Wade did this last year as well against LeBron James’s old team and former teammate Anderson Varejao:

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Andrea and the safety blanket

Of course, the only comparison possibly relevant between Andrea Bargnani and Esposito and Rusconi is the Italian mentality – not their basketball ability. Chiara Zanini is convinced that Bargnani’s slow cultural familiarization slowed his playing skills.

The change for the good came in summer 2008. Toronto signed Jermaine O’Neal as new center as a clear sign from management to the disappointing talent Bargnani. The Italian realized quickly that he could be banished to a bench role behind O’Neal and Bosh. And Bargnani arrived at the start of training camp in Ottawa nearly eight kilos heavier. In the off-season, he added muscle weight and put in plenty of hours with Raptors assistant coach Gordon Herbert. And Bargnani appeared finally ready for the fight under the NBA boards. “I really worked him hard in practice to see how he would react,” said a satisfied O’Neal. “And he did not shy away.” And head coach Sam Mitchell had a clear message – no three-pointers. “Not before practice, not afterwards, not during practice games, not at all,” Mitchell told reporters. It’s kind of like taking the safety blanket away from Linus of the Peanuts.

But the Italian did not let anyone take away his favorite weapon. This past season, he took 3.7 triples per game but hit an excellent 41 percent of them. Bargnani left the blocks and returned to the wing after the firing of the rough Mitchell, with whom the sensible Italian never got along. “Now he plays with more confidence and ease,” Gherardhini said after the move.

Now that the head coaching question mark was answered by the extension with Jay Triano, the main question remains Bargnani’s future. The Italian appears set at the unloved center position as long as Chris Bosh is in Toronto. “I just have to give my best,” said Bargnani about his future. “I cannot predict the future.” With this Roman riddle, you just have to be ready for anything.

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Ray of hope in darkness

One of the few rays of hope was Bargnani’s blossoming. “How Andrea played the final three months is how we always dreamed he would,” said the man who discovered him, Maurizio Gherardhini. The assistant to Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo stumbled across Bargnani as a 16-year-old with Italian second division club Stella Rossa Roma. He saw a lanky teenager who had such a huge ego after getting little opposition in the lower Italian league that he wanted his teammates from the Italian junior national team to call him “Big Bargna”. Gherardhini brought Bargnani to top club Benetton Treviso where the young wing player developed into one of the biggest talents in Europe.

Bargnani won two Italian cups with Benetton and helped Treviso in 2006 to the club’s sixth and last league championship. As a 19-year-old, he was a leading contributor, scoring 15.3 points and grabbing 7.1 rebounds per Lega Basket A game. And he was crowned the Euroleague’s Young Player of the Year for the 2005-06 season.

To put it shortly, the expectations were huge as Bargnani headed off to the NBA as the biggest Italian basketball talent since the legendary Dino Meneghin. Gherardini was brought to Toronto by long-time friend Colangelo in early summer 2006. And a few weeks later, Andrea followed to Canada as Toronto made him the first European player to be drafted Number One overall. But, was he the wrong one?

During Bargnani’s horrible second season, some even compared him to Matt Bonner – a role player who is a big, but one dimensional shooter without any real defensive skills. But at least the red-headed Bonner was none as a guy who battles. One Raptors fan with a bit of humor wrote in an Internet forum that he would like a combination of Bargnani and Bonner: “Mattdrea Bongnani – deadly from the three-point line, hard worker, good ball-handling, boxes out on rebounds, drives a Grand Am and eats Ravioli.”

Spoiled and soft

Bargnani was deeply affected by the criticism. And he has still not forgiven the journalists for the many negative articles about him in his homeland. “His relationship to the Italian media is horrible,” said journalist Chiara Zanini. Bargnani rarely grants his compatriots interviews. Zanini saw Bargnani for the first time when he was a 14-year-old at a tournament with the Italian youth national team in Milan and the journalist arrived for the second half of the game against Venezuela. “All by himself, he made up a 16-point deficit in four minutes,” remembered Zanini. She has followed his career since then. Even during Bargnani’s tough second season, he gave interviews to Zanini. “Andrea’s pride plays a big role. As a youngster he was a winner. He didn’t know losing,” said Zanini. And in Toronto, the forward began to lose the confidence which in the beginning had excited so many in Raptors management. “Italian athletes are among the most spoiled in the world,” said Zanini. “Spoiled from the sweet Italian life and the VIP status which they enjoy everywhere back home.” Bargnani drove around Treviso in a big BMW, usually with a beautiful woman in the passenger seat. “Andrea is the typical Italian, who misses the food and needs his buddies from back home because he is sure that no one else can understand him,” adds Zanini. Once he was confronted with criticism, he closed everything else off.

