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Sunday, June 29, 2008

Woodling

Woodling: NBA Draft a joke

By Chuck Woodling

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So I'm watching the NBA Draft the other night, and Darrell Arthur looks like his dog was just run over, and I'm thinking: What about Mario Chalmers?

Here it is late in the first round, and Chalmers, the man who nailed the magical three-pointer in the NCAA championship game, is still waiting for his name to be called.

ESPN analyst Jay Bilas keeps saying Chalmers is the best player available, but he might as well be talking to The Love Guru. No NBA general manager is listening.

Prior to the draft, most pundits thought Chalmers would go somewhere between Nos. 20 and 25. Heck, one so-called expert had Chalmers going as high as 12th. Talk about egg on your face.

So finally we come to the San Antonio Spurs with the 26th pick. Surely the Spurs will take Chalmers. R.C. Buford, a good buddy of Kansas coach Bill Self, is the Spurs' GM, and the consensus is San Antonio needs backcourt depth.

Sure enough, the Spurs take a guard, but it's somebody named George Hill from IUPUI, a school whose main claim to fame is the longest palindromic acronym in the NCAA.

Another snub. Of the KU first-round probables, only Brandon Rush has gone according to form at No. 13.

Next it's the New Orleans Hornets, and at least they end Arthur's misery. But then Memphis and Detroit go for Syracuse's Donte Greene and Indiana's D.J. White, a couple of so-so forwards, respectively, leaving Chalmers with one more chance at the 30th and last guaranteed contract.

Wouldn't it be neat if Chalmers went to the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics? From the NCAA champs to the NBA champs. Ah, the storybook possibilities.

And then commissioner David Stern walks to the podium and announces: "With the 30th pick in the NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics select J.R. Giddens of the University of New Mexico."

Are you kidding me? Not only do the Celtics dump on Chalmers, they stick the dagger deeper by tapping Giddens, the one-time KU bad boy who had been projected to go somewhere in the middle of the second round.

Worse is what Celtics' coach Doc Rivers says afterward about Giddens. "He has a chance." Rivers tells the Boston media, "to fight for minutes right away because of his defense."

His defense??? Has Giddens improved that much since his freshman and sophomore years on Mount Oread when he couldn't guard the Phog Allen statue?

Meanwhile, we know Chalmers' strong suit is defense. Then there's the character issue. Who can forget that incident three years ago at a local watering hole that precipitated Giddens' departure? Meanwhile, Chalmers' nose has been so clean it squeaks.

Well, nobody ever said life was fair. At least Chalmers will have an opportunity to make the roster of the Miami Heat, if indeed he is still with the Heat when you read this.

Kansas, as you know, tied a record by having five players drafted. At the same time, the Jayhawks probably set another record when all five were traded, including Arthur an unbelievable three times.

Sometimes I wonder if the NBA Draft is really serious business or merely an inside joke league coaches and GMs play on a gullible glued-to-the-TV populace.

Comments

KoolKeithFreeze (anonymous) says...

"they stick the dagger deeper by tapping Giddens"

I love it!

June 29, 2008 at 3:26 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

canuckhawk (anonymous) says...

I disagree with the decisions of many of the NBA teams to pass on Arthur and Chalmers.

But I'm getting a little tired of the tone of these articles that make it sound as though an NBA team personally disrespected our guys ("dumped" on them) if they chose another player. Come on. These decisions may be insults of intelligence but they are not insults against Mario and Darrell.

June 29, 2008 at 5:29 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

KEITHMILES05 (anonymous) says...

Chalmers is not a point guard. That is a fact and that is the big reason he did not go higher.

Stop the hate on Giddens. Is it his fault he vaulted to the 30th. spot? Give him a break and be happy for him.

June 29, 2008 at 6:52 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Solomon (anonymous) says...

Yes, Chuck, J.R. has improved that much since he was at Kansas. It took him a while (and several chances), but he became an excellent basketball player at UNM. He led his team in scoring and rebounding and he was an excellent defender. He muscled up, and learned to play a heady game, no longer relying on deep three-pointers.

I'm sorry for Mario, but no need to denigrate J.R. Giddens because Mario wasn't chosen higher.

June 29, 2008 at 7:14 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Brock (anonymous) says...

