Mayo just doesn't do it for me. I think he's got the tools to be a great player, but I cant get a read on if he's coasting because the college game is to easy...or if he's just lazy.
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Shaquille O'Neal * Stromile Swift * Brandon Bass
Tyrus Thomas * Glen "Big Baby" Davis * Anthony Randolph * Marcus Thornton
Mayo just doesn't do it for me. I think he's got the tools to be a great player, but I cant get a read on if he's coasting because the college game is to easy...or if he's just lazy.
I think it's because he was forced to go to college. He really should be in the NBA right now. Your right though it could be natural laziness as he hasn't really gotten much better (actually it seems as if he has digressed since his sophomore year in High School) in the past couple of years. I think his first couple years in the league will be the real barometer.
I think his success will largely depend on the situation he is put in. Will the coach accept his weaknesses as a basketball player or try to force him to play like a pure point guard, will Mayo accept that he is likely going to be only one of the guys in his rookie season, word hard and extend his game.
He has undeniably a lot of upside, but if it was only laziness he should still go out in every college game and show that he wants to dominate, that didn't happen. I agree, only time will tell how good can be.
After what happened to his buddy, Billy Walker, why would Mayo risk an injury for the greater glory of USC? And **** "pure point guards". What NBA coach in his right mind is going to say "I know you're an effective scorer, OJ, but a real point guard would be letting Gerald Green take all the shots"?
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"Do not kid yourselves. This Obama guy has a plan for thuggish third-world leaders like Khadafi and Iran’s Ahmadinejad. He got funding to invade them approved in the last $780 billion stimulus bill passed by Congress. He was able to keep his plans secret by detailing them in an 'Obama spending package,' thus ensuring that they would not be read by anyone in Congress or the media." Ron Hart
There is a difference between trying to avoid injuries and not playing hard sometimes. Realistically he could get injured any time he is on the floor, I think there is even a better chance you get injured or injure yourself when you are trying not to. The NCAA tourney will be a good indicator, he can't shoot himself in the foot by not giving all he has.
Your risk of injury is always greater when playing at full speed because your pushing the body's physical capacity and increasing the stress on the ligaments, tendons, etc.. Is there always a chance of freak injury? Sure. See FSU's De'Cody Fagg or Tony Allen for good examples. But the fact remains that you're less likely to get injured on cruise control than playing balls to the wall.
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"Do not kid yourselves. This Obama guy has a plan for thuggish third-world leaders like Khadafi and Iran’s Ahmadinejad. He got funding to invade them approved in the last $780 billion stimulus bill passed by Congress. He was able to keep his plans secret by detailing them in an 'Obama spending package,' thus ensuring that they would not be read by anyone in Congress or the media." Ron Hart
Watch him bring it in the tourney, but I suspect I was right all year that once he took a look at the team around him and realized the team was not really championship material, he said "screw it, just don't mess up the NBA meal ticket."
I think he's going to make a real good pro.
__________________ Favorite NBA players: Deron Williams, Carmelo Anthony, Ben Gordon, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Josh Smith, Dwight Howard, Chauncey Billups, Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay, Roy Hibbert, Jerryd Bayless, Greg Oden, Kevin Martin, Joe Johnson
Watch him bring it in the tourney, but I suspect I was right all year that once he took a look at the team around him and realized the team was not really championship material, he said "screw it, just don't mess up the NBA meal ticket."
I think he's going to make a real good pro.
The biggest knock on him this year has been the lack of distributing, but in terms of preserving his NBA stock, he has to get his points first. It's obvious he has good vision and can make great passes when he needs to. He'll have more options around him in the pros, which is where I think his playmaking will show more of itself.
I think his stock has been overly deflated since the beginning of the season. OJ is a very good basketball player. All the hate is just coming from the failure to live up to the unreasonable expectations his name has generated the past 5 years. I really don't see how he slips out of the top 10 this summer.
__________________ “(Cousins') not some self-absorbed jag-off,” Calipari said.
Watch him bring it in the tourney, but I suspect I was right all year that once he took a look at the team around him and realized the team was not really championship material, he said "screw it, just don't mess up the NBA meal ticket."
I think he's going to make a real good pro.
I guess I just have a hard time respecting that if it's the case. I have much more respect for a Kevin Durant or a Michael Beasley who bring it most every night regardless. Not saying I dont understand it or it isnt true...I just wouldnt want to take a guy like that. Where will it end. Will he sandbag it right after he gets the big contract and just coast? Will he explode during his contract year only? I'd prefer a guy with the "on switch" stuck in the up position...
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Shaquille O'Neal * Stromile Swift * Brandon Bass
Tyrus Thomas * Glen "Big Baby" Davis * Anthony Randolph * Marcus Thornton
Dude is already 20 though. He never wanted to go to college. See Durant and Beasley had no problem going to college for a year (Durant was also 17 when he entered college). It's not a "great" thing, but I do understand the logic. A lot of guys have seen where their stock is and then their play begins to change as the season winds down, for fear of injury.
__________________ Favorite NBA players: Deron Williams, Carmelo Anthony, Ben Gordon, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Josh Smith, Dwight Howard, Chauncey Billups, Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay, Roy Hibbert, Jerryd Bayless, Greg Oden, Kevin Martin, Joe Johnson
It's like comparing apples to oranges Beasley plays a combo forward position, while Mayo is a combo guard. Beasley has been dominant over the entire season though, and I would agree Beasley is better on the college level. Way better is a stretch, I would have loved to see Mayo play like he has the past couple of weeks the entire season. But Beasley has been better so far.
After beating Stanford, O.J. Mayo told the media in the locker room that he's coming back for next year and that he's signing up for summer school classes.
UPDATE: I was in the conference room prepping the audio from Floyd's post-game comments when Mayo told a group of reporters that he was coming back. One person told me Mayo was smiling like he was just pulling everybody's leg.
I went back to the locker room and was the last person to talk to Mayo. I asked him to confirm that he was coming back and planned to enroll in classes. He looked me in the eye and said "yes."
He also confirmed that he isn't enrolled in summer classes yet, but will do so.
OJ Mayo
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