MJS first day of camp story (Potsie out)

[LUKE23]

If we draft Randolph, we might win a couple more games (he likely doesn't get much PT under Skiles last year, but more than JA), and we can still probably land Jennings (Nets with Harris and Bobcats with Felton and Augustin don't take him, IMO). So we could have a young core of:

Jennings
LRMAM
Randolph
Bogut
Ilyasova
Meeks

Just need a starting caliber scoring wing in one of these next couple drafts and you're set.

[steger_3434]

why can't we say lopez?

Because you don't draft players easily found in the second round with the number 8 pick.

[jerrod]

why can't we say lopez?

Because you don't draft players easily found in the second round with the number 8 pick.

i always forget that

[BucksRUS]

Hubbard and Tyndale were waived today. Boy they didn't last long.

[GrandAdmiralDan]

I was much more hopeful about JA's chances this season until ESBF's report.

I also hadn't thought about the correlation btw a hamstring injury and not being in shape or drinking too much...either of those clearly is a huge problem too (especially since he's missing some of camp).

I have heard from a handful of different people that Joe Alexander does not drink alcohol. He goes to parties, bars/cubs, etc. to hang out with friends and pick up girls, but he always drinks something non-alcoholic.

[GrandAdmiralDan]

Anyway, excellent writeup by ESBF for day 2 of training camp. It's too bad we didn't have someone there for the entire training camp. I'll endeavor to set that up for us for next season.

I didn't get a chance to revisit this earlier, but a few people asked me to elaborate on why I liked what I saw from Ersan so much.

Besides how good his jump shot looked, I guess I can't think of how to properly convey what impressed me. Basically, everything he did. He did pretty much everything well. All aspects of defense. Rebounding. He ran well, including on transition opportunities. He attacked the rim. Some have mentioned that he doesn't have much of a post game, and while that is true to a degree, he got into the lane, received the ball, and backed his man down with 2 dribbles before getting a fairly close turnaround.

For whatever reason, I've had a pretty good eye over the years (especially starting in 03-04) at observing a training camp event and figuring out who was likely to win the starting jobs. Like in the 2007 training camp, it was clear to me that Yi and Dez were going to start, not CV and Simmons.

Ersan has established himself as the frontrunner in the race for starting PF. All he needs to do is hold serve and it's his.

Jennings has not yet won the starting PG spot, IMO. Hopefully he will soon, but unless something changes, Ridnour will begin the season as starting PG. Jennings COULD win the job yet during this preseason, but it is more likely that it takes Jennings a couple weeks., which is too bad.

As for SF, Mbah A Moute has played the best among the choices, but I'm not certain he starts. Delfino has been pretty solid, and I've heard from more than one person that Skiles would like to use Mbah A Moute off the bench.

Starting Ersan at PF instead of Warrick (no way he starts) puts another shooter in the starting lineup, and at least makes it a more viable option to start someone like Mbah A Moute.

I will say that if both Gadz and Elson hadn't been as bad as they have been so far, I think Skiles would be tempted to go with someone he is more comfortable with at starting PF: veteran Kurt Thomas. But because we'll need to rely on Thomas to come in the game for Bogut, Skiles won't start Thomas.

And that's about all I can think of to add to my initial report.

[thomchatt3rton]

Actually, I just looked at his game log and it was really a few games all season but the main ones where he got the exposure was the last few games of the Big East conference schedule and then again in the tournament. These are what I would consider his good games in his last year at West Virginia.

16 points (6-12 FG), 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 blocks @ New Mexico State
22 points (10-15 FG), 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks vs Maryland-Eastern Shore
19 points (6-13 FG), 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers vs Winthrop
17 points (8-14 FG), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 0 turnovers @ Auburn
26 points (9-19 FG), 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 turnovers vs Duquesne
20 points (9-11 FG), 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks vs Maryland Baltimore County
19 points (7-15 FG), 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks vs Marquette
22 points (7-14 FG), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks @ Louisville
19 points (7-15 FG), 8 rebounds, 2 assist, 1 turnover @ Providence
21 points (8-13 FG), 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 turnovers vs Providence
17 points (7-9 FG), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block @ DePaul
32 points (14-24 FG), 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks @ UConn
32 points (10-16 FG) 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 turnovers vs Pittsburgh
29 points (8-19 FG), 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 turnovers @ St. John's
22 points (8-17 FG), 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 6 turnovers vs Providence (Big East Tournament)
34 points (12-22 FG), 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers @ UConn (Big East Tournament)

He got the exposure those last five games and then sucked in his final four games against Georgetown (Big East Tournament) and Arizona, Duke and Xavier (all in the NCAA tournament). In those last four games he scored 66 points on 68 shots.

