Was staying in school a good option for UVa’s Sylven Landesberg?

Now that the NBA Draft is over (and thankfully along with it the torrent of mock drafts), the “Kid shoulda stayed in school” crowd can now survey the landscape and make scapegoats out of the early entrants who weren’t lucky enough to be selected.

There’s nothing like the smug assurance of a good “I told you so,” especially to the schadenfreuders who get a nice rush out of seeing somebody fall short of a goal.

When the last selection was made and Virginia’s Sylven Landesberg hadn’t been picked, I knew he’d get his fair share of derision.  Sure enough, that was the case, like the following from Paul Woody of the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

“Landesberg was the best player on two bad Virginia teams. He had high hopes and big dreams.

No one expected Landesberg to say at Virginia four seasons. But he should have remained for his junior year.

Instead, he has become the latest cautionary tale for young men who are certain of their basketball ability but somehow in this interconnected, wired world miss important cues.” (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

This is a situation that on the surface might look extremely cut and dried to most people.  Guy declares for draft, guy doesn’t get drafted, guy is an idiot.

But in regards to Landesberg I think it’s a little more complicated than that.  In his two seasons at Virginia he had two coaches, being recruited and signed by Dave Leitao but ending his time in Charlottesville under the tutelage of Tony Bennett.

Not every player is lucky (or in some cases unlucky) enough to play for the same coach during his entire college basketball career.  Regimes can change, and as a result, players have to adjust.  Landesberg was no different than anyone else in that regard.

But I’m not certain that the change was one that really benefitted Landesberg’s development as a player.  The system installed by Bennett was radically different than that of Leitao, as evidenced by statistics like possessions per game.  In Leitao’s last season as coach, the Cavaliers averaged 68 possessions a game.  In Bennett’s first season, that number dipped to 63 a game.

A difference of five possessions a game might not sound like a lot, but that’s a huge difference in the game of basketball.  I’m not knocking Bennett’s slower, more deliberate pace at all because the guy’s been a pretty successful coach.  But from the standpoint of the player in question, was it benefitting Landesberg?

It’s not easy to discern from the numbers because under Bennett, Landesberg didn’t necessarily digress from a statistical standpoint.  He took more 3’s and made a higher percentage than he did his freshman year (38.3% vs. 31.4%).  Also, his free throw percentage went up and he averaged a half a turnover less per game.

Upon closer inspection, though, he did take a half step back in some very key areas.  He averaged a full rebound a game less under Bennett and saw a dip in his free throw attempts (6.6 a game in 2008-09 vs. 5.1 a game in 2009-10).

As a freshman, I thought Landesberg’s strength was the ability to, at 6′6″, create his own shot, a trait that’s not easy to find in shooting guards that size.  The guy’s actually a smooth operator with pretty advanced ball handling skills.

Playing in Bennett’s system, Landesberg saw far fewer opportunities in transition than he had under Leitao.  Also, he was utilized far more in pick and roll situations than he had been his freshman year, thus becoming much more of a jump shooter.  Less time near the rim explains the dip in rebounds and free throws.

I’m not going to pin the change in the way he was utilized totally on Bennett’s philosophy, though.  Let’s face it, with Virginia having no interior players of note, opposing teams could simply pack it in and dare Landesberg to shoot over them.

Whether it was a system he was ill fitted for or a lack of talent around him, Landesberg couldn’t play to his strengths last season.  A player like him thrives when he gets to put the rock on the floor and create his own openings.  From the standpoint of developing for the next level, he really needed to be afforded more opportunities to get to the rim.  And that just wasn’t happening.

Some will argue that the fact that he basically stopped going to an art class and drew an indefinite suspension from Bennett was proof that he (A) wasn’t cut out for college in the first place and (B) had his mind made up on entering the draft long before he announced his intentions.

Who knows, maybe the guy was a little starry eyed with dreams of NBA riches fluttering through his head.  But although he might never cop to it, I don’t think Landesberg had an option better than the one he chose.

First off, why stay and toil in a system that doesn’t allow you to accentuate your strengths as a player?  Secondly, while Bennett did do a solid recruiting job this offseason, there’s no guarantee that Landesberg’s junior year would have seen him surrounded by a dramatically better Virginia team.

Sure, he could have transferred out to another school, but that would have involved sitting out a whole season before playing again.  Granted, being on scholarship somewhere and improving your game is a better option than going undrafted, but a lot of stuff can happen in two years.  If he shreds his knee getting ready for his senior season, then all bets are off.

As I see it, these are the choices he had laid out for him:

(A) Take chances on NBA Draft
(B) Play another season in a system that’s not getting me ready for the NBA
(c) Transfer, sit out a season and risk injury before the next opportunity to be drafted comes around

In hindsight, we can all agree that the choice he made didn’t really work out the way he planned it.  But now step into his shoes BEFORE the draft.  Of the choices listed, which one would you have made?  See, it’s not always as simple as, “Kid shoulda stayed in school.”

