Kobe Bryant goes off on AAU basketball

[Mamba]

Your talking about a select few who are skilled in the States which alot of emphasis isnt  placed on or developed until later. European players start at a younger age then most American players which is why the only thing they struggle with is the physical side and defense. Just look at the draft ppl went crazy when the Knicks drafted Porzingis not knwoing this kid can really play. Like ive said more skill development, less tournaments ,and pressure on winning games

[TxHoops]

And for every Dirk or Porzingis there are dozens of Darko Mikicics.  FACT is, there are more skilled bigs in the league from the US than Europe.  Next...

[Acres53]

In the last 5 NBA drafts 91 of the 300 or 30% of the picks were foreigners, approximately 20% of the leagues players are foreigners there is something wrong somewhere. Irregardless of where  the disconnect is between what the league is looking for and what the US basketball is putting out there is a problem.

[TxHoops]

So having 80 percent of THE best league in the world being from the USA and the other 1/5th being from every other country in the world shows issues with US basketball?  I can't decide if you guys are worse at math or logic...

The reason the draft percentage is so high is because the second round, especially the second half of it has become let's take a flier on a Euro.  The vast majority of those picks are busts.  Which is why the New Yorkers were furious the Knicks used such a high pick on Porzingis.  However, at least early on, it looks like NY found one of those rare gems.  

[TxHoops]

Now, if you want to talk about the digression of the game in general, it is the lost art of the mid-range jumper.  Everything is shoot the 3 or take it all the way to the rack.  Guys like Aldridge, Duncan, Westbrook, and a few others who still make their living on the 15-17 foot jump shot are rareities. 

[Acres53]

Being in Quality Assurance tells me logically that to go from 0-20% in error rate or decreased  efficiency ,output or production is a problem. To go from a 100% to 80% capability IS a problem. The flyers being taken are because out of the thousands of college players you can't find 60 a year in the US who can make an NBA roster. So they draft and stash players hedging a bet that in 2-3 years the Euro player will be better than some college kid getting bad advice about his draft status and NBA chances.

[TxHoops]

7 minutes ago, Acres53 said:

Being in Quality Assurance tells me logically that to go from 0-20% in error rate or decreased  efficiency ,output or production is a problem. To go from a 100% to 80% capability IS a problem. The flyers being taken are because out of the thousands of college players you can't find 60 a year in the US who can make an NBA roster. So they draft and stash players hedging a bet that in 2-3 years the Euro player will be better than some college kid getting bad advice about his draft status and NBA chances.

And has nothing to do with the rise in popularity of basketball overseas and many countries allowing players to come over that never would 20 years ago??  Ok. 

Another reason Knick fans were probably upset with the Porzingis pick was watching the wunderkind No. 1 overall pick, Andreas Bargnani buried on their bench for the past few years.  

Good news is I saw 2 7 footers (Thon Maker and Deandre Ayton) and a 6-10 kid (Wendell Carter) who all had extremely high skill sets, especially for bigs.  All were HS Class of '17, except Maker reclassified up to '16.  Hopefully AAU hasn't screwed them up too bad.  Marvin Bagley (6'11") in the class of '18 and Bol Bol (7'1") in class of '18 are two other young bigs who can play guard.  

I suppose the argument is they are the exception to the rule.  I agree.  As are any of the 360 select few in the world who can play in the league....

[ozensfinest]

Nothing is wrong with AAU ball allows kids to fly all over the country and compete amongst the best in the world I don't see any wrong in the that...As far as developing skills thats on the player not the AAU coach!

[robanadana]

TXHOOPS I think you make a good point about the mid-range jumper and I'm a believer in defense if we get back to high school ball and away from the pros. Three things Brian English emphasized coaching while he was at Vidor:

1. Defense...every practice.

2. Free throws...every practice.

3. Mid range jump shots. It is awfully hard to beat a team that does these three things well...especially shoot those little 10 footers that kill the other team. I don't see too many teams that play that game anymore and I don't think it's emphasized anymore. Go to the hole and throw it out for a three...pretty well everyone's game plan IMO. Good old school jump shooting teams are hard to find.

Charles Barkley said basically the same things about Euro ball etc.after the 92 Olympic victory. "Don't expect this for too much longer. They're getting better and we ain't" I believe his quote was.

[TxHoops]

21 minutes ago, robanadana said:

TXHOOPS I think you make a good point about the mid-range jumper and I'm a believer in defense if we get back to high school ball and away from the pros. Three things Brian English emphasized coaching while he was at Vidor:

1. Defense...every practice.

2. Free throws...every practice.

3. Mid range jump shots. It is awfully hard to beat a team that does these three things well...especially shoot those little 10 footers that kill the other team. I don't see too many teams that play that game anymore and I don't think it's emphasized anymore. Go to the hole and throw it out for a three...pretty well everyone's game plan IMO. Good old school jump shooting teams are hard to find.