Go easy - Giddens will probably be sent packing in the next Boston trade. And Mario...I think that he will do alright in Miami. If you look at their roster he provides some skills that they need.

June 29, 2008 at 7:34 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

frompekka2sasha (anonymous) says...

R.C. Buford being good buddies with Self is about the dumbest reason that SA should have taken Chalmers. I would assume that R.C. knows what he is doing since they have been winning NBA championships. I personally saw Mario as a 2nd rounder all along and questioned the information being bandied around on the Internet.

I also agree on the negative J.R. posts. Let's not cry like babies around here because the NBA still drafts on potential. We all know what J.R. is capable of doing but now it's Boston's problem to figure out how to get it out of him and it may not take long for him to find trouble either. We won the Nat'l Championship as a TEAM so I could give a s*** about him being drafted higher than one of our good guys.

June 29, 2008 at 10:35 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

FlaHawk (anonymous) says...

JR looks like a genius for transfering from KU (what happen to Padgett - the injuries got got him down graded?). Self could not handle him and it was JR's own immaturity that was the problem.

Three years later and why UNM is no longer a hot spot in college hoops, JR did lead his team in scoring and rebounding and was the ace defender. He has an NBA body to boot. He was a 5th years senior!

Mario has never led KU in anything but clutch shots and steals. Mario is neither a PG (ball control/feeder) or shooting guard (not big enough) in the typical NBA mold. He was a three year junior and would have improved him draft position with a year of leading the team (probably)!

Mario is an example of why you can not believe the rankings, when you look at the numbers he does not fit the NBA risk model mold. This does not mean he can not play in NBA. It means tht he has to many risks, while JR is a much better fit and has less risk.

It is a pure business decision how to mitigate risk. JR jas been around a lot longer, been in two programs and improved his numbers and athletics and matured every year!

Fortunately, Mario will 4X the laying time that JR will get next year and can use this to prove his point. On th eother had, JR has a guaranteed contract, with more money and a lock on it!

The NBA is a business and the players need to understand this. Get your money quickkly and get it guaranteed. The number of serious injuries inthe NBA is 3X what it is in NCAA. Most careers are very short and brief. YOu are one injury from unemployment and the guaranteed contract is very important!

June 29, 2008 at 11:37 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Sparko (anonymous) says...

The NBA draft was about about not risking a whole lot. I agree with Chuck on this column. Giddens is not a point guard either. Anyone who watched Chalmers these past three years knows he is simply money. A real winner. So I am glad Pat Riley saw what he brings. All of these Jayhawks will surprise.

The draft was a joke. Westbrook at Four? A French player who can't shoot or rebound? CDR and Dorsey waiting for a late pick?

June 29, 2008 at 12:28 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Lebowski (anonymous) says...

Keithmiles... you can go give Giddens all the hand jobs you want. He's a worthless douche and a waste of a pick. I don't hate him. I'm just stating a fact that he sucks, and it's a shame that he'll make more money than Mario the next few years. It's a joke.

Very well put by Woodling. I was laughing through a large part of the draft because that's what it seemed like... a joke. There are plenty reasons to criticize the Giddens pick, but I won't get into them.

And Keith, save your "Mario isn't a PG" bs for someone else. If Robinson & Collins were 6'4" and could shoot like Mario... Mario would have been the widely recognized PG at Kansas. Who led KU in assists last year? Who had the best ast/to ratio? You figure it out. If it's about who brought the ball up the court, Mario did his fair share of that, too.

June 29, 2008 at 1:04 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

TheTruth08 (anonymous) says...

News flash: The world doesn't revolve around Lawrence, Kansas. Get over it. Stop bashing other players. They're good. Mario is going to be a very good pro. And anyone saying that J.R. Giddens sucks needs to watch a few games OTHER than just KU games and wake up. The guy is like night and day. Get over it.

June 29, 2008 at 1:15 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

TheTruth08 (anonymous) says...

You're crying like little girls. I'm sick of this.

June 29, 2008 at 1:15 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

pepper_bar (anonymous) says...

Just another homer diatribe.

June 29, 2008 at 2:50 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

gram77 (anonymous) says...

One lucky shot does not make an NBA player. Chalmers should have stayed in school.

June 29, 2008 at 3:21 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

doolindalton (anonymous) says...

