SB Nation User Blog: jsams

Who is Jrue Holiday?

jsams — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:01:26 -0000

The moment the Sixers selected Jrue Holiday, I began exchanging e-mails with the blog manager over at Bruins Nation -- the SBNation UCLA Bruins blogs. Turns out there has been some controversy Bruin' (Damn, I'm good) in regards to their main blogger's "strange hatred of Jrue Holiday". When I asked him to answer a few questions about Jrue Randall Holiday, he referred me to a "more mellow" blogger when it comes to the Holiday situation.

Without further adieu, here's Ryan from Bruins Nation.

LB: Did Jrue perform better than his 8-3-3 numbers indicate? Worse?

Ryan: It was really dependent on the game. The tools are there, no doubt and some games you would see them. There were some games where Jrue was all over the court, defending, rebounding, scoring, passing. There were also other games where Jrue would get frustrated, get torched defensively, turn the ball over at an alarming rate and struggle to put the ball in the basket. It's really tough to say whether or not he was better than his 8-3-3 numbers indicate because half of the time he was, but other times he was worse.

LB: What are Jrue's strengths?

Ryan: He's got a great body for a point guard. At a very long 6'3'', he's going to be able to match up with just about anyone in the league and will have a size advantage over most. His length causes problems on defense, especially on smaller guards as he disrupts opposing point guards in their attempts to initiate the offense. He has good ball handling skills and shows a good feel for the game, especially in the open court. His biggest strength is probably his ability to finish around the rim. While he can, Holiday is not the type of guy who will throw it down when he goes to the rim. Instead, he's able to weave his way past shot blockers, go with a tear drop over shot blockers and can finish with either hand.

LB: Weaknesses?

Ryan: Jrue needs to improve his jump shot. His mechanics aren't bad, but they aren't consistent. He has the tools to be a very good shooter, but it will take some work. He also certainly needs to mature. Against some better teams, he was taken out of his game by their skill and strength. When he got beat a few times defensively, he tended to become a tentative defender and lose his confidence. The truth is, he has the maturity of a 19 year old. That's not too bad considering he is only 19, but an 82 game season isn't the best thing for a kid looking to mature. He has a good family and isn't a bad kid, but the fact is that he is a kid and at times, will act as such.

LB: UCLA has had a handful of unpolished, athletic guys who turned out better than expected in recent years. See: Farmar, Ariza, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Westbrook. Holiday seems to fall in this same category. Do you see him developing as well as these guys?

Ryan: I think Jrue can develop as well as the guys you mentioned, but certainly not as quickly as them. Of those players, only Ariza played a single season of college ball and it took him some time to break out. The other players all made solid contributions within the first year or two and while Jrue can make a contribution, he won't live up to his potential for a few years. Ben Howland's system is extremely effective for the college game and while it doesn't let all players put up huge numbers, it prepares players well for the pros. Holiday's skills have been refined under Howland and he can outproduce his college numbers, but it will take some time first.

LB: Blogging aside, as a Bruins fan, what were your feelings about Jrue Holiday in his one season at UCLA?

Ryan: I know some UCLA fans have less than favorable feelings towards Holiday for some of the remarks that may have come out of the Holiday camp, but I don't harbor those same feelings. While I don't have the same attachment to him that I have for guys who were Bruins for three or four years, some of the missteps that caused some fans to turn on him were a result of questionable people around him, in my opinion, and more than anything, immaturity on Holiday's part. He didn't live up to expectations that many would have for a High School Player of the Year, but he made his contribution despite playing out of position and I still consider him a Bruin. I'll be rooting for him in Philly.

LB: How is Jrue off the court? Good character? Work ethic? Bright kid?

Ryan: As has been the theme thus far, immaturity describes him pretty well. The positive side to all of that is that it's something he will grow out of and I think he's a pretty good kid. He has a good feel for the game and a high basketball IQ. By all accounts, he works his tail off in the offseason and does so in games when he's not downtrotten, a result of immaturity. While he may have some issues the first year or two as he matures, if you are willing to wait a few years, I think you'll have a high character guy who works extremely hard.

LB: Anything else us salivating Sixers fans should know about our new point guard?

Ryan: I think you guys got an absolute steal at #17. Jrue's talent level is far above that of a #17 pick and if you're willing to be a little patient then your patience will be rewarded. While Eddie Jordan will likely bring his Princeton offense with him, I don't see that stopping you from getting into the open floor on stops, where Jrue can shine. For the first couple years, he's going to have some trouble in the half court as he works on his jump shot, but I think that he will become a good half court player eventually. I think it would be best if you resigned Andre Miller or another veteran point guard so Jrue can come off the bench for 15 minutes a game early on and learn the game, then take the starting spot over in a year or two. All in all, a great pick by your Sixers.

----------

Big thanks to Ryan for answering my questions.

Reaction: Sixers draft Jrue Holiday

jsams — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:20:10 -0000

More photos » by Matt Rourke - AP

So sexy.

