ShoogarBear
06-05-2007, 03:29 PM
:lmao
And other good stuff from DraftExpress via TrueHoop. Link (http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-25-18/-html-xmlns--http---www-w3-org-1999-xhtml--xmlns-givony--urn-x-prefix-givony--almost--almost--are--are--combine--combine--draft--draft--givony----givony----id--title--numbers--numbers--pointless--pointless----.html)
On DraftExpress, Jonathan Givony makes the point (http://draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=2096) that a player doing really well (Greg Oden) or really poorly (Kevin Durant) in the various measurements taken a few days ago in Orlando is no reason to conclude much of anything. After all, it's a contest to find the best basketball player, not the best jumper, lifter, or reacher. History, he writes, is littered with examples of front offices reading too much into these test results. These are just some that Givony provides:
Who was the top athlete in the 2003 draft? Thinking logically about that draft, you'd probably assume it was a toss up between Dwyane Wade and Lebron James. But in fact, it was 6-2 shooting guard Troy Bell, who did not make it past his rookie contract before being cut by the man who reached badly to draft him in Jerry West. Bell was affectionately nicknamed "Troy Airbell" by ACB Spanish league fans he horrified with the air-balls he jacked up playing for Real Madrid, and struggled this past season to run a D-League team. Bell measured a 41 inch vertical leap (which would rank 1st in this year's combine), ran a 3.06 in the ¾ court sprint (also 1st), and bench pressed the 185 pound bar 17 times (fourth amongst guards). If Bell were eligible this year, he most likely again would be deemed the top athlete in this year's draft too.
Who was (supposedly) the 2nd best athlete in that draft? Brandon Hunter, an eventual late 2nd round pick who was relegated to the 2nd division in Italy this year playing for Livorno. Dwyane Wade, possibly the best overall athlete in the NBA today, ranked 14th. Chris Bosh finished 51st. Chris Kaman 45th. In that same year, TJ Ford measured in as being slower in the various footspeed tests than Chris Kaman, Kirk Penney and Carmelo Anthony. Huh? Anyone that has ever seen him play would tell you that he is one of the fastest players in the NBA, if not the fastest.
In 2004, we found a similar story. Kirk Snyder came out as the top overall athlete, while players like Andre Iguodala, Luol Deng and Al Jefferson's draft stock supposedly took a hit by measuring out as relatively poor athletes. That same Andre Iguodala who was robbed of the slam dunk championship a few months ago, only recorded a 34 inch vertical leap, one inch more than J.J. Redick last year. Rickey Paulding, Timmy Bowers and Luis Flores were all declared amongst the top 10 athletes in the draft. One averaged 13 points per game this past season in France, one came off the bench in the Israeli league, and the other finished just a notch ahead of Brandon Hunter's team in Italy and was also relegated to the 2nd division.
The 2005 draft combine was equally pointless. Monta Ellis ranked as the worst athlete of all the players measured, coming out slow, weak and with very little leaping ability. Once the NBA season started and the ball actually rolled out on the court, though, he magically transformed into a spectacular athlete who can get his shot at will and dunks anything and everything that is remotely close to the basket, despite only being 6-3. Eventual rookie of the year Chris Paul was declared only the 15th best athlete amongst the players tested, and was somehow deemed slower than Deron Williams, Sean May and Wayne Simien.
And other good stuff from DraftExpress via TrueHoop. Link (http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-25-18/-html-xmlns--http---www-w3-org-1999-xhtml--xmlns-givony--urn-x-prefix-givony--almost--almost--are--are--combine--combine--draft--draft--givony----givony----id--title--numbers--numbers--pointless--pointless----.html)
On DraftExpress, Jonathan Givony makes the point (http://draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=2096) that a player doing really well (Greg Oden) or really poorly (Kevin Durant) in the various measurements taken a few days ago in Orlando is no reason to conclude much of anything. After all, it's a contest to find the best basketball player, not the best jumper, lifter, or reacher. History, he writes, is littered with examples of front offices reading too much into these test results. These are just some that Givony provides:
Who was the top athlete in the 2003 draft? Thinking logically about that draft, you'd probably assume it was a toss up between Dwyane Wade and Lebron James. But in fact, it was 6-2 shooting guard Troy Bell, who did not make it past his rookie contract before being cut by the man who reached badly to draft him in Jerry West. Bell was affectionately nicknamed "Troy Airbell" by ACB Spanish league fans he horrified with the air-balls he jacked up playing for Real Madrid, and struggled this past season to run a D-League team. Bell measured a 41 inch vertical leap (which would rank 1st in this year's combine), ran a 3.06 in the ¾ court sprint (also 1st), and bench pressed the 185 pound bar 17 times (fourth amongst guards). If Bell were eligible this year, he most likely again would be deemed the top athlete in this year's draft too.
Who was (supposedly) the 2nd best athlete in that draft? Brandon Hunter, an eventual late 2nd round pick who was relegated to the 2nd division in Italy this year playing for Livorno. Dwyane Wade, possibly the best overall athlete in the NBA today, ranked 14th. Chris Bosh finished 51st. Chris Kaman 45th. In that same year, TJ Ford measured in as being slower in the various footspeed tests than Chris Kaman, Kirk Penney and Carmelo Anthony. Huh? Anyone that has ever seen him play would tell you that he is one of the fastest players in the NBA, if not the fastest.
In 2004, we found a similar story. Kirk Snyder came out as the top overall athlete, while players like Andre Iguodala, Luol Deng and Al Jefferson's draft stock supposedly took a hit by measuring out as relatively poor athletes. That same Andre Iguodala who was robbed of the slam dunk championship a few months ago, only recorded a 34 inch vertical leap, one inch more than J.J. Redick last year. Rickey Paulding, Timmy Bowers and Luis Flores were all declared amongst the top 10 athletes in the draft. One averaged 13 points per game this past season in France, one came off the bench in the Israeli league, and the other finished just a notch ahead of Brandon Hunter's team in Italy and was also relegated to the 2nd division.
The 2005 draft combine was equally pointless. Monta Ellis ranked as the worst athlete of all the players measured, coming out slow, weak and with very little leaping ability. Once the NBA season started and the ball actually rolled out on the court, though, he magically transformed into a spectacular athlete who can get his shot at will and dunks anything and everything that is remotely close to the basket, despite only being 6-3. Eventual rookie of the year Chris Paul was declared only the 15th best athlete amongst the players tested, and was somehow deemed slower than Deron Williams, Sean May and Wayne Simien.