The Celtics absolutely blew it not taking Chalmers. Of all the NBA teams, their need was for a point guard who could shoot and play defense. Chalmers falls into their laps and they take Giddens! Shame on Danny Ainge. Stupid drafting.

June 29, 2008 at 4:46 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Shazam (anonymous) says...

All of our players have their chance to make these general managers regret their decisions. Make a note to check up on thise drafted three years down the road, and I'm sure our guys will be doing just fine.

June 29, 2008 at 5:25 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

CMKUbLu304 (anonymous) says...

I agree that a lot of teams passed up on Mario and are probably going to regret it, but stop hating on JR. That was like 3 years ago and no one really even knows the whole story. I'm sick of people judging guys simply based on stupid newspaper articles. JR is a good player and matured a lot since his KU days. Maybe he wasn't supposed to go in the first round and maybe Mario was. Darrell sure was "supposed" to go higher, but sh*t happens. get over it. Support our boys and stop all the negative crap. Congrats to ALL of the guys who got drafted and having a chance to live their dreams. Everyone has dreams and most people don't even get close to them. People need to realize that and just be happy for them.

June 29, 2008 at 6:12 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

derringer29 (anonymous) says...

what ever happened too if your not a lottery pick, you stay in school, the foreign players take one thrid the spots so it really is a gamble.Good luck to all the players and i think mario would of been a top 15 pick next year garentted....

June 29, 2008 at 8:42 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

trich424 (anonymous) says...

One thing I'm tired of is people pretending this is a disney story. Do you think that Darrell was so desperate to get in the NBA he would go at the first chance of first round. NO. He left when he though the money was best (which it should have been) and was screwed because of an unaddressed rumor. Stop saying "Oh, I'm just so happy for him. He has a chance". He wanted/expected/deserved better. Its okay to be disappointed at the KU players slipping. And anyone who says "The world doesn't revolve around Lawrence", no kidding. Thank you for that, but this is a KU site. This isn't a site where we are all proper and giving everyone their dues. We are selfish. We want National Championships, Orange Bowl titles, and #1 draft picks. YOU GET OVER IT.

June 29, 2008 at 10:33 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

TheTruth08 (anonymous) says...

There's nothing wrong with rooting for you team. I do. But there's a difference between being a homer and just being plain stupid, Trich24. And most of the comments I've read over the last two days have been ignorant and stupid.

June 29, 2008 at 10:51 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

pmohr13 (anonymous) says...

Chalmers would have been a first round draft pick next year, the draft is not going to be as deep as this year.

June 29, 2008 at 11:38 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

KSA_21_3503 (anonymous) says...

Why does this idiot still have a job writing?

1. Chalmers was overrated. He made a shot. Great. He was drafted exactly where he should have been: early second-round. All the "pundits" touting his potential lottery status were suffering from recentism. The NBA doesn't care about somebody's ability to make one shot.

That being said, Chalmers will do well, but he should have come back one more season. He probably WOULD have been a first round pick in next year's draft.

2. You can't blame NBA gms for the Arthur fiasco. That was all on him. He should have hired a professional agent in the beginning.

3. Somehow implying that R.C. Buford "owes" KU or Bill Self anything is absurd. The NBA is a business, and as such will make business decisions. I would be more upset if he chose Chalmers because he went to KU than not chosen him.

4. As much as you don't like it, J.R. Giddens is a good player. He is more athletic than Chalmers and that is what the NBA is looking for. See: Julian Wright

5. Fire Chuck Woodling.

June 30, 2008 at 1:44 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

ameraidi (anonymous) says...

Mario by far is the best point guard in the draft for two simple reasons....he's a proven winner and he has a heart the size of Texas. I'm sorry but Derrick Rose doesn't have the same competetive spirit that Mario has and in the end, that's what it comes down to.

Brandon R I don't think is going to do too well in the NBA because of his size and lack of toughness. He'll probably be the guy who averages 9-10 points a game and gets traded around the NBA every season.

Arthur on the other hand is going to do some serious damage!! All he needs to do is work more on his jumper and his upper body strength. I'm sure that once those NBA trainers get a hold of him he'll look like the incredible hulk by next season.

Jackson I think is gonna be one of those scrappy players who's a fan favorite, he'll go out there every night and fight for every loose ball and play big time D.

My two cents.

P.S. Is it bball season yet?

