I remember last year when Badiane was drafted and many on this board got all excited comparing him to Amare Stoudamire or a young Olajuwon. Yup.
Im not saying he is the answer: But no one has seen this guy play and all already saying he sucks. LOL.
This is the sound of quiet desperation clawing, clawing at the door that has no key. We don't need a door key. We need a wrecking ball.
That ****** could still outrebound mr. manchild, chico. Badman needs to stay in germany to perfect his game against the likes of other notable rox big men, such as serge zwiker(sp? as if anyone cares) and venson hamilton. And the survey says ... toothpick wins again.
Have you watched Venson Hamilton and Tyrone Washington play in the college? If not it's hard to compare Badman with them.
korver... he's not really that good. and he has chicken legs which are almost disgusting unathletic. if the rockets could have one role player on the 76ers, it'd have to be sam dalembert.
Talking about Pig Miller makes me wonder what the fella is doing now. I like the guy's hustle and heart. Nothing to knock on him, but is he now playing in a professional league or working in a grocery store?
dalembert wasn't on the board when we chose badiane... as for korver, you're crazy if you think his perimeter shooting couldn't have helped down the stretch...he's 23rd in the league in 3pt%...of all the rockets, only JJ (15th) shot better than korver from behind the arc.
that's true... but dalembert is solid. rebounds and blocks shots like ben wallace. you can get shooters anywhere.
Don't get me wrong guys. I'm not saying Badman will be a starter or answer at pf. Given more time and experience, I think he has the chance to fit our certain need at the 4. Face it, we don't have a guy to come off the bench and provide energy, especially a guy who works on both ends of the court unlike our other two. A Mark Madsen type of player is what Badiane can be. Courtesy of Dr.Dunk who wrote reviews on Bad Man in the last summer league. ----------------------- Game 3 Against the Golden State: The Bad Man Cometh... He's about 6'10" and 230 lbs. of hustle. That's all I can say about him. The numbers don't show him as the team leader in points, but it was about 50% his hustle that kept the Warriors out of this game. Example : Badiane is helping to defend a player on the right sideline when a pass comes in that gets tipped away (not sure if Badiane tipped it). The ball bounces all the way across to the other sideline. Everyone else just stands there or gives up on the play, but Badiane hauls ass across the court and nearly saves the ball. I think Miskiri or Hicks also went for the ball, but no one went cross-court like Badiane did. Badiane also had possibly the highlight of the game when he did a 2-handed ram down some Warrior's throat. The whole crowd erupted as Badiane grabbed the rim and did a jiggle a la American streetballers and got fouled in the process. Pretty soon he'll be dribbling the ball to death, crossing people over 10 times as the clock runs out, and shooting boneheaded jumpers... yay. Not to be outdone by Boki's block of a dunk attempt, Badiane had a block at the rim of Warrior shot as well. One thing about Badiane is that he goes after anything. I just sat there thinking to myself "this guy goes after the ball anytime it's not in the possession of a human hand". If it's a loose ball, he'll dive for it or chase it. If it's the other team's shot, he'll try to block it or rebound the miss. If it's our shot, he'll try to fly in and jam it or get a rebound. Whether it's the summer leagues or the regular season, hustle is hustle, and he's got plenty of it. This guy has offensive moves that are in their infancy, but you know he's not completely raw. There was one play where he pump-faked a guy into the air then went up for 2. He did brick one 15 footer, but he seems to like the baseline 15-footer where he's left open. He seems competent hitting that shot. Overall, a great showing by the Bad Man. So good, I saw during one timeout Patrick Ewing grab a towel from someone else and hand it to Badiane. Sweet... you just got Patrick Ewing as your towel boy - you're going places, kid. -------------------- Game 2 Against the Raptors This game was closer than the final score would indicate. One thing is rather apparent from watching all the first 2 games : we don't have the talent some of these other teams do. I doubt any new faces from this summer league team will be on the roster for us unless we have something bad happen during the summer. Malick Badiane may make it, but from what CD's been saying, he's 1-2 year away, so... Let's start again with the only people anybody other than relatives may care about : They're freezing you out, Malick!! Well, I