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More from ESPN: Post/Shot Two-fer.

I'm about to give up my insider status. These guys have completely shifted into a spin machine and away from sports journalism. Today they had one from David Thorpe pairing this year's rookies with NBA "veterans" that said rookies should emulate. I will list his results for those of you without access. For those who do, here is a link:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=thorpe_david&page=RookieStudy09-Rose

Derrick Rose: Chauncey Billups

Michael Beasley: Carlos Boozer (Ummm, huh?) 

O.J. Mayo: Kevin Durant (I could've sworn he said VETERANS!)

Russell Westbrook: Dwayne Wade

Kevin Love: Kevin Garnett (By leaving Minny?)

Danilo Gallinari: Paul Milsap

Eric Gordon: Rip Hamilton

Joe Alexander: Ron Artest

DJ Augustine: Jameer Nelson

Brook Lopez : Tim Duncan

Jerryd Bayless: Kobe Bryant (Thorpe says Bayless always "looks too cool on the court" based on his accomplishments. Is he suggesting he could learn a lesson in humility from Bryant? Really?)

Jason Thompson: Al Horford

Brandon Rush: Danny Granger

Anthony Randolph: Ray Allen

Mareese Speights: Amar'e Stoudamire

Roy Hibbert: Pau Gasol (LMFAO)

JaVale McGee: Andris Biedrins

JJ Hickson: David West

Courtney Lee: Chris Paul (He's not a point guard!)

Mario Chalmers: Andre Miller

Anthony Morrow: Eddie House (My brain just exploded.)

Greg Oden: Dwight Howard (We have a winner!)

Marc Gasol: Yao Ming

Rudy Fernandez: Manu Ginobili

I CAN'T BELIEVE I PAY FOR THIS STUFF!!!

And, I know I'm a homer, but not one of these guys should emulate Brandon Roy? Really? Sure, who wants a guy that comes in, gets rookie of the year his first season, named to the all-star squad every other year, and raises his team's total wins by over 10 w's per season. And then not only gets his team into the playoffs, but is fighting for HCA - in his THIRD season. That'd be stupid! Better to just emulate KD instead, so they can be superstars...and LOSE.

PS - I meant to post this on Saturday. Came into work and it was still on my screen, un-posted. Sorry if this already got some burn. I'm still a little fired up.

 

 

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Nobody gets to emulate Roy for one simple reason

Nobody can. Nobody comes into the NBA and looks like a Brandon Roy. Remember Roy’s rookie year? Analysts were having fits trying to find someone to compare Roy to. Can’t be done!

by Zaig on Apr 6, 2009 10:29 AM PDT reply actions  

Before we get all up in arms about Thorpe and Roy

he’s been on the record in his chats about loving Roy, and the rookie (who he works with) that he constantly references with respect to someone that he has study Brandon is Courtney Lee. Lee has had a solid rookie season, just wasn’t quite high profile enough to make this list, apparently.

by Royster on Apr 6, 2009 10:30 AM PDT reply actions  

nm,

guess Lee did make the list with CP. Thorpe has definitely said that he’s had Lee study Roy, though, for what it’s worth.

by Royster on Apr 6, 2009 10:31 AM PDT up reply actions  

Lee is the Magic's Batum

He is their defensive stopper.

http://saboner.mybrute.com

by Sabonis4Ever on Apr 6, 2009 12:27 PM PDT up reply actions  

I think you missed the point of the article.

These weren’t all All-stars that these players need to emulate, when he says Hibbert should emulate Gasol, it doesn’t mean Hibbert is going to try to be Gasol, it means he should try to get a little craftier with the ball. These aren’t comparisons either. When they say Courtney Lee should emulate CP3, he says: “Paul is a topflight competitor who uses his emotions to dominate. And Lee, who has considerable athleticism and skills, could benefit from running his engine a little hotter at times.” I wouldn’t get too upset over this.

by Brandon684 on Apr 6, 2009 10:34 AM PDT reply actions  

I think Bayless should try to emulate Tony Parker

I wouldn’t want someone to emulate Kobe because his shot selection is so terrible (what makes Kobe great is that he makes those terrible shots, kinda like Outlaw).

by trailblazersfan on Apr 6, 2009 11:09 AM PDT reply actions  

Besides, Bayless doesn't sleep at hotels.

Because sleep is for cowards.

Everclear is the worse band of all time.

by TheTinfoil on Apr 6, 2009 11:34 AM PDT up reply actions  

i think Bayless should emulate Chauncey Billups

how he uses his body and has improved his jumper

Other than death and taxes, only 4 things in this world are indisputable:
Brandon Roy is the BEST player in the NBA in the clutch.
Montana to Rice were the greatest to ever play the game.
The Four Horsemen of Maddux, Smoltz, Glavine and Avery were unstoppable.
No one protects the pipes like Luongo.

by GreatOden'sRaven on Apr 6, 2009 11:54 AM PDT up reply actions  

At this point

Bayless should emulate Jarrett Jack. Attack the hoop constantly.

http://saboner.mybrute.com

by Sabonis4Ever on Apr 6, 2009 12:28 PM PDT up reply actions  

Teams are ready for it now.

