Talent evaluation over the years. ISH serving up the piping hot takes.

[Kblaze8855]

2002:



bballguru
High School Varsity
Posts: 54
(7/26/02 10:58 am)
Reply lebron
harold miner material.



Get off the wagon............he's not going to be a household name, because of image already. Can a superstar just not have tattoes anymore? America wants a jordan type image not a tattoed up freak with a wack nose.



loggin23

High School Varsity Star
Posts: 88
(7/26/02 11:20 am)
Reply Re: Will Lebron James be a bust...
lebron has been so hyped up that there is really nowhere for him to go but straight or down. expectations have already been set in, and they are very very high.



playground834
NBA Starter
Posts: 598
(7/26/02 11:27 am)
Reply
Re: Will Lebron James be a bust...
Take over the league with a shoot-first mentality on a crappy team. Realises he isn't going to win championships that way after awhile, so changes his game. Basically I see him on the same par as Jerry Stackhouse.



chingchongchinaman
NBA Superstar
Posts: 1416
(7/26/02 1:47 pm)
Reply hmm
My only gripe with LEBRON is that from the dunks i have seen etc. HE is not really that athletic. NOt sure if he can do well in the pros..hope he does though.



loggin23
High School Varsity Star
Posts: 96
(7/26/02 1:49 pm)
Reply Re: hmm
compared to lebron, carter and stackhouse had more hops in high school.


playground834
NBA Starter
Posts: 620
(7/26/02 1:55 pm)
Reply
Re: hmm
Hops doesn't measure basketball ability



I B STROKING
NBA Star
Posts: 1039
(7/26/02 2:30 pm)
Reply
Re: hmm
i read the artically in slam with him and Sebastian Telfair (the highschool junior point guard that they will be jocking in 2005 when he leaves to enter the NBA and also Stephan Marbury's cousin) on the cover and he talk about living up to the hype and how people expect as good as the newspaper clippings say that u are all the time. in a AAU tournment in NY he only score 2 points and it was in the sports section the next day. never mind that fact that his team won cause nobody really care, they were too busy yelling OVERRATED!!!



JohnnySic
NBA Superstar
Posts: 1872
(7/26/02 2:39 pm)
Reply
Re: hmm
Lets just wait until he's in the league folks...Lebron James a household name? Ask the average person if they've heard of him. Only die-hard hoop fans know his name. Michael Jordan is a household name.


monthh
NBA Legend
Posts: 2956
(7/26/02 2:40 pm)
Reply Re: hmm
He is not the most athletic, but he is a much better passer, rebounder, and shooter then those guys were. He has good size and pretty good athletic abilty even if it isn't top notch. He might not be a highlight reel, but neither are Paul Pierce or Tim Duncan.


Return of God of BBALL
NBA Legend
Posts: 3116
(7/26/02 2:40 pm)
Reply
Re: hmm
Funny kid has another year of HIGH SCHOOL

Forget him not even getting drafted and lacing them up in the NBA yet. He has 1 more year left. Funny how the media can pump you up to be a GOD and in the same story tear you down to be SH!T. The power they have is amazing because the only reason he is getting this much hype if because of them. Goes for alot players but its funny to see how much influence they have on how good an athelte is thru the public.

I never seen this kid play at all. Yet media pumped him up so much its like I can front and defend him saying he will be a superstar in the NBA.



MMKM
College Hoops Star
Posts: 336
(10/26/02 9:56 pm)
Reply Re: Will Lebron James be a bust...
I think he'll be a bust. All the guys that get hyped that early never live up to their expectations. Remember Schea Cotton?


DaHeezy
College Hoops 6th man
Posts: 186
(11/1/02 5:36 pm)
Reply He ain't a bust...
But ain't no super star either...
Why can't we all just wait and see.
Member Ronnie Feilds?


Da KO King
High School Varsity Star
Posts: 80
(2/19/03 2:43 pm)
Reply Re: hmm
He will be a superstar the same way Darius Miles is a superstar. He will dunk on someone and people will say that makes him good.



TheKingOfVa
Strong playground player
Posts: 40
(9/10/03 12:00 pm)
Reply Re: lebron
he will be iight not a 30pts 6 ast 6 reb guy like Kobe and T-mac now. He will be a bust as the number 1 probably but end up to be a decent 14 pts 3 ast 7 reb Lamar Odom type guy. This is just my guess.

[Kblaze8855]

2009:

Curry


He's the next Mo Williams. Will make a good complimentary shooter.




Curry is just not that good; you have to watch him, not just read his boxscore. He is a bigger AI-lite at best (ball hog rookies can't find good homes) with better three point shooting. (His brother Seth will be a better prospect in a few years).


^
Warriors fan


Another Warriors fan:



If we draft Curry i will crucify Walsh. I can already picture him pulling the "Reggie" card like he did last year with Danilo. He already passed up on Lopez, Gordon and DJ for a role player.

