Beaver Basketball Working Hard

While working out today at Dixon Rec Center on the Oregon State campus I noticed the men’s basketball team running games against each other and I couldn’t help but cut my workout short and watch. My first thought, “where’s Roberto Nelson?” After accepting that Nelson wasn’t there, I started to really keep my eye on a couple new recruits that the Beavers will have this year, 6′9 forward, Eric Moreland and 6′11 center, Chris Brown.

When I first saw Brown I realized this kid has all the potential in the world. Not only does he have the height but he has the weight as well. He was doing damage too. Although he still has to work on his footwork, his jump hook is pretty solid, especially for a guy who has only been playing organized basketball for four years. Look for Brown to really have an impact this season. My overall comparison would be Matthew Bryan-Amaning only with more upside.

Another player that caught my eye today was senior Calvin Haynes. Now, as obvious as it may be to even mention Haynes, I got to tell you, he looks quicker right now then he ever has. He’s still slim, but it appears as if Haynes has added some speed to his already quick and elusive game. Many experts expect Haynes to have a huge season and lead the Beavers, but I believe Haynes can do more than that, I think Haynes could lead the Pac-10. Depending on how much Cunningham, Nelson or Wallace step up, Haynes will easily be the leader of this team. His passion (which was demonstrated today when he started yelling at Brown over a foul call) can’t be matched. He holds every attribute needed to lead this team, now all we can do is wait and see.

One person though that could have a lot to say about Haynes’ big season is sophomore guard Jared Cunningham. The 6′3 guard out of Oakland, California was a highly recruited player and is mentored by fellow Beaver and Oakland native, Gary Payton. This kid has the most athleticism OSU has seen since Brent Barry. The one thing Cunningham needs to improve on to take his game to the next level is his jump shot. He can get to the rim at anytime with his ball handling ability and lengthy frame, but a jump shot is a must, especially for a point guard. Today, I saw Cunningham working on just that. Now, I can’t lie, he probably shot 1-4 while I was watching, but I’m not going to let one day determine if he’s truly improved it. If he has, we could see a sophomore take over the team and maybe even the conference.

The next and second most impressive player today was Joe Burton. If you were to judge a player by how they look, Burton would probably look like the kid that’s good for 5 fouls, 3 rebounds, and 4 points. However, that is not the case, Burton is one of the most underrated athletes on this team. He dominated the glass, and had some impressive dunks, but the biggest thing about his game today had nothing to do with his game at all. It was his weight. He’s easily dropped 15 pounds, and his game will benefit from it big time. Burton has already made an impact during the ‘09 season, but now that he’s slimmed down, I expect a big year for the big guy.

I know there’s plenty of other players, like Lathen Wallace, Omari Johnson and Angus Brandt, but these are the players that really stood out to me. One thing though, was how impressed I was with the overall team’s dedication to prepping for the season. This season could be big for the Beavers, in a wide open Pac-10. They have size, speed, length, leadership, and now we know they are committed to getting better. With so much attention on the football team and it’s expectations, the basketball team is flying right under the radar, but if they continue to work hard as a team, they could surprise us, and hopefully the Pac-10.

Kevin Durant; The Future of USA Basketball

In 2008 we saw arguably one of the greatest teams in Olympic men’s basketball history. Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Chris Bosh were among the all-star studded team that lead USA back to it’s worldwide dominance and earned the nickname, “The Re-deem Team.” Fast forward to 2010, two years before the 2012 games in London and almost time for the 2010 FIBA World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey. After the latest cuts from the Las Vegas training camp one thing is evident, those same all-stars from ‘08 aren’t there for 2012. So who will lead this inexperienced USA team?

Kevin Durant.

Even though Durant is one of the youngest players of the 15 remaining, his game displays the age of a marquee superstar in his prime. Standing at 6′ 9 and weighing in at about 210 pounds, he poses a huge problem for international defenders. He may not be the biggest guy on the court, but his skill set will by far be unmatched by anybody else both on the team and on the competition. What we saw this year was only a flash of what we might see in the olympic games.

Heading into the FIBA World Championships and his fourth NBA season the “Durantula” is only going to improve every aspect of his game, which will only cause more headaches for international coaches. He’s a dream player to have and a nightmare to guard. He can play the two or cause concern for a four on the offensive end. Oh, and representing his country is something he’s working hard for and is very excited about.

Durant is thought about as one of the best scoring threats the NBA has to offer, but one thing people or critics don’t see about his game that shines is his commitment to team.  Sure his stats looked good, and his team reached the playoffs, but if you truly watched the 1st round series against the champion Lakers you would have realized how much he put teamwork first and himself second.

If you don’t believe me than think about this. Do you really think Ron Artest could have stopped Durant if Durant would have chosen to score 40 points a game? No way. Instead Durant noticed the matchup problem Fisher was having with Westbrook and he gave Westbrook the ball several times to exploit it. A move you seldom see from a superstar. Thats why this man is different. There is no such thing as being a superstar. It’s about winning. It’s about teamwork. Sure Kobe is a winner, but maybe not the best teammate, but this guy is what you would call the total package.

