Jimmermania Hits Sactown. Coming To A Venue Near You Soon - The Downbeat - #508
by Basketball John on Jun 10, 2011 10:37 AM MDT
in Features - Downbeats
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Brian T. Smith has a couple of great posts on international prospects and on Brandon Knight. He spoke to Fran Fraschilla of ESPN and John Calipari for the respective stories.
Calipari on Brandon Knight,
Well, with Brandon, whatever you think he's going to become, he'll become. I just think over three years, you're going to say 'Wow.' Whoever he gets him. Over a three-year period, you'll say 'Wow.' Terrific shooter. And you know shooting makes up for a multitude of sins. He can flat out make shots. He's bigger than you think. He's more athletic. He's got speed - a little bit like Tony Parker speed, where he can take it right at you and speed the game up a little bit. I'm sold on him.
Calipari has incentive to talk up Knight. I'm sure it is deserved but Calipari benefits by having an NBA player to add to his resume. Knight is going to get drafted and won't drop past 7 but a high pick like #3 looks much better than #7. He also gives some John Stockton comparisons and shares a Stockton story.
Franschilla gives praise to both Enes Kanter and Jan Vesely. He compares Kanter to Bigfoot and Vesely to Tom Chambers and at worst, Shawn Marion and AK.
If you're hoping for Jimmer at #12, you might be out of luck. It seems as if the Kings were enamored with him in yesterday's workouts,
By the time [Jimmer] finished his 90-minute set Thursday at Power Balance Pavilion - shooting, passing and scoring against mostly taller, longer opponents - the Kings bosses were reaching for the tissues.
They weren't sobbing, they were salivating.
Geoff Petrie. Paul Westphal. Bobby Jackson. Gavin Maloof. Was there anyone in the Kings' private audience who didn't rush over to shake the kid's hand? Who didn't hover, as if what they really wanted to do was ask for an autograph?
Jimmermania will hit fever pitch in "his adopted home town of Salt Lake City" (you mad, Provo?) next week when he comes in to workout for the Jazz. The Jazz are pushing for Fredette to go up against Kemba Walker and Brandon Knight. He may have to work around their schedule though. The Jazz have been pushing for a workout with all three PGs involved.
Kings Pre-Draft Workout: Jimmer Fredette 6/9/11 (via kingsflix)
So Memo is now chilling with Kareem Abdul Jabbar who is in Turkey to promote Renault, an official car of the NBA:
via www.memo13.com
Yeah, I don't know what it's all about either. The Kobe jerseys don't appear to increase their skills though.
No word on how the workout and interview went yesterday with Bismack Biyombo. In case you haven't seen him play or need a refresher, here are his highlights from the Nike Hoop Summit this year:
Bismack Biyombo - 2011 Nike Hoop Summit Full Highlights - 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 blocks (via Gremlin212332)
Friday open poll... Any movie recommendations for this weekend?
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5. True Grit
IT was released on DVD this past week and is worth a revisit.
"Deep, deep in my heart I'm a Jazzman. All this summer, I knew I was
going to come back. I couldn't imagine my career without Jerry." -Fes
Follow this: @johnmrobert
5.
Hangover 2
"I hate it! It looks like a stickup at 7-Eleven. Five guys standing there with their hands in the air."
Norm Sloan
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors."
Weldon Drew
Yes!
You see that? It’s a napkin covering my orange juice! You know why? So nobody roofies me!
"Nobody scares us," Dion Gales said. "Where I’m from, it ain’t how big or small a man is, it’s the size of the fight in them.
"I’ll be doggone if I let another man beat me, that’s just my attitude. I’m not scared of another man."
by Matt_Grbac on Jun 10, 2011 12:44 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions
haha
yea, the IHOP scene. This movie is really funny
"I hate it! It looks like a stickup at 7-Eleven. Five guys standing there with their hands in the air."
Norm Sloan
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors."
Weldon Drew
5. Just go with it
have not seen it, but with adam sandler, nick swardson, how could it not be funny. plus NICOLE KIDMAN has a rocking bod
oh and i want jimmer!!!!
Louisiana Jazz fan
That's Brooklyn decker. Not Nicole kidman
The more you try to erase me, the more that I appear.
by clarkpojo on Jun 10, 2011 12:55 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions
I don't know Clark-
Kidman looks pretty good in that movie…not as good as Decker, but pretty good for her age.
I also liked this movie. Wasn’t sure I would, but now my wife is convinced we need to go to Maui.
by Theagreement on Jun 10, 2011 1:57 PM MDT up reply actions
I can't believe you'd post this 3 days later
And be completely wrong, even after someone posted the IMDB link 3 posts below yours (4 after I add mine).
I am in no way affiliated with the blog of the same name.