Curry is a volume shooter and won't get to put up 20 shots like he did in college. Will never be Mo because he's built like a little girl and doesn't have the quickness to get to the rim and finish.
I'd much rather have Flynn, Clark or Henderson. And i wouldn't get mad if we went with Derozan




Curry is like 6-1, 175. On the mid-major level he gets some steals, but isn't good on defense. He is quick, but he isn't strong and won't be able to get to the basket in the NBA. He is a shooter. He is a Dell Curry, Steve Kerr, Tim Legler type of player. He isn't going to be able to hit 3's like that every night in the NBA and will just play spot minutes and be instant offense off the bench. A rotation player, but not a 6th man that plays starter minutes or anything.


He's like AJ Guyton or Trajan Langdon, a one-dimensional shooter who's severly undersized to play the 2 in the NBA, he lacks size and athleticism, and useless on defense.

A mid to late 2nd rounder.



Curry might go round two. Then will end up maybe living out his rookie contract. Then he will hit the bars and talk about the good old days of the ncaa run tha led to him getting drafted.



I don't understand why people are so high on Stephen Curry... what position is going to play in the NBA?? Does anyone actually think he can run an NBA team at the point, or even guard ANYONE at either PG or SG??

My NBA comparison for him is Eddie House





I can't believe people think Curry'd get iso'd. He won't be able to get open without a screen in the NBA. I think he's got a role in the NBA, but I'm amazed he's rated so high in some mocks, he's a early 20s pick at best. I just don't think his game'll translate.

I do think Donnie Walsh saying he wants him is a smokescreen, certainly wouldn't be the first time.


Curry is a role player at best, there is no way he should be going Lottery outside of him having big games last season in the NCAA Tournament.

Lester Hudson is a much better player but wont even get drafted.

I swear 1/3 of GM's only watch ESPN to scout basketball players.



Bayless, Gordon and Mayo are all better than Curry.

Curry is just the flavor of the month.

Bayless, Gordon and Mayo will all be lotto picks.

Curry would be a late first rounder.

Comparing Stephen Curry to Reggie Miller is laughable.




he barely gets shots off against short college level guards. he's a poor man's jannero pargo. and he's a future second round pick.

After Stern announces the pick:



no no no no no no no no no no


why warriors why





horrible horrible pick for the warriors

this is exactly what i didnt want



GOBB
Curry will make many people eat crow. They'll end up arguing for Curry in threads acting like they werent nonbelievers prior.

Random I stumbled over:



LeBron James -


Quote:
Of all the players in the NCAA tournament, James singled out Davidson sophomore Stephen Curry as the one he's most eager to see play at the next level. "He's a very, very, very, very, very good basketball player," James said. "I don't know if he's coming out (in the draft) this year. When he does, he has a spot."

[Kblaze8855]

Bit on Harden



We all obviously know Blake Griffin is best player in this draft and he is a lock to go 1st overall, but who is the best player in this draft outside of Blake Griffin ? If you asked me this 2 weeks ago i wouldved said James Harden, but he seems to dissapoint everytime the pressure is on. Makes me think, can he handle the pressure of being a Top 3 pick or will he crack on the pressure.






Harden is looking more and more like another Cuttino Mobley.




James Harden I haven't seen much of, except that overtime win against UCLA, but all he did was draw a bunch of fouls. He reminds me somewhat of Paul Pierce, but I haven't really seen enough of him to judge.



James Harden: I know he had a horrible tournament, but this guy is very good fundamentally. The next mayo.



Whiiiiiiiite guys (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr-H4Y_Xa6c)



Once Morrison plays a season, you are all going to regret this silly comparisons.

Adam will be Adam Morrison.

Not all players are comparable. The best comparison I've seen for him is Glenn "BigDog" Robinson. Think BigDog but not so much into posting up. Has Larry Bird spot up ability, and face up ability. Huge drive too. He will succeed.

Nuff Ced.




there's no way morrison's gonna be a bust. He's way too determined, way too skilled, and way too willing to work on every aspect of his game, and that includes defense.

I'm baffled at why the percentage of people who see that Aldridge is gonna be abust is anything short of 100%. His softness is staring you right in the face.




Morrison will be Rookie of the Year. He'll be an allstar in no time. Unless his career is sabotaged by people who don't want white guys to be successful.


Jimmer....



I just watched him chuck contested 3 after 3 after 3 and miss like 90% of them. He's the reason they lost. He's horrible and just another puppet for BSPN to hype up.

If he tries that sh*t in the NBA, his ass will be benched within the first 5 minutes of his rookie debut for the entire season.

At least Redick played within a system and shot 3's from inside-out offense. But this guy literally takes the ball in the half-court, dribbles to the 3 point line, and chucks a 3.

I don't care about his teammates' offensive abilities/inabilities, he plays like a moron. And any idiot would know for sure that the coach didn't draw up those "plays."


Am I really this much smarter than you f*cks?

Seriously, you all tout Irving as a clear #1 pick prospect and yet someone who plays in a similar fashion is a second round grade?