June 30, 2008 at 4:15 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

KSA_21_3503 (anonymous) says...

"Jackson I think is gonna be one of those scrappy players who's a fan favorite, he'll go out there every night and fight for every loose ball and play big time D."

That is assuming he makes a roster.

June 30, 2008 at 4:32 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

ChicagoJHawk (anonymous) says...

I have to agree with Woodling on this issue, this years NBA draft really was a joke!! I think Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley were clearly the 2 best players in the draft. Other than those 2 picks there was no rhyme or reason for all the other picks, NONE! The NBA drafts more on potential than on proven results. That and they probably don't notice a lot of our players because they average 10-13 ppg, but that's because we're a very deep & balanced team. If any of our guys played on any of those big 10 teams they would be the star of the team, and they too would average 20-25 ppg!

I'm upset about the draft but it's not simply because they didn't pick the KU guy. I genuinely beleive that a lot of our players were better than a lot of the other guys that got drafted higher. I'm sorry but DJ Augustin should NOT have been the #9 pick in the 1st round! A lot of you may not agree but I also think Darrell Arthur would destroy Kevin Love if they played against each other. And I also think Chalmers is a lot better than Eric Gordon.

A lot of these NBA GMs made some bad decisions and they will realize that eventually. Darnell Jackson and Chalmers are already proving them wrong. Good luck to all the Jayhawks that just got drafted, you will be missed!

June 30, 2008 at 11:48 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

actorman (anonymous) says...

"... (what happen to Padgett - the injuries got got him down graded?) ... Fortunately, Mario will 4X the laying time that JR will get next year and can use this to prove his point. ... Get your money quickkly and get it guaranteed."

FYI, FlaHawk, there are some good "English as a second language" classes out there.

"One lucky shot does not make an NBA player. Chalmers should have stayed in school."

"Chalmers was overrated. He made a shot. Great. He was drafted exactly where he should have been: early second-round. All the "pundits" touting his potential lottery status were suffering from recentism. The NBA doesn't care about somebody's ability to make one shot."

The two who made these comments are (a) complete morons; (b) didn't watch a single game that Chalmers played; (c) are not true KU fans; or (d) all of the above. Please enlighten the rest of us, oh brilliant ones, as to how 51.5% from the field (51.5%!!! For a GUARD!!!) and 46.8% from 3-point range (which would put him NINTH in the country if he had shot enough to qualify) is the equivalent of making "one shot." And that doesn't even count all the clutch shots he made over the years, or his incredible defense, passing, etc. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT???

June 30, 2008 at 12:50 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

ChicagoJHawk (anonymous) says...

Well said actorman! It pissed me off too that everyone seems to think it's all about that 1 shot he hit. It's not only his shooting percentages from the field, 3 point percentages & assists but also his free throw percentages and steals! He's 2nd or 3rd in steals in KU basketball history.

Woodling was right on, the draft was a complete joke, and a lof of our players got screwed but all of you are criticizing him for saying that. I think a lot of you like to criticize the writers on kusports just b/c it's the cool thing to do. If he had written an article about how our players are overrated and got drafted where they should have been then you all would throw a fit and complain about that too.

June 30, 2008 at 1:46 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

doctorWho (anonymous) says...

Wow! Was that a Chuck Woodling article or did some of the riff-raff (self included) in the basketball forum manage to hack into Woodling's account?

Take a lude, brother. I don't think the entire world has it out for KU.

June 30, 2008 at 3:32 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jhwkfan162515 (anonymous) says...

Mario definitely should have stayed in school. He could have given Kansas a guaranteed return trip to the NCAA Tournament. Without him, returning to the Big Dance will be difficult, and repeating as Big 12 regular-season champs and tournament champs will not happen in 2009 either.

June 30, 2008 at 3:38 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Strikewso (anonymous) says...

It is odd the S.A. would take a no-name from a small school rather than someone who has proven his clutchness at the highest levels. It wasn't just one shot, either. Mario has made many big shots for KU.

June 30, 2008 at 4:24 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

actorman (anonymous) says...

