Kemba Envy

[Giddyup5]

Criticize the play, but assuming motives is completely foolish.

Similar to people overreacting by quotes in the press without a true understanding of the context of the question/situation.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

Misses one shot? Oh, you mean the shot that meant the difference between winning in regulation and sending it to OT? Did you hear me bitch about the unforced TO at the 48 second mark? No, because I didn't. I was making a personal observation of how the situation looked to me. We only needed one point to win the game, and we had already fouled Kilicli out. The fact that the game was knotted up changed the situation a bit, and gave him an opportunity to be the hero with little consequence. Judging from all his quotes in the media this year, I think that being a hero is important to Shabazz. I just hope that the opportunity comes within the offense next time, and not in spite of it.

He was made a captain by JC, the team (including him) has struggled with showing and accepting leadership, especially with JC out so much. This team needs someone to step up at crunch time and make plays. Bazz was trying and succeeding in doing that. To suggest that that is selfish is only one way to interpret what he did, and not the way I saw it. He can fail to execute how we, or JC, would want him to, is one thing, but there was no doubt that the ball was in his hands at that time because JC wanted it there. He had to make a decision and he made it. He's not very tall and if he takes it inside and gets blocked, then we have no shot of it going in. This has happened many times for both Bazz and Boat when they go inside without having the defense softened up by moving it the ball around. There was no time for that. (In a touch of irony, Shabazz had been getting hammered for not shooting the ball, looking to pass too much.)

He got us back in the game by deciding he needed to score....and he did. He also tried to make something happen and stole the ball twice and scored. He was on a roll and so I can live with some mistakes along the way. I wonder if the incredible anger directed at Shabazz comes from his not being Kemba Walker. Maybe if you substitute "leader" for "hero," his play tonight might look better to you (or not). He was trying to be a leader and was the key reason that we did win. Shabazz will give and he will take away at times, but his play recently is the reason we have some hope. JC has to give him the keys because he is the leader and the one who can make the plays when we have to have them. I really hope that he tightens up his game and stops making the dumb risks (while of course making the dumb risks that work), but however that balance plays out, he really is our MVP.

 

[Huskies4ever]

Criticize the play, but assuming motives is completely foolish.

Similar to people overreacting by quotes in the press without a true understanding of the context of the question/situation.

Good post. And there are 3 very good ones in this thread. How do we know what Bazz is thinking? The kid stepped up, took the game over, showed true heart and leadership, and willed us to the W, and people are still criticizing?! He showed that he clearly isn't afraid to step up and be the guy and he looked great cheering his mates on from the bench. How do we know what any one player is thinking? People are saying he's trying to be Kemba and is all about himself? Wants to be the hero? Unbelievable. I see a kid who was put in the unenviable task of trying to fill Kemba's leadership void by being made co-captain. That 's a tough task, and he's only a soph. He's come a long way and will only get better. I may be wrong but that is another way of looking at it. Anyway, great win let's hope they keep rollin'.

 

[selles]

Misses one shot? Oh, you mean the shot that meant the difference between winning in regulation and sending it to OT? Did you hear me bitch about the unforced TO at the 48 second mark? No, because I didn't. I was making a personal observation of how the situation looked to me. We only needed one point to win the game, and we had already fouled Kilicli out. The fact that the game was knotted up changed the situation a bit, and gave him an opportunity to be the hero with little consequence. Judging from all his quotes in the media this year, I think that being a hero is important to Shabazz. I just hope that the opportunity comes within the offense next time, and not in spite of it.

There just wasn't that much time when he got the ball. I think Doris and JC had the same thought, which was "drive the ball". But I agree with nyhuskyfan on this one - maybe it wasn't optimal, but at least he didn't give WV a chance to win.

Bottom line is - and I've been down on Napier a lot this year - he was the reason we came back and therefore he was the reason we won. So to criticize his play after this game? Weak.

If he goes 2-20 tomorrow and we get clobbered, go ahead. But now? No.

 

[Rico444]

Misses one shot? Oh, you mean the shot that meant the difference between winning in regulation and sending it to OT?

Did you watch the Syracuse game last week? The one where we only needed two points to tie? Remember when Roscoe got the ball in the paint, and was subsequently mauled from behind -- and there was no whistle? Think maybe that was going through Shabazz's head?

