I'm a D-League blogger. I cover the D-league. I love the D-League. So I'm used to mediocre basketball and being able to spin it in a positive way. And I think a lot of times the media's been off when it says the basketball is terrible.
Unfortunately, I many be able to blog the rest of the weekend, since Bobcats-Pistons made my internal organs liquidize in a pool of vomit. It wasn't the Pistons fault, really. Stuckey's left Vegas, and the rest of the team was okay. Even bordering on "good." But then there's the Bobcats, and that was just painful without DJ Augustin. They just can't compete with that team
On to happier matters, it's halftime for Lakers-Raptors, and this has actually been entertaining.
So, I was expecting to see Jawai and be heavily disappointed. I have not been. Even with only 2 points and 4 boards so far, Jawai has shown a ton of potential. He's got a massive body and a killer athleticism. He also hustles like few others. He's gone out of bounds on saves several times already. He's got a soft touch and is active around the basket. With a guy of his size, he's got to keep a good work ethic to keep the weight off and not Jerome James himself, but he's got much more athleticism and touch. At one point, he blocked into the fourth row. That's not hyperbole. He literally knocked it into the fourth row. He's slow to rotate on some possessions, and his footwork needs a lot of development, but in terms of potential, Dear Lord Baby Jesus, he's gifted. He also showed some offensive versatility and you can tell he's comfortable in the post. The Raptors ran the majority of their possessions through him with him on the floor, and he managed the ball well. He's got a ton of talent. Jawaibberwocky indeed.
Hassan Adams is playing well. You know what you're getting with him. There was an alarming sequence on a fast break where he had a wide open Sean Banks in transition, and waited for Joey Graham to get back for a transition bucket, which let the defense back and cost them the bucket. Not cool.
Joey Graham has soft touch and looks like he worked on some of his fundamentals.
John Lucas is the kind of player you root for and terrific stroke, but unfortunately, he represents the lollypop guild. I'm a believer that you can overcome a lack of size. But he's TINY.
Jaycee Carroll has really soft touch and absolutely no muscle. He's going to make a ton of money in Europe next year.
Coby Karl really has improved. I've ragged on the kid in the past, but he's come along leaps and bounds.
I hate MCs. HATE. It's not just that inauthentic enthusiasm is annoying. It's the volume that accompanies it.
Sean Banks, who we'll get to later, had an absolutely SICK alley oop.
The defense in this game has been great on both sides, and this game has been watchable. After losing steam early in the day, I'm feeling energized. More later.