I’m not writing this article to say Kobe isn’t the total package, just Durant exhibits every aspect of what you’d want to see in a superstar. Which is why Durant will lead this team in every faucet of the Olympic games. With the Dream team they had Michael, Larry and Magic, so how could only one of them lead the entire team? With the Re-Deem team you had Kobe and Wade, but with this tea,? Just Durant.

Now I know there are names like Rose, Curry, Granger, Gay and Lopez, but this team will only go as far as Durant takes them. He’s probably the fourth best player in the NBA, but you’d never know it, because of how low key he is and where he plays at. The most you’ll ever hear from him is if you follow him on his twitter and even there he talks more about music than he does his game. But maybe that’s exactly what this team needs, instead of the outgoing flashy-ness of past Olympic stars.

By the time the 2012 Olympics arrive Durant will only be 23 going on 24 and still won’t be in his prime, yet we may see something we’ve never seen. One player truly dominate the entire Olympics. An it won’t stop there either. Pending his teams involvement in championships (believe me he will win at least one) he could be going for three gold medals, a feat not conquered by any USA men’s basketball player.

Yeah, Durant is the kind of player who strolls to the rhythms of his own drum. We’ve seen names like Kobe, LeBron, Wade, O’Neal, and Bosh have the most public free agent summers ever and yet Durant quietly signs a five year extension to stay put in Oklahoma City. He’s the kind of superstar the NBA doesn’t get very often, much like Tim Duncan was when he came into the league. He’s the John Legend amongst the Chris Browns, Trey Songz and Ushers. Quiet, humbled and extremely gifted. Sure the superstar’s are gone, and the newly assembled team has nowhere near the talent as past teams, but this team has a different sound. An if Durant is the one leading the way than that’s a sound I could listen to all day.

Attention Portland: Go get Chris Paul!

Just when one of the most memorable NBA free agent summers is wrapping up, another big name player is trying to stir up more movement. Arguably the best point guard in the league is now wanting to play elsewhere since his team, New Orleans, isn’t making any progressive moves. The kicker? Portland was on his wish list of four teams he’d like to go to.

Very rarely does a player of Paul’s magnitude ask to be traded, more specifically to Portland as a destination. So what does Portland do? Make it happen. Do whatever it takes. Give up on talent, potential, future stars (draft picks), shoot give up Blaze (the Blazers mascot) if thats what New Orleans wants. Never in Portland’s short history have they been in this kind of position. They don’t want to start by not pulling it off. If Portland get’s Paul they’d have Roy alongside him, and Lamarcus as their third option. How would that not attract other key role players from wanting to come and play in the Rose Garden?

The eye's of a true winner and leader

So who does Portland give up for CP3? That answer is easy. I’d honestly say any player but Roy. Yes, I’d even give up Aldridge. Having a point guard of Paul’s caliber and a two guard of Roy’s smoothness would make Pendergraph or Cunningham look good at the four spot. In reality though I believe Portland is saying Aldridge and Roy are off limits, so I’d give the Hornets; Oden, Bayless, Fernandez and a future 2nd round draft pick. Would that do it? Maybe. New Orleans would give us Paul and Okafor (because they want his 50 million dollars off the books) and they’d get a center to take Okafor’s spot in Oden, Bayless to backup Collison and Fernandez for a shooter.

The biggest question isn’t who we give up because frankly I think every true Blazer fan would give up anybody but Roy for this trade to become a reality, but if Cho and company will go for it. Paul has two ties to Portland already. He’s good friends with Larry Miller, the Blazers team President, and of course, Nike. These two things may not be the deciding factor for Portland, but having somebody he knows very well and his number one endorser near him doesn’t hurt.

Paul listed the New York Knicks as his number one destination and even joked at Carmelo Anthony’s wedding about playing with Anthony and Stoudemire in New York. This isn’t a huge deal to me though, because in this situation Paul doesn’t have the final say on where he plays. He still has two years remaining on his current contract, so Paul even being traded could quickly be deflated by the Hornets. However, I don’t think they’ll keep him. Two reasons why are because 1. No franchise wants a player who doesn’t want to play for them and 2. The fan base will be all over Paul for his recent request.

One fan base that wants Paul badly though, is Portland. We haven’t had a marquee point guard play here, ever. Terry Porter and Damon Stoudamire are the closest we’ve come and Paul has already surpassed them in just four seasons. The Blazers have heard how they are one piece away from being a contender the past two seasons. Paul is that piece. In fact, he’s the solution to Portland’s problem. In a summer full of surprises, twists and turns, who knew it could end possibly with a bang like this? Now the only way the Blazers feel the effects of the bang is if they pull the trigger.

