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Monthly Archives: August 2012
Player Profile: On Matt Harvery
via Nj.com
Yes his name is Matt Harvey, but don’t tell that to the Mets. I mean there must be more to the starter who has excited Mets fan and given them restrained hope for the future. As the press release above correctly states, the Mets selected Harvey as the seventh overall pick in the 2010 first-year player draft. Harvey was the highest draft pick the Mets’ have had since 2004, in which they selected Phillip Humber No. 3 overall.
He is the reward for a miserable year that featured a 40-year-old Gary Sheffield’s carcass patrolling LF (a slight improvement over Jason Bay), Omir Santos as the everyday catcher, and Livan Hernandez and Tim Redding making the most starts in the rotation. That means that Matt Harvey is the Mets’ primary compensation for going 70-92 in 2009. Can one pitcher make up for such an excruciatingly bad year?
So far, yes. Since 2009 the Mets have progressed from mediocre to sub-par. They’re on the verge of becoming average, and possibly, a couple of years away from contention. Harvey is a key cog in all that: He’s the only Mets’ starter who can wow you with his pitches. He’s a power arm, with a durable build; a build Mets fans are hoping can carry this team into relevance.
***
via ProspectNation.com
Matt Harvey was born in New London, Connecticut on March 27th, 1989. He attended Fitch Senior High School in Connecticut, and as a senior Harvey had a sensational year, finishing with a 0.64 ERA and tallying 112 Ks over 54-and-a-third innings pitched. Harvey was named the Connecticut player of the year by Gatorade, and was considered one of the top high school pitchers in the draft along with Jarrod Parker, Madison Bumgarner, and Phillipe Aumont. He fell to the Los Angeles Angels in the third round (118th overall) due to signability concerns, and declined to sign for a $1,000,000 bonus. According to a LA Times article, his father Ed called it “the major disappointment of his life, at that point, not signing out of high school.”
Harvey spurned the Angels to accept a scholarship to the University of North Carolina. After an unspectacular year as a freshman, Harvey was dreadful his sophomore year. While his electric fastball didn’t lose any of its speed, he lost all control of it and finished with a 5.40 ERA.
While his issues were purely mechanical, scouts wondered if Harvey could stay as a starting pitcher. They felt he could be a shutdown reliever, but not a guy who you would starting every fifth day. Harvey corrected his flaws between his sophomore and junior campaigns, ultimately ending up with the ninth most strikeouts, and tenth most wins in Tarheel history. He finished his junior year with the Tarheels with a 3.09 ERA, 102 Ks, and 35 BBs in 96 innings of work.
His control came back and he was once again considered one of the top arms in a draft class featuring pitchers Jameson Taillon, Drew Pomeranz, and Chris Sale. While phenom Bryce Harper went first overall, Harvey was the fourth pitcher to come off the board and was considered an overdraft by the Mets.
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via ESPN.com
He’s been anything but since, and he’s been a sparkplug to a fading franchise. Needing only a year-and-a-half in the minors before making the big leagues, Harvey looks like he’s here to stay. Harvey also possess a competitive attitude that borders on being a little too much. After his first career loss to the Giants in which he gave up two runs over 6+ innings he said he expects to go out and put 0s on the board, and anything less is a failure in his eyes.
He’s a Met with a not-so-Met attitude. Met fans just hope an unstoppable force of a winning attitude does beat the immovable object known as Mets futility.
Posted in Bryce Harper, Bryce Harper's Natitude, Chris Sale, Connecticut, Draft, Drew Pomeranz, Gatorade, Jameson Taillon, Jason Bay, Jason Bay's Contract Is So Big It Requires It's Own Tag, Los California Angels of Anaheim located in the United States of the West Hemisphere on the planet Earth, Matt Harvey, New York Mets, Omar Minaya, Omar Minaya's Good Moves, Player Profiles, San Francisco Giants, UNC
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Overrated No Sir
“In New York there’s a basketball court at every corner. Basketball is all we knew.” –Carmelo Anthony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5g0JZ7dFT4
Born on May 24th 1984 in the Red Hook Projects area of Brooklyn, Anthony has come along way from balling in street corners. Anthony moved to Baltimore when he was eight-years-old and grew up in a hostile outside environment. His father died when he was two-years-old and was raised by a single mom.
