OkaForPrez
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- Joined
- Aug 28, 2011
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Ryan Boatright is not Kemba Walker. He doesn’t play the game in a seemingly constant state of Joy. But man, the moments we smiled with him were great.
Ryan Boatright is not Shabazz Napier. He doesn’t give you the sense that he is in constant control of the game or his emotions. But man, he took control of some emotional games this year.
This was Boat’s team and they reflected him. They were mercurial, too stubborn to know when they were beat, tough as nails and frequently their own worst enemy. They mixed invincibility with self pity, awe inspiring with aw shucks. At their best we talked about more magic, turned corners and matchups with big blue nation. At their worst we questioned the future of the program, Ollie’s methods and the talent pipeline.
Now over, we can call the season a disappointment but not a failure. In a way it was doomed from the start. Boat’s patient wait for the reigns was rewarded with a special freshman who never quite figured out how good he was, a sports car still figuring out how to shift at speed and a game changing center with a maddeningly fatal flaw and no safety net. They were never going to be ready the way we needed them to be, the way Boat needed them. And so it was Ryan’s last great sacrifice to the name on the front of the jersey to Sheppard a team less than what he deserved. He taught them never to give up. He showed them Chicago tough. He took the biggest shots, sometimes at the buzzer, sometimes to the face. He took the questions and the blame. He took it like a man, admitted he was his own man and the best one he could be.
As he took a moment on the bench today after the horn sounded to reconcile with the fact that it wasn’t enough, I wanted to be able to say to him: It was and is. This team will have its time and even though it will be without you, it will be because of you. Thank you ‘Show.
Ryan Boatright is not Shabazz Napier. He doesn’t give you the sense that he is in constant control of the game or his emotions. But man, he took control of some emotional games this year.
This was Boat’s team and they reflected him. They were mercurial, too stubborn to know when they were beat, tough as nails and frequently their own worst enemy. They mixed invincibility with self pity, awe inspiring with aw shucks. At their best we talked about more magic, turned corners and matchups with big blue nation. At their worst we questioned the future of the program, Ollie’s methods and the talent pipeline.
Now over, we can call the season a disappointment but not a failure. In a way it was doomed from the start. Boat’s patient wait for the reigns was rewarded with a special freshman who never quite figured out how good he was, a sports car still figuring out how to shift at speed and a game changing center with a maddeningly fatal flaw and no safety net. They were never going to be ready the way we needed them to be, the way Boat needed them. And so it was Ryan’s last great sacrifice to the name on the front of the jersey to Sheppard a team less than what he deserved. He taught them never to give up. He showed them Chicago tough. He took the biggest shots, sometimes at the buzzer, sometimes to the face. He took the questions and the blame. He took it like a man, admitted he was his own man and the best one he could be.
As he took a moment on the bench today after the horn sounded to reconcile with the fact that it wasn’t enough, I wanted to be able to say to him: It was and is. This team will have its time and even though it will be without you, it will be because of you. Thank you ‘Show.
