PDA

View Full Version : McRoberts' Back



ricks68
03-23-2007, 01:40 AM
I have been thinking about this a lot during the season, but did not want to bring it up unless McRoberts declared for the draft.

Does anyone besides myself think that there is the possibility that Josh might not be able to bulk up because of his back, and therefore really can't play as a normal center would?

I mean, like I had back surgery about 5 years ago and should not be lifting more than 25 lbs. When I travel, I even have to have someone else lift my bags from the baggage conveyor. If I do break that rule, which occurs occasionally, I suffer for it for a few days afterwards with some dull deep back/shoulder pain and some numbness in my arms, etc. due to the compression that occurred to the nerves exiting between the affected vertebrae. If I push against something (someone), like Josh would have to do in the post, it has the same effect.

Maybe Josh has had some of the same restrictions, and just couldn't play the complete style we expected of him. Coach K, being the way he is, would never have let that out, and still won't because it could affect his draft status. We may find out more after they do the draft physicals.

Has anyone else thought about that?

ricks

Duke in 2008
03-23-2007, 07:44 AM
To be honest with you I think McRobert's as a center in the NBA will get eaten up. I think he will have to be a combination forward/center player. He is going to have to step out out hit the 10-12 footer consistantly to be an impact player. He has the skills, but as a center...I'm not so sure. He gonna have to be like a Dirk Nowitzki, who can step inside and then also hit the outside shot too. Just my opinion.

throatybeard
03-23-2007, 08:32 AM
This back injury is bad news. Don't rookies have to carry all the veterans' crap?

Jumbo
03-23-2007, 09:21 AM
I can confirm for you that the NBA is absolutely aware of Josh's back injury -- both the surgery he and the spasms he still suffers from. In addition, the NBA views him as a man without a position. No one's even thinking about him as a 5 -- right now he's more of a 4 who plays like a 3, but doesn't shoot like one.

imagepro
03-23-2007, 01:08 PM
that I do agree with you. Josh will NOT ba a 5. You nailed it, a 3 or 4, but NEVER a 5. NO WAY. His versatily is what makes him a valuable commodity....

ricks68
03-23-2007, 05:25 PM
Thank Jumbo and Imagepro for confirming what I had been thinking for a long time. Don't be so sure that Josh will go high or low. It's a crap shoot. Do the name Mike Dunleavy ring a bell? It's all in the possible fit. Where does Josh fit in the pro game? Or more importantly, for Josh, where do the teams think he could fit? Maybe a team will see future potential at a fit and draft him high, but most may see a problem there, and his draft stock will drop big time.

In addition, is it now proper at this time to ask the question that a lot of us appeared to have been skirting: Where did he really fit for us? I mean, like, he's a great kid with tremendous talent, but we are only allowed 5 players to be on the court at a time. Without a guy like Shelden, Boozer, Brand, etc. at the post, we have no "anchor". Without the strong post presence, forget true success in the NCAA's, and in our conference.

I, for one, am satisfied with Josh leaving. We need to get on track again for developing a new post player--be it the power forward post style of our guys I mentioned above, or a more pure post. It wouldn't matter to us. the sooner the better. We need that inside presence to go along with an athletic wing and strong guard play. That's our, and basically everyone else's, bread-and-butter. I believe that having Josh around for another year would have delayed it happening again.

I wish Josh all the best, and hope that he lands in a good place. He is very talented, and appears to be an upstanding young man.

ricks

ikiru36
03-23-2007, 05:28 PM
I can confirm for you that the NBA is absolutely aware of Josh's back injury -- both the surgery he and the spasms he still suffers from. In addition, the NBA views him as a man without a position. No one's even thinking about him as a 5 -- right now he's more of a 4 who plays like a 3, but doesn't shoot like one.

Full agreement, here.

Just returning to the question of his back injury, I wonder how much the issue hurts him vs. helps him, relatively speaking.

I feel that, despite his slight build, young age, and inability to work out extensively last summer, Josh did demonstrate this year his decent strength as well as a natural ability to rebound and (to a lesser extent)block shots, which are genuine '4' attributes. He also demonstrated his special ability (given his size) to lead and fill on the break, and pass from the high post.

However, my concern all year was his regression in two other vital areas (from what I recollect him demonstrating in HS and somewhat last year, anyways), shooting and the ability to drive past a defender. Does his recovery from back surgery (which many say takes at least a year or more to regain full explosiveness from) act somewhat as an "excuse" for his struggles in these areas (and perhaps his offensive aggressiveness in the post as well). I'm a little less certain about the shooting issue as looking back, including HS, he was a genuinely decent 3 pt. shooter, but never very consistent at the FT line.

The McRoberts we saw this year, if he were able to add a consistent face-up shot out to, say, 18+ ft., and the explosiveness to drive/finish on NBA 4's, given his dribble/passing ability, he'd have genuine all-star potential, given a little time. It's really all about the assessment of his back injury and whether he is continuing to regain strength/flexibility/explosiveness. The young man just turned 20, while Joakim Noah is already 22, and Al Thornton, 23.

I'd have loved to see him next year in a Duke uniform, cause if the back is (a non-chronic) part of his (relative) struggles, he could improve markedly over the next year or so.

Once again, wishing him all the best as he'll still always be a part of the Duke family.

P.S. I do hope that he'll choose to finish up his degree at some point so that we can be fellow graduates!

Go Lady Devils!!!!!! Go Duke!!!!!! GTHCGTH!!!!!!

ACCBBallFan
03-23-2007, 11:16 PM
I think the only time Josh was bothered by the back surgery was in pre-season, when Zoubek dominated him in Blue-White game. As season progressed, Josh's back got better, and Zoubek dominated no one, despite his height advantage.