty good at staying under control and shooting if you’re gonna give him such a big role. Why did you take Barney? I mean, I don’t know if he’d ever actually hit something iff’n he shot at it.
Andy: Oh, Barney doesn’t need to shoot. I just keep him around because he’s a nice guy and not bad to talk to. It doesn’t really matter if he’s not the best at his job.
Opie: Well, Pa, I reckon that’s so, but…
[Goober barges into courtroom, shuffles over to Andy]
Goober: Andy, Andy, oh, I done it bad this time. Oh, I’m in bad trouble. I mean, bad trouble, Andy.
Andy: Goober, get a hold of yourself. Now calm down and tell me—Goob, get it together—tell me what’s wrong.
Goober: Andy, I done it bad this time. Remember Inelda Wilson that moved to Mount Pilot a few years ago? She’s comin’ to visit tonight!
Andy: Whooooaaa-oh. I do declare, Opie, I believe Goober here is a bit sweet on Ms. Wilson.
Goober: Oh, gosh, Andy, I suppose that’s true. But that’s not the problem! Y’see, we’ve been in contact, writin’ each other other a few letters ‘n all. Nothin’ special, just talking about the latest Rock Hudson films and that, but I might have told her a while back that I was one of your deputies now.
Andy: Goober! Again?!
Goober: Oh, I did, I did. And now I don’t know what I’m gonna do. She’s goin’ t’see I’m nothing better than a mechanic at some little Mayberry dive.
Andy: Well, I’ll tell you what, Goob, I’ll help you one last time. You go grab Gomer from the gas station, and I’ll get Barney to come in and get Otis sobered up.
[fade out. Fade back in, still interior of courthouse. Andy and Opie are at the desk, while Barney stands in front of a lined-up Goober, Gomer, and Otis, all dressed in deputy uniforms]
Barney: ALL right, boys, you might wonder why you’re all here dressed as deputies. Well, I’ll tell you why…[pauses]…um, Andy? Why are they all here again?
Andy: You boys are going to be helping Goober with a problem. Y’see, he’s got himself in a mess and needs us to help him act like he’s a deputy for one night. I know it seems like overdoing it to have you all deputized, but I figured the more of y’all I got to play along the more likely she is to believe it. I hope you fellas don’t mind.
Gomer: Golly, Andy, I got a whole line of cars waiting to be repaired. Wally said if I don’t get it done in the next few days he’s goin’ to cut my paycheck!
Andy: Oh, c’mon, Gomer, just for a little bit.
Gomer: Well, Andy, could I talk to you for a minute in private? [Andy and Gomer walk to the side] Andy, I ain’t no deputy. Shoot, I barely know how to handle the gas station. I’m don't feel right just jumping into being deputized all of a sudden and pretending I'm someone I ain't.
Andy: Oh, all right, Gomer, I see what you’re saying, and I'll try and help you out sometime soon, but right now, we need to worry about Goober. And quite frankly, I'm a bit disappointed you only seem to care about yourself right now.
Gomer: Andy, it ain't that, it's just...aw, shucks, I'll go along, as long as things change in the next few days.
Andy: Oh, they will, they will. [the two return to the rest, who are currently arguing amongst themselves]
Barney: Otis, just hold on a cotton-picking minute! Andy said you’re going to be a deputy, so you’re going to be a deputy!
Otis: But Barney, I promised the wife I’d be home on time for once. I know, I know, I'm not always around the house, but, but…for once I promised!
Barney: Well, it’s certainly surprising you can remember after hitting that still last night! [the two square off, but Andy steps in]
Andy: You two beat everything, you know that! And Otis, I’m sorry you promised your wife, but you should have thought of that earlier. Sorry, but sometimes duty comes before family.
Otis: But…
Barney: YOU HEARD THE MAN. Get back in line.
Otis: [grumbles, underperforms]
Andy: All right, so here’s the plan…
Opie: Pa!
Andy: One minute, Ope. OK, when Inelda shows up, I’ll got out and talk to her while you guys wait…
Opie: Pa! I need to ask you something.
Andy: All right. Barney, you take over while I talk to Opie. [walks over to side with Opie] I do declare, son, I thought I raised you to have a bit of respect when your elders are talking.
Opie: I’m sorry, Pa, but this don't make a lick of sense. I don’t see why we’re all-fired consumed with fixing Goober’s problem when we’re only creating problems for other people. I mean, the sheriff’s job is to keep things moving smoothly for everybody and keep the town as pleasant and manageable as he can. But we’re takin’ Gomer and puttin’ him in a situation he doesn’t like and doin’ the same to Otis just so Goober can be happy! And I mean, it’s Goober! Nothing personal, Pa, but he’s not one of the town’s leading citizens! And I know nobody seems to mind what you do around here, but this just don’t seem right.
Andy: [smiling] Opie, you’re still young, so you probably don’t know about stuff like this. See, when I was just a youngster at Mayberry Union High, I was pretty much a nobody. Sure, courted a few girls, headed a club or two, but I had to work hard to get to where I am. So when people like Goober need me to help, guys that have no real skills except hard work, I do my best to help them out. It might take some maneuvering, and it might mean I don't do my job for a while just so I can help out one or two guys, but it's what I do. Understand? And I ain't goin' to change anything if nobody seems to mind.
Opie: I think I understand, Pa. [Andy pats him on the head, walks away] This whole town is stupid.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