If the first thought from yesterday's game is "Shabazz is selfish and obsessed with being the hero" and not "Shabazz had a hell of a game and lead us back from down double digits with 5 minutes left" then I really just don't know what to say anymore. You seem like the type who criticized Kemba last year for a low shooting percentage right after the Pitt win.

 

[HuskyHawk]

People like you are intolerable.

The possesion was awful, Calhoun knew it was, the announcers knew it was and anyone with an IQ over 50 knew it was.

Just because the poster made a critical but correct post you tell him to go away. You are a tool.

It was a lousy decision. He had a nice second half. Glad to see him playing better.

I don't know whether he has Kemba envy, but I will say this, he has played like it all year. He has a team with much better weapons than Kemba did. A team that needed a composed pg that was looking to distribute first. He failed so miserably at that he wound up on the bench. He had some great offensive games along the way, but this team was never going to gel and be what it could be (and still hasn't) with a pg looking to score.

For what it's worth, Boat seems to have come down with the same thing to some extent. So now Bazz has a second chance. When I see him embrace making the assist over making the basket, he will have figured it out.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

It was a lousy decision. He had a nice second half. Glad to see him playing better.

I don't know whether he has Kemba envy, but I will say this, he has played like it all year. He has a team with much better weapons than Kemba did. A team that needed a composed pg that was looking to distribute first. He failed so miserably at that he wound up on the bench. He had some great offensive games along the way, but this team was never going to gel and be what it could be (and still hasn't) with a pg looking to score.

For what it's worth, Boat seems to have come down with the same thing to some extent. So now Bazz has a second chance. When I see him embrace making the assist over making the basket, he will have figured it out.

If you haven't seen that in his play, then you haven't been watching. He's had to be encouraged to shoot the ball, looking to pass even when he should take the shot. It's going to take some time, just like it did for Kemba, "to figure it out." He is hopefully going to keep getting better at reducing the mistakes and less that perfect choices, but he also is the one who can stop the bleeding when the opponent makes a run. I'm sure that he learned a lot from Kemba and who would not aspire to playing like Kemba? That is not the same as being "selfish," although if you put that on Bazz, I guess that Kemba was selfish as well. Finding the balance between setting up teammates and scoring the ball might be kind of difficult for a freshman or a sophomore at the Big East level.

 

[Scoe]

umm guys we won on to the Orange

 

[HuskyHawk]

If you haven't seen that in his play, then you haven't been watching. He's had to be encouraged to shoot the ball, looking to pass even when he should take the shot. It's going to take some time, just like it did for Kemba, "to figure it out." He is hopefully going to keep getting better at reducing the mistakes and less that perfect choices, but he also is the one who can stop the bleeding when the opponent makes a run. I'm sure that he learned a lot from Kemba and who would not aspire to playing like Kemba? That is not the same as being "selfish," although if you put that on Bazz, I guess that Kemba was selfish as well. Finding the balance between setting up teammates and scoring the ball might be kind of difficult for a freshman or a sophomore at the Big East level.

The only time I saw him hesitate to shoot was during that stretch where he missed every shot he took. Early in the year he came out looking to score, and often did (he took 13 3's by himself against FSU and 10 against Tenn). I think he has talent and is hopefully growing into the position. But I'd say he regressed this year. He was better at the end of last year. Even yesterday, he took several bad shots, the worst was a guarded off-balance jump-shot, with 20 seconds on the shot clock.

If he has a great game today, it will show in the points for Drummond, AO and Smith. When Bazz is on, those guys should be doing a lot of the scoring. Unfortunately, Boatright seems more inclined to try to get the ball to them (except for alley-oops, which Napier loves).

 

[Excalibur]

This is the second time in this thread that you've tried to make that point. No, that's not true. My original post referred to Shabazz's motives. I think he's hung up on being the end-of-game hero. Yes, maybe he earned that right by having a great game (though he did cough the ball up on the previous possession) In my eyes, being the one to take that shot... to not even attempt to create for anyone else, was a selfish moment. It looked like he wanted the glory that Kemba got last year.

Is this a serious post? Taking a jumpshot = hero complex. Driving to the basket = no hero complex. OK. I stand by my assessment of your post.

 

[Excalibur]

People like you are intolerable.

The possesion was awful, Calhoun knew it was, the announcers knew it was and anyone with an IQ over 50 knew it was.

Just because the poster made a critical but correct post you tell him to go away. You are a tool.

The response had nothing to do with criticism of the play. It had everything to do with the bullshit speculation on motives. Stop lying.