Fredette will be a good point guard in this league. I see very little that separates him from Mark Price while a lot that reminds me of him. He has a nasty change of direction dribble, has an epic release and creates great elevation on his jumper.

These traits alone will allow him to be a starting point guard in this league. I find it laughable the amount of hype that goes to point guards like Irving and players like Wall when skillsets like Jimmer has is far more difficult to find.



I'd take him with a top 5 pick.

Guy can flat out score, no matter who's on him. He's not going to see the double and triple teams in the NBA.

Some NBA level defenders he's gone up against:
Dropped 25 on Tyler Honeycutt (long, athletic and 6'8"; excellent defender)
Dropped 43, 30, and 25 on Kawhi Leonard (probable lottery pick and known for his stellar defense)
Lit up Elias Harris (another NBA caliber athlete) for 34.

[Kblaze8855]

I found a post of mine apparently saying Marcus Camby > Kevin Durant in college and wanted to slip it in to see if anyone would notice....but it would have been too obvious.

[SouBeachTalents]

Blaze, you got any on Dirk/Wade or Darko/Oden. How far does that shit go back, '02?

[SpaceJam2]

Ha, well at least LeBron seemed right

[eliteballer]

Blaze, you got any on Dirk/Wade or Darko/Oden. How far does that shit go back, '02?

You don't even need ISH for that. Chad Ford said Darko would be better than LeBron..

[FKAri]

"Return of God of BBALL" is still right.

[SouBeachTalents]

You don't even need ISH for that. Chad Ford said Darko would be better than LeBron..

But what really excites them is his mature low-post play. "More than Nowitzki, Gasol or even Divac, Darko has a nasty streak in him that will help him succeed in the post," a league executive said. "A lot of the Europeans are really threes in the pros. He'll be a true low-post player. His coach is doing us a huge favor by forcing him to develop those skills now. He already has moves that remind me of (Hakeem) Olajuwon in the post. Once we get a hold of him, the sky's the limit."
:applause:

[tontoz]

I stopped trying to make predictions about draft prospects a long time ago. I dont watch much college ball any more and even if i did, i doubt i would be able to make good predictions consistently.

It is a different game in the NBA. Some guys show or develop skills nobody saw coming (Kawhi is a recent example). Other guys look good against college players but completely fall flat in the NBA (ex Derrick Williams, Thomas Robinson).

I am very confident that Zion will be a star but in general i avoid trying to predict what college players will do in the NBA.

[Kblaze8855]

No ISH in 98 for Dirk. closest you would get to that would be Hoopstv which several ISH people did post on....I had an account in maybe 2000 but I dont know if I really used it. I barely remember it. I might be able to find some ISH talk about Darko....

[tontoz]

Blaze, you got any on Dirk/Wade or Darko/Oden. How far does that shit go back, '02?


Wade was an undersized shooting guard who couldn't shoot. There were definitely some reservations about him.

[Vino24]

JohnnySic and DaHeezy are old as fvck :biggums:

[Brujesino]

Im surprised im not in those quotes about Curry.

I was mad the warriors chose him we already had way too many guards we needed a bigman.

Over the time I learned in the NBA you draft talent over need.

[Kblaze8855]

Closest we are gonna get:


May 22, 2003 #1
Can you believe that luck? Damn. Maybe the NBA Champions will come out of the East this year. Carmelo or Darko with Ben Wallace, Rip Hamilton, Chauncey Billup, and who gives fcuk else? Damn.




luck??? no, i don't think so. the only word to describe this is FIX!!!!!!




detroit's gotta take carmelo, he'll be their leading scorer his rookie season, will give them rebounding that they need, and give them a chance at a championship his first year in the league. he could be like worthy was with the lakers, good team ends up with a high ass pick, who ends up being the x-factor. or detroit could trade that pick, you could get almost anyone you want for carmelo.




They will take Darko. Thats what the guy that asked them said. He really impressed them in workouts.

^
*****that ones me****



Darko and Wallace is a crazy tandem in the post. Prince is a prospect at the 3 and Rip/Billups is close to the best backcourt in the East (in terms of scoring.)
Could be a shift in the balance of power...
And to think they got the pick for Otis Thorpe



Well, time for me to leave the Cavs fam.




playground834
Posts 6,104
Unread post May 22, 2003 #10
im glad i joined the cavs bandwagon before they got the number one pick

[Kblaze8855]

JohnnySic and DaHeezy are old as fvck :biggums:

Im trying to find a topic I used to be able to track down with Johnny and I arguing about Antione Walker being top 10 or not in 2002.

[E_Stamkos]

This one has me rolling

Quote:
I don't understand why people are so high on Stephen Curry... what position is going to play in the NBA?? Does anyone actually think he can run an NBA team at the point, or even guard ANYONE at either PG or SG??

My NBA comparison for him is Eddie House

[Kblaze8855]

Oden vs Durant


A more athletic Nowitzki may be a better comparison for Durant than Odom...anyhow, I agree overall that Oden is the better option.

^
Thinks KD is a more athletic Dirk but still thinks Oden is better?