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Text: Jens Möller

What does Andrea Bargnani think? Slam basketball magazine nicknamed him “Bargnigma” – stemming from enigma. And the 23-year-old Italian rarely shows his emotions – whether after hitting a three-pointer or after losing the ball on a silly mistake. No, Bargnani’s facial expression remains the same – emotionless, like a fish with a beard. And just like reading nothing from his facial experience, the basketball world also could not get a handle on the 7-foot forward’s game. On the one hand, he will deliver an unbelievable pass. But the next moment he stands around on the court like a concrete statute at Rome’s Piazza Venezia.

When Bargnani arrived in the league in 2006, many thought he had the cool poker face of a hardened 19-year-old, who had already won everything there was to win in his homeland. Fans back home called him “Il Mago” – “The Magician”. “He should show us some magic first before we call him that,” said his former Raptors teammate Darrick Martin, who called him “Big Rook”.

Three years later, still no one in the Raptors locker room this season was calling him “Il Mago”, even though “Big Barg” – his current nickname – finally showed signs of some magic this season. Bargnani had his best season in the NBA in 2008-09. In March he averaged 20.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks on his way to season numbers of 15.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. That made up for his very poor sophomore season, which saw him collect just 10.2 points, 3.7 rebounds while shooting a miserable 38 percent from the field. Even the best poker face in the world turns out to be a bluff if you always lose. “Maybe he would rather weave baskets in Italy than shoot them,” joked Toronto Star columnist Dave Feschuk. Despite speaking excellent English, Bargnani began pulling the “Lost in Translation” card when it came to critical questions from journalists – which only increased the criticism. And many started asking if the Raptors had drafted the Italian Dirk Nowitzki or really a mutation of Nikoloz Tskitishvili and Darko Milicic.

The two faces

But Bargnani’s performance this season finally wiped away any comparison to two of the biggest European disappointments in NBA history. Still, one thing about Bargnani did not change: the phlegmatic facial expression and his sometimes listless demeanor. During the home game against the Chicago Bulls in late March, it appeared to not really bother the Italian when head coach Jay Triano ordered him back to the bench after just five minutes on the court in the second quarter. Bargnani pretty much looked like a school boy on defense against the Bulls big men Brad Miller and Joakim Noah – not exactly two of the most feared bigs in the game. And Triano decided to bring in the six inch smaller Anthony Parker. The Italian didn’t show up again until the third quarter and the poker face finally had good cards, sinking one long distance shot after another. TV commentators were howling “Il Maaagggoooo”. And Bargnani’s three-pointer with 90 seconds left in overtime gave his team the lead.

It was moments like these that the young Italian made observers think about Nowitzki, with whom he was compared in his younger days. Early in the shot clock, the ball is mainly in the hands of playmaker Jose Calderon, and Bargnani is setting picks near the paint. The Raptors are trying to get their first option Chris Bosh into good position in the blocks. After that Bargnani drifts out to the three-point line, waiting for the pass out. His defender – in this case the freakishly athletic Tyrus Thomas – drops down instinctively to help protect against drives to the lane. Once Bargnani would get the ball he would launch a shot. And not even the great leaper Thomas could charge out and stop the tall sharp-shooter. Bargnani has become accustomed to catching the ball above his head and not bring the ball back down for the shot. That helps him use his height even though he doesn’t even really jump in his jump-shot. And the big man has perfected his flowing shooting motion which excited NBA scouts early on.

