Post#365 » by BoutPractice » Fri Jun 19, 2015 12:10 pm
If that quote about Messi is real then wow. (So far, checks out)
Once again, if you want to act like a big shot... you'd better be able to back it up. I disagree with the Kobe comparison, I'd say his basic mindset is worse than Kobe. "I never had to respect nobody." Well, you'd better learn, because even Kobe respects those that came before him, respects his opponents, and respects the game. Kobe, Jordan, Bird, same thing - trash talkers, but immensely respectful of the "basketball Gods" as it were.
So far I see a lot of talk, a 6-8 body, some crowd pleasing dunks and a pretty good jumper. That'll get you an NBA gig, but if you want to be a superstar you need more than that.
He's great at using screens, but do you see someone who can create his own shot at an elite level, manufacturing plays out of thin air, like the superstar he thinks he is?
Do you see someone with the kind of extraordinary feel for the game, reflexes, and bball IQ that characterizes almost everyone that's ever been as good as he believes himself to be?
What's the "superpower" I'm missing here, the comparative advantage, other than a lot of testosterone and poorly channeled energy?
This may seem harsh, but I'm not meaning to say that he can't be a good or very good player. He's just setting himself up to fail by propping up expectations like that.
Keep in mind, every year in the draft there are several young guys who not only think they're the best, but say it publicly to the news media in the cockiest fashion.
And I've noticed something of a pattern: the vast majority of them are nowhere near that. So cockiness is not in and of itself a predictor of success, and in fact it might be the opposite. Overestimating your own ability, underestimating your opponents, thinking it's going to be quick or easy for you to dominate because you're somehow "special"... those are usually the signs of a lack of maturity, which correlates negatively with performance on the court.
(There's also a selection bias: the cocky ones often need to talk because their greatness isn't obvious to the outside observer. Karl Towns doesn't need to say that he's the best player in the draft, because that's what most people already think as reflected by his position on most draft boards)