Growing up he was a top basketball prospect playing in elite basketball tournaments such as the Jordan Brand Classic and McDonald’s All-American Game. At the McDonald’s All-American game, Anthony played with future teammates Raymond Felton and Amare Stoudemire, scoring 19 points and winning the Sprite Dunk Contest. He was ranked 2nd in the nation by College Basketball News.
Anthony only played one year of college ball and helped Syracuse win their first NCAA Tournament title in 2003. During that season, Anthony averaged 22.1 points and 10 rebounds, not too bad for a freshman. In the championship game when Syracuse played The University of Kentucky he scored 20 points and had 10 rebounds. He then chose to enter the 2003 NBA Draft where he was selected third overall by the Denver Nuggets. Darko Milicic was selected second overall and Lebron James was first overall in the same draft class.
In the beginning of his career Anthony established himself as a great player, landing spots in the NBA All-Star game and average 20 or more points a game. He played for the Nuggets from Jan 2003 and then was traded to the Knicks in Feb 2011.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trgCLYseWS4
All this information makes for a nice NBA resume, no one can argue that. In an article “Carmelo Anthony Is Overrated: Melo Isn’t Even a Top-10 NBA Player” Analyst Rich Kurtzman goes into depth on why he believes that Anthony is overrated.
“He pump-fakes under the hoop more often than just attempting a dunk the first time and either making the shot or getting fouled in the process. Of course, Melo gets many of his free throw attempts while driving, but his weak finishes could be and-ones instead of misses and two shots from the free throw line,” said Kurtzman.
Kurtzman then goes on to say that Anthony doesn’t grab enough rebounds, doesn’t get a lot of assists, making him bad for the offense, he gives to much energy on the offense and that’s the reason why his defense lacks. He continues to say that Anthony is not a leader and is not the first one in the gym and last one to leave either.
This may all have some merit and Kurtzman makes some valid points. I agree that Anthony needs to make more assists and needs to work on his defense but that does not make Anthony overrated. Anthony is a scoring machine and has one of the most efficient jab and shoot game the NBA has even seen. He’s fast for his size, making it difficult for defenders to guard him on the perimeter, he also goes hard in the paint. He’s also one of the best clutch shooters in the NBA.
On August 2, 2012 Anthony hit 10 out of 12 three-pointers breaking the record for attempted threes and made threes against Nigeria in the London Olympic Games.
Anthony clearly has skills and is no doubt an elite NBA player. There’s only one argument that can be made against him and that is that he has no rings. Lebron James didn’t hear the end of it until he obtained his current NBA title. James has it worse though he has to get some more rings before critics let him rest.
Anthony has a different kind of burden because no one is comparing him to the great Michael Jordan. Anthony must win a ring and if he does not people should then have the right to say he’s overrated. The truth is, Anthony has more time to prove himself and until then he is not overrated.
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Overrated No Sir
“In New York there’s a basketball court at every corner. Basketball is all we knew.” –Carmelo Anthony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5g0JZ7dFT4
Born on May 24th 1984 in the Red Hook Projects area of Brooklyn, Anthony has come along way from balling in street corners. Anthony moved to Baltimore when he was eight-years-old and grew up in a hostile outside environment. His father died when he was two-years-old and was raised by a single mom.
Growing up he was a top basketball prospect playing in elite basketball tournaments such as the Jordan Brand Classic and McDonald’s All-American Game. At the McDonald’s All-American game, Anthony played with future teammates Raymond Felton and Amare Stoudemire, scoring 19 points and winning the Sprite Dunk Contest. He was ranked 2nd in the nation by College Basketball News.
Anthony only played one year of college ball and helped Syracuse win their first NCAA Tournament title in 2003. During that season, Anthony averaged 22.1 points and 10 rebounds, not too bad for a freshman. In the championship game when Syracuse played The University of Kentucky he scored 20 points and had 10 rebounds. He then chose to enter the 2003 NBA Draft where he was selected third overall by the Denver Nuggets. Darko Milicic was selected second overall and Lebron James was first overall in the same draft class.