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But as Gordon was playing better and better in high school, the heads at Indiana University began getting more and more anxious. Could the Hoosiers not end up bringing in the state’s biggest talent since Oscar Robertson in 1956? Oral commitments were not legally binding in college basketball as more than a few high school stars had passed on the morale high road in favor of the team success.

Considerations quickly turned into actions. Kelvin Sampson replaced Mike Davis on the bench and immediately contacted the Gordon camp. And it was more than a coincidence that Jeff Meyer, a former college coach and close friend of Eric Gordon Sr., landed onto Sampson’s bench as an assistant. But the move ended up working. After a couple of campus visits and various practice games with the team, Gordon Jr. announced in October 2006 his intention to attend Indiana – regardless of his past promise.

(zü) “Liar! Liar! Liar!”

Reactions out of Illinois were heated as the Illini were suddenly without a useful shooting guard. There were even death threats. For the first game between Indiana and Illinois, organizers brought in extra security but 16,000 angry fans feverishly booed Gordon for two and a half hours. And Illinois guard Cester Frazier nearly took Gordon down – before the opening whistle. Every time the hated, one-time messiah Gordon touched the ball, chants of “Liar! Liar! Liar!” came from the stands. Shortly before the final whistle, the Gordon family had to be escorted out of the stands under a shower of fan verbal abuse, ice cubes and plastic cups. “It was certainly an uncomfortable experience. But I can understand the resentment of the fans,” said Gordon. Eric Sr. meanwhile was affected by the reaction of the Illini fans, but his main worry was for his son. “He has the tendency of wanting to please everyone. All this is not easy for him,” said the elder Gordon.

But the controversial recruiting move proved to be ineffective. Despite some good showings by Gordon, coach Sampson never was able to get the Hoosiers to live up to their potential. And things turned even worse for the coach. Due to various violations of NCAA regulations – partially in connection with the recruiting of young players – Sampson was forced out at the university with his contract being bought out in February 2008. After moving into the NBA, Gordon complained about the appalling lack of discipline at the one-time famed university. He also said that drug consumption by a series of players – without naming names – robbed the team of any chances for success. Gordon said coach Sampson knew of the problems but refused to penalize the players looking for the more important team success.

The negative experiences from the college controversies only helped Gordon deal with an NBA team with strained team chemistry. And there are surely more peaceful locker rooms and better role models than Ricky Davis, Zach Randolph and company. But after the emotional ride in college, Gordon was able to grow in this challenging situation rather than fall apart. He was the right man in the right place.

Clippers fans continue to have plans for the removal of the coach – even in violent nature if necessary – and a better future of their team. But they can be happy that that brighter future has already started in the shape of number 10 in the white, blue and red.

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If you take away Gordon’s shooting percentage of nearly 45 percent and look at his “True Shooting Percentage” you can see what kind of impressive company he keeps already. The value combines the two-point, three-point and free throw percentages and is considered one of the most effective parameters to determine a player’s offensive performance. Compared to all NBA shooting guards with at least 500 minutes played, Gordon ranked fourth at 59.3 percent. Ahead of him are only Ray Allen, Kevin Martin and Manu Ginobili. And Gordon was better than superstars like Kobe Bryant (21st place, 56.1 percent) and Dwyane Wade (12th, 57.4 percent).

(zü) Rookie Wall: What’s that?

Gordon also picked a match-up against a top rookie for his top highlight of his young career. At the end of January, he guided the Clippers to a home victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder and Russell Westbrook with 41 points. Besides his impressive point total, the Clipper rookie also showed an outstanding variety of taking apart the Thunder defense. He connected on 12 of 19 shots from the floor, including 5 of 7 from three-point range. Compared to other, more classical perimeter guards Gordon did not rely on his fine shooting game – just like he did not all season. He was fouled 14 times and scored 12 of his points from the foul line. “Of course that really strengthens one’s confidence,” said Gordon. “If you begin to score a lot of points that way, you are more able to read the defense.”