Wesley Matthews Introduced

Free agent pick up Wesley Matthews was introduced today in North Portland as the newest Trailblazer. Matthews was an undrafted acquisition of the Utah Jazz last season. Coming out of the University of Marquette as a senior he was the leader and first scoring option on his team. Going into the draft many draft websites had Matthews either in the early to mid second round. Instead, he wasn’t drafted and was forced to work for a roster spot on Utah.

Going into the season Matthews wasn’t expected to play much. Then Andrei Kirilienko suffered multiple injuries and missed 24 games, which left head coach Jerry Sloan no choice but to give Matthews a shot. The decision showed to be a wise one, as Matthews came in and made an immediate impact on defense and averaged 9.4 points per game. In the playoffs though is where he made his name for free agency. He averaged 13.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game in the 1st round series against Denver. After defeating Denver, Matthews stepped his play up against the one seeded L.A. Lakers, by averaging 12.3 points,  5.5 rebounds and 2.25 steals per game.

Thus far Matthews is the only player Portland has picked up during this summer’s most talked about free agent period. He has been the target of ridicule by Portland media who don’t understand why the Blazers want an undrafted second year player so badly, especially with so many other players being available, such as; Al Jefferson (via trade, which Utah actually got and signed him for only 8 million dollars more), Al Harrington (an 11 year vet who averaged 17 and 5 for New York last season), Shannon Brown, and Matt Barnes to name a few.

Multiple NBA experts believe that Portland is a couple pieces away from being a legitimate title contender it’s baffling to try and answer why Portland signed Matthews to a 34 million dollar deal, when so many other players are available and possibly being at a cheaper price. However, after watching the video its clear why Portland execs liked him so much. He brings a chip on his shoulder, toughness, defense, and the occasional offensive output. Sure he isn’t going to be a star, but maybe that’s his specialty. Flying under the radar. He proved all the critics wrong in Utah. I’m sure all the skeptical Blazers fans only hope he does it to them as well.

Blazers get their guy in Rich Cho

Amid protests and questioning of the recent firing of former Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard, team President Larry Miller and owner Paul Allen were determined to find someone that could push this team over the 1st round hump. During the search for the “right guy” three big names had been rumored to be the next GM, such as Danny Ferry, Kiki Vandeweghe, and Randy Pfund. Yet it didn’t seem right for KP to be out. Especially after reading his goodbye letter to all the Blazer fans. If you didn’t read it then you should check your fan hood, because it’s one of the most heart felt letters from a man run out of his job for no particular reason. The letter also brought to light something none of us knew.

Who takes over next?

With all the big names Portland had brought in for interviews it didn’t seem like any of them were a good fit here. We needed a name nobody knew. Somebody whose expectations wouldn’t be insurmountable. A name that wouldn’t be more well known then the city itself. In steps Rich Cho.

Now I realize a lot of you may have said “Rich who?” when he was first announced, but to a lot of NBA people it was a great hire. I will admit that I hated the KP firing just as much as the next fan. However, my sadness for KP was quickly replaced with excitement for Cho. Sure he doesn’t have the pizazz like KP did, but believe me when I say he is coming from an incredible environment in Oklahoma City.

For those who don’t know, Cho was the assistant GM in OKC for the Thunder, working under Sam Presti. If Presti doesn’t sound familiar than I’ll just sum him up and tell you that he was involved in the Spurs winning 4 titles. Cho started as an intern for the Seattle Supersonics after finishing law school at Pepperdine and quitting Boeing. Cho is known more as an analytical type of GM, most likely a skill set he developed through law school and Boeing. Numbers and statistics are his thing, and they have suited him well in OKC helping Presti make great roster decisions and bring the Thunder to serious playoff contenders.

Still not sold? Well Presti sure is, saying “He’s got a lot of versatility to his skill set. He’s going to put in an incredible amount of work and he’s going to think things through and be very analytical about how he approaches decisions.”

Another great aspect of this Cho hiring is the relationship he already has established with head coach Nate McMillan, while the two were in Seattle. In my opinion this is huge. Very rarely do you see an established relationship with coach and GM before the hiring. This should help the team during free agency (an aspect of the GM role KP wasn’t particularly the best at).

Now that Cho is in, it will be interesting to see how he handles Joel Pryzbilla, Andre Miller, Jerryd Bayless, and Rudy Fernandez. All of these players are very expendable or very valuable depending on how you see it. All we can hope for is that Cho makes the right decision with each of them. If his press conference today was any inclination, than I feel confident enough that he will.

“Character, teamwork and accountability will be three of our core values.” Cho said

Sure KP was great, and yeah he turned us around to a playoff franchise once again, but I want us to get farther than the 1st round. The old slogan was “In KP we trust” because he earned our trust in 2 years. We have now hired a proven winner. A man that has helped turn around a lousy franchise and now wants to do it here by setting higher standards than early playoff exits.

If “In KP we trust” was the old, than “In Cho we know” should be the new.