tlongII
11-25-2009, 10:39 AM
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/11/blazers_rookie_dante_cunningha.html
http://media.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/photo/cunningham3jpg-bdf824ce0006dfb9_medium.jpg
The rookie huddled in front of his stall with his back to the middle of the buzzing Trail Blazers' locker room.
He quietly buttoned his shirt, picked up his headphones and iPod and twirled around, bound for the exit, when a television reporter stopped him in his tracks.
"What, you need me?" Dante Cunningham said, stunned, after the Blazers registered their most complete victory and he had his best game of the season Monday night at the Rose Garden.
Hidden beneath the dominant play of LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden and the positive performance of the second unit was the sudden ascension of the Blazers' rookie from Villanova. After the Blazers' 122-98 win over the Chicago Bulls, coach Nate McMillan uttered a phrase about Cunningham that few envisioned him saying before the season:
"We're going to need him."
The second-round draft pick seemed more destined for mop-up duty than key rotation minutes this season, but injuries to Travis Outlaw and Nicolas Batum, and Cunningham's rapid development, have catapulted him into an unlikely backup role at power forward.
On Monday night, with the Blazers holding a 35-30 lead with 10:16 remaining in the second quarter, Cunningham subbed for Aldridge, marking the first time he has played in the first half of a game this season.
By the time the final horn sounded, Cunningham had played a career-high 14 minutes and finished with a modest but productive final line: four points, three rebounds, one block and one steal, and making 2 of 3 shots. He played solid defense, sometimes matching up with former lottery pick Joakim Noah, and drew praise from McMillan and teammates afterward.
It's early and no one is saying Cunningham is poised to emerge into something more than a role player. But 16 games into the season, McMillan has developed a trust with Cunningham and plans to continue to use the 6-foot-8 player in the rotation.
"He's a very confident guy who plays hard and he's not afraid to mix it up with anybody," McMillan said. "I think he's a young professional, and you don't see a lot of those guys. When I interviewed him before the draft, looking into his eyes, I liked the feeling I got. I talked about some of the things that we would be trying to do with him if we could get him, and he said he would love it."
The Blazers loved Cunningham's grit, strength, basketball IQ and maturity when they drafted him in the second round at No. 33 overall. He led the Blazers' summer league team in scoring and finished second in rebounding. He quickly earned respect when he arrived in Portland in September.
During pickup games at the Blazers' practice facility, McMillan noticed instantly that Cunningham was fearless and bull-headed. He regularly guarded Oden during scrimmages and never shied away, even after Oden delivered a welcome-to-the-NBA moment by hammering a powerful two-handed dunk over him.
"There are very few guys who will stick their heads in there with Greg as powerful as Greg is and with Greg's elbows flying around," McMillan said. "But (Cunningham) was leaning on him, pushing him. I learned then that's he's not going to back down."
Brandon Roy, who, like Cunningham, was a four-year college player, took a liking to Cunningham's maturity and confidence early in training camp. Roy saw a bit of himself in Cunningham and casually developed into a mentor.
Roy joked that he and best friend Outlaw needed to expand their "duo" into a "trio," so they took "Dante under our wing." But Outlaw's unexpected absence has led Roy and Cunningham to grow closer sooner. After Outlaw suffered a broken left foot and stopped traveling with the team, Cunningham approached Roy on the team plane and asked if he could sit in Outlaw's open seat next to Roy.
"I was like, 'Nah, that's Trav's seat, you can't sit there,'" Roy said, laughing, recalling the conversation. "Then I was, like, 'Never mind, go ahead, you got a seat. And now we just sit next to each other on the plane and we just talk."
Roy has shared knowledge about the nuances of the NBA and passed along tips for survival on the road. The two regularly eat dinner together in NBA cities and hang out during off nights on trips.
"He knows that I don't know anybody in these cities, so he's making sure I'm staying out of trouble and stuff like that and taking me along with him," Cunningham said. "Honestly, it's been tremendous."
More than anything, Roy has stressed the importance of patience and confidence. Cunningham did not play in 10 of the Blazers' first 13 games, a scenario that often causes players to check out mentally.
"I just told him to continue to work hard and even when you're not playing, you have to prepare as if you're gonna play, because when Coach does throw you in the fire, you don't want to be looking like you're not in shape," Roy said.
When Cunningham was initially relegated to the bench with little hope of playing he focused on Aldridge's game, analyzing the way he moved and worked within the Blazers' system. Cunningham said he possesses many of the same tendencies as Aldridge, so it was an easy way to learn what works and what doesn't and how teams scheme to stop that playing style.