The developing Gordon profited more than perhaps any other player on the roster from the Clippers’ amazing injury bad luck. The shooting guard began to move into the focus of the fans’ interest. He also made a joke of the much-feared “Rookie Wall”. Most of the league’s other newcomers felt the brutal NBA schedule in the second half of the season, were suffering from injuries or lost their effectiveness. O.J. Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies, for example, was league-wide considered the top candidate for the Rookie of the Year. But after a strong November he had to watch his statistics drastically fall despite consistent playing time numbers. Mayo’s scoring average rose only in February and only marginally due to a high shooting percentage. Gordon meanwhile tripled his scoring average from November to January (from 7.8 points to 21.9) and saw a continual increase in playing time (from 19.1 minutes to 41.1).

Since then, the injury returnees Davis, Zach Randolph and Chris Kaman took away a portion of the scoring burden from Gordon’s shoulders. But the rookie’s shooting percentage remained excellent. In February and March, Gordon knocked down more than 47 percent of his attempts from the field. “I was always a scorer,” said the young guard after another 35-point contest against the Indiana Pacers in March.

(zü) Basketball in the genes

As the oldest of three brothers, it was clear early on that Gordon had received the talent of his father, a former college basketball player. Eric Sr. and Eric Jr. spent countless hours in the driveway of his parent’s house in Indianapolis. And shooting technique was not the only part of training, but also the less spectacular aspects of the game such as boxing out under the basket and setting the correct screen.

And those workouts with Papa Gordon had success. Gordon’s offensive potential at North Central High School in Indianapolis made him a McDonald’s All-American and the 2007 Indiana Mr. Basketball.

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Text: Johannes Korge

Fans of the Los Angeles Clippers are a special bunch. It takes a special quality to throw your heart around one of the worst franchises in league history. A hint of masochism helps as does a healthy portion of sarcasm. Fans also may have a sense of voyeurism as they bury their heads into their hands at the Staples Center or at home, yet still peek through their fingers. Just like an under-financed horror film, curiosity wins over and spectators watch the latest tasteless twist of plot instead of switching the channel or getting rid of their season ticket. In the latest version of the creepy classic “L.A. Clippers Regular Season XXIV“, genre maestro Mike Dunleavy just builds his own living legend as writer/producer/director and coach. He ventured briefly into the soap opera business last summer with his failed negotiations with power forward Elton Brand. But after the tip-off of the regular season, he provided plenty of shocker moments for the friends of polished adult entertainment.

Impressive remains the old master’s will to innovate. In a move even Stephen King could appreciate, he artistically created an initially safe and sound world with a new shining light in the form of Baron Davis. But just as the tormented spectators started believing in a happy end, Dunleavy directed his team with his own mix of failure, bad luck and ignorance back to the lower depths of the Western Conference. “And Cut!!!” This is a stuff of video store legends.

But a young actor continued to try and torpedo the script with irritatingly solid and consistent performances. Rookie guard Eric Gordon quietly worked his way into the running for the title as best newcomer in the league. And his application materials are quite impressive. He averaged 16.1 points per game as the third-best scorer on the team – ahead of the 65 million dollar man Baron Davis. He also chipped in 2.6 rebounds and nearly three assists per game. And after the season he was fifth in the voting for NBA Rookie of the Year.

(zü) Master of advanced stats

Taken seventh in the 2008 draft, the Clippers were hoping Gordon would be a medium-term reinforcement at the shooting guard position. The 20-year-old guard definitely understood the second part of his assignment. But he seems to have trouble with his time management. Forget about any talk of a medium-term alternative. Just a month into the season he had already had his first appearance in the starting five. Against the New Orleans Hornets, Gordon would show off a playing style that turned him into an instant fan favorite at the white-blue-red Staples Center. He drained four of eight three-pointers and made 50 percent from the field in totaling 25 points in 36 minutes of action. The team lost the game – just like 15 of the first 20 – but Gordon looked like a raw diamond getting its first polish. And NBA enthusiasts of all denominations could appreciate Gordon’s offensive game. Purists enjoy his picture-perfect jump shot: lightning-quick approach, intuitive feet positioning, exemplary follow through and a corresponding flight of the ball.