Uhh It's brooklyn decker
and jennifer aniston in that movie.
I don’t think Nicole kidman is in it at all….
For the Love of the Game
Stockton to Malone- The perfect combination!!
"I think he just said, 'Oh my Gosh,' or whatever they say in Provo."- ESPN talking about QB. Max Hall after BYU defeated third ranked Oklahoma (2009).
MonSTARZ forever!
#5 Kung Fu Panda 2
Great for anyone who’s been handed a life they didn’t plan on signing up for.
I'm sorry - Did you actually just suggest that there are teams I care about besides the Jazz?
All of a sudden, Jimmer at 12 is looking very bleak
However, it is possible that it allows Kawhi Leonard or someone like that to fall to the Jazz. That would be nice.
I am in no way affiliated with the blog of the same name.
I hope he ends up in Sactown
And we take Brandon Knight at 3. I would love for him to fall to 12, but every team he has worked out for are very high on him like the Knicks, Pacers, and he’s got another one with Phoenix all teams who pick after 10. Maybe one of them would trade up to get him because of how high his stock has risen
"I hate it! It looks like a stickup at 7-Eleven. Five guys standing there with their hands in the air."
Norm Sloan
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors."
Weldon Drew
Imagine the Jazz trading down from 12 with Jimmer on the board
Especially if it’s with a team trading up just to draft him. Priceless.
nbadraft.net has kanter at 1 with the jazz getting irving at 3
any substance to that rumor? or is it just hot air?
by bigdog'sshades on Jun 10, 2011 11:57 AM MDT reply actions
I wouldn't put too much stock into it.
Sometimes I feel some of these sites hire six year-olds to make their predictions. Although, I would wet my self with euphorius joy if it did happen.
by Theagreement on Jun 10, 2011 2:06 PM MDT up reply actions
i wouldnt put much stock in even one word that anyone says this time of year.
Affectionately known on Over the Monster as "Pete"
Follow me on twitter: @BigBenSportsGuy
by BigBenSportsGuy on Jun 10, 2011 3:33 PM MDT up reply actions
I bet Kyrie Irving falls to us
Cavs will go Derrick Williams I’m betting. He makes the most sense for them.
Twolves trade pick for someone to grab Kanter…Washington?
Then Irving to us. Then we could take offers for the 3rd pick and move back a couple spots and still grab Knight, Walker, or Vesely. Lots of options.
My mock would be Irving at 3…then Burks at 12. Or Kanter at 3 and Jimmer/Burks at 12.
"Nobody scares us," Dion Gales said. "Where I’m from, it ain’t how big or small a man is, it’s the size of the fight in them.
"I’ll be doggone if I let another man beat me, that’s just my attitude. I’m not scared of another man."
by Matt_Grbac on Jun 10, 2011 12:42 PM MDT via mobile reply actions
If Irving somehow falls to us, we should keep him.
by flibbidy on Jun 10, 2011 12:56 PM MDT up reply actions 2 recs
If Cleveland doesn't draft Irving
The wolves will get a flood of lucrative offers for that 2nd pick. No way Irving falls to us. Best case—we get Williams
So...just watching Biyombo for the first time
He looks ridiculously good, quick, and competitive. What’s the downsides on the guy?
Well for one
He makes Dennis Rodman and Ben Wallace look like Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson on the offensive side.
He has no offensive skills at all.
But that can be fixed…he is just a raw prospect with a mountain high ceiling.
"Nobody scares us," Dion Gales said. "Where I’m from, it ain’t how big or small a man is, it’s the size of the fight in them.
"I’ll be doggone if I let another man beat me, that’s just my attitude. I’m not scared of another man."
by Matt_Grbac on Jun 10, 2011 1:42 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions
He's really really really raw
but he’s built like a truck and never stops moving.
For the Love of the Game
Stockton to Malone- The perfect combination!!
"I think he just said, 'Oh my Gosh,' or whatever they say in Provo."- ESPN talking about QB. Max Hall after BYU defeated third ranked Oklahoma (2009).
MonSTARZ forever!
If Irving falls
it seems like there would be a few teams willing to pay the price to take minny’s pick.
5
Super 8 looks like it will be great. I plan on going tonight.
#1 An interesting piece on Knight by Amick on SI
As if the lottery landscape wasn’t unpredictable already, Brandon Knight might be muddying these waters even more than before.
While it remains likely that Cleveland will take Duke point guard Kyrie Irving at the top spot and (insert team name here, since Minnesota continues to spread the word that it would like to move down) will take Arizona’s Derrick Williams at No. 2, sources say the Kentucky point guard could be risking his chance to go third overall to Utah by refusing to work out against competition. Knight has an open invitation to join Connecticut’s Kemba Walker, BYU’s Jimmer Fredette and UCLA’s Malcolm Lee in a June 15 workout with the Jazz, but sources close to both sides said he has yet to decide whether to take part.