A lot depends on what you guys want. Do you want a forward (Kevin Durant) that runs the floor well and reminds me a lot like Dirk "I disappear in Big Games" Nowitzki. Or do you want a center (Greg Oden) that will dominate the league for years. Since Shaq is close to the end of his career and Dwight Howard will be the only legit center in the league.




People here are mentioning Oden as a franchise player at the Center position... how many centers have come into the game in the past 10 years that have turned into a franchise player? You had Shaq then you jump to Yao. The Center position is not what it used to be and to believe that he could possibly be the Next Great thing is a reach... before you say Amare he plays that position but in the system they run he isnt that back to the basket player... To me Oden is a project basically he is a good rebounder and block shots and you have to teach him everything else. That to me isnt the number one pick. Someone mentioned he is good for 10 games in the W column... Thats a reach. What is he going to do win to win 10 games? IMHO I think you have a bright star in AJ and Perkins can be servicable.

Now Durant has the tools to be something special. On both ends of the floor and I never mentioned blocking shots that isnt the only indicator of defense. He is athletic, good O, decent on D... To me thats who I build around.


People got a lot of use out of that predraft workout.....



Greg Oden is a freak of nature
Posted by Jason Quick June 04, 2007 11:24AM
The Oregonian has secured the official weights, measurements and testing results from the Orlando predraft camp, and wait until you get a load of the freak of nature called Greg Oden.

For starters, his numbers blow Kevin Durant out of the water.

There are several startling revelations in the numbers, and the one that immediately pops out is the bench press. Players were rated on how many times they could bench press 185 pounds. Oden didn't attempt the bench press in order to prevent an injury to his right wrist, which has recently recovered from injury.

But get this: Only one player was unable to bench press 185 even once - Kevin Durant.

There is more.

Oden is faster than Durant in the 3/4-court sprint, quicker in the lane-agility drill, and has better numbers in the running and standing vertical leaps. And, Oden has a mind-boggling 7.8 body-fat percentage ... most big men are north of the 12 percent range. For instance, other top-rated big men such as Washington's Spencer Hawes (13.0), Duke's Josh McRoberts (13.7) and Pitt's Aaron Gray (10.8) don't compare.

Let's get to the specifics.

Oden is 6-foot-11 without shoes, 7-feet with shoes.

He weighs 257 pounds.

His wingspan is 7 feet, 4.25 inches (fourth best in the draft). His standing reach is 9 feet, 4 inches (the highest of anyone in the draft). His standing vertical is 32 inches, his running vertical 34 inches.

The lane agility drill, where a player runs through cones alternating between running backward, sideways and forward, is 11.67 seconds. And his 3/4 court sprint was 3.27 seconds.

The thing that jumps out is Oden's speed and agility.

We all know Oregon's Aaron Brooks is fast. Brooks finished the 3/4 court sprint in 3.2 seconds. Oden was 3.27 seconds. Durant, meanwhile, finished in 3.45.

Oden's 11.67 in the agility drill speaks volumes to the footwork so many scouts rave about. Durant did the same drill in 12.33.

Durant's specifics are as follows:

Height: 6-foot-9 without shoes, 6-foot-10.25 with shoes. Weight: 215.

Wing span: 7-foot-4.75 (second longest in the draft - Maryland's Ekene Ibekwe is 7-6). Standing reach: 9-2.

Body fat: 6.6. Standing vertical jump: 26.0 inches; running vertical jump, 33.5 inches. Lane agility: 12.33 seconds and 3/4 court sprint, 3.45 seconds.

Portland general manager Kevin Pritchard declined to comment on the numbers, in part because he had just received them himself.

But really, there is no need for comment. The numbers speak volumes.

[stalkerforlife]

The NBA is political.

So many players never get a real opportunity.

There are dudes walking the street that would bust ass in the league, but you'll never even know their names.

[tontoz]

Oden was definitely a consensus over Durant. I don't remember many arguments for Durant going first.

[Ben Simmons 25]

Darko had some of the highest amount of basketball talent and skill I've ever seen.

Unfortunately he was a mental midget, he was psychologically abused by Larry Brown, and his cardio was never up to par. Neither of those things are irrelevant... they're highly relevant, obviously.

But Darko's skill will forever go down as criminally underrated. It is what it is.


Pairing Darko with Larry Brown was like pairing Kwame with MJ... those guys just mentally abused two dudes who didn't have the psychological makeup to take the abuse at that age. It's likely they both would have had better careers if they had landed in other spots as rookies.

[Kblaze8855]

Im still waiting for you to tell me how Darko should have been better than Blake who was a better ball handler, athlete, passer, and scorer and came into the league a big rebounder while Darko had all aspects of defense....aaaaand what? Blake has even become a good 3 point shooter.

I think Darkos mobility for his size caught people off guard more then than it would now....but him being skilled? Its easier to say than explain the specific things he did that suggested that.

Tell me....what skills did Darko have more of than Boris Diaw?

Handles? Shooting? Passing? Footwork?