So that's 16 good games out of 36 games he played in his "great season" and he completely sucked in his other two seasons.

Nice work. Devastating, but nicely done and timely. I remember, pre-draft, that it seemed JA's stock hit an hysterical high at just the right time (he was a late first round pick for a long time) to catapult him into a lottery pick.
Sometimes it seems like he doesn't like/want to play ball...??
Lets hope this isn't the case, and that he comes round. I do agree that he just hasn't had enough NBA playing time yet, and hopefully he'll get it.
But, sheesh. You make a good case for a fraudulent Joe Alexander.

[Cammo3000]

ESBF.. could Hammond have looked like he did watching JA because he was disappointed he was injured? (rather than because he was questioning his attitude).

Thanks for the write up too, these two reports are the best things I have read on this board in months..

[Buck You]

I was much more hopeful about JA's chances this season until ESBF's report.

I also hadn't thought about the correlation btw a hamstring injury and not being in shape or drinking too much...either of those clearly is a huge problem too (especially since he's missing some of camp).

I have heard from a handful of different people that Joe Alexander does not drink alcohol. He goes to parties, bars/cubs, etc. to hang out with friends and pick up girls, but he always drinks something non-alcoholic.

Well, my friend at WVU said he beat Joe Alexander in beer pong. It's entirely possible that he was just shooting and not drinking or maybe they had water in the cups and they were drinking on the side. But he did play beer pong. I'm not sure if this matters much but just telling you lol.

[EastSideBucksFan]

ESBF.. could Hammond have looked like he did watching JA because he was disappointed he was injured? (rather than because he was questioning his attitude).

Thanks for the write up too, these two reports are the best things I have read on this board in months..

Of course he could've been just frustrated that he's injured and missing camp again. I can't infer as to what he's thinking.

But from the sound of his expression and lack of follow up convo on the subject, it just sounded like something Hammond has talked about so much that he didn't need to elaborate to Ron Walter.


Also, I can't refute GAD's report on JA not drinking. It was just a suggestion based off (well that picture and cheerleader story foremost) but also something I read that Leroy Butler was talking about. He said coaches get real frustrated with guys who are cramping up during the first few days of camp because it usually means (not all the time) that those guys either weren't working hard and preparing for camp, or because they are dehydrated because they drink. He was saying all it takes is one or two drinks sometimes to have an effect on your body and muscles.

If JA really is drinking zero alcohol, then that is very good.

But he still needs to get out there as soon as possible.

I haven't completely given up on JA, but I can't say I've seen one encouraging thing about his time in the NBA so far.

I'd be really interested to know what exactly he does in the offseason. He should be working with Tim Grover or Joe Abunassar, or down in Houston or LA or Chicago and working with other NBA players in pickup games during the offseason. If he was making some progress, we could be encouraged. But I think I speak for most that say we have such little faith in him because he's shown no progress and almost regression (if thats possible), because in reality if you aren't getting better you are getting worse.

[emunney]

Seemed like he was in Milwaukee almost all summer, ESBF. I'm not entirely sure why this relatively minor injury is drawing out every negative thought about JA. I guess because of your report, but I'd remind everybody that the bulk of negativity in that report was oozing from the oral vent of one Ron "it's incredible how left handed players can shoot with their left hands" Walter.

Twirl, even you have to admit there are some damn impressive games in that list you presented. There are plenty of good NBA players who never have a college run like that, and it was accompanied by an unusual level (for WVU) of team success. I wasn't pro JA pre-draft, but clearly his most attractive characteristic has been his incredible year-to-year improvement--a trend that seems to have continued from SL to SL--so, again, not sure why a minor hamstring injury, which could happen to anybody, is enough to reawaken this militant negativity.

All that said, and as good as he looked attacking the basket in SL, his midrange shot looked really off, and he desperately needs that shot if he's ever going to be anything more than a bit player. Still, if he could contribute as a bit player this year, you'd have to consider his season a success.

[4xBuck]

Not sure how well JA was conditioning himself in the offseason, but hamstrings are usually a lack of conditioning or a guy going out and drinking (not just hamstrings but most cramping).

From the information thats out there, it wouldn't surprise Joe parties like an idiot and doesn't take care of his business.

I know many posters here are obsessive with their hate for Alexander, but this type of ignorant ranting is wack.

For people around Milwaukee, it's pretty well know Alexander doesn't drink alcohol and worked out almost all Summer with the Bucks... But hey, lets not let the facts get in the way of hate-mongering.