What’s more, there are rumblings that Utah is less than thrilled at the notion that Knight would even consider dictating the terms with the No. 3 pick (although Turkish center Enes Kanter already did just that in his Jazz workout in Chicago in which Toronto also took part). It’s unclear whether the Jazz would take a hard-line stance and refuse to take Knight unless he worked out against other top-line competitors, but that appears to be a possibility.
I attended Knight’s workout in Sacramento on June 2 and walked away convinced that Knight saw the Kings as his so-called first-round floor at No. 7. The problem there, predictably, is that the one-on-none approach wasn’t well received by the Kings’ brass either. As if separating the talent in this crop wasn’t tough enough, Knight’s tactic appears to have thrown a subtle wildcard into the process.
I could see Utah passing on Knight if he does try to dictate the workout.
Crazy things
In Knight’s workout with the Kings, I loved his shooting. I loved how he seemed to have the skills to shoot of curls and such too—his play wasn’t dictated on iso’s.
But there wasn’t a single pass there. In part, of course, because there was nobody else working out.
But in Jimmer’s workout with the Kings—Jimmer’s shot was even better, and Jimmer pulled off several passes that made me stop and think “whoa, that was nice.” I’m not surprised at all that the coaching staff was all giggles after Jimmer’s workout. It made me believe that he could possibly do really well as a PG.
At the same time, I can’t figure out Knight. I’ve been aching to see a single pass from Knight. Not a great pass—just any freaking pass.
I got the crap beat out of me in Provo one time
Co-sign
I was really impressed by some of the passes Jimmer made. It is worrisome that Knight doesn’t want to workout against the competition. If he refuses, as much as I love him, I’d have to pass.
Utah>*
Haha. Yucca that is funny
Well yes he wouldn’t pass when there is nobody to pass to. He was second in the ACC in assists per game last year, (although at only around 4 per game). He can pass the ball. The only question I would have with Knight is will he be willing to pass the ball. He is a hard enough worker, and a smart enough player that if if he dedicates himself to being a complete point guard I think he will be the best player in this draft (at least the best guard).
I think if the Jazz take him it is because they have decided that he can do that. Being able to create your own shot is a more rare talent in the NBA. He definitely has that ability, so If he is willing to be control his shot selection I think he has to be considered at 3.
I’m not that worried that he doesn’t want to work out with other guys. Alot of the top prospects have been doing that. As far as I know Kemba isn’t committed to working out against much of anyone either. It seems like an agent thing to me. From watching the kid play, you can see that he he is a competitor.
by davidthecomposer on Jun 11, 2011 3:26 AM MDT up reply actions
I guess I feel antsy because I've never seen him pass
Ever.
Partly it’s because I don’t really follow college basketball very much. But in all the highlight vids I’ve seen of Knight, I have yet to see a single pass. And when you hear the most common criticism of him—not a true PG—I just want to be able to see for myself whether I think the criticism is fair or not.
Sadly, I can’t decide because I’ve never seen a pass from Knight.
I got the crap beat out of me in Provo one time
Knight can pass
he’s not the prettiest or most brilliant passer, but he was also the best player on his team last year. I think he would’ve had a few more assists per game has Kanter been able to play last year. Thats another reason why I’d really like to see him do a group workout, so he can put all these “He can’t pass” rumors to bed.
And my comment about not drafting him at 3 if he refuses was a quick emotional burst after a long day at work, so I’d like to withdraw that. It just annoyed me that since he’s a competitor and we have a high chance of drafting him, that he wouldn’t really want to come out and show that he is better than Jimmer and Kemba.
Utah>*
I do agree with you
that whether or not Knight works out against competition won’t be the deciding factor regarding whether the Jazz draft him or not. It’s unheard of at all.
I also get why the Jazz would like to see him do it—so they can compare, but also so there is somebody for their possible PG-of-the-future to pass to.
I got the crap beat out of me in Provo one time
1
I am not convinced of Knight yet. I am still undecided on him.
3
What is up with Kareem’s left hand?
5
I think I am going to revisit Better Off Dead. It’s been a while since I have seen that flick. I owe someone two dollars and they told me they wanted their 2 dollars. It got me thinking about that movie.
1 - Knight
I see him becoming a Jason Terry or Monta Ellis type player. I think he will be good, but I’m not convinced he is the pure point guard the Jazz are looking for.
I think he's the next Jason Terry as well. And if Jason Terry weren't one of the most clutch shooters in the game, he would be fairly average.
The more you try to erase me, the more that I appear.
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