Rashad McCants

[pumunga]

who does this guy think he is mike winchell. what a piece of garbage, not one 2 guard can defend him? must be talkin bout when hes kobe on his xbox. if he wants ppl to love him maybe he shoulda smiled instead of lookin like hed rather be dealing guns. i never had a problem with him i just always thought he got down on himself and criticized himself to always get better and was jus quiet about it, even tho hes got that mean mug and devilish stare that hes going to murder you hes nowhere near as crazy as ron but showing up hung over to practice i wonder why the coach didnt like him, but oh no its a race thing... if he acted how he acts and proved himself i wouldnt hav a problem with it(i would say hes a cold blooded assassin). he can stroke and he should be in the nba but if hes gonna act like its him against the world, and be to stubborn to work his way up from the d league then obviously he aint makin a comeback

[Breakdown777]

I like to think that Kevin Love is the highschool equivalent of the class a-hole who everyone loved regardless of what he said.

I told everyone I who know about nba ball last year that Rashad was all but 100% headed to Europe for the 2009-2010 season,...and now i find out he didn't go because his ego was so big that he thought he'd get a legit shot on a team after no one was interested. He's got swagger, thats for sure.

In person, what does Love do to give off that vibe?

Not in person, just assumptions and speculation based on interviews. He reminds me of some friends I had in highschool who were genuinely nice, but were sort of negative, griped alot, and made fun of people- sort of always saying something they shouldn't, but you let it slide because you knew they were good people. I've seen or read interviews where love has said things he shouldn't, and has griped alot. I'm just connecting the two. If you read my previous posts on the matter, you'll see that I really like K-Love, I just think his attitude is a teensy bit arrogent. I don't care, I still like him as a player and a person, I've just come to that conclusion.

[younggunsmn]

That was a really, really excellent article. Well written, unbiased, informative, lots of different sources.

Speaking only as someone who's close to several people with anxiety-related issues, everything he's describing screams to me that he's overcompensating for a severe anxiety problem, with maybe some attention deficit issues to boot. Unexplained stomach problems are a huge red flag for severe anxiety. Modern science can do wonders for this, but someone has to be committed to getting help before it can do any good.

Kurt Cobain's undiagnosed severe stomach problems that led to his heroin addiction may have also been caused by severe anxiety.

Shaddy is really, really talented at scoring the basketball. If he ever gets help, and quits being a "look at me" player, he could play for a long time in this league. But he's got to want to make that change himself.

The thing with anxiety is that you sometimes can't tell anything is wrong when things are going well. But when things turn bad, it's magnifed. It's like the floor falls right out from under you. If Wittman really pulled the dick moves described in the article, I can see that scenario unfolding with McCants.

Kevin Love has displayed the same terrible body language on court, and been a whiny baby in the press. The 2 articles quoting him recently make him sound really immature and selfish. Love is as big a stat-whore as McCants, the only difference is that Love has a lisp , fewer tatts, and a nice smile. Love needs to take a cue from class acts like Jefferson and Garnett and keep his PT, management, and teammate opinions in house while he is a part of this team. I don't know if it's just entitlement and youth with Love or he's just begging for a trade. But a guy who gets swatted as much as Love does and plays such poor D has no right to be so cocky.

Diarrhea mouth Kahn sets an awful example, getting far too in depth and personal when speaking about players and then putting words in their mouths. That Webber interview was just atrocious, thinking he could speak for both Webber and Divac.

[Calinks]

Really interesting take on the possible anxiety issues stuff. As soon as you said it I though of the stomach problems. Maybe that's why three coaches asked him to see a psychologist. He really should take their advice.

[younggunsmn]

Yea I don't get it. Casey had us playing well, got canned and was as total class act about it. Yet he can't land a coaching gig. At least his name ALWAYS comes up though so he will get one soon enough. how often does Wittman's name come up for an NBA coach position? I think he'd be a good college coach though.

Completely agree, it's a shame Casey hasn't had another shot. He was good here with crap talent. He seems like a guy who could take a mid-level D-1 team and turn it into an outstanding program for years. Not necessarily a great recruiter, but a guy who knows how to teach and win, and handle young players.

[TrentTuckerForever]

The difference between Terrell Brandon and McCants was that TB tried on both ends and was one of the most efficient PG's in the NBA.

Full stop. If McCants was as good as he thinks he is, he'd be in the league. As Tyler Durden taught us, sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken.

All the attitude and possible anxiety issues (very interesting, youngguns) ultimately matter less than the fact that McCants isn't that good at basketball. Looks like it, sure (NBA body, great jumpshot in an empty gym.) But saying you're unstoppable and proving it are two entirely different things.

[yojimbo]

youngguns, i'm glad you brought up the anxiety theory. my teenage son has problems with this, and you described the asymmetry in emotional responses very well. it also might explain why he comes off so arrogant - he says things like that to himself all the time to combat the anxiety disorder. my son is also crazy confident (physics, not basketball), but social situations are so hard that the confidence can disappear from time to time. luckily, we have done tons of work over the last 10 yrs to make this all easier on him. if mccants is undiagnosed, he obviously doesn't have this going for him.

regardless of the cause, mccants needs to figure it out for himself and do something about it. he has plenty of talent; i can clearly recall how he helped ruin my Illini's chances at a national title. maybe he should talk to TB and Sam Mitchell - they helped Chauncey, and TB should be able to relate.

the thing i have noticed is mccants sounds more like a defensive back in interviews, like he chose the wrong sport, psychologically speaking. nfl teams seem to tolerate or even encourage the arrogance he displays so effortlessly. although with nfl players it might be the steroids talking...

