Lots of love and other comments about Adrien signing with Houston | The Boneyard

Lots of love and other comments about Adrien signing with Houston

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I though this was a great description of his game

D-League Showcase Profiles: Call-Up Candidates (Part Two)
January 18, 2011
Jonathan Givony

Jeff Adrien made the Golden State Warriors opening day roster and even lasted for 15 games, seeing a good amount of playing time and rebounding prolifically, but was eventually released when the team decided to sign guard Acie Law.

Adrien has since been taking his frustrations out on every team in the D-League, establishing himself as arguably the most productive player in the league since being traded to Rio Grande Valley. He ranks as the best rebounder in the league and one of the top-10 scorers, doing so extremely efficiently and in turn leading the league in PER.

Adrien has expanded his game quite a bit since college, noticeably improving his basketball IQ and becoming a much more polished player. It's clear that the lone year he spent playing in Spain helped a great deal, as he seeing the floor better and forcing the issue less than he did in the past. He's become a much better passer and ball-handler, has improved his free throw shooting, and looks significantly more aggressive offensively than he was at UConn.

Mostly a post player in the past, Adrien is doing a very good job facing the basket, utilizing his strong first step from the high post to make his way to the basket and score around the rim. While not overly consistent with his jumper, he looks to be working on this part of his game quite a bit, something that could reap benefits down the road. Very athletic and aggressive around the basket, Adrien doesn't waste the scoring opportunities he's presented with in the paint, usually finishing in emphatic fashion.

The bread and butter of Adrien's game, and his main virtue as an NBA prospect remains his rebounding ability. Although undersized at 6-5 ¼ without shoes, he possesses a mammoth 7-2 wingspan which helps him out tremendously, especially when you consider his He-Man like frame. He's constantly lurking trying to make things happen on the offensive glass, and plays with an excellent intensity level that is surely winning him fans at the NBA level.

Defensively, Adrien lacks height but doesn't save any effort, bringing the same hard-nosed mentality he does on the glass when being posted up inside. Somewhat limited trying to stay in front of aggressive ball-handling power forwards on the perimeter, Adrien must improve his lateral quickness and feel for the game on this end of the floor if he wants to stick on an NBA roster.

Adrien did not look out of place in the 15 games he played with the Warriors in the NBA to start this season, something that definitely bodes well for him looking forward. He saw some solid rotation minutes in competitive situations and emerged as one of the best rebounders in the league in the admittedly small sample size. With the way undersized, high-energy power forwards are performing these days in the NBA, teams won't be as hesitant to give him a call-up as they might have been in the past.

Considering the way he's producing, it's likely only a matter of time until Adrien is signed by someone. If given an opportunity to play, there's a pretty good chance he will stick around based on what we've seen and heard.
 
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Like the Givony article, good to hear he's improving his game and becoming a better passer and handler instead of the guy who would almost certainly take a shot when he got the ball, even if he had to force it. Hope he gets a chance to stick around, maybe can find a place like Dejuan Blair.
 
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Adrien has to be one of the hardest working guys to ever play at UConn, and that's saying a lot. As a 6'6 power forward with limited athleticism, it speaks to his work ethic and drive that he has gotten a two year contract with the Rockets. I watched him play a couple games with the Warriors last season, and Givony is not wrong in saying he belonged on the court. I don't care how big he is. The guy is an NBA player, period. Match him up with a guy like Chris Bosh or Pau Gasol, and anything he lacks in size will be made up for in strength, toughness, and grit.

I think given a chance, he could be a solid rotation guy who sticks around for a while.
 
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If Jeffrey Adrien was here right now, next to my laptop, I'd offer to rub his feet. And then, a-la Samuel Jackson in Pulp Fiction, I'd give him a foot massage in a totally non-sexual way. And the whole time, I'd be saying, something to the effect of - "You know Jeff - May I call you Jeff? Your soul is the human incarnation of the Husky spirit, as created by Jim Calhoun. I love you."

Seriously, I would.
 
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Jeff is a friend of mine and I couldn't be happier for the guy. He is incredibly deserving of the opportunity.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
 

Mr. Wonderful

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A lot of the players Calhoun has had 3+ years with have gone on to will themselves into the NBA. A good way to judge a coach is to see the type of men he develops. Ray Allen, Kemba Walker, Kevin Ollie, Donnie Marshall, Donyell Marshall, Caron Butler, Emeka Okafor...an amazing list of men. I can see why recruits are swayed by Calhoun's Wall.
 
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So happy to see him in the league, one of my absolute all time favorites.
 
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man id love to see him on the knicks. he`d be a perfect fit coming off the bench behind amare`
 
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