How was Darko more skilled at basketball than Lamar Odom?

I realize its a personal issue with you we just wont see eye to eye on...im just wondering from your point of view...I swear I wont even respond.

Basketball skills wise.

Skills.

Darko vs Pau Gasol.

Darko wins that to you? It just feels like you are taking physical talent to mean basketball skills with him.

[eliteballer]

Oden's problem wasn't talent, it was health.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsCiTq4RnY0

[AirBonner]

Oden's problem wasn't talent, it was health.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsCiTq4RnY0
This. Had Oden been healthy he would of basically been an actual tough version of Embiid. No way does that guy get destroyed by Al Horford

[Kblaze8855]

Good post from a long gone poster infamous for admitting hed let someone **** him in the ass for between 5 and 50 thousand dollars:


Ob the subject of Eric Gordon going #1.



Err, you want an all-around guard, so you take a guy who only scores and brings little else to the table, and is undersized for his NBA position. Alrighty.

I think this draft has the potential to be a big letdown, to be perfectly honest. It might start to show the ugly side of the one-and-dones.

Kevin Love is 2-3 inches too short (if he's even in this draft) or else he'd be Bill Walton and Elton Brand combined. Despite my dad's (mostly true) assertion that I don't like white basketball players, I absolutely love this kid and I wish he was 7 feet tall.

O.J. Mayo is too inefficient. Honestly, if you want to know who I think he'll be most like in the NBA, I'd say Ricky Davis.

Michael Beasley is a near-guarantee to be a petulant, underachieving coach-killer. I'd like to say he'll be everything Derrick Coleman should have been. Instead, he's merely going to be everything Derrick Coleman already was, bad attitude and all.

Eric Gordon is an amazing scorer, but that's all he is; he's undersized (he's not a full 6'3" in shoes) and has average-at-best handles for an NBA two-guard, much less a point guard (which he has no ability to play). He's a spoiled brat who pouts every time things don't go his way, and I think his apathy down the stretch against UConn, including throwing the ball away with under a minute left when he should have been looking to score, was a very telling sign of what his makeup is like. There's someone in the NBA already named Gordon, and this one's going to be pretty much the exact same NBA player as the one in Chicago (though IDKWTI will get to the line more often). That's who you want as your franchise guy? An undersized shooting guard who scores 21 points a game and brings nothing else to the table? He doesn't play defense, he doesn't rebound, he can't play the point at all and he's got a size disadvantage against almost everyone he goes against? That's your No. 1 pick?

DeAndre Jordan is more of an athlete than a basketball player right now (a guy averaging less than 10 and 7, only getting 21 minutes a game on a team that needs a lot more out of him, is a Top 5 pick right now? Seriously?).

I'm being somewhat overly critical to make a point: there is not a Kevin Durant or Greg Oden in the midst here. This may be a deeper group, but there aren't superstars here.

Except Derrick Rose.

I don't care if a team who thinks they already have a point guard gets the No. 1 pick. Unless the Hornets, Jazz or Suns by some act of something unholy get the No. 1 overall selection, I cannot think of an explanation as to why Gordon, Jordan, Beasley, or anyone else should be taken over Derrick Rose. He has things he needs to work on as well, but he has the capability to improve them quickly. Rose doesn't have the fatal flaws the other guys have (fatal in that it will keep them from being a true franchise guy as an NBA player; they're all capable of being good pros).

To be perfectly honest, aside from Rose I don't think there's a single guy I like as much as I liked Mike Conley last year, much less Durant and Oden. It's an outstanding freshman class as collegiates, but it's a bunch of guys who mostly should be going back to school that won't because they're all going to be taken in the Top 10.

[Ben Simmons 25]

Im still waiting for you to tell me how Darko should have been better than Blake who was a better ball handler, athlete, passer, and scorer and came into the league a big rebounder while Darko had all aspects of defense....aaaaand what? Blake has even become a good 3 point shooter.

I think Darkos mobility for his size caught people off guard more then than it would now....but him being skilled? Its easier to say than explain the specific things he did that suggested that.

Tell me....what skills did Darko have more of than Boris Diaw?

Handles? Shooting? Passing? Footwork?

How was Darko more skilled at basketball than Lamar Odom?

I realize its a personal issue with you we just wont see eye to eye on...im just wondering from your point of view...I swear I wont even respond.

Basketball skills wise.

Skills.

Darko vs Pau Gasol.

Darko wins that to you? It just feels like you are taking physical talent to mean basketball skills with him.

Darko had amazing moves around the basket and a wet jumper. He would just randomly do shit that would drop your jaw. And then within the next couple of plays he'd go back to looking like a bust. There were multiple things wrong with Darko Milicic that resulted in him busting, but I'm just not sure you saw enough of his brilliance to really understand what I'm talking about. It's been such a long time now that the memories are starting to fade because he wasn't playing for the Magic for a tremendously long time...

