This Final Four of juggernauts reminded those in Westwood and Chapel Hill of an inconvenient truth: When the game is stockpiled with talent, the proverbial cream rises to the top.
Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts dominated the Final Four before the ghost of Nick Anderson haunted them on the free throw line Monday night. Kansas’ Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush and Darrell Arthur exhibited their first round talent by pacing the Jayhawks to the title with exceptional moxie and athleticism.
But when cream rises to the top, something must be left on the bottom.
Saturday night in San Antonio, players of lesser talent were exposed like Janet Jackson after a wardrobe malfunction. They were rendered JV players, unable to compete with the varsity. Rest assured, NBA scouts were watching.
No one struggled more than Darren Collison. The UCLA junior guard was embarrassed like Britney Spears at a public event. Offensively, Collison’s anemic two-point performance, coupled with five careless turnovers and five fouls, caused his draft stock to descend precipitously.
Collison will still be a first-round pick if he leaves school this year, but he was a defensive liability, and he had difficulty creating offense for himself and others. More importantly, he was physically overwhelmed by faster and stronger players.
Yes, he might have a million green George Washington reasons to leave early, but Collison would be far better off returning to school for his senior season and increasing his strength while proving that he can remain healthy. Another season would also provide an opportunity to efface the memories of last weekend and one final shot at a championship.
Kevin Love was also outplayed by Memphis in San Antonio. The long, athletic Tiger frontline bothered Love, denied him the ball in the second half and turned the Pac-10 Player of the Year into a complementary player. This was a preview of life in the NBA for Love; his strength ““ his primary asset in college ““ was completely neutralized by Memphis hulk Joey Dorsey. Love had zero points and a single rebound in the final 15 minutes of the game.
There have been powerful collegians in the past who have used muscle to dominate the NCAA, only to find little success when they moved to the NBA. For Love, the Memphis game was a glimpse of that fate. Yet the super freshman has little to gain, outside of a national championship, by remaining in Westwood.
His deficiencies ““ a lack of quickness and jumping ability ““ will certainly limit him at the next level. But there seems to be little Love can do in the next year or two that would change his NBA outlook, other than radically overhauling his body and wearing Spud Webb’s jumping shoes. Fifteen years ago, Love would have been a four-year player. Today, it’s hard to blame him for taking an NBA paycheck while his draft stock is still high.
The lone bright spot for the Bruins in San Antonio was sophomore Russell Westbrook, who ensured himself of hearing his name called early in June’s NBA Draft. Westbrook’s draft stock steadily climbed this season, as he has drawn comparisons to Golden State scoring machine Monta Ellis.
Never was this comparison more warranted than on Saturday night against Memphis’ NBA backcourt. Westbrook was the only Bruin with the athleticism to keep pace with the Tigers, continuing to play the defense he has become known for and showing flashes of offensive brilliance as he slashed his way to a career-high 22 points. CBS commentator Billy Packer even noted that if Westbrook played for the athletic Tigers, he would fit in seamlessly. As Saturday’s performance advertised, Westbrook is ready for the next level.
For every Kobe Bryant success story, remember there are a dozen failures.Players like Dajuan Wagner, William Avery, Jerome Moiso and JaRon Rush should not have been so hasty in leaving school.
Conversely, no one wants to acknowledge the success that four-year collegians are achieving in the NBA. Instead, they praise exceptions like LeBron James, Amare Stoudemire and Dwight Howard, while ignoring that their immediate success was only possible because all three have the physical abilities of a young Clark Kent.
Derrick Rose displayed such athletic prowess this weekend and should be the first pick in the NBA Draft. For Kansas, Arthur exhibited an array of offensive moves and dazzling alley-oops, Rush glided around the court like a young Scottie Pippen, and Chalmers displayed NBA quickness and a pair of Gary Payton hands on defense.
But Collison and Love struggled to compete with speed, size and power. Love’s draft stock is stable, and it’s hard to see how returning to Westwood will make him quicker or more athletic. However, Collison still needs a full four-year basketball education.
Bruins fans can only hope they both stay in Westwood for one more year.
-mail Taylor at btaylor@media.ucla.edu to congratulate him on correctly picking the Jayhawks to win it all in his March 18 column.