My infamous "I can guard Jimmer" statement

[MikeWaters]

I went back and looked it up. I never said that.

I would like to try and guard Jimmer.

I have no doubt he is a far superior to me. But I wonder how his slowness compares to my slowness.

http://cougarguard.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14962

It's interesting to go back and read that thread.

I was high on Loyd. Said he had more upside than Jimmer. That didn't work out. But maybe not entirely for basketball reasons. IIRC, Loyd was a star of that one tourney game. Was that Jimmer's junior year? Shame he didn't stay. Team would have been better with him around.

I also said Jimmer would not play in the NBA. Was wrong about that. But let's face it, based on his play his freshman season, there was no indication that he would play in the NBA. No indication he would be the player of the year as a senior.

I was also down on Jimmer's handle. Both right and wrong about that. His handle was fine for his college career. But it's been a HUGE problem for his NBA career. it makes him unable to play PG effectively. He struggles to bring the ball up the court against full court man-on-man pressure.

I think I vastly overstated my basketball ability...some delusions of grandeur there.

I'm trying to think of guys that I have played with since then....played with a guy who was a starting guard for the Univ. of Missouri, and was in an NBA camp (didn't make the team). He was really good, but not extraordinary for our group.

The end of the bench comment, that I would not be able to guard the guy at the end of BYU's bench. Ironically I have frequently played with a guy in our group who was at the end of BYU's bench. As a freshman he was an invited walkon, and then transferred to Westminster. I can guard him. He's a MUCH, MUCH better player than me. His IQ is off the charts, he's the professor, I'm the preschooler. Along with that, he is an extraordinary shooter from any platform. He can shoot no matter where his feet are, he can take runner 3s, he can shoot literally around your arm. I play with a bunch of guys who played small-time college ball (not Div 1A), and he is the best shooter by far. BUT, we are either the same height, or I'm slightly taller. But he doesn't have an athletic advantage over me. He can't out jump me. When he does beat me, he beats me with cunning. And when I guard him, I'm doing so effectively by understanding what his game is and taking those things away. My buddies will vouch for me, I CAN GUARD THE GUY AT THE END OF BYU'S BENCH. I've played many games where I've held him scoreless. Ha!

But maybe he's the only one. Ever.

Not that anyone cares, but my body has broken down from playing too much. For a while I was playing 5 times a week. Really bad patellar tendonitis. Had to go into physical therapy. And other chronic injuries (6 months of pulled groin, most recently).

But yeah, I agree there's a huge jump at all levels. We completely underestimate how talented someone in the NBA is.

But getting back to Jimmer. He was not an NBA player as a freshman. It's not like we were all fooled and not seeing what was in front of us. He developed during his college career. He got better. And frankly he got more athletic. He improved his body. And now he's a marginal NBA player. But that's a tremendous accomplishment. How many people can say that? Very few in the scheme of things. And looking at BYU, whose the last guy that stuck in the league this long? Ainge? Fred Roberts? Smith flamed out due to injury, IIRC.

[MikeWaters]

I have to say, I've been really fortunate in my basketball life. To have glommed on to a pickup group where most of the players are better than me. And many of them much, much better. If I had to move to another city, I don't think I would be able to find a similar group that would accept me.

It's fun to play with guys who are good, competitive, generally like each other, and play real basketball. They're trying to win. They're not trying to showboat. And "get theirs." I hate that kind of basketball, because it means peripheral role-player guys like have no role.

It's really been something I have enjoyed, even if I was never that great.

[MikeWaters]

I don't even know why I bother to post stuff like this.

Almost 8 years ago now, that thread.