By LARRY VAUGHT
While Kentucky coach John Calipari has had great success putting players into the NBA draft — and should have six more picked later this month — at least one NBA scout says perception is not always reality.
“The interesting thing, and its not a knock, but there is this Kentucky mystique that Calipari has done a great job creating and perpetuating. The best part about Kentucky’s system is that can hide so many flaws at first glance,” the scout, who asked not to be identified because his team could draft a UK player, said.
Like what?
” MKG (Michael Kidd-Gilchrist)is a good defensive player, but he isn’t as good as people believe. Having (Anthony) Davis camped around the rim allowed players to play defense in a way which minimized their weaknesses,” the scout said.
More?
“The threat of the lob made (Marquis) Teague out to be a better point guard than he really is,” the scout said.
But wait. There’s more.
“In reality, the Kentucky system is smoke and mirrors. I remember being out in Vegas for a Summer League and I was sitting and watching games with a long-time Director of Scouting in the league. He said he was stunned at how unprepared Kentucky players were for the NBA, and he had drafted one of them,” the scout said.
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Yes. MKG is just your average defender. Again, how many players can make a recovery to block a reverse lay-up getting beat back-door at the Final Four?
What was MKG in blocks on the team, 2nd? 3rd?
Sounds to me like a scout with a chip on his shoulder about not doing his own homework.
This kind of comment shows exactly the way folks who don’t pay attention get fooled into missing the holes in these player’s games. They watch highlight films and confuse athletic blocks with defense. Defense is about being in position, knowing the strategy, etc… not about highlight saves. Kentucky has had an immense amount of talent in recent years and there is no doubting MKG’s athletic ability. Defensive FUNDAMENTALS are something else, and something not taught in the Coach C hype machine.
@bradcundiff
i guess you didn’t get the memo that blocking shots doesn’t mean you’re a great defensive player. it could mean forsaking the man you’re supposed to be guarding. it could mean back blocking a player who left you behind. and it DOES mean leaving your feet.
This is a knock on all the one and done players; not just Kentucky, although they are singled out in this piece. I hate the one and done system but it is what it is.
Hmm well look at the ones he has put in the NBA. Wall,Cousins, Evans,Rose,Knight, etc. They have done well at the next level.
Ironic because Cousins and Evans helped get their coach fired because they were so unprepared for the NBA and weren’t particularly coachable, Wall helped get his coach fired in Washington and the coach even said Wall should have spent more time working on his game and less time recruiting for Calipari at AAU events during the lockout. They’ve done well at the NBA level because they were all VERY talented, but many of them entered the NBA very poorly prepared fundamentally.
He won a title with the system so it’s hard to say it doesn’t work, and obviously UK continues to recruit at a high level, but I think you can argue that some of these kids might have been better prepared for the NBA by another system and coach.
This sounds like a bit of gamesmanship to me. Poor mouthing players and then hoping they come available when his team gets to pick.
Let’s break this down for a second, because three things stood out to me in this.
1) Let’s look at who has gone to the NBA in Cal’s time here. Wall, Cousins, Patterson, Knight, Bledsoe, Jorts, and Liggins, given where they were drafted and what is expected of them, have been great to good to solid to OK. I don’t think you could call any a disappointment.
So seeing as that’s the case, could this particular scout be a little bitter that he told his team that drafting Daniel Orton with his bad knee and attitude concerns in the first round was a good idea?
2) He blames our “smoke and mirrors” system for getting guys drafted that aren’t as good as advertised, but isn’t that what work outs, the combine, and dare I say it, HIS JOB is for? You have every opportunity to look at a kid and see, outside of his college system, what he can do. Don’t blame UK and the system for why you’re upset.
3) “the scout, who asked not to be identified because his team could draft a UK player, said.”. Must not bug them that much.
Ya I mean Kentucky Players are soo terrible and can’t play that they went on to win the Championship..hmm sounds like ssomeone is just bitter to me!! I hate that college basketball is only play 1 year and then you can go to the NBA. If it was different We, Kentucky would have a lot more than 8!!! That’s for sure!!