type that chuckling. There were several plays where Malick had posted up the defender, but for whatever reason we decided not to get the ball to him. He definitely wasn't featured much in this game. Most of his shots early on came from garbage baskets (at least 2 or 3 of them did anyway). Badiane didn't start the game, and as a matter of fact, didn't even play the first quarter. He continued to display his non-stop hustle. There was one play after a turnover where he out-sprinted everyone down the court to get in position for an easy dunk. Unfortunately, the play was called dead because of a foul. I didn't get to see much of anything new from Badiane in this game. For the second straight game, I was sitting next to rocketsfan34 (of the Clutch BBS), and one thing we both were noticing was, whoever said this guy has no offense is off their rocker. He has a good touch from the FT line, he has a good 15 foot jumper, he has a jump hook, and he has a fake/spin move in the post. That's the good stuff. Now for the bad. If Badiane has to ever guard Chris Bosh one on one again, he'll be destroyed. There's no way he could stay with Bosh. But then maybe that's why Bosh was drafted so high. Malick was juked and faked out of his underwear on 2 or 3 plays by Bosh. Bosh almost slammed 2 or 3 highlight reel dunks over Badiane and his teammates on a couple of other plays, too. By the end of the game, Badiane was getting help in the form of a double-team before Bosh could do any further damage. I'm not sure what Bosh's final point total was, but believe me, it could have been higher had he been featured. My feelings on Badiane after the 2nd game? He's raw, but not Hakeem Olajuwon raw. His defense is good, but he isn't intimidating people like a Mutombo. He's very similar Dikembe Mutombo in that if he has to move laterally, he can be beat by quicker PF's. He's rather awkward at times when he has to move laterally. Like I said, Bosh was the one exposing him, so it's not like he was letting some absolute stiff do this to him. I still think the guy has game. Is he better than Mo Tay? No. Is he better than Eddie Griffin? Probably not at this point. He's more aggressive than Griffin, though. ---------------- Game 1 Against the Lakers Badiane brings his game to the US Malick Badiane started the game off a bit awkward and overmatched by umm... Eric Chenowith. Yes, you heard me right. Chenowith's game was on early as he was hitting everything he threw up. Malick's defense wasn't that bad, but he was outweighed by the people he was usually guarding by about 10-30 lbs it seemed. He's not ready to play post defense if he'll be going up against 250+ pounders in the paint. He's more of a power forward type who was forced to play quite a bit of the 5 in this game. I expected Badiane to have nothing on offense as that's what I kept reading. He does have an offensive game albeit a bit (sorry for the cliche) raw. He has a competent 15 foot jumper that I saw him pop during warmups and saw him hit a couple of during the game. In other words, he's not a Dikembe Mutumbo when it comes to offense. On defense, he's a pogo stick. I saw him out of position a lot for rebounds and still go after them. Of course a lot of times he was out of position because he was being blocked out by bigger players. He definitely hustles on defense and offense as I saw him go after blocks a few times, come flying in for rebound jam attempts a couple of times, and dive to the floor a few times. I saw him run the floor on a break after a turnover, but miss the dunk because he went too far under the basket (court awareness, Malick!). Malick has a jump hook that has some serious potential. He shot that shot a few times, and shot it like he knew what he was doing. Badiane also showed a turnaround spin move he apparently has, although he got called for traveling on that particular play. Some Lakers fans next to me who seemed knowledgable about basketball commented they liked what they saw in him. I agree. He seemed to get more comfortable as the game went on and ended up leading the Rockets in points for the game. It's only 1 game, so I'll reserve any further judgment till I see more.
I think Malick could bring some nice energy off the bench if given a roster spot next year...maybe 5 or 10 minutes a game. Particularly for the times when Yao and Cato are both in foul trouble, and we need someone in there to rebound and challenge shots.
If we got TMAC for Mobes, MoT, Cato, and the TE then we might get Mcdyess and some other bench players to play for the minimum. Yao (FA-C. Anderson, Ostertag?) McDyess (Badiane) TMAC (Boki) JJ (Pike) Francis (Duhon) Yeah, I know it won't happen, because if it did, we would have to give CD a key to the city.