Friends of the aggressive drive to the basket can appreciate Gordon’s explosive first step, his above-average athleticism and the fact that despite having a good jumper he scores about one-third of his points near the basket according to 82.games.com. “What’s important for us is that he plays hard and attacks the basket,” said coach Dunleavy. Despite being only 6-foot-3 – rather small for a shooting guard – Gordon uses his weight to assert himself against bigger defenders. “He is more compact than he looks,” said fellow guard Baron Davis, himself solidly built.

Over the course of the season, injuries started piling up and resulted in the imploding of team chemistry and the coach using what felt like 125 different starting fives. But the team’s youngest player became a real force. Gordon even did not make a lot of rookie mistakes on defense. His defensive game (elsewhere as well) does need a bit of polish, but he fulfills his duties satisfactorily – especially for a player with that kind of offensive arsenal.

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There is one thing you have to say about Allen Iverson. The man known as The Answer never shied away from anyone or anything in his 13 years in the NBA. Iverson remained true to himself whether it was the way he lived his life or his idea of basketball. Whether or not his way was the right one is anyone’s guess – even if it’s leading him to a dead end.

Since 2001, I have spoken with Allen Iverson four times. He was always honest, speaking openly about the game, the world and his role within it. Unfortunately though, he has been unable to accomplish a number of things he had planned. In Los Angeles, I asked the then 28-year-old if he thought that he would have to change his game in the future. He was after all nearing 30 years old – an age when many guards start losing their quickness. And it’s a dangerous time, especially for shooting guards like Iverson who live off their athleticism. A.I. knew that he would one day not be able to play like he did when he was 22. He mentioned that he wanted to play like John Stockton, as smart and clever as the former Utah Jazz playmaker who was elected into the Hall of Fame this year. On June 7, Allen Iverson will turn 34 years old. And there is none of Stockton in Iverson’s game.

The 2K9 Allen Iverson plays just like the 2K1 Allen Iverson. For the Nuggets in 2008, he averaged 26.4 points, 7.1 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from three-point range. In 2001 those numbers were 31.1 points, 4.6 assists, 2.5 steals, 42.0 FG% and 32.0 3P%. Oh, and Iverson was named MVP while his Sixers lost in the Finals against the ShaKobe Lakers. Last season though, Iverson and the Nuggets were bounced in the first round of the playoffs, getting swept 4-0 against Kobe’s Lakers.

Iverson was not allowed to be Iverson in Detroit. The Pistons run a system relying on quick ball movement and a team-first attitude without a real star. None of that was a good fit for A.I. His scoring average of 17.5 points was hardly a sign that the league’s four-time top scorer had suddenly lost his ability to score the ball. Detroit and Iverson was more the result of a forced marriage. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think Iverson will ever win another MVP award or be as dominating as he was nine years ago. Allen Iverson could, however, still lead the NBA in scoring in the right system.

Allen Iverson’s problem though is that he would only accept a leading man role. He would never be one of five equal starters or even a high-scoring Sixth Man. He was always the guy who was in control of things – whether that meant being a high school quarterback, the rookie who took all the shots in Philadelphia or the MVP of an NBA Finals team. Allen Iverson is unshakable in his belief that he must have the ball in his hands for his team to win. And that has made Iverson a free agent. Yeah, the guy who hasn’t averaged fewer than 26.3 points per game in a season since 1999 is worth about as much as stock in General Motors.

If you look around the 30 NBA teams, it will take a while to find a franchise where The Answer would prove to be a feasible solution. None of the playoff teams would be an option since they have a certain hierarchy already in place and at least one star who defines their team. Things are similar with the lottery teams from the Western Conference. Most of them have talented young stars and are building strong squads. The only team where Allen Iverson would make sense in the Eastern Conference are the Charlotte Bobcats – a team which would close the circle of Iverson’s career.

The Bobcats’ coach is Larry Brown, the coach with whom Iverson went to the Finals in 2001. And Brown still raves about Iverson to this day. If anybody would know how to build A.I. successfully into a team, it’s Brown. And Charlotte’s roster seems like a perfect fit for Iverson. There is nobody in Charlotte’s guard positions who can score like The Answer. In fact, the whole team seems to have limited scoring punch with Gerald Wallace the top scorer with 16.6 points. But there are three players with playmaking abilities in point guards Raymond Felton (6.7 assists) and D.J. Augustine (3.5) and power forward Boris Diaw (4.9). Defensively, there is Wallace along with shot blockers Emeka Okafor and DeSagana Diop – two big men who have little offensive game other than the dunk.