Browse more photos »

Well, the NBA draft is officially over and I am quite pleased with the end result. As I stated 24 hours ago, the NBA draft is a special day for me -- a "Holiday" if you will (Sorry, I had to get that out of the way early.) -- so turning off the television and thinking to myself, "What a great night!" carries a lot of weight. That said, the evening didn't start out as peachy keen as it seemed. Let's flashback to 6:04 p.m....

jsams: We better take Maynor or Lawson, preferably Maynor.

chillicothe20: I feel the same.

jsams: We won't take Holiday, fear not.

TAFKAMB: I'll die if Holiday goes to us.

tsteidel: I'll cry.

jsams: Maynor, has to be.

(The pick is in -- PG Jrue Holiday)

Sexy T-Rex: oh ****

jsams: f me

tsteidel: and i'm dead

TAFKAMB: Kill me

Sexy T-Rex: I didn't want Holiday at all

chillicothe20: Damn it

TAFKAMB: hate this... hoping for a trade

tsteidel: I've lost all faith in ed

Wow, quite the reaction from the Sixers faithful -- me included. Things have changed since then. As I do with every move the Sixers make, I slowly convinced myself that it was for the best. For better or for worse, Jrue Holiday is a Philadelphia 76er. In the few short hours since he shook David Stern's hand and threw on the glorious 76ers hat, I've fallen in love with the former UCLA Bruin, and I'm going to do my best to convince you to do the same.

Why was I so against the Jrue Holiday selection in the first place? The answer is simple. I had my mind set on either Ty Lawson or Eric Maynor as early as three months ago. Jrue Holiday was not even on my radar. Here were the things I knew about him:

He underachieved big-time at UCLA.
He was widely viewed as a 'tweener' -- the opposite of what the Sixers needed.
He spelled his name in the most awesome way possible.
He was projected way before pick 17.

That last bullet point, "He was projected way before pick 17" caused me to completely neglect him and ignore him as a potential draft prospect. As most of you know, I follow the NCAA about as much as I follow 'The Hills' -- very little. I had no interest in researching prospects who had no chance of becoming Sixers. Whoops.

The moment the Sixers drafted Super Jrue, I honed in on everything the 'experts' had to say. I quickly googled him and read every piece of information I could find. I know much more know than I did then, and while he might not be the best point guard right now, I have the full confidence that he will end up being the best point guard not named Rubio, Flynn or Jennings.

What they're saying

Jrue Holiday

"I'm most definitely a point guard," [Holiday] said. "I can distribute the ball. I can lock up on defense. I see myself as a point guard."

Andre Iguodala

"Jrue is only 18, will be a beast," Iguodala tweeted. "kinda like dwade a little bit...nobody heard of dwade earlier in his college career either."

Tony DiLeo

"We were unanimous as a staff that he if was there, we would take him," DiLeo said.

"We're ecstatic," Sixers Senior Vice President Tony DiLeo said shortly after the pick. "He's exactly what we wanted. He's 6-4 and a big guard. He can play a lot of different combinations."

"We're looking to the future with him," DiLeo said. "We're ecstatic to have him."

"We tried to move up a little bit, we couldn't move up, we feel very fortunate because most people had him going Top 10," said Tony DiLeo.

Ed Stefanski

"He has great upside, displays aggressiveness on both ends of the court, has a great nose for the ball as well as the size and strength to play both guard positions," Stefanski said.

Chad Ford

Holiday can take a huge sigh of relief. He slipped a bit, not because of his talent, but because of some concerns about a shoulder injury that were just enough to scare some teams away, a la what happened to Danny Granger with mild concerns about his knee a few years ago. This is a great pick for Philly, which gets a lottery talent at 17 and has its point guard of the future.

NBADraft.net

With Andre Miller's status up in the air for the 76ers, Holiday was a no-brainer at 17. Holiday is a bit of a tweener, not exactly a point guard or a shooting guard, but he is young enough (just turned 19) to learn the position and become their future point guard. How quickly he will help the 76ers is something that will be figured out, but Philly will still most likely try to re-sign the veteran Miller because it would be asking too much to hand the reigns over the Holiday so early in his career. He had inconsistencies at UCLA as a freshman, but showed enough talent to be drafted in the first round. After a season of grooming or two, Holiday could be one of the best players to come out of this draft when all said and done.

Dave Del Grande -- CBS Sportsline

Grade: A

Analysis: Perfect choice for team that might lose Andre Miller or could swing Andre Iguodala to forward if star point guard stays ... Have to wonder: If UCLA freshman knew he'd slip to 17, would he have stayed in school?

Why is he better than Maynor and Lawson?

Upside: Three years younger, number one rated point guard coming out of high school.
Size: 6'7'' wingspan compared to 6'0'' (Lawson), 6'2'' (Maynor).
Athleticism: Slightly better combine results.

