Ty Webb;772884 wrote:Irving has been injury prone going back to HS...

SportsAndLady;772964 wrote:I thought I heard something about Kyrie's injury being the first time he's had to deal with a serious injury; and it was a freak injury at that.

september63;772692 wrote:Post # 164, and I quickly replied on post # 165.

robj55;773035 wrote:I meant only from that workout video that he reminded me of BJ, he may play nothing like him, just his physical attributes and the way he moved reminded me a lot of him, BJ is much more athletic than that though from the looks of it.

enigmaax;773213 wrote:Cavs fans will be happy to know that LeBron has given his seal of approval to Irving as the #1 pick.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/news/story?id=6563293

SportsAndLady;773225 wrote:Who gives a shit about Lebron's seal of approval lol he can shove it up his ass

karen lotz;773130 wrote:Are you saying Mullens isn't athletic? Because that isn't true. He may not have lived up to his hype as a basketball player, but its not because he is an unathletic big man.

The Boss;773238 wrote:Just answering a question he was asked.

SportsAndLady;773283 wrote:It shouldn't be "news" though

Especially to Cleveland fans.

september63;773243 wrote:All Im saying is that BJ Mullins is a bust. He will continue to be a bust and will never get significant minutes for an NBA team. So is he thinking these other 1st round projections are all bust like too?

The Boss;773238 wrote:Just answering a question he was asked.

Skyhook79;773313 wrote:If he really cared he would have booked a 1 hour TV special, to "mainly" raise money for kids, and announce his decision on the Cavs drafting Irving #1.

Skyhook79;773313 wrote:If he really cared he would have booked a 1 hour TV special, to "mainly" raise money for kids, and announce his decision on the Cavs drafting Irving #1.

If he really cared he would have booked a 1 hour TV special, to "mainly" raise money for kids, and announce his decision on the Cavs drafting Irving #1.

Right after he did this Dos Equis commercial...

jordo212000;773651 wrote:I haven't seen that one, but I did the new Ramon Sessions commercial. I think he says "I don't always watch the NBA playoffs, but when I do, I watch them from my living room recliner"

jordo212000;773651 wrote:I haven't seen that one, but I did the new Ramon Sessions commercial. I think he says "I don't always watch the NBA playoffs, but when I do, I watch them from my living room recliner"

KR1245;773665 wrote:Are you comparing Lebron to Ramon Sessions?

Yeah, you really "hate Lebron".....you defend the dude every chance you get


Anyways, I'm starting to like what I hear about Valicinuas, I wouldnt have a problem with the Cavs taking him 4th

Commander of Awesome;773672 wrote:Typical of jordo. He's been called out/caught several times for the same bs.

What do you like about Valicinuas? I don't know much about him.

All Valanciunas has done since is continue to improve steadily every time we've seen him. There he was in the U-18 European Championships in Metz in the summer of 2009, going up against arch-rival Enes Kanter in a pair of epic matchups that frequently get mentioned by NBA scouts as pivotal moments in their evaluations. 19.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, on 72% FG and 79% FT were the final tallies in France.

Valanciunas also gets some opportunities from time to time in post-up situations, an area that he's not nearly as proficient. He lacks the girth to establish deep position inside the paint at the Euroleague level, even if that doesn't stop him from trying.

Against weaker opponents, he can put the ball down once or twice and dig a bit for better position to get his jump hook off (showing nice touch and great extension around the rim), but he doesn't really have the strength to finish through contact against high-level opponents.

He needs to work on his left hand and get quicker and more proficient with his foot-work and counter moves, as he doesn't look terribly natural creating his own shot down low.

Valanciunas is largely untested outside of 15 feet at the moment. He's taken one jumper this season—a surprisingly confident looking 3-pointer with the shot clock running out against Zalgiris. It went in.

The rest of Valanciunas' game needs refinement, particularly his ball-handling and passing abilities. He turns the ball over at a pretty high rate and definitely has a ways to go in terms of improving his basketball IQ and overall experience level.

The place this seems to show up most is on the defensive end. Valanciunas is a major presence in the paint with his terrific size and length. His mobility helps him out quite a bit as well. He can contest shots around the rim and has good timing for blocking shots, even if he's not what you would call a high-flyer.

With that said, he's not the smartest, most reactive player you'll find right now, especially on the perimeter, which can lead to some poor rotations and open shots for opponents.

Inside the paint, Valanciunas is a frequent target for opposing teams to post up due to his narrow frame and lack of experience, especially in the Euroleague, where almost every team has a bulky old school back-to-the-basket pivot who can simply overpower Valanciunas in one-on-one situations.