March 18, 2008
Arthur has been one of the most inconsistent draft prospects we’ve followed over the past few months, often following up one good performance with two bad ones, and then getting back on track the next game as if nothing happened. As we’ve expressed in the past when evaluating him, very few of our concerns with Arthur revolve around his physical tools or skill-set…for him, it’s all about the mental aspect of the game and whether the light bulb is on on any particular day.
In this particular game, Arthur showed up, and in a big way, to the tune of 16 points and 9 rebounds. That was huge for KU’s chances of defeating Texas in the Big 12 tournament final, particularly with Darnell Jackson rendered ineffective with foul trouble.
Arthur showed why many think so highly of him in terms of his pure talent, displaying fabulous footwork coming up with a couple of outstanding pivot moves in the post, phenomenal touch knocking down turnaround jumpers, and superb athleticism running the floor and finishing explosively inside the paint. He played a big role in picking apart Texas’ zone defense, slipping right into the sweet spot around the free throw line and either knocking down a 15-foot jumper, making a pretty post-entry pass, or moving the ball around the perimeter sharply to keep KU’s offense flowing smoothly.
Defensively, Arthur seemed to be trying to avoid the ticky-tack foul problems that have plagued him all season and played a huge role in his struggles staying on the court for Kansas. He did show very quick feet hedging screens on the perimeter, though, which is very nice to have from your power forward in today’s pick and roll infatuated NBA. Despite the 9 rebounds he pulled down, we again saw why he struggles so badly in this area, as he still suffers those mental lapses forgetting to box out his opponents. Last time we checked up on him, he ranked 79th in rebounding per 40 minutes pace adjusted. He’s now moved up to 58th, which is better, but still fairly disappointing for a player with his combination of terrific length, athleticism and hands. He’s also improved his passing and assist to turnover ratio, which is good to see.
More than most players in this draft, who already typically have a decent body of work to fall back on from the regular season, Darrell Arthur could use a strong NCAA tournament showing to quell some of the many concerns about him. If he can’t show better effort, focus and all-around consistency in what will be the most important games of his basketball career thus far, he will give decision marks some serious room for pause when it comes time to evaluate his draft stock.
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