Thorpe Rookie Rankings

[granger05]

David Thorpe has posted his first rookie rankings for 2008. Here's the LINK. He updates these throughout the season. He has Rush at #9, Bayless at #12, and Augustin at #14 so he must like our trade. He also has Hibbert at #13.

I don't really like David Thorpe. He has his own gym where he trains guys, but they still bring him on ESPN for draft discussions when there's no way that he could possibly be impartial. He's getting paid to help improve people's draft stock. Whenever they ask him for a sleeper he lists someone that he's working with, and then he's down on others that presumably are competing with his clients for draft position or contracts later on down the line. Full disclosure for this list is that I think Hibbert was a client so I expect his position here has received a major bump. I'm not sure on Rush.

At any rate, it's nice to see our guys represented.

On Rush:

Has a beautiful outside stroke and is ready to defend -- a perfect fit in Indy. Newly acquired point guard T.J. Ford will get him shots in half-court sets and in transition.

On Hibbert:

Highly skilled and smart. And huge, too. Should be able to get minutes on this team and be a half-court option right away.

[granger05]

Another fun note on Thorpe is that he has some of the worst chats around. He routinely gives one word or one blurb answers to detailed questions. Then he fields tons of questions asking him why he doesn't explain himself more. It's like reading an SNL script or something. He reminds of Fred "Mad Dog" Carter back when he used to do chats. He would routinely answer questions like this:

granger05(Fort Collins, CO) Hey Mad Dog, you're the biggest tool on ESPN.

Fred Carter: That's your opinion, word!

Why did you even post that one? Is that seriously the best question available in the queue? That always cracks me up.

[cdash]

Thorpe doesnt actually personally train many of the guys in the draft. His IMG facility has more, but he himself does little of that. I thnk he knows what he is talking about and while he is a little partial to his guys (who wouldnt be?), he doesnt pimp them mercilessly. I dont really see where he only mentions his guys as sleepers...I seem to remember in the week before the draft that he actually mentioned Roy Hibbert as an underrated/sleeper type guy, and he claimed to have never met him. His chat answers are of the one-line variety, but his answers the questions and gets to a ton of them with his questionable methods.

Why did you even send in a question calling him a tool? And who is Fred Carter?

[granger05]

I didn't really send in a question calling anyone a tool. I was just providing an illustration of Fred Carter's chats. He used to do ESPN nba analysis maybe 6 or 7 years ago. I think he was a defensive specialist for the sixers in his time, but that's a complete guess and probably uninformed. I should try to dig up a chat wrap of his because it was something to behold. I'm sure other people around here remember him.

I always listen to Thorpe's discussions on the draft and young players in general, but I am wary of his analysis because of the conflict of interest. I was pretty sure he had Hibbert in his gym, but maybe I just jumped to that conclusion because he kept bringing him up and in the past that always meant the guy was a client.

[granger05]

I plugged "fred carter chat wrap" into google and found this. It's not his finest work, but it's pretty indicative. Plus it's fun because it's from the year that the Pistons had the Memphis pick and it must have been for a Detroit station or something. It's very short and entirely Pistons oriented, but includes a question from a "Jermaine O" calling the Pistons losers. I think they won the title that same year. The color on the website in this link is terrible.

I also looked at Fred Carter's wikipedia page. His claim to fame is that he was the "best player on the worst team in history." He was the star when Philly won 9 games. He apparently coached for a few years as well.

His chat answers always included "word!" Then people would start mocking him and he would just keep it up. I was always amazed that they kept letting him do chats. At least pick questions where the participants aren't hostile.

[Grang33r]

Fred Carter is the worst thing to ever happen to NBA TV. Ever.

[cdash]

I didn't really send in a question calling anyone a tool. I was just providing an illustration of Fred Carter's chats. He used to do ESPN nba analysis maybe 6 or 7 years ago. I think he was a defensive specialist for the sixers in his time, but that's a complete guess and probably uninformed. I should try to dig up a chat wrap of his because it was something to behold. I'm sure other people around here remember him.

I always listen to Thorpe's discussions on the draft and young players in general, but I am wary of his analysis because of the conflict of interest. I was pretty sure he had Hibbert in his gym, but maybe I just jumped to that conclusion because he kept bringing him up and in the past that always meant the guy was a client.

Haha, I was gonna say man, why waste your own time calling him a tool? I know who Fred Carter is now after googling him. Yeah, he sucked big time. I wouldnt actually blame you if you called him a tool.

I am pretty sure that Thorpe didnt train Hibbert, but its not like it really matters. Really the ticket to getting a question posted in his chats are mentioning Seinfeld, his family, or opera. All ESPN.com guys have certain questions they'll almost always post. Ask Stein about Manchester City, ask Hollinger a PER question, ask Bucher about his man-crush on Kobe, etc. And yes, I have way, way too much free time on my hands.

[granger05]

I'm bumping this for a few reasons. First, Thorpe has downgraded our boys in his rookie ratings, but I assume this is an out of sight, out of mind reaction. Second, I said that Thorpe gave terrible chats and reminisced on Fred Carter's also sucking. Here's a question from today's Thorpe chat that's exactly what I was talking about.

Ahmed (Boston): I think you're the worst chatter in ESPN (and probably in the history of online chatting) and I don't even know why they (ESPN) make you do this. Folks like Hollinger, Ford or my boy Simmons are so detailed and awesome to talk to. I realize chats in general are supposed to be short, but c'mon, this is different. You're supposed to be an "expert". How is a "yep" to a good question supposed to make us feel? C'mon Mr Thorpe!

David Thorpe: Bah.

Seriously, why select that question to even respond to?

[joew8302]

I hear ya, but I would still take that answer over the nerdy Hollinger.

[cdash]

I'm bumping this for a few reasons. First, Thorpe has downgraded our boys in his rookie ratings, but I assume this is an out of sight, out of mind reaction. Second, I said that Thorpe gave terrible chats and reminisced on Fred Carter's also sucking. Here's a question from today's Thorpe chat that's exactly what I was talking about.

Ahmed (Boston): I think you're the worst chatter in ESPN (and probably in the history of online chatting) and I don't even know why they (ESPN) make you do this. Folks like Hollinger, Ford or my boy Simmons are so detailed and awesome to talk to. I realize chats in general are supposed to be short, but c'mon, this is different. You're supposed to be an "expert". How is a "yep" to a good question supposed to make us feel? C'mon Mr Thorpe!

David Thorpe: Bah.

Seriously, why select that question to even respond to?

Just to give both sides of the coin. No one would like it if he just posted stuff from people kissing up to him, so he posts these types of questions frequently. I dont see the big deal. He didnt spend any time actually responding.