Obviously some of you forgot what you got in Badine......... So let me remind you.......this is his NBA workout last year. Just read it.......it should show you what the Rockets might have in the future......... Ebi OK, Villanueva bombs, Badiane opens eyes By Chad Ford NBA Insider Send an Email to Chad Ford Friday, June 6 Updated: June 6 11:17 AM ET CHICAGO -- After one day of intense on-court scrutiny of 69 prospects at the Chicago pre-draft camp Wednesday, NBA scouts and GMs turned their attention to more pressing matters on Thursday -- finding the next diamond in the rough. Thursday's Buzz Of course, private workouts were only the sideshow to the main event in Chicago. There was plenty going on inside the NBA's pre-draft camp Thursday, where Luke Walton and Troy Bell continued to impress scouts. Thursday's Buzz For the most part, the college players here are what they are. With a few exceptions, most of them are college seniors who have been scouted a dozen times. As good as the competition is, there doesn't appear to be a player here who can crack the top 20 in this year's NBA Draft. So the majority of scouts eventually get restless, and their eyes start to wander. When a few hot high school or international prospects let it leak that they'll be working out at an undisclosed time and location (which, of course, will quickly become the worst-kept secret in Chicago) it's the equivalent of a fire drill. The mass exodus is staggering. "We've got a herd mentality in the NBA," one assistant GM told Insider. "If we see something hot or new, we stampede." Thursday's stampede headed in the direction of three intriguing prospects: High school stars Ndudi Ebi and Charlie Villanueva, and international prospect Malik Badiane. Today, the same herd will be courtside to watch 7-foot-4, 300 pound Russian giant Pavel Podkolzine. For months the debate has raged over which side of the Atlantic is producing better young prospects. If Thursday was any indication, the international guys have opened up a can of whoop-ass on the Americans. Here's a look at how the day went down. 1 p.m., Hoops Gym Ndudi Ebi Every year one major workout takes place at Hoops, and this year roughly 200 NBA scouts and GMs have crammed into the gym for a good look at Ebi and Villanueva. Ebi, a skinny, 6-foot-9 forward, went first. It really isn't the best stage for his skills. Ebi was ranked as one of the top three players in the country based on his great defense, shot-blocking (the best in the nation), hustle and ability to score inside and out. Thursday's affair was basically a series of shooting drills, low post exercises and a few examples of running the floor. Things didn't go all that well for the youngster from Texas. Ebi wasn't shooting the ball particularly well. His shot form looks OK, but nothing was going in on a consistent basis. He had a few nice runs, but it wasn't anything to write home about. Ebi is often compared to Jonathan Bender, because of his slight frame and ability to multi-task on the floor. But it's pretty clear Ebi doesn't have the type of dead-eye range Bender showed as a prospect. Ebi's best attribute in workouts is his length. His arms are long, and he's able to move quickly to get to the basket. He's pretty impressive taking the ball outside the 3-point line, taking one dribble and driving to the basket. Several scouts that know him well say Ebi is a hard worker, plays with a lot of desire and is constantly working on his game to make it better. The downside is that he's still very, very raw offensively, needs to add a lot of strength to his frame and he needs to find a position. None of those knocks will stop someone from drafting him ... possibly as high as the middle of the first round. "If he stayed in college another two years," one scout told Insider, "he'd be a high lottery pick. I wish he'd go back to school, because I think he's so raw, he's better of getting playing time. He'll get stronger quicker if he goes straight to the NBA, but he won't really be able to develop his game instincts. With that said, if I was sitting in the late teens and early 20s and had a couple years to develop him, I'd take him in a heartbeat. He has the desire to get better and will keep working on his game until he earns playing time." Villanueva's workout, on the other hand, was a disaster. The minute Ebi ended his workout and Villanueva stepped on the floor, roughly half the NBA people in the gym got up and walked out. Charlie Villanueva was less than impressive on Thursday. If that isn't a message to Villanueva to go back to school, I don't know what is. Ironically, Villanueva actually looked much more polished than Ebi. He shot the ball well, showed nice athleticism on several drills, and, at 6-foot-11, he has some skills that are intriguing. But two related things poisoned the well. Villanueva worked at less than half speed. I'm not sure he even broke a sweat. His play, on a few occasions, bordered on lackadaisical. Midway through the workout, there were less than 50 people left in the gym. What's the problem? "Bad attitude," one NBA GM said. "Terrible attitude," another NBA coach said. An international scout was furious that he even wasted his time. "Why come to a job interview and goof around?" he said. "I don't understand it. Neither of these kids put on a real workout today. If you want to see someone really work for their bread, come with me ..." With that, and with Villanueva's workout still not officially over, we were out the door and on the way to see Senegal's Malick Badiane. 