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Jim, I think that you have hit the nail on the head! This scout is hoping that some other team believes this and will not draft KY players so that his team can get them. I would not listen to anything this “scout” has to say.
The scout’s argument has one flaw. Since he generalizes “Kentucky Players” he has to acknowledge all the UK players. The output of players like Wall, Cousins, Bledsoe, BKnight and Harrelson all fly in the face of his statement. However, he only mentions the most recent batch of Cats coming to the league. So is it this group of players or is it all UK players? Likewise, to isolate players and say that they aren’t as good without their teammates doesn’t make sense. With Davis to lob to, Teague was a better PG cause opponents had to play off. However, without Davis in the paint, Teague might have been a better driver and scorer. To place players in a bubble as 1-on-1 players and then say they weren’t as good ignores the context of the team. The fact is, these guys are going to be great NBA players because they recognized the opportunity that presented itself at the TEAM level, a trait I would guess most NBA coaches/scouts drool over. The fact that there is only ONE scout making these comments makes him an outlier, not the majority, and thus harder to take seriously.
had a feeling the scout’s comments might draw a little feedback here. Like the reasoning and insights each of you have
First and foremost I’m not a blueblood UK fan, I also will say this UK team was a good group of kids. No jerks, just seemed like good kids. But the knock of UK players not being ready is crap. To be honest those same questions could be said for all kids coming out to early in the draft. All players look good defensively if they have a player like Davis behind them. The scouts that have put that out there about UK players is a Joke. Think about this the scouts that are thinking about Drafting these players must be in the running for the lottery so these teams or organizations are struggling already. So maybe the scouts that make these comments aren’t doing their jobs, because they are terrible.
So, he thinks the UK players are overated but his team “may draft one of them?”
He says that MKG is a good defensive player but his weaknesses are hidden?
Sounds like somebody is poor-mouthing the guys so that he can sneak a draft pick…
Also, as Decourcy from TSN has said, 5 All Rookie picks in 6 years is not smoke and mirrors.
The one and done thing is a horrible blemish on college basketball
I need more than ” how unprepared Kentucky players were”!! If you break down all the players under Cal for any amount of time, you’ll find their game was greatly enhanced by him. I’ll use Patterson as one of my favorite examples. He was clearly the only post presence we had his 1st 2 seasons, but, when he was forced away from the basket by Cousins presence… he worked on the skills necessary to compete in the pros. He wasn’t big enough to just post up any longer. And there’s always going to be a player like Orton who wasn’t ready, but I don’t think Cal gave him an endorsement either.
There may be hint of truth about Davis covering up some weaknesses on both ends of the floor, but we’ve seen a great amount of improvement by every individual on this team. Yes, Teague & Gilchrist need a better jump-shot, but we all could see that. I’m sure with their work ethic, they’ll get it done!! This is where the scouts need to fill in the blanks and realize just what character of kids they’re dealing with.
Flaws in U.K. players? This same guy probably said that Miss USA is not pretty because she did not win Miss Universe. Actually not a good analogy because U.K. did win # 8!
Remember that we were told that Cindy Crawford has a flaw as well.
(Been looking for that flaw for 20 years & have not found it yet)
I assume that this guy will identify himself after the draft?
Cal gets his players ready for “LIFE” – Whatever that may bring.
-His players have improved their skills after one year.
-His players play as a team
-His players are good people!
-His players will make more $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ than a NBA Scout.
I say that this unanimous scout has an agenda and a lack of balls. He is afraid to stand behind his words because he does not have a case and is a coward.
lot of times scouts will not talk on record. don’t want to upset team officials or possible draft picks. another post coming with another anonymous scout with far different take on UK talent
I just can’t stomach someone who throws out quotes and is not a big enough man to tie his name to his thoughts and comments. Come on, man!!!!
A corollary could be: “The Kentucky Wildcats are greater than the sum of their parts.” Let’s not rush to bash this guy.
The one comment about “Having (Anthony) Davis camped around the rim allowed players to play defense in a way which minimized their weaknesses,” just doesn’t wash.
