SB Nation Blog: Achilles

Earl Watson Breaks His Thumb, More Playing Time For Westbrook?

Achilles — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:04:46 -0000

Earl Watson, one of three Seattle Super Sonics point guards (including fellow Bruin, rookie Russell Westbrook) has broken his thumb. He could miss up to four months, meaning he's out all summer and into next season.

According to the Seattle PI (link above), this makes the Sonics point guard situation "murky."

The injury is a costly one for the Sonics, who likely were hoping to deal Watson or Luke Ridnour this summer to clear playing time for No. 1 draft pick Russell Westbrook. Watson was coming off a career season and was the likely starter for the 2008-09 season.

Ridnour is owed $13 million over the next two seasons and endured an injury-riddled campaign. Westbrook was drafted as the team's point guard of the future and is expected to serve as a backup until he learns the offense and becomes more seasoned.

Watson's injury could mean the Sonics will enter the season with Ridnour as the starter until they deal him and are able to acquire a cheaper veteran. Watson also has two years left on his deal at $12.8 million, but fits more with the Sonics' defensive philosophy.

Best wishes to Earl.

What they are saying in Milwaukee about Mbah a Moute: Scott Skiles
Achilles — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 03:43:56 -0000
What they are saying in Milwaukee about Mbah a Moute: Scott Skiles, Milwaukee Bucks head coach, as quoted in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "He's from a winning program, he's got great length, he can guard two or three different positions. He's kind of an improving offensive player, and I think he'll still improve, and another high-quality person. Especially at that pick; that's an important thing to have right there." *John Hammond, Bucks' general manager told the Journal Sentinel: "Energy, toughness, defender, role player. Kind of a guy that will do whatever it takes to win. Rock-solid person. Feel good about having him here. You never know, but sometimes guys like that find a way to get on the court and play. Not saying that he's going to play, but you never know."

The One Year Rule Is Paying Off For The NBA Big Time ...

Achilles — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:57:20 -0000

The one year rule is win win for the colleges and the pros, or so it seems.

The colleges are benefiting from getting a year out of the guys who would have gone pro straight out of high school. (Would it be better for colleges if there was a two year rule or a three year rule? Sure. But the comparison is between the one year rule and the zero year rule.)

It's no fun losing your best guy after only one year if you are a college fan, but it is so much better than not having him at all. I'm glad we had Love, you know SC is glad they had Mayo, Ohio State is thankful for Oden, Texas loved having Durant ... these guys were all pros who made the last two college seasons much better than they would have been if those guys went straight to the league.

And the NBA is going to benefit as well.

I read this blog enough to believe that being an NBA fan (and I am) is a minority view. There are other NBA fans on BN, but there are more who don't like it or are indifferent.

But having our guys in the draft seems to have made a huge difference. Some of us want NBA jerseys, more are vowing to watch the Sonics and the Timberwolves and so on. That's exactly what the NBA wanted.

For a long time, the NBA benefited because the NCAA made stars of the players before they went into the league. Rookies were known, they had a following. That's what they wanted when the put in the one year rule. ESPN is again making stars of the college players.

Not only that, but the players/NBA are benefiting from college coaching. With Howland, I think it is obvious, because his focus on defense is a bit of an anomaly -- getting guys who play defense with the intensity of our guys is rare. But most of the players are getting something out of a year in college, no matter who they are playing for.

(A side note: You know how there is something slightly off about Kobe, something you can't quite put your finger on? I mean, you know he's great, but there is something about his attempt to be a great teammate that's slightly unnatural for him. It's the thing that separates him from Jordan ... and that thing is Jordan played three years for Dean Smith and learned to be a teammate and Kobe came straight into playing for Del Harris and never quite got that part of being a star.)

Q: On what Tim Floyd had to say about Love: Hoiberg: " He thought the world of ...