I just remember, as I said, brilliance in the post, brilliance with mid range shooting, brilliance with putting the ball on the floor... and then just completely mentally checking out of the game, making boneheaded plays, or running out of gas... and ending up looking like a bust more often than not.

The shit that he did when he was on the team with Dwight Howard made Dwight look like a bitch on offense and even sometimes defense.

It's really difficult to fully articulate it without having seen it all. I'm not sure I'm capable of as much, and it's been so long now that it's like... lol.

[Ben Simmons 25]

Also... check this out...

https://orlandomagicdaily.com/2017/03/25/darko-milicic-seems-to-wish-it-worked-out-with-orlando-magic/

Even Darko felt he had what I saw when he was with the Magic... specifically references Orlando as he was starting to feel like a contributor... then the Magic ditched him and he spiraled down again from there.

He had mental hurdles in terms of NBA success for various reasons. It is what it is.

[Kblaze8855]

Felt he had what you saw? You apparently saw someone more skilled than 7 foot guys who have hooks over both shoulders with counters, faceup moves out the ass, 3 point range, and passing like a point guard. We just....have a very different idea of what 6 nice plays a week actually means. In my world...it means you arent very good.

Everyones nice if you judge them off the few things they did to turn anyones head. Dont count all the shitty parts....Eddy Curry is a hall of fame talent.

Only count the spectacular shit you saw Darko do...then only count the spectacular shit you saw Blake Griffin do. Compare these moments in your head..not volume...the "That guy is...something" aspect....im not asking you to tell me anything. Just....picture the Darko great moments and the Blake ones. I'll leave the rest unsaid and leave you alone while I eat yesterdays pizza.

[Ben Simmons 25]

Felt he had what you saw? You apparently saw someone more skilled than 7 foot guys who have hooks over both shoulders with counters, faceup moves out the ass, 3 point range, and passing like a point guard. We just....have a very different idea of what 6 nice plays a week actually means. In my world...it means you arent very good.

Everyones nice if you judge them off the few things they did to turn anyones head. Dont count all the shitty parts....Eddy Curry is a hall of fame talent.

:roll:

Anyways...

[AlternativeAcc.]

Those anti-curry posts were spot on

Glad you included some posts that actually became true

[Kblaze8855]

:roll:

Anyways...

Once you ignore that someone usually isnt doing anything...and focus on the few things they did do? You shoot up the all time ladder quick.

Only focus on the positives and ignore that he was usually garbage....its not hard to be "skilled". We are only counting the few moments that make that look true remember?

Who isnt skilled when we only focus on the combined 8 minutes of their career they performed like it? Brandon Jennings was a god once we focus only on the few times that looked true and ignore that he was usually nothing to talk about.

[Overdrive]

Darko had some of the highest amount of basketball talent and skill I've ever seen.

Unfortunately he was a mental midget, he was psychologically abused by Larry Brown, and his cardio was never up to par. Neither of those things are irrelevant... they're highly relevant, obviously.

But Darko's skill will forever go down as criminally underrated. It is what it is.


Pairing Darko with Larry Brown was like pairing Kwame with MJ... those guys just mentally abused two dudes who didn't have the psychological makeup to take the abuse at that age. It's likely they both would have had better careers if they had landed in other spots as rookies.

Darko hated basketball before the NBA, before Brown. He was forced to play as a kid. Wouldn't draft such a guy no matter how much talent he possesses.

[Kblaze8855]

David Robinson wasnt that into basketball.....but he was more talented than Darko and wasnt insane either.

[stalkerforlife]

Darko was black balled.

[Kblaze8855]

Im gonna need to call everyones attention to his once famous interview about some refs...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woWqSmichOo

I wish it were in english. It would be among the most infamous things in history if he gave that interview on ESPN or TNT. He told them hed **** the refs mothers and daughters. Said suck my dick..."and you can write that!". Just went off. And the Serbians in the comments say it was cleaned up for the subtitles and actually a lot worse.

[Kblaze8855]

Darko was black balled.


Darko was in the NBA for like 10 years was a starter on at least 2 teams(the Magic and Twolves) and made 50+ million dollars. Save that for people who dont get a chance. Teams wanted him to be the man and he just wouldnt go after it. Hes 33. He could still be playing if he wanted to. Guy retired from all basketball years ago to kickbox and grow apples. Hes just not a guy who wants to be in basketball.

[stalkerforlife]

Im gonna need to call everyones attention to his once famous interview about some refs...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woWqSmichOo

I wish it were in english. It would be among the most infamous things in history if he gave that interview on ESPN or TNT. He told them hed **** the refs mothers and daughters. Said suck my dick..."and you can write that!". Just went off. And the Serbians in the comments say it was cleaned up for the subtitles and actually a lot worse.

Euro KG.

Too bad he was black balled.

American blacks don't like when Euros act like them.

[stalkerforlife]

Darko was in the NBA for like 10 years was a starter on at least 2 teams(the Magic and Twolves) and made 50+ million dollars. Save that for people who dont get a chance. Teams wanted him to be the man and he just wouldnt go after it. Hes 33. He could still be playing if he wanted to. Guy retired from all basketball years ago to kickbox and grow apples. Hes just not a guy who wants to be in basketball.