Thanks Chicago. I agree with you too, that there are people who love to criticize LJW writers no matter what they write. Although there are certainly times when it's justified, seeing extremely critical comments after virtually EVERY article has gotten really old.

jhwkfan, I would bet that you were among the 67% of KUSports.com readers who said that KU would not even make the NIT when they started the season 3-3 in 2001 or 2002 (I forget which season, but they made the Final Four in both years). Although saying they'll have a hard time making the tournament this year is not as extreme as saying they wouldn't even make the NIT after a 3-3 start with a great team, it's not far off. They still will have Sherron, Cole, a great recruiting class, and some solid role players, and most of all they'll still have Bill Self. Although you may be right that they won't repeat as Big 12 champs, I'm still quite confident that they'll make the tournament easily.

June 30, 2008 at 6:16 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

KSA_21_3503 (anonymous) says...

"The two who made these comments are (a) complete morons; (b) didn't watch a single game that Chalmers played; (c) are not true KU fans; or (d) all of the above. Please enlighten the rest of us, oh brilliant ones, as to how 51.5% from the field (51.5%!!! For a GUARD!!!) and 46.8% from 3-point range (which would put him NINTH in the country if he had shot enough to qualify) is the equivalent of making "one shot." And that doesn't even count all the clutch shots he made over the years, or his incredible defense, passing, etc. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT???"

Maybe if you pulled your head out of your ass you would understand what I was saying. It was pretty clear what I said: NBA GMs view Chalmers as a possible flash-in-the-pan. Rightly or wrongly, that is why he was drafted in the early second round.

I agree that there were several players that should not have been drafted ahead of him. However, this does not mean that I think he should have been a mid-first rounder. 25+ at best. He was 34. He should have stayed another year.

Quit being a homer and grow some perspective.

June 30, 2008 at 7:14 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Strikewso (anonymous) says...

Dude, KU only made the Sweet 16 in 2001. We got beat by Self and Illinois.

June 30, 2008 at 8:37 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

trich424 (anonymous) says...

THIS IS A KU SITE KSA_21_3503. If you want prospective go to prospective.com or fairsports.com or everybodywins.com. I am a homer, and will never stop being a homer. I want Rush to go 1st overall, Rush 2nd, and Chalmers 3rd. What you say now?

June 30, 2008 at 9:15 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

chalmers2wright (anonymous) says...

I seem to remember a team a couple years back that had a good recruiting class and two sophomores that won a share of the big 12 title...cant seem to put my finger on who though. I seem to remember a lot of people saying they wouldn't even make the Tourney and they ended up with a 4 seed and the Big 12 Tourney title.

July 1, 2008 at 12:51 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

KSA_21_3503 (anonymous) says...

"THIS IS A KU SITE KSA_21_3503. If you want prospective go to prospective.com or fairsports.com or everybodywins.com. I am a homer, and will never stop being a homer. I want Rush to go 1st overall, Rush 2nd, and Chalmers 3rd. What you say now?"

Two things:

1. It is spelled "perspective."
2. You are an idiot. (See #1)

July 1, 2008 at 1:10 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

actorman (anonymous) says...

"Dude, KU only made the Sweet 16 in 2001. We got beat by Self and Illinois."

Speaking of idiots ... if a team starts 3-3 in 2001 that means they finish the season in 2002, hence the Final Four. FYI, the season actually goes from November to March, not March to November.

July 1, 2008 at 11:34 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

actorman (anonymous) says...

"Chalmers was overrated. He made a shot. Great. He was drafted exactly where he should have been: early second-round. : The NBA doesn't care about somebody's ability to make one shot."

"Maybe if you pulled your head out of your ass you would understand what I was saying. It was pretty clear what I said: NBA GMs view Chalmers as a possible flash-in-the-pan."

Thank you for continuing to prove that you're a complete moron. Please explain to me how it's "pretty clear" that you're referring only to the views of NBA GMs, when you say, "HE WAS DRAFTED EXACTLY WHERE HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ... THE NBA DOESN'T CARE ABOUT SOMEBODY'S ABILITY TO MAKE ONE SHOT." Those are YOUR opinions, idiot; you're AGREEING with the NBA GMs. You are not just referring to their views. And I stand by what I said earlier. Please explain to me how all the things Mario did over his years at KU (including hitting an astounding 51.5% from the field--for a GUARD--in his senior season) equate to making ONE shot. That doesn't make me a homer. It makes me someone who actually realizes that Mario is one of the best, and most underrated players KU has ever had.

July 1, 2008 at 11:40 a.m. ( | suggest removal )