As significant and dramatic as the rest of the NCAA tournament might be, the true-blue NBA aficionados are less interested in which team emerges as the champion, as they are in how guys like Redick and Morrison might fare in the next level of competition. So, then, based upon the evidence presented in Thursday's games — LSU's 62-54 besting of Duke, and UCLA's dramatic 73-71 win over Gonzaga — here's an evaluation of just how NBA-ready Redick and Morrison are, and are not. J.J. Redick Can do: Bury wide open shots (emphasis on "wide open"). Gravitate to unguarded areas in early offense. Use screens fairly well. Set sturdy screens himself when he has to. Make good passes on the move. Play with great intelligence. Box out (with the costly exception of ignoring Glen Davis on the free-throw line in the closing seconds). Switch well on defense. Make admirable attempts to deny his man on defense. Can't do: Put the ball on the floor against quick defenders — that's because his dribble is much too high. Show any trickery or deception near the basket (he had three layups blocked). Execute convincing ball-fakes. Play in any other gear but slow-motion. Create his own shot. Play defense with intensity. Avoid turning his head on defense. Must do: Get quicker, faster, stronger — and, above all, get his dribble down to at least mid-thigh level. Quicken his crossover. Develop stylish moves in the paint. Somehow get some liveliness in his body. Learn to get over, around or under screens. Defend. Prognosis: He's basically a plodder who excelled on a smart team that could take fullest advantage of his minimal skills. At best, Redick is a marginal NBA player, and, indeed, might not even be able to survive in the CBA. Adam Morrison Adam Morrison had a tough finish to his season. (Paul Sakmura / Associated Press) Can do: Pull and shoot going both ways, but is more comfortable looking for a shot while moving left. Release his jumpers quickly, with good hand mechanics, and accurately from mid-range as well as long distance. Get his shots away from a puzzling variety of release points. Slither his way through narrow alleys on the baselines. Use his off-arm to effectively protect his dribble. Demonstrate a knack for passing. Finesse his way all around the attack zone, knowing when and where to make his cuts. Make dynamic one-footed changes of direction without the ball. Catch incoming passes with strong, sure hands. Can't do: Rebound. Play with power. Stretch out and run the court (he runs like his knees are loosely tied together). Even though he jumps around and waves his hand when playing the wing in a zone, he can't guard anybody. Make good decisions on defense. Gain any ground with his patty-cake cross-over dribble. Must do: Spend the off-season in the weight room until he's tough enough to welcome body contact, especially on defense. Develop an explosive cross-over move and some kind of spin move. Put some more dipsy-doo in his offense, especially in the paint. Play with as much intensity off the ball as he does with the ball. Do his crying in the postgame locker room. Prognosis: His high shoulders translate into an extended reach and an ability to get his shots away against taller opponents. And he certainly has the athleticism to develop into a mediocre defender. But even players who are much smoother than he is can't survive in The League without a modicum of strength. Lacking the zippity quickness of, say, a George Gervin, Morrison won't be able to avoid getting blasted when he takes the ball into the lane — so he must at least develop enough muscle mass to take a hit and survive. If he works hard on his flaws, Morrison might some day become a double-digit scorer in the NBA. But to compare him with Larry Bird is heresy. In conclusion ... Against fellow collegians, Redick was able to motor around screens, fan and receive inside-out passes from his bigs and his point guard and make his straight-line, straight-up-and-down drives hoopward with considerable success. However, against NBA competition, his smarts will be rendered superfluous by his high handle and his astounding lack of foot speed. The quick, springy and long-armed defensive rotations of the NBA's bigs will instantly erase any shots that Redick might attempt in the lane. Even the worst NBA defenders will contain him, and the league's most impotent scorers will have career games against Redick's pitiful defense. Congratulations to J.J. for a super-duper career against immature undergraduates whose coaches were easily outmaneuvered by Coach K. Here's hoping that Redick majored in an academic subject that will provide him and his with a viable livelihood. Like Redick, Morrison had enough stuff to excel in a boys' game, but the NBA is for men only (except for an occasional man-child like LeBron). Like Redick, Morrison's off-the-ball movement and bull's-eye shooting versus largely inferior and dull-witted opponents was sufficient to make him an "all-everything." Morrison certainly has more NBA-level skills than Redick, but his lack of power, quickness and adjustability are serious obstacles that will be ruthlessly exploited. He does have the size (and the shoulders!), the athleticism and the quick-release shots to eventually find a niche on some downtrodden team that can give him on-the-job training. But his trickless game translates into a long and arduous apprenticeship.
