BobSaccamanno

As regards Geronimo, I don't see the Troy Williams comp at all. Williams was a liability on defense. Like everyone else, I was really heartened by his comments about defense. And, unlike a lot of kids who get so much attention these days, he seems very self-aware. The scouting report he gave himself was more realistic than the normal 17 year old ("I feel like I am like Kevin Durant" or whatever). Playing defense in basketball is going to keep you in games more often than not, even if stuff is going against you, whether it be the normal erratic officiating, a bad shooting night, etc.

I think he was taking an extreme example to make his point. That's how I took it, anyway. Regarding Romeo, I heard a guy say "Let's face it, he had a very forgettable career." I was apoplectic. I have said it several times, but this is a kid who was very visible and high profile. He selected IU and deserves our respect especially after seeing another Indiana kid snub IU. But now you're seeing his pied piper effect as he's showing school loyalty and pride. Making a noticeable impact on Geronimo is just one part of the puzzle. He's proving to all the naysayers that he's an IU guy all the way.

Just saw this after a long weekend. Great news! I think he can be a very good two-way player and gives us an athletic dimension. Great job by Archie. Looks like we beat out Virginia, coming off a national championship (correct me if I’m wrong). I bet Archie really related to this young man and we know Archie identified him relatively early considering he was a late bloomer. You can also see how the players complement each other, and you can see the pieces for transforming the culture of the program into what we’d all appreciate.

Good stuff. I like both players, for different reasons. Cross has the motor and ruggedness that will play well in the B1G. Love his rebounding numbers too. Geronimo is a rising athlete that looks versatile. He looks like he has the building blocks to defend, pass, shoot, and drive. I'd be very happy with either one.

I wonder if Geronimo and Cross are in an either/or situation?

From the clips, you can see he can play with his back to the basket. At this stage, he can turn either right or left, pretty well. That’s important and not universal as a lot of guys can only go right. It’s going to be a lot harder when you are playing tough guys your own size all the time, but the ability to use both hands and turn both ways bodes well for him IMO. And I agree with the comment above about his frame. Big shoulders and broad chest. He can be a big, strong post player. He looks physically like Chris Lawson to me.

I read somewhere that the Bucks signs the corpse of Kyle Korver. I am not sure if he can still play. He's been around forever. Having a shooter around Giannis doesn't hurt combatting the wall that playoff teams tried to put on him.

Love Ken Burns. Another one I really enjoyed was the Roosevelts. Eleanor was my favorite.

It’s disingenuous to not give Crean credit for finding the likes of Oladipo, Sheehey, and Anunoby. None of them were ranked highly, but they were athletic and rising talents with upside that Crean understood. And they developed under his watch. Maybe Geronimo can give Archie a feather in his cap in recruiting somebody under the radar who can emerge.

This kid reminds me of the type of player Crean might have jumped on. I mean that as a compliment. Maybe Archie’s got a bit of that in him too, and that can be a good thing.

I couldn't agree more on OG. I think he's built to play both ways in the NBA. And he plays with toughness.

Good summary. I would quibble with the Sixers having the second, third, fourth, and fifth best players on the two teams. Second, sure. As for third, Khris Middleton is an all star and a very good two way player. I just don't know what you're getting out of Philly's backcourt in terms of shooting. That might be too easy to defend in the playoffs. I don't think Philly wins the East without Simmons taking a big step forward, which he has not shown any ability to do at this point. Richardson was a good get but they still lack shooters. That "wall" Toronto put up on Giannis was impressive. One issue there is whether Milwaukee gets another shooter so that Giannis can kick it out if he deals with that wall again. Regarding Boston, I am not a fan of Kanter. Very soft and doesn't bring physicality, defense, rebounding etc. I am surprised Stevens would sign off on that one as he doesn't seem like a Stevens player. Their inside game may be a limiting factor, although I love the coach and think Walker is outstanding. Indiana is under-rated. We will see where Oladipo is after the injury. Sometimes it is really the second season back that you can do some damage. In terms of team ball, there's hardly anyone better. That's a heck of a complementary roster. I could see Toronto in the mix with the Miamis and New Jerseys of the world toward the bottom of the East's playoff list. Siakam is coming on and they have some players with a winning mindset.

Why are you dismissing chemistry? It's pretty dang important. Brad Stevens is a winning, team-oriented coach. While talented, I don't think Kyrie particularly fits in that environment. He may be better off with the Tyronne Lues of the world.

I agree with HH’s point about ball dominance. Both Harden and Westbrook have that black hole quality although they can get assists. They’d have to adjust. As far as shooting versus defense, they may complement each other. Westbrook can defend athletes at guard and take on that responsibility, allowing Harden to take a second best perimeter player. On offense, Westbrook can penetrate and draw defenders. Obviously Harden can stretch. It’d be tough for any opponent to cover either, let alone both, ends of that. Neither guy seems to have that elite level winning gene, so they’d have to adjust for the good of the team.

Westbrook to Houston for Paul and some picks way out in the future plus options on pick swaps. With those picks so far out in the future, obviously there’s literally zero visibility. But, it’s always possible some of these picks get liquidated into big time prospects.

Good point, Mile. I am not a huge fan of making all that public, including the price paid for a home. I suppose there is a benefit in terms of researching property taxes. However, I am in favor of the privacy side of things.

Just because a journalist can do something, doesn't mean he should do it. Journalism dogma may tell you that publishing an address is the thing to do, but I don't think it exhibits particularly refined thinking. If journalists feel under attack with their microscopic approval ratings, this type of thing will not help with their collective reputation. It's like they jump at the knee-jerk reaction instead of taking a deep breath and recognizing that restraint is often the best course of action. Say he's moving to Bloomington, which is big news, but stop short of publishing his address. There was actually a very famous singer/actress who was going to move near me and she broke the deal after the media published the address. It's a serious thing.

Lander 18 Kaufman 31 Furst 36 Wesley 88 Goode 108 J Blackmon 116 Konieczky 123 Pierce Thomas 139 Did I miss anybody?

Link https://247sports.com/Season/2021-Basketball/RecruitRankings/?InstitutionGroup=highschool

Regarding Harden, this is an interesting article. I recall Bill Simmons and his cadre of basketball analysts calling the Harden trade legendarily stupid when it happened, not later. https://grantland.com/features/the-harden-disaster/

Butler may be a head case off the court, but on the court he’s a very tough two way player who makes winning plays. He’s not racking up cheap stats. He’s making critical plays that make a difference.

Without trying to sound hidebound, I’m not crazy about the players huddling and jiggering the rosters. I feel bad for the kid clutching his jersey of his favorite “home grown” player who moves on to team up with somebody else like they are all dudes picking sides at the HPER. I like the traditional team building, which is more interesting to me. At least in the current configuration, we have about ten good teams and should have some good wars in the playoffs.

I don’t know that you can win when it matters with Westbrook. Getting somebody to bite on his contract could be a challenge. I think he’s got a 40 handle on his salary soon. I like that Kawhi did his own thing, even if it’s with George, instead of following around Lebron like many other sheep. At least OKC liquidated George for something. Between New Orleans and OKC, it will be interesting if those picks turn into something down the line, e.g., where an injury bamboozles a season, etc

Best wishes and good luck with the move and changes. You’ve been noticeably missed lately but it’s understandable.

Jared Dudley is one of those guys—like Malcolm Brogdon—who plays the game the right way. Smart, team oriented, sound, well rounded, winner. I hoped Juwan could turn into that type of player but his shooting and handle need to skyrocket.