2:30 p.m., University Illinois Chicago. A few wrong turns get us to the gym after Badiane's workout has begun. The difference in the atmosphere is palpable the minute we enter the room. Badiane is grunting and growling. His trainer, Eric Lichter, is putting him through a strenuous drill. Badiane is going full speed. He's pounding the ball with every dribble. He's clawing, scratching out every drill. He takes the ball at the top of the key, takes one dribble and throws down a huge dunk. He does it again. And again. And again. For the first time all day, I can smell the sweat in the gym. Badiane is an impressive physical specimen. He's a 19-year old, 6-foot-11, 234-pound power forward with a 7-foot-4½ wing span and a 32½-inch vertical jump. His body is already ripped, and his frame suggests he could easily bulk up to 250 without losing any speed or agility. At one point Lichter takes a huge cord that looks like a giant rubber band, ties one end around his waist and the other around Badiane's waist. He then tells Badiane to attack the basket and dunk the ball. As Badiane fights to get there, Lichter is pulling the band in the opposite direction. Badiane is grunting with each fierce dunk. "Again!" Lichter shouts as he yanks the cord. Badiane jumps, Lichter pulls. Badiane stretches toward the rim, Lichter keeps pulling. About 40 NBA scouts and GMs are in the gym. None of them are talking to each other. They're all staring, jaws agape. "I told you," the international scout said. "That is an NBA workout. He just earned himself a lot of bread." If Badiane had been on the court with Ebi and Villanueva, he would have killed them both. "Right now, the international players are hungrier," another scout continues. "They really want it. Over in Europe (Badiane plays for a team in Germany), the conditions still aren't always great. You never know when or if you're getting paid. The facilities aren't that great, and the money isn't very good. You don't play to have seven Bentleys in your garage. You play because it's your passion." — NBA scout on Malick Badiane of Senegal Two NBA scouts in the gym have followed Badiane for years. One claims he should be a top 15 pick in the draft. The other won't go that far but does insist he's a lock for the first round. "Where are you going to find that combination of power and athleticism?" the scout said. "I hate comparisons, but how different is he from Amare Stoudemire in terms of strength and desire? I don't think there's that big a gap." Another assistant GM walks up to me, smiles and sums up the last 45 minutes. "It looks like you've stumbled onto another goldmine." Here's the book on Badiane according to several experts in African scouting who know him intimately. He's one of the strongest, most athletic big men in the draft. He is an above-average defender, strong rebounder and a great shot blocker. He runs the floor like a guard and is an explosive leaper. He has a soft shooting touch and his range extends out to 15 feet. Of all of the young, African prospects to come to the NBA in the last 20 years, both scouts claim Badiane has the most offensive potential of any since Hakeem Olajuwon. Lichter has another comparison that seems to fit. "He reminds me a lot of Nene," said Lichter, who trained Nene Hilaro last summer. "They're both as strong as an ox. Nene is a more talented physical prospect, but Malick is much more skilled around the basket than Nene was when he came over. Badiane is very swift, which is kind of amazing considering how powerful his legs really are. He's got awesome power from his base." Lichter has helped Badiane improve on his raw ability. He has him working in a sand pit in Cleveland, mimicking NBA moves in sand to increase his strength and explosiveness. In five weeks, Badiane has gained 17 pounds -- all of it muscle. After the workout, Nuggets GM Kiki Vandeweghe shows Badiane a few moves in the block. He's shaking his head and smiling widely as he walks away. Badiane is just happy to be here. "I just wanted to work hard and show the NBA what they would be getting if they drafted me," he told Insider. "I've been working very hard and I'll keep working hard if they choose to draft me." Badiane has plenty of experience against top competition. He played well at the Global Games in Dallas last summer (and held his own against Darko Milicic), and he impressed people at the ABCD camp for high schoolers. When asked who is favorite NBA player is, he smiles and says Ben Wallace. "I love to play defense like he does. I just want to be strong, grab every rebound and block every shot." He only has one caveat on that comparison. "But I will score the ball too." Most scouts have assumed Badiane will be taken by the Mavs at No. 29. But based on what we saw on Thursday, Badiane probably won't be on the board that long. 5 p.m., Gold Coast MultiPlex Pavel Podkolzine, the 7-foot-4 Siberian kid who was virtually unknown six months ago is finally in the U.S. What does he think? Podkolzine "I love America!" he says with a huge smile. He then picks me up off the floor to give me a hug. "America is the best. I don't want to leave!" He's been here all of two hours. Pavel got off the seven-hour flight from Milan, took a cab to his hotel, unpacked and called his agent, Justin Zanick, 30 minutes later. "I'm ready to go to the gym. I'm sick of waiting around." Another 30 minutes later and Pavel is at the MultiPlex, dribbling a basketball in front of a number of stunned onlookers. You really have to see him to believe him. CBA head coach Billy Bayno is at the gym, ready to give Pavel a prep course for his workout Friday. Pavel picks up the ball and starts running the floor, dribbling between his legs, behind his back and doing a little cross-over move. He then picks it up and starts firing away. His first 12 shots hit nothing but net. Over the next 30 minutes, Bayno puts Pavel through what essentially is a guard's workout -- perimeter shooting, ball handling, pick and pops. What is he doing? "I was just trying to get a handle for what the big fella could do," he said. "His skills are pretty amazing, I kind of got carried away." If you're an NBA team, you don't have much to fear. Pavel won't be chucking up NBA 3-pointers at today's workout. He'll spend his time on the block, displaying his increasingly impressive array of post moves and showing teams how well he runs the floor. Bayno, for one, is impressed. "He's for real, big time. This workout could last for 15 minutes and I think they'll see everything they need to see." The plan is to go for 40 minutes. To get ready, Pavel works for an hour at a pretty furious pace. The level of intensity for what was supposed to be a run-through dwarfs what Ebi and Villanueva did in the morning. Not bad for a guy two hours removed from a seven-hour flight. Pavel seems to be enjoying himself. I ask him if he's nervous for tomorrow's workout, and he just shrugs his shoulders and smiles. "People stare at me wherever I go, what's the difference? I just will try to do my best." At 7-foot-4, 300 pounds, his best won't have to be too much to get him in the lottery. If he works out today the same way he worked Thursday night, it will be a shock if he doesn't land in the top 13