I can smell Charley Rosen's writing style a mile away. I know he isn't very popular around here, but you got to at least give credit and a link: http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/5439754
I know these two guys are the high scorers in college bball, but jeez, here was have another competition for the Great White Nope.
Yeah, Charley comes across as a big peen-us, imo. He just can't tell his viewpoints without bashing the heck out of someone. Those guys haven't even sniffed the NBA, yet he stomps them down as if he is soooo jealous.
Why a thread on these two? They aren't close to being the most interesting prospects out there (overall NBA-wise or specifically for the Rockets). Let's talk about LaMarcus Aldridge and Tyrus Thomas. Those are a couple of exciting talents worth debating.
It wasn't that Morrison cried -- hell, lots of athletes do that after a crushing defeat. It's the way he cried: Like a 9-year-old, with his face all distorted. And he started while there was still time on the clock. I was sure his mom was going to come out a comfort him. What a pu$$y. Keep this guy off the Rockets, PLEASE.
i really didn't have a problem with rosen's assessment of the two. but he such an ass in the process. "At best, Redick is a marginal NBA player, and, indeed, might not even be able to survive in the CBA." and "Here's hoping that Redick majored in an academic subject that will provide him and his with a viable livelihood." my god charlie the guy is still in college, an amatuer, not a professional yet. save the scathing comments for when he's actually in the league. give your assessment and be done with it.
After the way Adam Morrison cried like a 8 year old girl scout, I dont ever want that pansy on my team. Loser.
I can't believe I'm agreeing with Charley Rosen. Neither are a good fit for the rockets. Look at their games that knocked them out of the tourney. Reddick got completely shut down and destroyed by superior athleticism. Morrison played like a man, plodded around the court far too slowly to prove he could defend swingmen at the nba level. Morrison's the much better prospect. Taller, stronger, same speed, with better handles, and better passing. Reddick might make it as a specialist, but will not be a starter. Brandon Roy is the man to choose, if indeed we get a pick that high. I'm watching him play against Uconn right now and he's solid. I've been watching all year and he plays the same way every game. He's got enough strength to finish near the hoop. He shoots with good form, but the consistency hasn't come yet. What you love is his decision making, making good passes against a good collapsing defense. He's a much better Bob Sura alright. He's outplaying Rudy Gay badly. Still looks short to me though. Does anyone else notice that?
That's been mentioned a couple of times. I'll bet he comes in under 6'5". That would likely drop him down a bit to where we'll be picking. I'd definitely take him. This kid looks like a real baller.
Having heart and team spirit? Rockets lack that emotional energy at times which was not the case last year.
Erm, they're completely different players. Morrison is a shooter/scorer, while Dunleavy was billed as an all-around, skilled forward. Not every comparison has to come down along racial lines. Morrison's more like Glen Rice with a few more intangibles. But it doesn't really matter. Morrison isn't a good fit with Tracy at the 3, and he isn't going to be around when we pick.
Thats got nothing to do with crying like that. The game wasnt over and the dude was balling his eyes out. That was just ridiculous. I laughed.
Morrison's a good shooter, but he really doesn't have the range that Rice did coming out of college. He's also not as quick or athletic (and Rice wasn't exactly a physical freak). I'd say Glenn Robinson would be a better comparison. And not to group together players of the same race, but to me KVH also seems like a closer comparison than Glen Rice.
Gotta love Rosen, watch 1 game and declare that Redick can't even play in the CBA. I guess Tyrus Thomas is going to be the next Bill Russell from the way he blocks shots and hustles huh.