How does he fit?

1. Jrue could be the back-up point guard on a legitimate contender if Andre Miller re-signs.

Jrue just turned 19 years old and has some of the most upside in his draft class. If Andre Miller re-signs, Holiday will be able to learn from a crafty veteran and gradually reach his potential. Worst case scenario, Holiday is a slightly better version of Royal Ivey this season.

If Holiday comes off the bench it would allow a trio of him, Lou and Kapono to be on the floor at the same time without sacrificing too much of the defense. Holiday would be able to focus on locking people down while Lou dominates the ball.

2. Jrue could be thrown into the fire and start from day one. (More likely scenario). This could change barring a trade or the signing of a MLE-point guard.

Some prospects thrive when they are handed the starting job from day one -- others struggle. I would rather see Holiday start on the bench and slowly develop into the player he can one day become. However; financial restrictions might prevent that from happening.

If Holiday is the starting point guard on opening night, I don't think the Sixers can contend for a title, much less get out of the first round. If that's the case they should consider launching "Full rebuilding mode" by ridding the team of Samuel Dalembert and Elton Brand.

YouTube

High School All American

Defense and Effort

Next D-Wade

One on One with Jrue

Jrue's Sacramento Kings workout

Jrue's Milwaukee Bucks workout

Draft Express interview

Draft Combine interview

The Ultimate Jrue Holiday Mix

Grade the Sixers Draft

Jrue Holiday it is.

jsams — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:17:16 -0000

View full size photo uploaded June 25, 2009

More later...

T.O. apologizes in advance.

jsams — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:35:44 -0000

Tosh.0Thurs, 10pm / 9cTerrell Owens Apologizeswww.comedycentral.comDaniel ToshMiss Teen South CarolinaDemi Moore Picture

T.O. apologizes in advance.

2009 NBA Draft (Pre-Draft Thread)

jsams — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:05:20 -0000

View full size photo uploaded June 24, 2009

It's only 9 o'clock on the west coast -- I don't care -- it's midnight somewhere. Therefore; I officially declare this.. DRAFT DAY! I'm stoked. I've been waiting for this day since the final buzzer sounded in the Sixers season. After all, it is my second favorite day of the year. Here's my top 5, in order:

The NFL Draft
The NBA Draft
NBA and MLB Trade Deadlines
NBA, MLB, NFL opening days
Thanksgiving Day Football

(I think that my top five speaks volumes about my sports life. None of the major championships are enjoyable to me, because my teams are never in them! Therefore, I resort to days like opening day and the draft to provide me with sports ecstasy for a couple hours.)

Maynor, Lawson, Flynn, Jennings -- a million names are running through my head. A million scenarios are running through my head. Will Ed Stefanski move up? Will he move down? Will he acquire a second rounder? Will Sam Dalembert be a Sixer by the end of the night? It's safe to say I'm jacked.

Anyway, to the point of this post. This will be a 24-hour draft thread. From midnight to midnight, this is you're forum to discuss all things NBA draft. I took the day off work. I plan on sitting on my laptop from the time I wake up tomorrow, until the time I go to bed. So, if you want to talk about anything tomorrow (today), I'll be happy to talk. I'm sure I'll be watching Saved by the Bell and Fresh Prince re-runs leading up to the draft, so you might be doing me a favor (no offense Zach Morris).

Why don't you go ahead and start with 2 things: 1. Your dream scenario, 2. Assuming we stay at 17, who you want.

1. Trade up for Ricky Rubio

2. Brandon Jennings to fall, or Eric Maynor.

Off, you, go!

Who is Tywon Lawson?

jsams — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:05:07 -0000

Who is Tywon Lawson?

There is a strong possibility Ty Lawson becomes a Philadelphia 76er on Thursday night. There's also a solid chance he's our starting point guard for years to come.

That said, here's an awesome write-up on his recent workout with the TrailBlazers. Ironically, it's a must read for Sixers fans.

The official unveiling of the "new" logo

jsams — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:19:45 -0000

The official unveiling of the "new" logo

Apparently the new uniforms are still in the works.

With the 17th pick...

jsams — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:21:08 -0000

With the 17th pick...

Head over to Ball Don't Lie to see who TAFKA Mike Bourn selected at 17 on the Sixers behalf.

Epic.

jsams — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:31:04 -0000

Epic.

The new (old) logo should become official tomorrow.

jsams — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:52:50 -0000

The new (old) logo should become official tomorrow.

All signs point to the Sixers officially unveiling their new logo tomorrow. It's been a long time coming, but it looks like we're going back to the retro logo and retro uni's. I couldn't be more excited.

I'd like to think that this was all made possible because of the petition our resident Italian (I'm italian too) Sixers blogger, Ricky from Sixers 4 Guidos started a while back.

I want to give a big shout out to Ricky for getting the ball rolling, and all 131 people who signed the petition. (Signature 89 is the best :])

Just in time for the draft...