You can play 20 years and never get a real opportunity.

The Detroit situation destroyed his career because he became spiteful due to the racism.

He hated it here after that.

[Kblaze8855]

Darko was crazy before he ever came to America. He would flip out in practice in europe as a teen and refuse to help clean up the gym as the junior team was required...get the whole team punished. In the words of his teammate at the time:


"At those moments, you simply start hating him because you have to suffer for it," Ilic says.

Hed just stop doing the drills and walk off without a word said and get the whole team in trouble.

In his own words...he was tall so he was asked to try basketball. He didnt like it. He didnt watch it. He now admits he lied about being a fan of KG growing up because he was expected to have been a basketball fan and KG was tall and skilled so he chose him. He didnt even know the Warriors had become good as of 2016.

Go read some Darko articles. That guy was out of his mind and will tell you himself. He broke so many walls in his home over any tiny inconvenience around the house he had all night contractors on standby. Said his walls never got painted because he wouldnt stop breaking holes in them so his house was just the color of sheetrock inside.

Sit your nonsense race talk aside for 3 minutes and read an interview or two. Not an article about him. His own words. Darko was lazy, didnt like basketball, and totally out of his mind. He just wanted to make enough money to leave Serbia. He calls himself a bust more than anyone else does.

His passion is cherries. He loves fruit. He loves fruit more than he ever liked basketball.

[FKAri]

Darko was talented for sure. He was big, mobile, good footwork, strong, could go inside, could rebound, could shoot, and defend. He could do a bit of everything. He wasn't outstanding in any one area but there were so many things he could do. With a guy that young and with such a solid foundation it's a good bet he'll develop into a good player at the very least.

Except he didn't care about basketball. He was also a colossal head case. I can't think of a guy off the top of my head that both didn't care about basketball AND was also a head case on the level that Darko was. If you tick both these boxes AND the teams drafting you don't know about any of it(or in this case hadn't bothered to find out), you're guaranteed to be a bust.

[kennethgriffen]

IMO had lebron never colluded/ring chased he definitely would have been a bust


he manipulated his career and proved us wrong. none of us could have predicted he would team up with wade/bosh/allen/kyrie/love etc...


if all he had was a regular 1 prime co star squad like kobe he wins 0 titles

[DCL]

kblaze, i remember you were raving about darko even after his first year.

[Kblaze8855]

kblaze, i remember you were raving about darko even after his first year.


Nah you really don

[Kblaze8855]

IMO had lebron never colluded/ring chased he definitely would have been a bust


he manipulated his career and proved us wrong. none of us could have predicted he would team up with wade/bosh/allen/kyrie/love etc...


if all he had was a regular 1 prime co star squad like kobe he wins 0 titles


Lebron was better than almost anyone honest can say they predicted before he ever won.

You are out of bust contention long before being a multiple mvp winner.

[Kblaze8855]

Im trying to decide who is most likely to get people laughed at in 10 years.

Barrett? Knick fans tend towards being laughed at.

People have fallen in love with a couple of the guys previously being slept on.

I dont know who its gonna be we all laugh at the draft topic comments on....but its gonna be someone.

[SamuraiSWISH]

Da KO King always came with those piping hot idiotic takes

[LostCause]

I don’t understand how folks can say LeBron wasn’t going to be an all time great. You can’t get more “can’t miss” than what he displayed and his physical gifts

Curry I can understand he was thought as a “combo guard” and those didn’t excel often in the league. I figured he’d be good, but nowhere near where he is now. Crazy now how the guy wound up changing the game

[Kblaze8855]

I’ve started reading a lot of old ish/lounge(our off court forum before ish had a real one) posts and will go on and add them here when they are interesting. This is what may be the first Kobe or Lebron topic in ish history. From January 15th 2003. I am one of these posts. Maybe you can tell which but I doubt it. I wasn’t as long winded at the time.




Jan 15 '03#1
(https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/*************/kobe-for-lebron-could-this-happen-t1037.html#p694)Do you think it's possible that on draft day LeBron might not end up being on the team that drafted him? Like maybe a trade to the Raptors for Carter and their pick? It can happen, what do you all think? Do you think and GM would be willing to trade away a proven star like Mcgrady, Kobe, Carter, or Allen Iverson for LeBron?




I think only an idiot would trade a player from among the league's elite for an unproven highschool player with potential, and I'm definitly not sold on Lebron. He'll have to prove he can hang with men not just boys




There's NO WAY Kobe, TMac, VC, AI, CW, TD, Dirk, Pierce or any other young superstar would be traded for LeBron, it's just WAY too risky. Cause if any of those teams traded their superstar for 'Bron, they COULD be getting the next Jordan, but they also could be getting just another Felipe Lopez, but likely they'd be getting a future superstar, but why trade for a future superstar, when you already have one? Non playoff teams would probably be willing to give up a combination of an all star and role players and/or draft picks for 'Bron though. Something like Pau Gasol, Elton Brand or Stackhouse + picks for 'Bron might work, but on this end, I doubt a team would be willing to give up 'Bron for anything less than a superstar, or multiple all stars... So, I highly doubt that Bron will be traded... Unless say the Raptors who are a playoff quality team get 'Bron then maybe they could workout a deal with the Clips that gets them Dre and Odom or Brand or something along those lines... Anyways, I'm just babbling now, so yeah...