Meet Ron Artest’s shrink

Here’s Dr. Santhi Periasamy, the Houston based psychologist that Ron Artest thanked in the greatest postgame interview ever given.  Judging from the bio on her web site, if you’ve got damn near any problem, she can probably help you:

Dr. Periasamy has primarily worked with individuals from 18-65 years old and has treated various presenting issues, including but not limited to depression, eating and body image concerns, PTSD/trauma, anxiety, academic and career difficulties, multicultural/diversity concerns, family conflicts, difficult life transitions, intimate relationship challenges, and substance issues. (Dr. Periasamy’s web site)

Chris Erskine of the LA Times interviewed her, and based on the conversation, she’s a master of the obvious:

“In my opinion, people generally respond more favorably toward positive feedback, and negative gestures such as booing can be hurtful,” she says. “I am not aware of any research supporting mass criticism as a motivator.” (LA Times)

Hmmmm, people generally respond more favorably toward positive feedback…wow, that’s a heckuva revelation.  She went on to share other here to fore unknown revelations:

• The sun rises in the east
• The Marianas Trench is deep
• Exercise can lead to weight loss
• Ron Artest is bat$hit nuts

Walter Payton was a god and don’t you forget it

I won’t get into the debate of who was the greatest running back in the history of the NFL. Strong arguments can be made for a couple of yahoos other than Walter Payton. But Sweetness was the greatest PLAYER in the history of the game, bar none. I’m convinced he could have subbed in for Mike Singletary at middle linebacker and the Bear defense wouldn’t have missed a beat.

Need more evidence of the guy’s greatness? Here’s Payton doing the Wildcat before the Wildcat was even called the Wildcat. At the 8:15 mark, he throws a TD pass:

Cedric Benson vs. the white boys

Former Longhorn and current Bengals running back Cedric Benson was back in his old haunts in Austin last month. It was one hell of a visit as he got his lip split at a bar called Annie’s West and then tried to beat up the staff:

Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson was arrested Tuesday in Austin, Tex. and charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly punching a bar employee in the face nearly a month ago, according to the Associated Press.

Benson was booked into the Travis County jail, where he later posted bail and was released, authorities said.

According to the Austin police arrest affidavit, Benson was at Annie’s West bar May 30 when he got into an altercation with another patron that left him spitting blood from a cut lip. After staff intervened, witnesses told police Benson shoved a bar worker and was verbally abusive. After being asked to leave, Benson was escorted to the door.

Bar employee Bryan White told police that once outside, Benson complained that “all these white boys are ganging up on me and kicking me out,” then punched White in the face.

Benson’s attorney, Sam Bassett, said his client “looks forward to telling his side of the story at the appropriate time.” (Associated Press)

The last time Benson was ganged up on by white people was when Chicago Bear management cut him loose for being a colossal disappointment. While he might have some issues with “white boys” in Austin, it doesn’t appear that he’s ever had any with white women:

In the tradition of the ManBearPig, here’s the BroncoGator

I knew they were obsessed, but some Florida fans have started to get all “Sleeping with the Enemy” with Tim Tebow.  They’ve stalked him at the fair and have now broken into his house, where the straightening of towels and meticulous lining up of cans in the cupboard has begun.  These folks just… can’t… let… him… go.

Now an especially attached fan has gone the length of morphing the logo of Tebow’s new team (the NFL’s Denver Broncos) with that of the Gators.  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the answer to Napoleon Dynamite’s Liger, the BroncoGator:

Unlike the Liger, the BroncoGator has no magic powers beyond the ability to infringe on two copyrighted logos simultaneously.  In my opinion, the mixture of the two sort of looks like the Florida Gator went Ghost Rider on everyone

Over at broncogator.com, there’s a whole host of merchandise you can purchase with the logo, from hats to baby clothes to polo shirts.  An entire family can proudly display their unhealthy obsession for all the world to see!  If you’re not satisfied with just wearing it, you can follow it on Facebook along with 20,000+ other cultists.

No athlete in recent history has brought the John Hinckley out in people the way Tebow has done to the Gator fan base.  I pity John Brantley, the guy faced with the unenviable task of being Florida’s next starting quarterback.  After his first bad game, will BroncoGator clad fans chase him through the streets of Gainesville for committing the egregious crime of not being Tim Tebow?

Luckily for the enterprising guy behind this BroncoGator deal, the Bronco and Gator logos are actually a good match in the world of logo morphing.  I’m just glad Tebow wasn’t drafted by Green Bay.  First off, “PackerGator” just sounds wrong, but the guy would also have to explain why he’s mixing Georgia’s helmet logo with Florida’s.  Would that cross a line even with the Tebow Cultists?

Next Page »