If you apply that to the Boston Celtics of the 50′s & 60′s, having Bill Russell back there must have hid their weaknesses. How many championships did they win, and how many of them wound up in the pro hall of fame.
Oh well, he was out at a Summer League that one time he had some, apparently anonymous, Kentucky players playing for him, so of course I should take everything he says at face value.
Sorry to take so long to comment, but I was picking myself up off the floor after laughing so hard. Thanks for this, I needed a good laugh.
MKG is not as good a defensive player as people think he is might get my pick for most ridiculous statement of the year. There was a reason Mike continuously played against the player UK needed to stop the most, regardless of the position the player played (well, except for center). Great footwork, smart, terrific instincts and great hands. What else do you need?
And I agree with the others who have pointed out that Cal’s UK players are making the All-Rookie team. I would hardly call that unprepared for the NBA.
I think Larry is trolling for comments.. why post this?
I’d be interested in hearing the scouting director elaborate a little bit on how Kentucky kids are underprepared. Is he talking about strength and conditioning, Basketball IQ, holes in their game that will be exposed in the league, media interaction, or what? Also, who does it better?
Pete, you have a problem with this site, with Larry or any of the comments on here? Did you have another name on another post lately? What is wrong with asking for comments on a on something that is of interest to the BBN? Do you need to check to see if your shorts are in a knot?
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Hope this clown is whispering in MJ’s ear…MKG deserves better than to be saddled with the Bobcats!
I see the IU fans are still hanging around to bash UK. They don’t bother mentioning they aren’t UK fans. They just can’t stand a civil discussion I guess. I really wish they would go through the archives here to see just how well people get along here. It would destroy their entire world view in just a few minutes.
And this “scout” needs something to mask the fact he ain’t too bright. Are UK players highly polished college players? No, they aren’t. They don’t play 4 years anymore if they’re any good. Are they better than the straight out of high school types the NBA was signing? Absolutely. Cal teaches his players a LOT in a year or two. Anyone who can’t see that can’t see period.
What UK players have is TALENT and they have proven that in a short time. It’s the same players that used to be signed straight out of HS but that didn’t work so well. Very few of those players actually made it in the NBA because they weren’t at all prepared and they went from superstar to bench warmer for 4 years while they tried to learn what most players learn in college. Cal’s players are MUCH better off than those guys. They have learned to play against better players and they have come to realize just how good they are instead of thinking they walk on water. Cal is a huge benefit to the NBA if you ask me. They should pay him to run their minor league which is what the college game is these days. It stinks but there it is.
This “scout” should go scout for some brains IMO. Masked their flaws? If Cal didn’t do that he wouldn’t be worth a dime. That’s what coaches do. Maybe somebody should write that “scout” a message and let him know that. Maybe I just did I guess. Mike had it perfectly right. It’s the job of a scout to see exactly how much talent a player has. If he can’t see past what the coach does to hide a players flaws he isn’t much of a scout.
I just wonder why he picked on UK. Where’s the quote about how Duke hid the fact that Rivers was a ball hog and a hot dog? Where’s the comment about how Kansas made T-Rob look like he was really good when the truth is he will never be talented enough to be a pro. He’s playing at the top of his game already IMO. UK’s players can improve a lot. T-Rob can’t IMO.
Right now KU fans are screaming about how T-Rob should have been POY and how he should be the first draft pick and how Davis had “half a good year”. I guess they missed out on how Davis did against their team but they are clearly trying to hide the fact that Davis has a tremendous upside while Robinson is already peaking. I’ve seen this many times before including seeing it in some UK players. Goose Givens was a guy who was playing the best basketball he could ever play while in college. He wasn’t going to get massively better as a pro like other players who weren’t as good in college. I think the world of Jack but that’s just how it is and I think Jack would agree. Davis is still learning to use his size. He’s just learning to shoot with huge hands and long arms. It matters a lot. Heck when I grew a bunch in jr. high I got so uncoordinated I could barely walk a straight line. Eventually I adapted to my new size. And I’m nowhere near as tall as Davis. He’s 9″ taller than me. Some people can step right into a bigger size and be great but others can’t. I couldn’t function nearly as well at first as I could later on. It actually took me about 3 years to adapt which tells you something about me.
