David Onuorah at Pro-Am

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

Everyone has taken the time to fully appreciate the first "Player X will be better/worse (circle one) based on performance at the summer Pro-am" thread of the summer, correct?

I think Jonah Mathews from USC is using the Summer League exactly how it should be used. The same thing with some Minnesota players. I was just happy to see David there with a great attitude. He is a very high character guy. He may be needed when/if Cobb gets tossed which may happened at least once this year!

 

[superjohn]

Everyone has taken the time to fully appreciate the first "Player X will be better/worse (circle one) based on performance at the summer Pro-am" thread of the summer, correct?

No but plenty of posters have been overrating/overstating the abilities of Vital and Diarra this offseason. We've all seen this done over and over. In the offseason state that player x is going ro be amazing and when he doesn't play up to your unreal expectations player x is a disappointment.

 

[Kauffmak10]

Someone at the 4-5 is gonna have to put up 10+ points, whose it gonna be?

My question for you is why? We didn't have a 4 or 5 average over 10+ ppg on either of our last 2 championship squads...

 

[PAHusky]

My question for you is why? We didn't have a 4 or 5 average over 10+ ppg on either of our last 2 championship squads...

This response isn't meant to be scathing towards you in particular Kauff, but I really can't stand the "we won two championships without a dominant front court, we can do it again" argument. First of all, Oriakhi averaged 9.6 a game in 1011 and was a McDonald's all american coming in to college, so it's not like we were just throwing a body out there. More importantly, those two years our team was helmed by two guards who are up there among the greatest college players of the last decade or so. It's completely unrealistic to keep expecting our otherworldly point guard play to make up for a devastating offensive hole at the 5 spot. I agree, it's not a bright line prerequisite that we need to have 10+ ppg out of our centers, but to just keep ignoring the fact that having a great center like UConn used to is a huge asset and that our last two championships were amazing but not very repeatable isn't helping.

 

[pj]

We're not looking for offense from Onuorah apart from putbacks, so who cares how good he is at that end? Sometimes too much offensive skill just makes a big man dissatisfied (see Enoch, Steve). We need defense, rebounding, and screens from Onuorah. If he can do those without fouling too often, he'll play. Adams, Gilbert, Larrier, and Vital should be taking the shots.

 

[Allbite]

Its important to note that this was a glorified pick up game. How hard could he have actually been playing. Its not really a good indicator of what he'll contribute this upcoming season

Exactly.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Last time I was extremely concerned about our front court we won the 2011 national championship. You have to see a team play as a unit before making assessments. I rarely get the team I expect.

I think people thought highly of Oriakhi going into that year.

He was inconsistent (some excellent games, some no-shows), and turned out to be whiny and soft the following year, but everyone would take him over what we've gotten at the center position for the last 5 years.

 

[Huskyforlife]

My question for you is why? We didn't have a 4 or 5 average over 10+ ppg on either of our last 2 championship squads...

Daniels.

 

[Chin Diesel]

No but plenty of posters have been overrating/overstating the abilities of Vital and Diarra this offseason. We've all seen this done over and over. In the offseason state that player x is going ro be amazing and when he doesn't play up to your unreal expectations player x is a disappointment.

Making random claims of playing improvement is boring. Any schmuck can do that. Casual fan stuff.

It takes a real fan to stake a claim to a player's development and contribution for the upcoming season off the Pro-Am. 6000 level courses.

 

[AntG168]

Daniels.

Larrier?

 

[tower1]

Its important to note that this was a glorified pick up game. How hard could he have actually been playing. Its not really a good indicator of what he'll contribute this upcoming season

Yes your right, can't use these games to gage a players ability.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

So he's not Kevin Durant? Ugh why bother

 

[JimHurley]

Not expecting too much out of him. Right now thinking Jalen, Alterique, Terry, Mamadou, and Cobb start with Onuorah competing with Carlton for backup center minutes.

 

[Huskybass]

Yes your right, can't use these games to gage a players ability.

What an ignorant statement from someone who probably has never been to a single pro am game. It is still basketball, even if it's in a more wide open style. You can tell the impact players from the average ones within about 10 minutes of watching. The talent level in the league is pretty high with lots of overseas pros and a few guys with NBA experience. It isn't the glorified pickup game you make it out to be. I have seen teams with Kemba and AJ Price get blown out. Go watch a couple if games. I bet you come away entertained and having a better feel for the players abilities.

 

[Hoophound]

I don't really see Oriahki as being better than Amida. He had hands of stone too and he wasn't a shot blocker. Amida would have had a more Hasheem like career in the right mix of players. That shot blocking presence is huge when in the right formula.

