Olympic Fan
05-03-2008, 02:25 PM
The 2008-09 ACC preview that the DBR linked is a fun read and is as valid as any of the predictions we've made on this board. Caulton Tudor is a veteran sports writer and he's usually interesting.
I certainly won't dispute any of his projected rankings, they seem pretty close to what I'd call "Conventional wisdom"
However, I was surprised to see at least two factual slips from a professional sports writer. I'm not talking about the suggestion that Iman Shumpert is "a poor man's Javaris Crittendon" -- I know it bothered DBR, but both are big guards who score well and can play the point. I think Crittendon is quicker and more of a natural playmaker than Shumpert, while the newcomer is a better spot up shooter. Still, not an unreasonable comparison.
But how does Tudor come off calling Ed Davis "a perimeter recruit" noted as "an accurate shooter"? Davis is the kind of player so many Duke fans want -- a powerful low-post banger. Certainly not a perimeter player. And while he might have a high FG percentage, that's a function of his skill around the basket.
I guess you can debate whether Larry Drew is also "an accurate shooter" -- personally, I don't think that's a strength of his game.
My other objection was his projection of FSU -- does he really expect Hamilton to start a frontline of Echefu, Reid and Alabi? He lists the 7-1, 250-pound Alabi as a forward, which is just a minor mistake, but he wonders where the scoring will come other than Douglas ... which is a fair question if you think Hamilton will start three post players. But wouldn't it help to mention Chris Singleton a McDonald's All-American forward with great offensive skills? With Alabi and Echefu inside, Singleton and Luke Loucks (who does have a reputation as an accurate shooter) on the wings and Douglas at the point (or maybe Kitchen at the point and Douglas on the wings), that looks like a pretty balanced offensive attack.
I have a few more quibbles, but those would be more along the lines of differences in opinions (he really thinks Purnell's response to getting smaller is to throw out his fullcourt pressure game and play a half-court defense?; he thinks BC will start a frontline of 6-7 Roche, 6-7 Trapani and 6-4 Sanders ... what about 6-10, 255 Josh Southern, who started down the stretch this past season?)
I certainly won't dispute any of his projected rankings, they seem pretty close to what I'd call "Conventional wisdom"
However, I was surprised to see at least two factual slips from a professional sports writer. I'm not talking about the suggestion that Iman Shumpert is "a poor man's Javaris Crittendon" -- I know it bothered DBR, but both are big guards who score well and can play the point. I think Crittendon is quicker and more of a natural playmaker than Shumpert, while the newcomer is a better spot up shooter. Still, not an unreasonable comparison.
But how does Tudor come off calling Ed Davis "a perimeter recruit" noted as "an accurate shooter"? Davis is the kind of player so many Duke fans want -- a powerful low-post banger. Certainly not a perimeter player. And while he might have a high FG percentage, that's a function of his skill around the basket.
I guess you can debate whether Larry Drew is also "an accurate shooter" -- personally, I don't think that's a strength of his game.
My other objection was his projection of FSU -- does he really expect Hamilton to start a frontline of Echefu, Reid and Alabi? He lists the 7-1, 250-pound Alabi as a forward, which is just a minor mistake, but he wonders where the scoring will come other than Douglas ... which is a fair question if you think Hamilton will start three post players. But wouldn't it help to mention Chris Singleton a McDonald's All-American forward with great offensive skills? With Alabi and Echefu inside, Singleton and Luke Loucks (who does have a reputation as an accurate shooter) on the wings and Douglas at the point (or maybe Kitchen at the point and Douglas on the wings), that looks like a pretty balanced offensive attack.
I have a few more quibbles, but those would be more along the lines of differences in opinions (he really thinks Purnell's response to getting smaller is to throw out his fullcourt pressure game and play a half-court defense?; he thinks BC will start a frontline of 6-7 Roche, 6-7 Trapani and 6-4 Sanders ... what about 6-10, 255 Josh Southern, who started down the stretch this past season?)