Achilles — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 23:12:56 -0000

Q: On what Tim Floyd had to say about Love: Hoiberg: " He thought the world of Kevin. He coached against him this year and felt it was tough to game-plan against him because he does so many things with his ability to spread the floor and rebound. Opponents always have to have two guys sprint back because of his outlet passes. I played for Tuim at Iowa State the Bulls for a year and a half. He really liked OJ Mayo's competitive nature and his ability to play at this level. For us, it was a tough decision. He brings a lot of things to the table. But in the end, we felt that Kevin does just as many of things. He brings the intangibles that not very many players in this league can. Tim said putting a game-plan against Kevin Love was always very difficult. When they played UCLA, he was the guy you had to key around."

"A Player of Extraordinary Ability Renowned for His Electrifying Style of Play," the words on the...

Achilles — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:32:24 -0000

"A Player of Extraordinary Ability Renowned for His Electrifying Style of Play," the words on the new plaque begin before reciting several of the same statistics, then they conclude, thankfully, with, "Displayed Tremendous Courage and Poise in 1947 when He Integrated the Modern Major Leagues in the Face of Intense Adversity."

Kevin Love Suits Up

Achilles — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:55:09 -0000

NBA Draft Poll: In What Order Will the Pac 10 Lottery Picks Go?

Achilles — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:53:18 -0000

Five Pac 10 players are expected to be selected in the NBA Draft tomorrow -- all are lottery picks. In what order do you think O.J. Mayo, Jerryd Bayless, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook and Brook Lopez will be chosen? Not what order you think they should go, in what order will they go? (Bonus points for picking the teams that select them.)

"WSU is a hard school to go to, man," Williams says. "You ain't got nothin' to do but get drunk a...

Achilles — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:45:19 -0000

"WSU is a hard school to go to, man," Williams says. "You ain't got nothin' to do but get drunk and smoke weed, and not go to class because you're too tired from doing what you're doing."

Pauley Renovation: I'll Believe It When I See It And Not A Moment Sooner

Achilles — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:24:13 -0000

The Daily Bruin published a story yesterday about the Pauley Pavilion renovation.

If I were going to be sarcastic, I'd make a joke about how the whole project is euphemistically called the Pauley Pavilion Renovation -- as if it were a real and tangible thing, like it is going to happen some time soon.

Hang on, let's look at some of what the story says, just so we're all on the same page:

When UCLA first began to plan its Pauley Pavilion renovation project, Edwin Pauley’s heirs were among the first individuals contacted.

The building was dedicated to Edwin Pauley when it opened in 1965, in honor of his service as a UC regent and philanthropist and his donation to fund the building’s original construction.

Athletic Director Dan Guerrero sat down with the Pauley family to discuss the possibility of changing the historic venue’s name and selling the rights to a corporate sponsor.

The Pauley family understood the possible need for a name change and offered the very first donation to the project. Guerrero said the donation was unsolicited.

Okay ... and:

UCLA initially announced the project Jan. 11, 2007, when it hoped to have construction completed by legendary basketball coach John Wooden’s 100th birthday, Oct. 14, 2010. Since that announcement, the project has moved slowly, as UCLA has sought to raise funds for the project.

While a 2012 completion date is now most likely, the pace of the planning stages should pick up considerably this summer when the school receives design plans from NBBJ, an architecture firm it hired Feb. 7. Those plans will provide an exact definition of the scope and magnitude for the renovation.

The plans are a preliminary aspect of the overall project, but they will still be a significant step in the timeline Guerrero has laid out for the project’s completion. He said the school plans to begin construction “in the early part of 2010.”

Among the concerns that NBBJ will address in its plans are concessions, a new entrance, fan circulation and seismic regulations.

But for many involved, those tweaks to the arena are not as centrally as important as the history behind Pauley, and its emblematic status on campus. The 43-year-old facility has housed 38 national championship teams and Wooden’s dynasty. The school’s hope to preserve and bolster that legacy is at the fore of the talks to improve the arena.

“Pauley represents John Wooden in many ways, who represents the best in all of us,” Chancellor Gene Block said in an interview with the Daily Bruin in May. “It’s an icon on campus.”

There's more, of course, I encourage you to read the whole story, but now you get the gist.

Let me make a couple of point.

The first set of block quotes represent a good sign, a small sign, but a good sign.

This is because there is no way to do this project "right" without basically re-doing the building and there is no way to re-do the building without corporate money and there is no way to get corporate money without letting the corporation hang a big sign on the outside with their name on it.