The remaining question is the financial one. Charlotte will remain under the salary cap next season so they would have room for Iverson. Robert Johnson also needs to think about how he can fill the 20,200-seat Time Warner Cable Arena. During the 2007-08 season, the Bobcats averaged 14,717 fans for their home games. This season it was only 14,526, setting a new all-time low record in their five-year history.

So, Allen Iverson would make a lot of sense for Charlotte – but really for no other team. Let’s hope that Bobcats manager Michael Jordan pulls the right strings. Iverson may have his faults but the NBA would not be the same without him. And somehow I have the feeling that A.I. and Larry Brown would love to prove themselves to the league one more time.

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Young meanwhile understood the rest of the season would not be as easy as the first couple of weeks. “A lot of people didn’t really know what I could do. And I like that a lot,” said Young early in the season. “Opposing teams are worrying more about Andre Igoudala and Elton Brand. Those are the guys who our system is built around. But that will probably change soon. Opponents are realizing that they can’t leave me alone any more. Right now, I’m getting easy shots because my defenders are helping out on Andre and Elton. I was recently talking to somebody about that and said: Everybody in this league should be able to hit wide open shots.” And Young’s words hit the nail right on the head. There are no secrets in the NBA. Every team employs a number of scouts. And those watching Thaddeus Young knock down everything open got the word out quickly. And teams started covering the Sixers’ new scoring threat. Young was being covered tighter and more intensively. So it was no surprise that his averages started dropping.

(ZÜ) Position switch

By now, Young has been able to adapt his game. He is, after all, a brilliant student of the game. “I try to hold my own more and more, both offensively and defensively. I am trying to get my hands on loose balls and score some easy baskets in transition,” said Young. But things are not as simple as the former Slam Magazine dairy writer states. Young may be an excellent fast break player who gets a lot of “easy baskets”. But they don’t add up to 20 or more points every night like they did in March. More important for coach DiLeo is that Young is a good all-arounder. And that showed at the earlier mentioned contest in Portland. Young went right and left to complete drives and also scored on mid-range jumpers, three-pointers, tip-ins, free throws (4 of 4) and slam dunks on the break. How can you defend that kind of versatility? After the game, which the 76ers won 114-108 in overtime, the box score read 25 points and seven rebounds for Young. And that proved to be a typical day at the office for the lefty.

What makes Young so much more fascinating is the fact that he is a combo-forward – more small forward than power forward. Usually players who move between two positions have a negative label. Not big or strong enough for the four, not quick and versatile enough for the three – is the usual calling. And Tweeners usually eventually lose their value and their importance. But Ratliff called Young “a postive Tweener”. “Regardless if he plays the three or the four, he always has an advantage,” said the experienced center. “He is bigger than most small forwards and as the ability and athleticism to keep up with them. And on offense he can post them up. He has really worked a lot on his low post game and become a very good post player. He is even our most dangerous scorer on the boards. He can even use his athleticism and quickness to beat fours and fives. He is a player who can switch between two positions. But that makes him better.”

Young has proven that he can become comfortable and be successful anywhere on the court. After becoming a starter for 22 of the last 38 games of his rookie season, he took over the power forward spot and scored 10.6 points in 29.2 minutes. Young started all six of Philadelphia’s playoff games, which eventually ended in a series loss to Detroit, and averaged 10.2 points a contest. After the off-season acquisition of Brand, Young made room and moved to the small forward position and as mentioned had excellent success. But Brand dislocated his shoulder in December and missed the rest of the season. The Sixers returned to their small-ball style and put Young back at the power forward position. And the tireless worker made life for his defenders a living hell.