[Calinks]

Former lottery pick Rashad McCants was scheduled to join the Cavaliers for their first summer league practice on Sunday, but he did not show up and the team didn't hear a reason for days.
McCants apparently could not come for personal reasons, dealing another blow to his chances of landing on an NBA roster this season. "I have not seen him; he never showed up," said Cavs assistant coach Paul Pressey. "I was kind of looking forward to seeing the guy, he's a heck of a talent." Jul. 17 - 11:50 am et

I pray that this doesn't turn into another Eddie Griffin situation. Come on Shad... man.

[Cyborg21]

[the_bruce]

McCants is really talented, he can ball anyone who thinks otherwise is not looking at him as the type of player he needs to be/is. This shows just how much the mental and team side of the game can hurt a players value. Look at DMC. Obviously very talented and unique, but the mental side (and conditioning) hurt his stock a ton.

[Calinks]

I don't get it, I really don't. He has talent, not only that but he comes off as a bright kid. I remember when he was on the wolves. He started getting a little involved with the broadcasting. He has this segment and he did some color commentary one or two times as a guest. I distinctly remember being very impressed. In ten years, I could easily see him being one of those ESPN/NBA TV Ex-player analyst. Or even a color commentator.

think he has a good knack for it, way better than guys like Webber and that was when Rashad was maybe 23. Also, when he did the broadcasting stuff he didn't seem to have any problems sulking that I recall, he seemed really into it and professional. He has a lot to offer but he is the king of screwing himself. I really do think he does need help. He needs to go to a place for like 3 months where they can work with him.

[Calinks]

McCants is really talented, he can ball anyone who thinks otherwise is not looking at him as the type of player he needs to be/is. This shows just how much the mental and team side of the game can hurt a players value. Look at DMC. Obviously very talented and unique, but the mental side (and conditioning) hurt his stock a ton.

Exactly, not to mention how much it can help. I toot this horn all the time but the right attitude can get you so far in the NBA. Look at guys like Madsen and Kevin Ollie. They got contracts for years because they were such great people. If they had piss poor attitudes they would have probably been out of the league sooner.

[younggunsmn]

Thanks for the insight yojimbo, I am glad you can be so helpful for your son.

The coping mechanisms people use to deal with anxiety can lead to bigger problems. Overcompensating with overconfidence leads to social alienation and emotional asymmetry. Some people self-medicate (substance abuse). Others form an unnatural need to control everything around them, which can lead to mild OCD or an eating disorder. Hiding from social situations leads to depression.

There is the physical/chemical element, which can be remedied with meds, and the behavioral element which has to be remedied with therapy. You have to learn to perceive reality objectively, correctly, and then react to that perception in the way that is most beneficial to you. The older you get, the harder it can be, because it often involves unlearning habits you've formed throughout your life, and learning to critique your own behavior objectively without getting down on yourself.

McCants needs to realize people are not out to hate him, they are trying to do what they think is best for their basketball teams. He needs to realize what teams need to see and hear from him to be comfortable adding him to their team long term. He needs to realize that being able to execute what coaches ask of him is as important as his talent. Put his emotions aside when he steps on the court, stop the sulking, pouting, which he probably doesn't even realize he is doing half the time. At this point a good psychologist is his only ticket back to the league.

McCants seems like a pretty smart guy, and from the article he had seems to have had great parents. For his sake I really hope he gets some help, even if he doesn't end up playing in the NBA again.

[jade_hippo]

The difference between Terrell Brandon and McCants was that TB tried on both ends and was one of the most efficient PG's in the NBA.

Full stop. If McCants was as good as he thinks he is, he'd be in the league. As Tyler Durden taught us, sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken.

All the attitude and possible anxiety issues (very interesting, youngguns) ultimately matter less than the fact that McCants isn't that good at basketball. Looks like it, sure (NBA body, great jumpshot in an empty gym.) But saying you're unstoppable and proving it are two entirely different things.

nono, you go back and actually watch some of his games from his first and third seasons. tell me this isn't a guy that if you put the ball in his hands and let him free he wouldn't be scoring 25+ a game on 45/40+ percentages. Before he started to settle for the chucking and the wild drive n' heave of the Wittman era, he took smart shots and effective at pentrating.

[Calinks]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=n3fCpZ7O_HY&feature=fvw[/youtube]

[zauchary]

and here's a better take as to why Mccants is in the position he's in. I always wanted Danny Granger.

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/07/17/rash ... nce/#cntnt

[Esohny]

Yes.

[TheFranchise21]

Who cares? He's a wasted talent, there's thousands of guys just like him, what makes him any different?

[southern wolf]

Great article. Sad story. I always knew he had attitude problems, but I didn't know it was anywhere near that bad. You have to worry about his mental state at the moment.