Charles Barkley said basically the same things about Euro ball etc.after the 92 Olympic victory. "Don't expect this for too much longer. They're getting better and we ain't" I believe his quote was.

All good points.  Believe it or not, college coaches now are coaching to give up the mid ranger because of the lack of practice on the shot.  

[BLUEDOVE3]

Can we name 10 good bigs in the US? 

[TxHoops]

7 minutes ago, BLUEDOVE3 said:

Can we name 10 good bigs in the US? 

If we are using height to define big (and you have to because a 6-10 guard/forward shouldn't be penalized for being "too skilled")

Anthony Davis

Kevin Durant

LaMarcus Aldridge

Tim Duncan

Blake Griffin

Kevin Love

Andre Drummond

Hassan Whiteside

Chris Bosh

DeAndre Jordan

Jahlil Okafor

Karl Anthony Towns

Kevin Garnett was pretty salty for about 15 years or so and Dwight Howard was pretty good in his prime. 

[BLUEDOVE3]

On 1/5/2016 at 11:52 AM, Drango1 said:

The biggest problem I have seen with AAU (at every level except the very elite levels-EYBL National Circuit teams) is that kids are not being taught to defend.  The defense in AAU is atrocious.  There is absolutely zero team defense.  AAU is all about offense and that is fine to an extent but, because the defense is so bad kids develop a false sense of confidence about what they can and cannot do.  Then, when they get into the school season where team defense is a major point of emphasis I see kids get frustrated because their one on one moves don't work against great help defense and they have no clue how to locate the proper kick outs and dishes.  I had a friend of mine who has a freshman on his varsity this year.  In a film session he asked the kid why he wasn't on help side when the ball was away.  The kid responded:  "Because in AAU my coach told me to just follow my man around, so it's hard for me to remember to be on help side when the ball is away."  This kid played for an AAU branch that is regarded highly in the Greater Houston area.  Seriously, how many AAU practices include instruction on proper help side defense, seeing man and ball, choosing ball over man if you have to make that choice, switching pick and rolls, hedging pick and rolls, defending cutters, helping the helper, trapping pick and rolls and the list goes on.  The funny thing is, go ask a college coach what the number one thing they want to know about a kid is and they will tell you they want to know if he can defend the position he will play.  If the AAU guys really wanted to help these kids out they would be teaching much more defense and the concepts listed above.

Sorry,  I was referencing high school and/or college.

[Kountzer]

It is only basketball.  I like it but it is not that deep.

[BLUEDOVE3]

40 minutes ago, Kountzer said:

It is only basketball.  I like it but it is not that deep.

Thats my point . Its not deep. The NBA is definitely guard oriented 

[TxHoops]

On January 5, 2016 at 11:52 AM, Drango1 said:

The biggest problem I have seen with AAU (at every level except the very elite levels-EYBL National Circuit teams) is that kids are not being taught to defend.  The defense in AAU is atrocious.  There is absolutely zero team defense.  AAU is all about offense and that is fine to an extent but, because the defense is so bad kids develop a false sense of confidence about what they can and cannot do.  Then, when they get into the school season where team defense is a major point of emphasis I see kids get frustrated because their one on one moves don't work against great help defense and they have no clue how to locate the proper kick outs and dishes.  I had a friend of mine who has a freshman on his varsity this year.  In a film session he asked the kid why he wasn't on help side when the ball was away.  The kid responded:  "Because in AAU my coach told me to just follow my man around, so it's hard for me to remember to be on help side when the ball is away."  This kid played for an AAU branch that is regarded highly in the Greater Houston area.  Seriously, how many AAU practices include instruction on proper help side defense, seeing man and ball, choosing ball over man if you have to make that choice, switching pick and rolls, hedging pick and rolls, defending cutters, helping the helper, trapping pick and rolls and the list goes on.  The funny thing is, go ask a college coach what the number one thing they want to know about a kid is and they will tell you they want to know if he can defend the position he will play.  If the AAU guys really wanted to help these kids out they would be teaching much more defense and the concepts listed above.

You must be a birdie on my shoulder.  These very same principles of the game I have complained about on numerous occasions during this high school season (not being done at all or not being done properly).  The ones I see doing it best are very active in summer ball.  Most play very high level summer ball (I.e., shoe circuit teams) and I don't think it's a coincidence. 

[Kountzer]

These days I watch 2 or 3 Silsbee b-ball games a year.  I may get 1 or 2 rockets games a season.  Those are the only two teams I really care about.  I may catch a Sam Houston HS game before the season is over.  Other than that I'm good.