If you were looking for an amazing performance, it wasn’t in this game. If you were looking for stellar defense, it definitely wasn’t in this game. And if you were looking for amazing dunk after dunk after, well, you didn’t miss much. The Marquee high school basketball all-star game did not have the flair of games from the past, but the record crowd for an All-American Game (19,091) saw a good game. The headliner for the crowd was the two Chicago natives Wayne Blackshear (signed with Louisville, left) and Anthony Davis (signed with Kentucky, left). For me, Davis was the main attraction because he was the one I have seen the least this past year. The 6-10 power forward had an urban legend type of hype following him into this game with his shooting guard-like game inside a power forwards body. The Kevin Garnett comparisons were hovering around him for the days leading up to the game due to his game and his size. So as I walked up to my seats, I was giddy like a fat kid in a bakery to see Davis.What I saw from Davis- In the 5th row in section 318 hovering above the court, Davis stood out from the rest of his team West teammates. The power forward was the tallest player on the West team, and also the skinniest. From that high up, Davis looked disgustingly skinny, almost like a cartoon hangman. This should have been expect; at 6-3 and about the same weight last year, Davis was an unnoticed junior that was going nowhere in his high school career. But in the span of a couple months, Davis shot up to 6-10 and brought his game with him- something unique at his height. Unfortunately, his weight did not increase quite like his height did. But when I moved down in the second half (I was on TV for 2 second, I got the proof on my DVR) I got a much better look at Davis. He has a nice lower body and looks like he has the capability to add some weight to his calves to become more of a post-up threat, but when looking at his arms, I just couldn’t see how any weight could be added. His arms were like twigs dangling from a Redwood Tree. When Kevin Durant and Joakim Noah left college for the NBA, the biggest question was whether they could ever add some strength onto their slender frame. Although those questions were answered as they were able to put on some weight, the two talented NBA players have adapted their game around their lean physique. I just don’t see it with Davis, though. I think all the minutes in the day in the gym could not put enough muscle on his frame to become a back down player. This means he will have to become an outside threat, like Garnett was early in his NBA career and how Durant is today. So When Davis had a couple shots from beyond the arc clank off the backboard and one shot miss everything, I was left to question what role Davis will play next year at Kentucky.
Davis finished the game with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and four blocks. Davis had the best 3 straight minutes out of any player in the game when he opened up the second half scoring 8 straight points, all dunks and layups, and had a couple blocks. His game for that period of time wowed the crowd and showed glimpses of why Davis has a good chance to become the #1 overall recruit in the class of 2011. For his size, Davis is supremely athletic. The first bucket of the game for the West team came from an assist from Indiana recruit Cody Zeller to Davis who caught the ball at the free throw line, took a step and glided through the air to slam the ball through the net. Davis also had a pair of alley-oop dunks in the second half that had everyone going crazy yelling out “A-D, A-D!!!” But the excitement and thrills Davis bestowed upon the crowed slowed down as quickly as it game and Davis and a pedestrian 4th quarter. What stood out to me most about Davis was his long octopus-like arms swatting balls out of the air and rearranging shots. It is extremely clear that Davis will be a force on the defensive side of the ball next year and high his rise to the top of the recruiting boards have moved so quickly. There is definitely a lot to like about this high school senior, but the few things he did not do well said more to me than anything else. There was a point in the 1st half where Davis was trying to post up a defender near the free throw line. Davis was being pushed further and further away from the hoop like someone pushing a shopping cart. When he went to retrieve a pass, the defender pushed around him to steal the ball. Now in an all-star game, it is too much to expect 100% effort from all the player on both ends, but being pushed around typically is not due to a lack of effort. Simply put, when Davis is matched up with a player similar to his height and stronger than him, which is everyone; he has a tough time inflicting his will. Davis did not seem like he could create plays on his own, rather, the recipient of others doing work around him to get him the ball closer to the basket.