All the position changes beg the obvious question. Which position does he enjoy playing the most? “I am ready to do whatever the team needs from me,” said Young diplomatically. “I have no problem playing power forward. I like it actually because I’m quicker than most fours in the league and can run the court better than them.” So, he would rather play PF? “No, no,” Young counters laughing. “If I had to decide then I would pick my original position small forward. But it’s an advantage if I play power forward. That just makes us a quicker team.” Once again, there are many forms of quickness – and the multi-talent Thaddeus Young seems to have them all.

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Text: Tobias Pox

There are many forms of quickness. Thaddeus Charles Young apparently has them all.
If you’re talking about sprinting up and down the court, the 6-foot-8 forward easily streaks past his defender. A helpful reminder of that is Young’s picture in the 76ers’ media guide. In it, the left-hander begins his flight for a dunk with a couple of Detroit Pistons in the background way too late getting back on defense. And there is more than just astonishment on their faces. “Damn, this guy runs like Usain Bolt!” could be running through their collective heads. Young also is extremely quick in his reactions, for example in laying out for loose balls or moving over to help on defense. What about a quick first step? Well, he has that too. When he goes to his favored left side, the defender usually has no chance.

But perhaps the most important form of quickness that “Thad” has is another one. “He doesn’t just captivate with his athleticism. He is also very fast when it comes to learning,” explained Philadelphia veteran 36-year-old Theo Ratliff. “He is constantly studying the game. And that will make his a great player.”

(ZÜ) March Madness T. Young style

Thanks to his thirst for knowledge and his excellent receptiveness, Thaddeus Young already has an extremely rosy future in just his second season in the NBA. The 20-year-old sophomore, who last season after Kevin Durant was the second-youngest player in the league, has the ability to become an NBA star. That was the opinion of the Philly daily the Philadelphia Inquirer. And the city’s other main paper, the Philadelphia Daily News distinguished the emerging star as the only player on the Sixers roster who was “untouchable” in the trade market. Ratliff agreed with the praise of his young teammate. “He will definitely become an All-Star. You can see that already now with his potential. He has a great attitude and respects the game. He respects the veterans and everyone who paved the way in the past. He devotes himself to the game,” said Ratliff.

This is evident once again with a glance in the 76ers’ locker room. Before a game in Portland while his teammates are listening to iPods or watching portable DVD players, Young is watching video sequences from the last couple of games put together by the team’s video coordinator. He’s watching shots he took; his rotation on defense; and how he works through picks. He does all this before the game. Young says it helps him get ready for the up-coming game. And if the film clips had a title it would probably be “March Madness”. Granted the phrase comes from college basketball. But what Young did in March also borders on madness. In 15 games, he scored 20 or more points 10 times, helping Philadelphia stay in the race for the Playoffs. Besides helping the 76ers knock off the mighty Los Angeles Lakers, Young also poured in a career-high 31 points against Chicago on March 13. And he finished the month of March averaging 20.5 points.

“Yeah, things were going pretty well. I was just getting a lot of opportunities to score,” said Young about his success. “He is very versatile and is always improving,” said the 76ers interim coach Tony DiLeo. “He works on his ball-handling, his three-point shot and his jumper off the dribble. As soon as he improves his ball-handling and can beat his defender off the dribble, there will be stopping him.” In general, the coach’s opinion matches that of the Philly press and Ratliff that Thaddeus Young could become of the absolute greats in the league.

(ZÜ) No plays for Thad? No problem!

But it’s not just his quick learning curve that has helped Young to his massive improvement – his scoring average jumped from 8.2 in his rookie season to 15.3 and his rebounds from 4.2 to 5.0. The former Georgia Tech star, who was drafted number 12 in 2007, also works his butt off. Sweat streams down his body, even in his free time. He spent the summer representing the Sixers in the Summer League and visiting the Skills Camp of Denver Nuggets assistant coach Tim Grgurich. Young also sat down and was tutored by former NBA shooting ace Mark Price, who also attended Georgia Tech. “Mark broke down the entire shooting motion biomechanically – from dribbling to the shot. He showed me how to place my feet and prepare myself before the ball comes,” Young recalls his hours with the shooting guru. That may sound complicated like when Tiger Woods completely changed his golf swing. But Young likes the comparison. He laughs and says that it wasn’t quite as extreme as that.

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