Skilled Hoopers Matter

At some point in every basketball player’s childhood they fall in love with the game to the point that it becomes an obsession. That obsession leads to constantly working to get better at playing the game and eventually a career. Some guys have an athletic style of play that can make them an attraction at the AAU and college level that is highly praised. Many of those same guys fail to even make an NBA roster while a guy that averaged low numbers in college may get drafted in the 1st round because of their skill set. Example...Cat Barber from NC State averaged 23.5 points per game last season and he’s in the D-League while Kris Dunn who averaged 16 points per game and was drafted 5th and plays for the Timberwolves. Not everyone’s game translate on the next level which is why college level stat stuffers aren’t always the most sought after. Too many young guys are focused on everything but the basic skills. Some of these guys can’t run a simple pick & roll or remember a legit post move good enough to do it twice. Don’t even get me started on free throw shooting. I get pissed every single time someone fouls Deandre Jordan.

Kawhi Leonard is a player that has excelled through his skill on both ends of the court. 2 way players are valuable because they can be effective even when they’re not scoring. Aside from being a lockdown defender Kawhi has become one of the better scorers in the league. There’s many guys that are great at one thing and there’s guys like Kawhi that can do a bit of everything at a high level. Those players can survive longer in the NBA. Compare Kawhi Leonard’s career to Jimmer Fredette who was drafted ahead of him in 2011….casual fans don’t even know who the hell that is. Moral of the story: The game has changed. Last week I just saw 6’9 Brandon Ingram in his 1st game play point guard effectively to beat the Rockets. A one trick pony can go from a college star to a D-League hopeful. All the highlight dunks are cool, but if your athleticism diminishes after a injury can you still be a threat on the court like D Wade? Just remember we used to compare T-Mac to Kobe.