He actually had a few over Anthony Davis, MKG, and Terrence Jones. Watch these highlights. IMO he had a number of more impressive dunks than the coast to coast one. There were a few he threw down over Davis and Jones at the same time http://www.iowastatedaily.com/sport...a950-0019bb2963f4.html?utm_source=ncaa_banner Hope this embed works, otherwise the above will give you that: <object width="620" height="389" id="embed" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000"><param name="movie" value="http://www.cyclones.com/mediaPortal/embed.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashVars" value="catid=1005&id=855476&server=http://www.cyclones.com/XML/titanv3/&pageurl=http://www.cyclones.com/mediaPortal/&jtv=10700&skin=10700&gaa=UA-8528549-1&sitename=aff.iowast.iowastdaily" /><embed name="embed" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://www.cyclones.com/mediaPortal/embed.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="620" height="389" quality="high" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" flashVars="catid=1005&id=855476&server=http://www.cyclones.com/XML/titanv3/&pageurl=http://www.cyclones.com/mediaPortal/&jtv=10700&skin=10700&gaa=UA-8528549-1&sitename=aff.iowast.iowastdaily"></embed></object>
The more I read/watch White, the more I like him. He's really unconventional, but those skills are rarely found anywhere outside the top of the draft. His lack of true position and background may have caused him to drop, but the guy absolutely has all-star ability. IMO more than Morris and Patterson coming out of the draft. Also fairly high risk of being a traditional tweener that can't guard either position. But a risk definitely worth taking by pick 16.
Never thought Patterson had all-star potential, but a very solid double double guy, liked him much more than Jordan Hill. Morris I thought had allstar potential due to his efficient low post scoring, and because he played SF up until college. Thought he would be average-below average if he stayed as a PF. So far it has not been an easy transition to the 3. White definitely has allstar ability, the question is will it translate. He should have a bit easier time than Morris though. 1. He will not be forced to play a new position. It would be nice if he could play SF, and certainly increase his upside, but not mandatory. The guy is like 270, and one of the strongest players to ever come out of college(benched 29 times), he should hold his own fine defensively as a PF(a la Chuck Hayes). Morris on the other hand has looked extremely overmatched the very few times I've seen him guarding a big in the NBA, so to get on the floor he HAS to transition to the 3. 2. The McHale-Hoiberg connection. While I don't necessarily think McHale plays favorites, for every coach there is definitely a different degree of comfort level for different players. McHale was instantly comfortable with Parsons- he fit with what we wanted to do, and more importantly instantly helped us win. Meanwhile, a guy like Morris was more a square peg, having the team fit around him. With White, I believe McHale will have that instant comfort level once again due to his relationship with Hoiberg. He already has a leg up on being familiar with White's game based on that, and I imagine he will give White every opportunity to succeed.
Some more good and bad re: White- I love his demeanor. His interviews ooze confidence(what anxiety?). The kid is 21 years old? Seems much more mature(natural born leader?). Makes Terrence Jones sound like a bumbling little kid. I hate that he has so many interests outside of basketball. Music, art, writing etc. In one interview he said he would not be able to choose between music and basketball if he could only pick one. Personally, that is a red flag if you want to be a star player. Like Van Gundy once said, I want my players to live and breath basketball. That, and banging chicks. Those should be their ONLY two interests. I'll give Royce the benefit of the doubt though, and see if he can prove Van Gundy wrong.
Out of Dallas a couple of days before the draft. http://www.wfaa.com/sports/basketba...ou-should-root-for-Royce-White-160377175.html Sort of a long read so i'll get to the good part. Ooooo, i bet they were sick!:grin: Here's a nice pic of teammates.
I still like Morris' chances. I think it's not so much a bad fit as it was McHale wasn't interested in him developing on court, while Morris didn't feel like he should be developing down in the DLeague. If Morris had a better attitude, or if McHale was in charge of a developing team, I think they'd co-exist better. But everything last year contributed to a disaster. Hopefully they can work things out. Supposedly, McHale does have input in the draft. So he should've signed off on the Morris pick. Meaning he probably doesn't hate Morris the way David Thorpe suggested. As for White, if he can be a PF, that would be awesome. But I imagine there are certainly issues if he dropped that far. He's a "young" 21 due to not playing much in college, so I see almost as much potential for growth as your typical underclassman. Overall, seems like a top-10 talent.
If White's smart enough, he'll know to develop his basketball talent enough to make loads of money in the NBA, allowing him to devote the rest of his life to his interest without worry for money. I think this sort of devotion may shorten his career. But at this point I don't care if he retires in 10 years or 15 years.
I completely disagree, on one hand you want him to be smart and mature, yet he cannot have too many interests outside of basketball. If he is talented enough to succeed, then he's talented enough to succeed. It's weird how people talk about athletes being able to only do one thing in life, and lacking versatility or other necessary skills life. Some, in fact use the word "dumb," "lack of manners," "lack of culture," or even "useless without basketball." What would keep him from being competitive talent, if he also has an interests in music or even enjoy music more,that does not correlate into a lesser player.
Agreed. I don't want to come off sounding rude or anything, but a lot of people can only focus on one main thing in their lives, because they lack the mental focus and/or capacity to do so. White does a lot of stuff on the side, and to me someone who can naturally succeed at numerous things is someone I appreciate a lot more as a human being. Maybe it's because I am like White (minus the amazing basketball skills), but it's something to strive for IMO. Not being so one dimensional in life. A lot of sports stars got to where they are because they worked on it everyday, and that's the only thing they did. To see people who can be great, and be multi dimensional in life is even greater. Also about White's whole thing, if you dig up some interviews from awhile ago with him, he loves basketball and obviously wants to play it, but he wants to do more in life. He realizes that life is about more than just basketball. So for example, he wants to form many charities with the money he earns from playing pro ball to help people out in tough situations, and raise awareness about various things. Royce's 21st birthday party was held at a club in Ames, and he basically turned it into a charity event for an organization in Des Moines. http://www.iowastatedaily.com/sports/article_624a4e7e-8712-11e1-b530-0019bb2963f4.html Went down there to speak as well: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mHJuG5fYBUE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> He's mature. Guys in pro sports do this, but he got an early start and is a great ambassador in general for certain causes IMO.