There is no way that the Lakers would even consider this trade. If someone offered them Lebron for Kobe the Lakers would laugh at them.

[Kblaze8855]

. Quote:
Cause if any of those teams traded their superstar for 'Bron, they COULD be getting the next Jordan, but they also could be getting just another Felipe Lopez






Everyone knew Lopez wasn't that good by the time he was drafted, though. Everyone whose opinion matters still is completely sold on LeBron being awesome. Players like that rarely crap out.
I think Vince Carter is maybe the only superstar who could get traded for the pick. The Raptors already suck with him, so they're not risking as much as a lot of teams would with their superstars, especially considering that Vince's stock is down too. Maybe there's some team out there who's convinced VC can get back to the dominant 28-30 ppg level of two years ago, and would take a package of him, MoPete, and picks for LeBron.




I'd rather have VC, speaking as a Raptor fan.



The Raptors already suck with Vince Carter. You'd rather have a guy who at 26 is already past his prime because of injuries than have a guy who could end up being the greatest basketball player ever?




Never say a trade for LeBron is impossible.. it's just risky as hell.
If the team that selects him is greedy, they could approach a stronger team and offer LeBron for Money, propects AND veterans if they wanted to.
I could see, for example....
LeBron for: Nowitzki, Williams, first round picks and whatever pocket change is in Mav's owner Mark Cuban's left pocket.
Don't limit yourself to think that it would be a Franchise Player for LeBron. If you recall, the Kings got Gretzky for rookies, nobodies, draft picks and cash. http://www.boomspeed.com/sonicob/CSCsobbanner.gif (http://pub55.ezboard.com/bsonicobsession)


Topic is bumped months later and:




Laker4Lyfe
11








Apr 10 '03
Any GM that would even consider trading a proven star for Lebron is an idiot.

[Kblaze8855]

if i was in charge of the celtics, which i am, there is no way i would trade pierce for lebron.. antoine for lebron probably not





Id trade Toine for Bron in a second.




but pierce and lebron could play similar roles on that team, so then who are you gunna get rid of?



1Bron
2Pierce
3Jones
Looks good to me. No one has to be moved. If not that
Banks
Bron
Pierce
or
Banks
Pierce
Bron
Why trade anyone?



That was essentially the end of it being on topic.

[Kblaze8855]

Reading a pretty brutal topic on Josh Howard being the best 3 in the league in 2005.

[Shogon]

I’ve started reading a lot of old ish/lounge(our off court forum before ish had a real one) posts and will go on and add them here when they are interesting. This is what may be the first Kobe or Lebron topic in ish history. From January 15th 2003. I am one of these posts. Maybe you can tell which but I doubt it. I wasn’t as long winded at the time.

I think it was this...


There is no way that the Lakers would even consider this trade. If someone offered them Lebron for Kobe the Lakers would laugh at them.

or it could be this...


I think only an idiot would trade a player from among the league's elite for an unproven highschool player with potential, and I'm definitly not sold on Lebron. He'll have to prove he can hang with men not just boys

Definitely not either of the other quotes, surely.

I go with the first quote of the two.

I'm not entirely sure Jerry West, had he been around, would have laughed at the LeBron/Kobe nonsensical idea that was never to happen, but...


Shout out to my boy Darko. The GOAT. Sad that he never put it together.

[BarberSchool]

I’m mad AF that I can’t buy a MF pint of Militic Farms Organic late harvest Rainer cherries. I’d pay $8.99 / lb for them.

Fu@king Jerk quit before he achieved cherry perfection.

[kentatm]

DaHeezy



This dude used to get so damn over the top butthurt at getting neg repped that he led a multi year campaign to get the rep system banned and succeeded. :hammerhead:

[John_Connor]

didn't bother reading any of this thread. did OP list all the hot takes on kobe not being able to win without Shaq


or the good takes I made saying lebron will never win an organic championship

[Kblaze8855]

In like 2012 I made this point out some spectacular young players from the 09 draft:



https://youtu.be/e9QZPMoTKoY



Blake(the secret last addition) is obviously the star but it’s weird seeing Steph footage without threes. Mostly just lobs and playmaking. I guess I was high on Tyreke? I don’t remember it. I think someone just wanted me to cover him and I felt better about him than Harden or Demar at the time.

In retrospect it should be a Steph/Harden/Blake thing I guess unless you feel Demar had a better career than Blake which is…arguable. I just didn’t think it was topic worthy and it’s somewhat in keeping with my old posts/thoughts point.

Steph was really the afterthought in there.