Dajuan More Chance
Call me Phil Collins: I can feel it in the air. Training camp doesn't open for another couple of days (Oct. 2 is the actual date), but the NBA buzz actually started with the release of NBA Live '07 yesterday. I had planned on staying up all night and writing a blog on how nasty the game is, but my controller decided to malfunction and I haven't even gotten a chance to play. Well, if it's any consolation, the game looks really cool, and I did get a chance to look at the rosters.
I've never been an NBA player, but I bet every year they look to the latest video games and want to check out their ratings. In a number of ways they can use that game as motivation. "What, I only have 45 defensive awareness?" Charlotee Bobcat forward Adam Morrison said in a recent press conference, "I'll show them." (He didn't actually say this, and I'm too lazy to bring up his defensive awareness rating, but you get the idea).
So how about this for motivation? Dajuan Wagner, the 6th pick in the 2002 draft, a player who once scored 100 points in a high school game, isn't in the game.
The obvious reason is that the Warriors signed him on Sept. 22, meaning that he missed the Jul. 26 cut-off date. But, that's too easy.
Wagner has been out of the NBA for two years after suffering from an inflammed colon, and even before that he was extremely injury prone. He has never played more than 47 games in a single season, and when he did play coaches felt that he played too out of control.
Though injuries do happen, it's almost safe (yet unfair) to label Wagner a bust. He's gone from a big-time scorer in high school and college to being probably an even money shot to make the Warriors. It's going to be interesting to see how he responds to this kind of role change. As a matter of fact, it's going to be interesting to see if he'll be even close to the same player prior to his injuries.
But, on a positive note, he's going into a pretty good situation. He loves to shoot the ball, and he's going to a team with a coach who loves to push the ball up the court. If he sticks, he has the potential to flourish in Don Nelson's system. As a Dallas Mavericks' fan for several years now (Dirk just re-upped for three years yesterday and I'm loving it), I can tell you that Nelson will make the Warriors every bit as entertaining.
Thankfully you can create players on NBA Live. Wagner will surely be one of the first people I add.
I've never been an NBA player, but I bet every year they look to the latest video games and want to check out their ratings. In a number of ways they can use that game as motivation. "What, I only have 45 defensive awareness?" Charlotee Bobcat forward Adam Morrison said in a recent press conference, "I'll show them." (He didn't actually say this, and I'm too lazy to bring up his defensive awareness rating, but you get the idea).
So how about this for motivation? Dajuan Wagner, the 6th pick in the 2002 draft, a player who once scored 100 points in a high school game, isn't in the game.
The obvious reason is that the Warriors signed him on Sept. 22, meaning that he missed the Jul. 26 cut-off date. But, that's too easy.
Wagner has been out of the NBA for two years after suffering from an inflammed colon, and even before that he was extremely injury prone. He has never played more than 47 games in a single season, and when he did play coaches felt that he played too out of control.
Though injuries do happen, it's almost safe (yet unfair) to label Wagner a bust. He's gone from a big-time scorer in high school and college to being probably an even money shot to make the Warriors. It's going to be interesting to see how he responds to this kind of role change. As a matter of fact, it's going to be interesting to see if he'll be even close to the same player prior to his injuries.
But, on a positive note, he's going into a pretty good situation. He loves to shoot the ball, and he's going to a team with a coach who loves to push the ball up the court. If he sticks, he has the potential to flourish in Don Nelson's system. As a Dallas Mavericks' fan for several years now (Dirk just re-upped for three years yesterday and I'm loving it), I can tell you that Nelson will make the Warriors every bit as entertaining.
Thankfully you can create players on NBA Live. Wagner will surely be one of the first people I add.
posted by Justin Cherot @ 11:38 AM
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