Davis can run and jump like few players and his length is incredible. He won’t even play center in the NBA. He won’t be strong enough for at least 5 years. But he’s not afraid to bang. He just isn’t that good at it. I expect him to be a great PF who can run the floor and defend like Russell. His shooting has already improved from the first time I saw him play. Imagine how much room he has to improve that part of his game.
T-Rob doesn’t have that head room as they say. And Kansas isn’t broadcasting that news. They haven’t written one sob story about how he won’t get a lot better. They’re hiding this stuff from the public. Yep. It’s no doubt. It ain’t fair I tell you. Teague should be drafted ahead of him. And MKG should be drafted behind Jones. No one is saying how great Jones is. Isn’t that masking the truth? And what about Miller? Didn’t he save UK’s bacon a bunch of times with key shots this past year? Shouldn’t he be drafted ahead of T-Rob too? Someone is hiding how great he is after all. He’s a 6’8″ guard with long arms and quick feet. Plus he can shoot and score. He can drive, he can create room for his jumper, he can hit the wide open shot, he can run the floor and wow can he play defense. Nobody is telling this stuff. Aren’t we guilty of “masking” his talent? And IMO he has a lot of room to grow and get better too. He’s always suffered from a lack of confidence or something. Now he seems to have gotten over that. Doesn’t that mean he can now improve a lot now that he’s getting out of his own way?
This whole “masking” stuff is out of control IMO. Something should be done. We should vote on how many points a player should score before the game starts. That should fix all that masking stuff. Or better still just get rid of the coaches. Then we’ll see the real players.
Wow Larry I need to be able to edit my posts (by about 90%).
It’s not that he is afraid his team will draft a UK player, if he is right then he should want to be able to say- i told you so – if his team does draft a “uk bust”. This “great” insight should help his career.
The coward is hiding because as a scout, he does not want this statement tied to his name, as his opinion will be devalued in years to come.
This is as solid as the man that stands behind it….who is that again….
Bet he’s an IU grad.
The scout’s comments are absurd in the light of facts. That they specifically target Kentucky particularly smells. Mentioning that someone else feels the same way is very lame. There is definitely agenda there. I doubt he’s trying to diminish UK draft stock for his team. NBA GM’s, coaches and scouts are not that stupid. It sounds personal to me.
I be he is an IU fan too and Pete hates UK just like Thamel is a syracus grad and hates KY. He was there when Kentucky trounced them in 1996
This is not journalism, this is gossip! Anybody that is jealous of UK and or Calipari can make such broad and mindless statements. Let me say this…. Calipari does a better job preparing these young guys than anyone in the entire nation. Now, I’ll prove it! UK is putting more freshmen in the pros than any coach in the county! UK is putting more players total than any coach in the country! Way more! Considering the number of freshmen UK is putting in the pros, you would expect them to be a little green for a while. I think the “anonomous” opinion that Larry Vought is spreading, is nothing more than a jealous adversary of UK (And there are plenty of them).
Joe, it is Vaught (ha ha). Just remember, everyone has opinions. guy is not jealous of UK. HIs job is to evaluate talent and I am still not sure that what he said is not a compliment of how Cal uses his talent to hide flaws. Heck, coaches in NBA do same thing
The guy’s is not saying the kids are untalented, he’s just saying that the system hides weaknesses in their games (which it’s designed to do) so there’s not a lot of game film showing players in some revealing situations that they’ll see in the NBA. However, the NBA still drafts on potential just like it did before the age limit went into effect so the kids aren’t being hurt by it rather they are getting more exposure in a system where they can be highly functional their first season while showing off their game in a more favorable light.
he’s not saying Cal’s system doesn’t win college games or helps players improve their draft stock, he’s saying that the notion that the system better prepares the player for the NBA is largely a myth. no harm in saying that. talent will still flock to Kentucky as it always did because talent is served immediately and is in a position to succeed immediately.