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The Most Important Player In Basketball | 11 comments (11 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

really? (#6)
by wdwilson on Tue Jan 31 2006 at 11:04 AM EST

Most important?! Why? Morrison fills it up nice at the college level but no way will he have that kind of impact at the next level. People said the same thing about Szczerbiak.

Morrison (#7)
by Trevor on Tue Jan 31 2006 at 12:02 PM EST

Sczerbiak was a very good player at Miami (Ohio) but he was nowhere near the player Adam Morrison has been this year for Gonzaga. Nobody ever talked about Wally being the first overall pick in the draft. Morrison is currently the first overall pick on www.nbadraft.net and has been for awhile. Plus, Morrison is a better all-around player now than Sczerbiak will ever be. Morrison has the same amount of range on his jumper except he also possesses the size, athleticism, and creativity to score in a variety of other ways.

A good comparison to Wally does reside in this class though. I can definitely see JJ Redick becoming another Wally Sczerbiak when hits the pro level. They are going to be drafted at around the same spot as Redick is currently rated #7 on www.nbadraft.net.

"No, cause it ain't sh*t. Ain't nothing but 10 grand. What's 10 grand to me? Ain't sh*t ... Next time I might shake my d*ck." --Randy Moss
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Re: (#8)
by wdwilson on Wed Feb 01 2006 at 4:30 PM EST

I agree that, unlike Morrision, Wally wasn't talked about as much before the season as he was at tourney time, nevertheless, I still think Morrision is getting the same hype. What I'd like to know is what makes him so important? He is an excellent prospect, yes, but the days of players coming to the rescue of the NCAA/NBA, ala Bird, are over. There nothing Morrision does that isn't already being done. And please, don't mention intangibles like intelligence on the court anymore. Theres no legitimate, or fair, way to measure sports intelligence. It ends up being subjective at best. And though his 40 point games, and all around skill set is impressive, theres no way he's going to have that kind of success at the next level. Trust me, he will get D'ed up in the pros.

That said, I actually think that Mcmichael (think thats his name) kid from Duke might be someone to watch. His game has a little flavor to it also.

Good Debate

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Morrison (#9)
by Trevor on Wed Feb 01 2006 at 4:59 PM EST

The thing that makes Morrison tough to defense now and will continue at the next level is the fact he is so good at shooting with a hand in his face. I attribute this to the fact that he shoots his jump shot with an over the top release like Larry Bird use to.

That being said, I'm not sure he is a carbon copy of Larry Bird as much as I think he might be a cross between Bird, Dirk Nowitzki, and Carmelo Anthony. If Morrison isn't a 23-24 point per game scorer with about 6-7 rebounds tossed in on the next level, I will be surprised.

"No, cause it ain't sh*t. Ain't nothing but 10 grand. What's 10 grand to me? Ain't sh*t ... Next time I might shake my d*ck." --Randy Moss
[ Parent ]

McRoberts is the guy from Duke (#10)
by Larry Kaplan on Wed Feb 01 2006 at 5:30 PM EST

McRoberts is a nice player, but so far hasn't demonstrated the ability to hit a 15 footer, any great post moves, or the ability to hit a foul shot. Thats a problem for any big man who is looking to be more than an afterthought.

Also, I agree with the wally comparison, lets slow down on the legendary adam morrison talk. One of your points was the three 40 point games- I know Redick has at least two, against tougher competition. Redick is always doubleteamed, and probably takes less shots than Morrison. Also, at least one of Morrison's 40 point games was in overtime.

I agree with the comparisons of Morrison and Redick in their draft order- i think they will be similary successfull. Solid, NBA careers- probably not legendary. Good article, though.

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: Morrison (#11)
by Trevor on Thu Feb 02 2006 at 8:38 AM EST

He's actually up to four 40 point games now. I'd point out that two of them came against Washington and Michigan State. Both of those teams are ranked in the top 15. Brandon Roy is also considered one of the best defenders in the country and he got ate up by Morrison in that game.
Morrison and Redick are different players. Redick is an incredible shooter. Because he's such a good shooter, players have to check him close. Where his growth as a player has come is that he can now take these guys who are checking him close off the dribble. Morrison is a much more skilled all-around player than Redick. Morrison has the ability to score more ways than Redick. Plus he is a matchup headache because he's 6'8".
If Morrison only has a solid NBA career, I'll be shocked. There's a reason why he is rated as the best overall player in this draft class.

"No, cause it ain't sh*t. Ain't nothing but 10 grand. What's 10 grand to me? Ain't sh*t ... Next time I might shake my d*ck." --Randy Moss
[ Parent ]

The Most Important Player In Basketball | 11 comments (11 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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