[外電] Brockman gives Kings needed toughness

看板Kings (沙加緬度國王)作者eliczone (C'est la vie)時間17年前 (2009/07/16 15:56)推噓7(7推 0噓 15→)

留言22則, 11人參與討論串1/1

http://www.sacbee.com/kings/story/2030159.html Jon Brockman didn't come here to make friends or collect autographs. He already swings his elbows like a pro, delivers body blows when the refs are distracted, muscles for rebounds, chases after loose balls. But he's only 6-foot-7, with relatively little length, and with 255 pounds packed onto a frame that more resembles that of a tight end than a power forward. So what are his odds for success? For him to claim and keep a spot on the Kings roster? A roll of the dice? Less than that? Or is Brockman one of those rare second-round selections (No. 38 overall) who sticks around because he's too stubborn to get rid of? "He's got a chance to be a good role player," said Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie, though this was before the Kings were thoroughly embarrassed Wednesday by a motivated cast from the NBA Development League. "He's a hard-nosed competitor, a rebounder. There are a lot of those guys in the league now." But not on the Kings' roster, Petrie might have added, which certainly enhances Brockman's appeal. Wednesday's abysmal performance aside, team officials swear that the intended makeover is more than window dressing, that the era of the Kings as pillow cushions is history, and they cite their recent draft choices as proof. All three 2009 selections – Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi and Brockman – scored well in the mental and physical toughness categories in the predraft analysis. Brockman, at 22 the oldest of the rookies, is a scrapper, a wide-bodied agitator, one of those players who refuses to distinguish between games and practices, sometimes between friend and foes. During scrimmages in his senior season at Washington, for instance, he knocked out the teeth of fellow Huskies Quincy Pondexter and Elston Turner. Nothing personal, he told them. They were in his way. He has his own scars as well. An inch-long gash frames his left eye, a souvenir from one of his unnumerable scuffles. Another memento forms a knot on his chin, the result of biting through his lip. He amasses scrapes and bruises in clusters, savoring his reputation "as an ultra physical guy who plays with a lot of energy." "I think it comes from being the youngest of four (siblings)," explained the Snohomish, Wash., native while sipping on a smoothie inside the Palms coffee shop earlier Wednesday. "You get tired of getting pushed around. Even my sister (Kirsten). She's 6 feet. But I think I take as good as I give." For Kings fans accustomed to frontcourt players known for finesse, Brockman is an acquired taste. That he spent his boyhood summers picking corn, bucking hay and doing the heavy lifting at Seattle-area farms seems somehow appropriate. Before collecting only four rebounds and failing to impress defensively against the D-Leaguers, he had averaged nine boards through three summer league matchups, and appeared to be an underrated jumper. (Columnist Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times describes Brockman as Paul Silas with hops.) One of only three players to lead the Pacific-10 Conference in rebounding for three seasons, his college stats alone suggest that he has soft hands and an instinct for the ball. Whether he has the talent and athleticism to overcome his lack of size remains to be seen. "It depends on what you expect from him," said Kings coach Paul Westphal, who was particularly unhappy Wednesday about the fact his players offered minimal defensive resistance – long a Kings weakness. "We definitely need another big body." Brockman remains hopeful of earning a contract and pairing with Spencer Hawes, his one-time Husky teammate and friend since boyhood. If the worst-case scenario happens, however, and Spencer arrives about the time he's being asked to leave, Europe is an alternative. Historically, Brockman always rebounds. =========================================================== 籃板癡漢!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 220.130.141.241

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