Oden out again?

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by pgardn

Excellent.
You have done yourself proud.

Both of you have a great day at work.

goodnight phil

[somerfrost]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

goodnight phil

Wow....can't help myself. James was touted much more than any HS player in my memory, second was Lou Alcinder (probably he would have been Lebron's equal tout-wise had he come around after the internet explosion and ESPN). I don't know anyone who didn't think Lebron was "can't miss", in fact, the only question seemed to be would he be the equal of MJ. I was one who discounted that lofty praise, comparing a HS player to MJ is the kiss of death (like comparing a horse to Secretariat, just ask Big Brown). He had the body of a mid-twenties man in HS so there was little doubt that he could play the NBA game...as others have said, a once-in-a-generation freak! I'm sorry to see that the new "big O" will be out from 2-6 weeks (depending on which report one reads) but it reinforces my concerns. Time will tell and I wish him well.

[Mortimer]

SOMER!!


Never rub it in the nose of a fighter who lost by tko.

Shameful...really.

[somerfrost]

Originally Posted by Mortimer

SOMER!!


Never rub it in the nose of a fighter who lost by tko.

Shameful...really.

Mort...when you're my age, cheap shots are all you have left!
Seriously, he deserved the thrashing he got...sorta like saying John McCain should be President!

[Mortimer]

Originally Posted by somerfrost

Mort...when you're my age, cheap shots are all you have left!
Seriously, he deserved the thrashing he got...sorta like saying John McCain should be President!

OK...I did tell him to stay down.










But noooOOOOO.

[philcski]

LeBron James was highly regarded and publicized coming out of high school? I didn't know that...

Originally Posted by somerfrost

Wow....can't help myself. James was touted much more than any HS player in my memory, second was Lou Alcinder (probably he would have been Lebron's equal tout-wise had he come around after the internet explosion and ESPN). I don't know anyone who didn't think Lebron was "can't miss", in fact, the only question seemed to be would he be the equal of MJ. I was one who discounted that lofty praise, comparing a HS player to MJ is the kiss of death (like comparing a horse to Secretariat, just ask Big Brown). He had the body of a mid-twenties man in HS so there was little doubt that he could play the NBA game...as others have said, a once-in-a-generation freak! I'm sorry to see that the new "big O" will be out from 2-6 weeks (depending on which report one reads) but it reinforces my concerns. Time will tell and I wish him well.

I did not say he was not. I said there were many who questioned how easy it would be for him to go directly from the HS to the pros. One of many articles
AGAIN:

One out of a bundle from scouts as reported by ESPN:

Western Conference scouting director: "He would have been the No. 1 pick in last year's draft. That should give you an indication of what kind of talent he is. Of all the other high school kids who've come into the league in recent years, the thing that separates LeBron is that he's physically ready to play. He's strong. He's a manly 6-8, 225 (pounds).

"Having said that, he's able to get by on his physical ability right now. The question is, what happens when he can't just get by on physical ability alone? The mental side, the emotional side, those are unknowns. In high school, the only thing we're seeing is the physical ability. There were a lot of times in high school where Kobe didn't have to play his hardest and we see the same thing with LeBron. What happens when he has to turn it on? Will he be able to play 82 games in a consistent manner?

"When Kobe had to turn it on, he did. You saw his desire to work hard and get better. He was willing to sacrifice. Those are unknowns with LeBron at his age. But skill-wise? He has the ability to be anything he wants. He has the passing skills to be a great point guard. He can be a two guard who gets his shot off the dribble. He has legit (small forward) size. His shot is the one element of his game that has been red-flagged, but he has been working on that. There's really nothing you can nit-pick."

There are many others questioning his physical capacity in an 82 game season, not just his mental stamina over this stretch.

He has, of course, silenced these critics.
For the most part anyway.

When did I type he would be a failure? I typed that there were concerns. And one certainly has come to fruition. Yes he was highly touted. But to say he would be an immediate super star and the best in the league was clearly not the consensus.