In the beginning of his career Anthony established himself as a great player, landing spots in the NBA All-Star game and average 20 or more points a game. He played for the Nuggets from Jan 2003 and then was traded to the Knicks in Feb 2011.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trgCLYseWS4
All this information makes for a nice NBA resume, no one can argue that. In an article “Carmelo Anthony Is Overrated: Melo Isn’t Even a Top-10 NBA Player” Analyst Rich Kurtzman goes into depth on why he believes that Anthony is overrated.
“He pump-fakes under the hoop more often than just attempting a dunk the first time and either making the shot or getting fouled in the process. Of course, Melo gets many of his free throw attempts while driving, but his weak finishes could be and-ones instead of misses and two shots from the free throw line,” said Kurtzman.
Kurtzman then goes on to say that Anthony doesn’t grab enough rebounds, doesn’t get a lot of assists, making him bad for the offense, he gives to much energy on the offense and that’s the reason why his defense lacks. He continues to say that Anthony is not a leader and is not the first one in the gym and last one to leave either.
This may all have some merit and Kurtzman makes some valid points. I agree that Anthony needs to make more assists and needs to work on his defense but that does not make Anthony overrated. Anthony is a scoring machine and has one of the most efficient jab and shoot game the NBA has even seen. He’s fast for his size, making it difficult for defenders to guard him on the perimeter, he also goes hard in the paint. He’s also one of the best clutch shooters in the NBA.
On August 2, 2012 Anthony hit 10 out of 12 three-pointers breaking the record for attempted threes and made threes against Nigeria in the London Olympic Games.
Anthony clearly has skills and is no doubt an elite NBA player. There’s only one argument that can be made against him and that is that he has no rings. Lebron James didn’t hear the end of it until he obtained his current NBA title. James has it worse though he has to get some more rings before critics let him rest.
Anthony has a different kind of burden because no one is comparing him to the great Michael Jordan. Anthony must win a ring and if he does not people should then have the right to say he’s overrated. The truth is, Anthony has more time to prove himself and until then he is not overrated.
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Welcome Home Marcus!
Ten years after leaving New York, Marcus Camby has finally come home. The 6’11”, 235 pound center will play his 17th season in a Knicks uniform under the bright lights of Manhattan. The 38 year old is a huge defensive presence in the paint and is one of the greatest shot blockers of all time. Dikembe Mutombo is the only other player to lead the League in blocks three years in a row.
After playing three seasons for the UMass Minutemen and breaking all sorts of school records, Camby was picked second in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors. Although Camby had some amazing moments in college and was named the College Player of the Year in the 1995-96 season, he also had some bad ones. While still a college student, he accepted money from agents hoping to represent him once he played in the NBA. He also accepted other forms of payment such as rental cars and jewelry.
But after being drafted by the Raptors, Camby was able to move forward in his career. Although he did not win Rookie of the Year, Marcus was one of the five players named to the All-Rookie 1st team. And in his second year in the NBA, Camby averaged 3.7 blocks, the most in the League that season, and his personal best.
After two solid years in Toronto, the Knicks were able to acquire Camby in a trade for the veteran, Charles Oakley. Camby was a part of the Knicks team that was the first #8 seed to make the NBA Finals. And when Patrick Ewing got injured, Camby even started three games in the playoffs.
The Knicks kept Camby until 2002 and then made one of the worst trades in Franchise history. They gave up Camby and in return got Antonio McDyess. That move didn’t quite pan out and a few years later in 2007, Marcus Camby won Defensive Player of the Year with the Denver Nuggets. Camby played in 70 games that year and was able to average 11.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and was the League leader with 3.3 blocks.
After another year of success in Denver, Camby was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. Marcus was not shy about voicing his opinion and was very vocal about his discontent with the Clippers organization. Camby still remained an elite rebounder and shot blocker throughout his two years in LA despite wishing that he was still in Denver.
In 2010, Camby was sent to Portland where his production began to drop. And last season, Camby was dealt to the Houston Rockets just before the Trade Deadline. Last season, Marcus averaged 4.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. These numbers are not terrible, but Camby is definitely not what he used to be. But the Knicks hope to get a blast from the past and a Marcus Camby that can help improve the 18th best rebounding team in the NBA and a group of All-Stars that have trouble on the defensive end of the court.
Marcus Camby has somehow been able to maintain career averages of 9.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks. These are great stats for a 38 year old going into his 17th season.