In the end, Davis will be a top 3 overall recruit, if not #1, and his athleticism is freakish for someone at 6-10. Kevin Durant- not with his shot right now. Kevin Garnett- not with his strength. But all the signs are there for Davis to become one of the top freshmen next year. There are some concerns I, and others have of Davis about his strength and his exact role either as a power forward, center, or even small forward. Overall, he put on a nice show for his hometown crowd, even though it was for about 3 minutes.
What I saw from Blackshear- Cue the disappointing music. Call me the Blackshear jinx. When I wrote about him first a couple of blogs ago, Blackshear had a mediocre game with me in attendance at the City-Suburban Showdown. When I wrote about him last Sunday, that seemed to be the jinx on Blackshear to injure himself. At a practice for the game on Sunday, Blackshear separated his shoulder and was declared unlikely to play in the game on Wednesday. For the dunk contest he was supposed to participate in on Monday, a day after he injured himself, Blackshear was wearing a sling to support his arm as I’m sure he was still in pain from his shoulder. So when I was watching the shoot-around before the game, it did not surprise me Blackshear was not out there. But when the game started and the tip was thrown, Blackshear was in the starting lineup playing the first couple of minutes of the game. Blackshear was wearing a shoulder protector which seemed to limit his mobility with his left arm. He was able to jack up a shot before he was quickly pulled, and eventually finished the game playing the least amount of minute than anyone else (8) with 2 points, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds. With his home crowd looking on, you could tell Blackshear was not going to be denied playing in this game. This definitely showed a lot of toughness and heart, but if you’re a Louisville fan, you held your breath hoping he wouldn’t injure himself further. I was disappointed I didn’t get to see the best of Blackshear in the game, so I can’t report much. I’ve been told his injury is not serious enough to impact his offseason to get ready for his freshman year. Being a Michigan State fan, I know first-hand how a top recruit like Blackshear needs an offseason to get him in game shape as Adrian Payne had a similar injury last year but had to miss his whole offseason which in turn impacted his play this last year and was quite underwhelming. Expect Blackshear to be an intrical part of the team next year, but for someone eager to see him play against elite talent, I was disappointed not to see him be a factor at all in this game.
Player that impressed me most- Khem Birch (6-9, 210 lbs, signed with Pittsburgh, right) had a great game. Birch was by far the most consistent player around the rim getting a two and-1’s to go along with his 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 blocks- all of which were in the paint. Birch gathered his statistics throughout his 21 minutes of play, which is a good thing as you want consistency from a freshman as I’m sure Pittsburgh will enjoy next year. As the game wore on, Birch got better and was the West team’s most dominant player in the paint. Watching him play with his agility and quickness, he will be a great help to a team that loses a couple of big seniors in Pittsburgh. If the West won, Birch easily could have been the game MVP.Speaking of which, the MVP was shared between to East players in Michael Gilchrist (signed with Kentucky) and James McAdoo (signed with North Carolina). I agree with this pick as no one performance was most outstanding. McAdoo had a huge second half capped with several break away dunks and finished tied with a team high of 17 points. Gilchrist impressed me with his 16 points and 12 rebounds. With his double-double (the only of the game) Gilchrist did not do anything that stood out, rather, just did a lot of things very well. If it was possible, Gilchrist had a quiet double-double as you don’t remember hearing his name that much but at the end of the game, was one of the most productive. This is a good sign for Kentucky as you like to see these types of players in that the game comes so easy to them that they can be very productive without standing out.
In all, the game was about as competitive as an all-star game could get. It was a tough act to follow as last year the game went down to the final seconds. After controlling most of the 1st half and building a double digit lead at halftime, the East team let the West team crawl all the way back and at one point in the 4th quarter, the game was tied. In the end, the length and ability to hold onto the ball proved to be the difference in the game as the East walked away with the win.
NEXT POST- RECAPING THE ALL-AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP IN HOUSTON FROM 4/3/11
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