"Staying physically ready has been one of my biggest things," Cunningham said. "That and being mentally prepared on the bench, not allowing myself to get consumed with negative ideas and things like that. I've tried to stay positive, focused and ready."
http://media.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/photo/cunningham3jpg-bdf824ce0006dfb9_medium.jpg
The rookie huddled in front of his stall with his back to the middle of the buzzing Trail Blazers' locker room.
He quietly buttoned his shirt, picked up his headphones and iPod and twirled around, bound for the exit, when a television reporter stopped him in his tracks.
"What, you need me?" Dante Cunningham said, stunned, after the Blazers registered their most complete victory and he had his best game of the season Monday night at the Rose Garden.
Hidden beneath the dominant play of LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden and the positive performance of the second unit was the sudden ascension of the Blazers' rookie from Villanova. After the Blazers' 122-98 win over the Chicago Bulls, coach Nate McMillan uttered a phrase about Cunningham that few envisioned him saying before the season:
"We're going to need him."
The second-round draft pick seemed more destined for mop-up duty than key rotation minutes this season, but injuries to Travis Outlaw and Nicolas Batum, and Cunningham's rapid development, have catapulted him into an unlikely backup role at power forward.
On Monday night, with the Blazers holding a 35-30 lead with 10:16 remaining in the second quarter, Cunningham subbed for Aldridge, marking the first time he has played in the first half of a game this season.
By the time the final horn sounded, Cunningham had played a career-high 14 minutes and finished with a modest but productive final line: four points, three rebounds, one block and one steal, and making 2 of 3 shots. He played solid defense, sometimes matching up with former lottery pick Joakim Noah, and drew praise from McMillan and teammates afterward.
It's early and no one is saying Cunningham is poised to emerge into something more than a role player. But 16 games into the season, McMillan has developed a trust with Cunningham and plans to continue to use the 6-foot-8 player in the rotation.
"He's a very confident guy who plays hard and he's not afraid to mix it up with anybody," McMillan said. "I think he's a young professional, and you don't see a lot of those guys. When I interviewed him before the draft, looking into his eyes, I liked the feeling I got. I talked about some of the things that we would be trying to do with him if we could get him, and he said he would love it."
The Blazers loved Cunningham's grit, strength, basketball IQ and maturity when they drafted him in the second round at No. 33 overall. He led the Blazers' summer league team in scoring and finished second in rebounding. He quickly earned respect when he arrived in Portland in September.
During pickup games at the Blazers' practice facility, McMillan noticed instantly that Cunningham was fearless and bull-headed. He regularly guarded Oden during scrimmages and never shied away, even after Oden delivered a welcome-to-the-NBA moment by hammering a powerful two-handed dunk over him.
"There are very few guys who will stick their heads in there with Greg as powerful as Greg is and with Greg's elbows flying around," McMillan said. "But (Cunningham) was leaning on him, pushing him. I learned then that's he's not going to back down."
Brandon Roy, who, like Cunningham, was a four-year college player, took a liking to Cunningham's maturity and confidence early in training camp. Roy saw a bit of himself in Cunningham and casually developed into a mentor.
Roy joked that he and best friend Outlaw needed to expand their "duo" into a "trio," so they took "Dante under our wing." But Outlaw's unexpected absence has led Roy and Cunningham to grow closer sooner. After Outlaw suffered a broken left foot and stopped traveling with the team, Cunningham approached Roy on the team plane and asked if he could sit in Outlaw's open seat next to Roy.
"I was like, 'Nah, that's Trav's seat, you can't sit there,'" Roy said, laughing, recalling the conversation. "Then I was, like, 'Never mind, go ahead, you got a seat. And now we just sit next to each other on the plane and we just talk."
Roy has shared knowledge about the nuances of the NBA and passed along tips for survival on the road. The two regularly eat dinner together in NBA cities and hang out during off nights on trips.
"He knows that I don't know anybody in these cities, so he's making sure I'm staying out of trouble and stuff like that and taking me along with him," Cunningham said. "Honestly, it's been tremendous."
More than anything, Roy has stressed the importance of patience and confidence. Cunningham did not play in 10 of the Blazers' first 13 games, a scenario that often causes players to check out mentally.
"I just told him to continue to work hard and even when you're not playing, you have to prepare as if you're gonna play, because when Coach does throw you in the fire, you don't want to be looking like you're not in shape," Roy said.
When Cunningham was initially relegated to the bench with little hope of playing he focused on Aldridge's game, analyzing the way he moved and worked within the Blazers' system. Cunningham said he possesses many of the same tendencies as Aldridge, so it was an easy way to learn what works and what doesn't and how teams scheme to stop that playing style.
"Staying physically ready has been one of my biggest things," Cunningham said. "That and being mentally prepared on the bench, not allowing myself to get consumed with negative ideas and things like that. I've tried to stay positive, focused and ready."