And that sign is almost certainly going to be bigger than the sign that says "Pauley."

Traditionalists were and are a stumbling block here. They -- whoever they are -- don't want to mess with tradition and don't want UCLA to play its basketball games in anything not called "Pauley Pavilion" or something close. I don't have a link, but if memory serves, you can count Coach John Wooden among this group, I believe he once said he would have nothing to do with a new building if it wasn't Pauley Pavilion. Wooden, of course, was a great coach, but his favorite musical act was the Mills Brothers -- as much as we love him, we can't let him have too much say over the aesthetics of our new basketball environment.

But Coach Wooden aside, I don't think the traditionalists should have too much say on this project. If you are going to do this, do it right, raise the money and build a state of the art arena and call it whatever you have to call it. I tip my hat -- heck, I bow down -- to the generosity of the Pauley family. But mostly I admire the fact that even they see the light and realize that a change in the name might be what it takes to build a new gym.

As for the rest, I call bullshit on the 2012 completion date.

Just look at the history of the major construction projects on campus. For the record, they still haven't moved completely into the new hospital. I don't have the dates in front of me, but they are years late on completing that project.

As for Pauley, there is no funding in place yet. There are no plans. They haven't broken ground.

And we're talking about the government here.

But you know what really scares me:

The best cast scenario is that Ben Howland won't coach in the new gym until like Year Nine or Year Ten of his tenure. Before Howland even moved here from Pittsburgh, he expressed the necessity of a new building. I bet he never thought he'd have to wait a decade.

What if there are delays? (That might be the funniest thing I've ever written -- it's not a matter of What? ... we all know it's really a question of "How many delays ... ) What if he gets tired of waiting. What if one season away from home becomes two?

Look, I don't know the enormity and scope of doing a project like this. I know it takes time. I know it isn't easy. I know the project relies on the money of people who aren't me. So, I'm mindful of not being too critical.

But I do have to say: I don't believe anything I read or anything anyone says about the Pauley Pavilion renovation. I won't believe anything until I see it with my own eyes.

[UPDATED] One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Achilles — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:01:36 -0000

According to this story in the current, online edition of the Los Angeles Times, UCLA may have added a lineman .. and may have lost one, too:

Donovan Edwards, a 6-foot-5, 285-pound tackle from Diablo Valley Community College, committed to UCLA and will be eligible to play this fall. Edwards, who will attend summer school to try to qualify for admission to UCLA, will have four years to play three seasons.

The Bruins though may be without tackle Sean Sheller, who suffered knee and ankle injuries in an all-terrain vehicle accident. The extent of his injuries was still being determined, according to a UCLA official. Sheller is listed as the Bruins' starting right tackle on the depth chart heading into fall camp.

I have to say, while I'm loathe to criticize a kid, if Sheller seriously hurt himself riding around on an ATV a month or so before training camp, he's pretty ... I dunno ... well ... fill in your own adjective.

Man, we're already thin on the offensive line and Sheller was penciled in as a starter and one of the guys we are/were really counting on. Let's hope that it isn't as serious as the story makes it sound.

UPDATE (A): Check this link from the Daily News.

One entry notes:

I'm hearing that Diablo Valley CC offensive lineman Donovan Edwards didn't get the grades in order to attend UCLA, therefore there was a scholarship available for Kevin Prince.

For what its' worth, a premium post on another site says that all Edwards needs to do is take a few more classes at his JC and he'll be fine to enroll for camp in August. That would be welcome news.

UPDATE II (N): Update from DN re. Edwards:

He doesn't have the grades to get into UCLA, and if the season started today he wouldn't be playing. He did commit to UCLA, but he has work to do this summer academically if he's elibigle to play.

And Sheller:

UCLA offensive tackle Sean Sheller, who hurt himself in an off-road accident while riding an ATV on Friday, is being treated for an open wound on the inside of his left ankle.
He also injured his left knee and will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of that injury. No timeframe was given for the MRI, only that it will be done in the near future.
His status for the football season will be determined following the MRI.

Fingers crossed re. Sheller. Hope the injury is not as bad it sounded in few other reports.

GO BRUINS.