This is why he’s getting blocked on 1/3 of his shots now.

by Zaig on Apr 6, 2009 2:24 PM PDT up reply actions  

Anthony Randolph - Ray Allen

what a weird combo

Other than death and taxes, only 4 things in this world are indisputable:
Brandon Roy is the BEST player in the NBA in the clutch.
Montana to Rice were the greatest to ever play the game.
The Four Horsemen of Maddux, Smoltz, Glavine and Avery were unstoppable.
No one protects the pipes like Luongo.

by GreatOden'sRaven on Apr 6, 2009 11:33 AM PDT reply actions  

ridiculous

allen is a 3pt shooter, anthony randolph is 6’10 isnt he?!

Rip City Baby...People have no idea what is coming.

Follow my twitter www.twitter.com/PDXBlazersFTW, @PDXBlazersFTW. Lots of random Blazer Posts from links I find around the blogosphere.

by lanepete on Apr 6, 2009 12:27 PM PDT up reply actions  

But he moves almost as quick as a guard

I still think he should watch some small forward who takes it inside. Gerald Wallace maybe. And what he needs is more playing time, not so much more study time.

by Norsktroll on Apr 6, 2009 2:34 PM PDT up reply actions  

I can see that about Bayless though

he gets frustrated pretty easily when he gets those reach in calls on the perimeter. Kobe was very similar at the beginning of his career. Since then he has turned that around, and almost never gets flustered, he plays his own game and works his butt off. There is a reason almost all the wing players in the NBA love to watch Kobe play, even if things aren’t going his way he refocuses and adjust possession by possession to how the refs are calling the game and what the other team is doing. That’s a big part of why he gets open looks at the end of games he’s conditioned the opposing player to expect one thing, and then he’ll break out with something totally different, instead of just beating his head against the wall, which Jerryd seems to do.

Jerryd being more reactive not just to the player he is guarding but the refs, his team, and the entire rest of the opposing team, his game would improve tremendously. Kobe learned that lesson by watching MJ, Jerryd can learn that lesson watching Kobe.

From the back of Travis Outlaw's Franz card: Travis leads the team in monstrous thunder dunks, wins awards for post game interviews, and often gets extra points for degree of difficulty.

From the back of Greg Oden's Franz card: Nickname: Jaws. Has an insatiable desire to tear rims apart while cruising the open court, and was once interested in using head-gear for his profession.

by TheOdenator on Apr 6, 2009 12:17 PM PDT reply actions  

I love the ones like

“Jason Thompson – Al Horford” – horford been in the league one year!!! lol.

Rip City Baby...People have no idea what is coming.

Follow my twitter www.twitter.com/PDXBlazersFTW, @PDXBlazersFTW. Lots of random Blazer Posts from links I find around the blogosphere.

by lanepete on Apr 6, 2009 12:26 PM PDT reply actions  

At least we don't have the obnoxious Jordan comparison

...things go well I might be showing my O face...O...O...O...you know what I'm talking about.

by Matt Daddy on Apr 6, 2009 1:28 PM PDT reply actions  

I don't know, I don't think that these are terrible.

Some of them are a bit of a stretch but he does seem to take one specific quality for those people to emulate. I don’t think that he did a terrible job of matching them up.

I wonder how close Fernandez can come to playing like Ginobli. If he ends up even close to that then we will really be in luck.

Can I get a headband? One for my peeps, one for the fans in the really cheap seats, one for my momma, one for the mayor, and if you wanna get down with the players, YOU GOTTA GET A HEADBAND!

by peseme16 on Apr 6, 2009 3:21 PM PDT reply actions  

Ups and Downs

Rudy is younger and actually better than Manu during his rookie year. However, Manu wasn’t sharing a position with an All-Star, which is always nice when it comes to developing.

by Zaig on Apr 6, 2009 3:31 PM PDT up reply actions  

You people are overreacting

Like somebody said earlier, these aren’t COMPARISONS. Just looking at the list doesn’t do the article any justice because he goes in depth for each guy, looking at something about the vet’s game that the rookie needs to emulate.

He didn’t ask Beasley to start nursing injuries, complaining to the press, and publicly state that he’ll opt out of his contract. He suggested Beasley get stronger, start banging in the paint, and not fall in love with his jumper.

And the OP got the opposite impression from Bayless’ recommendation that I did. Thorpe says Bayless looks too cool out there and he needs more passion in his game. I’m not saying I agree with Thorpe, but he wasn’t asking for more “humility” out of Bayless.

Again, the matchups alone only tell a fraction of the story.

by Twith on Apr 6, 2009 4:07 PM PDT reply actions  

At this point you ignore them because they are idiots and move along with your life...
Michael Beasley: Carlos Boozer (Ummm, huh?)

Pontiff of the Pryz for Prez Posse...

by timbo on Apr 6, 2009 8:07 PM PDT reply actions  

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