Best Thing I've Seen In A Long Time!

[TheKid_1]

Just saw on the half-time show of the Syracuse-Villanova game that James Harden has decided to return next season! This is awesome news. I was hoping that and thinking that James was gonna stick around one more year, but now that it's true, just fantastic!

God bless Sednek!

 

[Gaddabout]

I can see him sticking around a year after that, as well. The kid is productive and clutch, but he's got to develop more game and handle to overcome his lack of hops and superior quicks.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

He'll get a lottery guarantee in the weak 2009 Draft, it's doubtful he hangs around that much longer unless Sendek can get some impact in the 2009 class.

 

[Russ Smith]

I kind of figured he would he's not one of those old for his class type kids that want to get to the NBA instantly.

He's a terrific player in on more year he'll be in the lottery likely.

Congrats to ASU now go knock off USC.

 

[Mulli]

Nice. Now what about Pendergraph (sp?)

 

[Mathew81]

Pendergraph said he's 80-90% coming back. I think it would be a really dumb move on his part to leave early. He's not big enough to play down low in the NBA and he's not athletic enough to play outside either. He's too much of a tweener.

 

[Skkorpion]

I can see him sticking around a year after that, as well. The kid is productive and clutch, but he's got to develop more game and handle to overcome his lack of hops and superior quicks.

I'm on board with this. Mao says Harden is a lottery pick next year but I don't see that, at least not yet.

I'm thrilled he's staying.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Why would he come back for his junior season if he's going to get double and triple teamed? If ASU lands Renardo Sidney or someone of his ilk to play alongside him in 2009 then he'll probably stay. If Jerryd Bayless, OJ Mayo, Eric Gordon, and Derrick Rose are lottery locks in the upcoming draft then you've obviously never seen basketball if you don't think Harden is such in next year's much weaker class. NBA types are ALREADY scouting the kid for heaven's sake and a lot could happen with the coaching situation in betwen now and then.

And it sounds like Pendergraph will test the waters, but he probably won't get the guarantee he's looking for so odds are he's back as well.

 

[AsUdUdE]

IMO.. the main reason he is staying is because his right hand in non-existant...

If he can improve his overall ball-handling, and devolp a solid right hand.. then he will declare for the draft..

Whether thats in 2009 or 2010....

That said.. wouldn't it be great if he could convince that #1 prospect from his school to come to ASU and play with him for the 2010 season??

95% sure that won't happend... but we can dream can't we

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Bayless doesn't have a left hand and his ball handling is marginal, still a lottery pick. Derrick Rose can't run an effective NBA offense, still a lottery pick. Eric Gordon's ball-handling isn't that great and he's a tad undersized, still a lottery pick. Pretty much nobody is a finished product when they're 18 years old, most aren't even such if they stay all four years. Doesn't mean they don't go to the NBA or NBA GM's don't want them. Like the previously mentioned guys James Harden has NBA athleticism, size, intangibles, and skills. He won't hang around past next year unless he gets somebody legit to play alongside him up front.

 

[AsUdUdE]

And next year if everyone returns we will have a SOLID team.. think about this

PG: Derek Glasser, Nate McMillian
SG: James Harden, Ty Abbott
SF: Rihards Kukisks, Jerren Shipp
PF: Jeff Pendergraph, Johnny Coy
C: Eric Boetang, Taylor Rhodes

If Boetang can continue to improve, seeing him play along side Boetang could get VERY exciting...

You know the one guy on the Devils I am most excited about regarding potential?

Rihards Kuksiks... This guy was a prolific scorer in High School, and late in the year you could tell he was starting to put it together...

I think him, Abbott, GLasser, McMillian, and Shipp are all here for the full four years which should be exciting to watch them grow!

GO DEVILS

 

[Skkorpion]

dude, you're right about Harden's right hand but it's more than that. He can't even finish by going right at all. With practice, that's correctable.

Mao, Bayless is cat-quick. Blink-of-an-eye speed. Even if a defender thinks he knows what Bayless is about to do, stopping it is still next to impossible if Bayless is hitting his shots.

 

[Mulli]

I am thinking skkorp has seen basketball at some point. If he hasn't it isn't that obvious. .

 

[Mathew81]

And next year if everyone returns we will have a SOLID team.. think about this

PG: Derek Glasser, Nate McMillian
SG: James Harden, Ty Abbott
SF: Rihards Kukisks, Jerren Shipp
PF: Jeff Pendergraph, Johnny Coy
C: Eric Boetang, Taylor Rhodes

If Boetang can continue to improve, seeing him play along side Boetang could get VERY exciting...

I agree that next years team should be a pretty good team. But I still don't see Boetang and Jeff on the court at the same time. Herb's offense doesn't really work with two post players. It's all about passing and back cuts/movement, and having them both in there would hinder that. I think you may see Coy in there with Jeff since Coy is 6'7" and can rebound but he also has outside game.

 

[Russ Smith]

IMO.. the main reason he is staying is because his right hand in non-existant...

If he can improve his overall ball-handling, and devolp a solid right hand.. then he will declare for the draft..

Whether thats in 2009 or 2010....

That said.. wouldn't it be great if he could convince that #1 prospect from his school to come to ASU and play with him for the 2010 season??

95% sure that won't happend... but we can dream can't we

Slight tangent but isn't it true of a remarkable number of lefties that they have no right hand?

I've always been struck by that how common it is. The difference with Harden and the other guys his class is his age, he's 1-2 years younger than most of the other guys so it's reasonable to assume he'll improve more.

He improved every year people forget his soph year in HS he wasn't even considered the best prospect on his own team virtually everyone thought freshman Malik Story was the better prospect, better shooter, better body.
Harden kept getting better, Story never did and he and his dad are real pains in the neck and now he's likely going to lose his scholarship to USC.

There's a lot to be said for the late bloomers over the early bloomers.

 

[Mathew81]

Slight tangent but isn't it true of a remarkable number of lefties that they have no right hand?

I've always been struck by that how common it is.

It's because they don't have to develop their right hand at the lower levels (high school). Everybody is so used to playing against righties that a left hander will have an advantage simply by being left handed. It's the same in baseball where a left handed pitcher will do better than a right haded pitcher who may throw a little harder or have a little bit more movement on his pitches. But the batters aren't used to the ball coming from that direction so even though the lefty's pitches might not be as good as the righty's, they're more effective. Lefties just have a built in advantage.

 

[AsUdUdE]

It's because they don't have to develop their right hand at the lower levels (high school). Everybody is so used to playing against righties that a left hander will have an advantage simply by being left handed. It's the same in baseball where a left handed pitcher will do better than a right haded pitcher who may throw a little harder or have a little bit more movement on his pitches. But the batters aren't used to the ball coming from that direction so even though the lefty's pitches might not be as good as the righty's, they're more effective. Lefties just have a built in advantage.

very good point...