Starting Five: Kansas and the NBA
BY BRETT MURDOCK, Couchsideshow.com blogger
Ben McLemore could be an NBA lottery pick. Photo by: Darin and Shannon White / Flickr
Well, it took some time, but I am finally over my Kansas Jayhawks losing to Michigan in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Truthfully, most of my resentment came from Elijah Johnson’s poor decision-making in the closing seconds of overtime that potentially cost them a win. It was the best game of the tournament, and possibly the game of the year in college basketball, and I am thankful that KU was part of it.
But, it’s over now, and regardless, I’m still “Rock, Chalk” all the way, and will be forever. Now, we have to look to the future and for Kansas, that means a new starting five because this season’s normal starting line-up of Elijah Johnson, Ben McLemore, Travis Releford, Kevin Young, and Jeff Withey are either graduating or going to the NBA.
And that is what this blog is about. Determining what the future holds for those five young men, who bled crimson and blue in their time. For purposes of listing and building anticipation, I’m going to go in reverse order of what I think about their chances to be in the NBA.
5. Kevin Young (SF/PF, 6-foot-8, 190 lbs.)
A workhorse through his two years at Kansas after transferring from Loyola Marymount, Young played as an undersized power forward for the Jayhawks. His main job was to hit the glass for rebounds, use his underrated athleticism, and be a hustler for coach Bill Self. And he did a mighty fine job of it. Unfortunately, those skills don’t really translate to the NBA, especially when you combine his lack of true offensive talent — not being able to create his own shot, a bad looking jump shot, little ball-handling skills, etc. He is a likable guy and worked hard during his stint in Lawrence, but there is no real future for him in the pros, unless he really puts in the work but at his age, time is already passing by quickly.
• NBA Comparison and Future: None, and overseas or coaching.
Couch Side Podcast — Episode 20: NBA Special
Couch Side hosts Wade McMillin (left) and Craig Paul talk about the NBA Finals this week and take on Couch Side’s official NBA Mock Draft.
BY Couchsideshow.com staff
The Couch Side Podcast celebrates its 20th episode with a show that’s almost entirely about the NBA. Hosts Wade McMillin and Craig Paul discuss the Miami Heat’s second championship and perform an NBA Mock Draft all in one episode. Then in Quick Snippets, our hosts answer a question from the mailbag about how much wood a woodchuck would chuck, grunting in tennis and Michael Vick and Pacman Jones addressing NFL rookies. Click below to stream, download or subscribe to the Couch Side Podcast …
Click here to stream/download Couch Side Episode 20: NBA Special via iTunes
Click here to stream Couch Side Episode 19: NBA Special via our host site, TalkShoe
Click here to download Couch Side Episode 19: NBA Special via our host site TalkShoe
NBA Mock Draft: Top five picks
BY KEVIN BERTRAM, Couchsideshow.com contributor
1. Charlotte Bobcats: Anthony Davis (PF — Kentucky — 19 years old)
Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis was named the Associated Press' Player of the Year this season.
Almost everyone has Davis as the consensus No. 1 overall pick this year, and there’s a good reason for that. He’s a defensive juggernaut who has a NBA-ready frame and brilliant athleticism. The AP Player of the Year is averaging 14.3 points per game, while hauling down 10 rebounds. However, these are by far his most ordinary stats: what comes next defines Davis as a special player.
First, he’s blocking 4.6 shots per game. When Davis is on the floor, Kentucky’s opponents watch their field goal percentages plummet: 14 percent of their total shots are blocked by the Wildcats when he’s patrolling the paint. He compares favorably in this regard to recent renowned, current NBA shot blockers when they were in college, as seen here in blocks / per 40 minutes:
- Anthony Davis, Kentucky (2010-2011): 5.85
- Emeka Okafor, Conneticut (2002-2003): 5.71
- Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut (2007-2008): 5.64 1
- Greg Oden, Ohio State (2006-2007): 4.84
- Tyrus Thomas, LSU (2005-2006): 4.63 (more…)