The 2011 team had a frontline of Roscoe, Tyler and Alex O. Roscoe couldn't shoot and learned to rebound during that season, Tyler wasn't good and Oriahki was uncoordinated and even though he came with expectations, he was just ok. So, that year we started a major disappointment 4-5* at the 3, a low D1 player at 4 and a highly overrated guy at 5. This year we'll start a jury is still out 5* junior at 3, a 4* redshirt Freshman at 4 and a Junior college transfer at 5. Not much difference to me.

None of this means anything, but at least give them a chance. We may be pleasantly surprised.

 

[mauconnfan]

I don't really see Oriahki as being better than Amida. He had hands of stone too and he wasn't a shot blocker. Amida would have had a more Hasheem like career in the right mix of players. That shot blocking presence is huge when in the right formula.

The 2011 team had a frontline of Roscoe, Tyler and Alex O. Roscoe couldn't shoot and learned to rebound during that season, Tyler wasn't good and Oriahki was uncoordinated and even though he came with expectations, he was just ok. So, that year we started a major disappointment 4-5* at the 3, a low D1 player at 4 and a highly overrated guy at 5. This year we'll start a jury is still out 5* junior at 3, a 4* redshirt Freshman at 4 and a Junior college transfer at 5. Not much difference to me.

None of this means anything, but at least give them a chance. We may be pleasantly surprised.

I'd agree with AO not being a lot better than Amida but he was clearly overall, mostly because of the physical presence and his ability to score on occasion in traffic. And Amida and Thabeet never in the same sentence, Thabeet by far a bigger impact. No matter who the mix was with AB he had no offensive presence and even if given the space better players could have given him the only offensive move he had was the alley oop. The kid left wide open if told he couldn't dunk would be confused whereas Thabeet certainly made himself a threat offensively outside of the dunk. And defensively Thabeet was twice the shot blocker as Amida, I mean as I've stated before guys got offensive rebounds in the lane and threw it back out rather than being embarrassed and guards never went to the rack against him, they pulled up.

Also I agree we need to give these guys a chance because as you say, the 2011 wasn't exactly gifted in any way but they all improved in areas to make it playable for Kemba and the gang to flourish. We could get the same if a couple guys step up and give key minutes. There's enough bodies to make it work but they will need some skill, some brains and some brawn.

 

[gtcam]

What an ignorant statement from someone who probably has never been to a single pro am game

JSMH

 

[Huskybass]

What an ignorant statement from someone who probably has never been to a single pro am game

JSMH

You shake your head all you want, buttercup. As usual, the truth is something you cant handle.

 

[DonaldDraper]

You shake your head all you want, buttercup. As usual, the truth is something you cant handle.

 

[mauconnfan]

You shake your head all you want, buttercup. As usual, the truth is something you cant handle.

"gtcam - you snotty little bastard. You can't handle the truth. Son you reply on a site that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men who know the truth like Huskybass. Who's going to do it, you. You LStudfellow?"

Sorry just had to, can't remember the rest in order but would be fun to put a video together on this topic!

 

[gtcam]

"gtcam - you snotty little bastard. You can't handle the truth. Son you reply on a site that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men who know the truth like Huskybass. Who's going to do it, you. You LStudfellow?"

Sorry just had to, can't remember the rest in order but would be fun to put a video together on this topic!

Thanks Mau
Best Regards, Buttercup

Pretty soon I won't know who is talking about what with that darn ignore option!!!

 

[Kmba2Rmemba]

No way to confirm that he's playing tonight, or is there?

 

[Excalibur]

"gtcam - you snotty little bastard. You can't handle the truth. Son you reply on a site that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men who know the truth like Huskybass. Who's going to do it, you. You LStudfellow?"

Sorry just had to, can't remember the rest in order but would be fun to put a video together on this topic!

You can't handle the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, YOU WANT ME IN THIS THREAD. YOU NEED ME IN THIS THREAD. We use words like "ignorant", "real fan", and "buttercup". We use these words as the backbone of a life spent arguing with strangers on the internet. You use them as a punchline . . .

 

[mauconnfan]

You can't handle the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, YOU WANT ME IN THIS THREAD. YOU NEED ME IN THIS THREAD. We use words like "ignorant", "real fan", and "buttercup". We use these words as the backbone of a life spent arguing with strangers on the internet. You use them as a punchline . . .

 

[80shusky]

Mrs. Dribbles scored like 84 pts a game at last years pro-am just by being the best Husky fan ever. So, you can't put too much stock in the pro-am. But you can't deny Mrs. Dribbles her 84 pts a game. And since tone is hard to convey in internet posts please understand I'm not at all intending to give her a hard time. Just the pro-am, which often sees average college players play like Shaq.