The one major concern about Camby over the years has been his durability. Can he stay healthy? Marcus Camby has not played 82 games in a season ever in his career. He has only played 70 games four times in his long career and he is now more injury prone than ever at his age. But if Camby can stay healthy, he would be just about the best guy the Knicks could ask for to back up Tyson Chandler.
The last time Camby was in a Knicks uniform, he suffered a season ending right hip injury and New York decided to get rid of the big guy. Now his career has come full circle and New Yorkers throughout all the Boroughs (maybe not Brooklyn) will be hoping that he can help the Knicks win a championship, and prove to all Nets fans that the Knicks are still the best team in New York.
Posted in Brooklyn, Center, Championship, Charles Oakley, Denver Nuggets, Dikembe Mutombo, Houston Rockets, Knicks, LA Clippers, Marcus Camby, NBA, Nets, New York, Portland Trailblazers, Shot Blocker
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Welcome Home Marcus!
Ten years after leaving New York, Marcus Camby has finally come home. The 6’11”, 235 pound center will play his 17th season in a Knicks uniform under the bright lights of Manhattan. The 38 year old is a huge defensive presence in the paint and is one of the greatest shot blockers of all time. Dikembe Mutombo is the only other player to lead the League in blocks three years in a row.
After playing three seasons for the UMass Minutemen and breaking all sorts of school records, Camby was picked second in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors. Although Camby had some amazing moments in college and was named the College Player of the Year in the 1995-96 season, he also had some bad ones. While still a college student, he accepted money from agents hoping to represent him once he played in the NBA. He also accepted other forms of payment such as rental cars and jewelry.
But after being drafted by the Raptors, Camby was able to move forward in his career. Although he did not win Rookie of the Year, Marcus was one of the five players named to the All-Rookie 1st team. And in his second year in the NBA, Camby averaged 3.7 blocks, the most in the League that season, and his personal best.
After two solid years in Toronto, the Knicks were able to acquire Camby in a trade for the veteran, Charles Oakley. Camby was a part of the Knicks team that was the first #8 seed to make the NBA Finals. And when Patrick Ewing got injured, Camby even started three games in the playoffs.
The Knicks kept Camby until 2002 and then made one of the worst trades in Franchise history. They gave up Camby and in return got Antonio McDyess. That move didn’t quite pan out and a few years later in 2007, Marcus Camby won Defensive Player of the Year with the Denver Nuggets. Camby played in 70 games that year and was able to average 11.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and was the League leader with 3.3 blocks.
After another year of success in Denver, Camby was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. Marcus was not shy about voicing his opinion and was very vocal about his discontent with the Clippers organization. Camby still remained an elite rebounder and shot blocker throughout his two years in LA despite wishing that he was still in Denver.
In 2010, Camby was sent to Portland where his production began to drop. And last season, Camby was dealt to the Houston Rockets just before the Trade Deadline. Last season, Marcus averaged 4.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. These numbers are not terrible, but Camby is definitely not what he used to be. But the Knicks hope to get a blast from the past and a Marcus Camby that can help improve the 18th best rebounding team in the NBA and a group of All-Stars that have trouble on the defensive end of the court.
Marcus Camby has somehow been able to maintain career averages of 9.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks. These are great stats for a 38 year old going into his 17th season.
The one major concern about Camby over the years has been his durability. Can he stay healthy? Marcus Camby has not played 82 games in a season ever in his career. He has only played 70 games four times in his long career and he is now more injury prone than ever at his age. But if Camby can stay healthy, he would be just about the best guy the Knicks could ask for to back up Tyson Chandler.
The last time Camby was in a Knicks uniform, he suffered a season ending right hip injury and New York decided to get rid of the big guy. Now his career has come full circle and New Yorkers throughout all the Boroughs (maybe not Brooklyn) will be hoping that he can help the Knicks win a championship, and prove to all Nets fans that the Knicks are still the best team in New York.
Posted in Brooklyn, Center, Championship, Charles Oakley, Denver Nuggets, Dikembe Mutombo, Houston Rockets, Knicks, LA Clippers, Marcus Camby, NBA, Nets, New York, Portland Trailblazers, Shot Blocker
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