Thursday, December 14, 2006
Draft #173
I just finished reading an article written by David Thorpe of ESPN.com that dissected Adam Morrison's play so far this young season. He pointed out the good and he pointed out the bad aspects of Adam's game and it was a very interesting article that got me thinking about what if somebody had dissected my game that thoroughly as a sophomore in high school? Using Thorpe's article as an outline, here is what I came up with.
Offense
The roots of Andy's struggles:
Ballbach entered his JV season the same way he entered his freshman campaign, a bit on the chunky side. After watching this guy run sprints in practice, it isn't clear as to whether he's been visiting McDonald's everyday or just every other day, but what is clear, is that he's about 7 Big Mac's away from playing Saturday morning city league basketball if his conditioning doesn't improve. After just 2 sprints down the floor Ballbach resembles a wild boar giving birth to septuplets, he's just extremely winded and starts turning an embarrassing shade of red that I wouldn't begin to describe as being natural. If I was a member of this coaching staff I would definitely have a defibrillator or two on hand just in case this kid has a massive gripper on the court.
At the grade school level Ballbach's scoring prowess relied heavily on the fact that he was 5 inches taller than most of his opponents, and now that the field is leveled he just appears overwhelmed.
Offense: With the ball
Ballbach operates primarily in the post but is also adept at stepping out into the 15-18 foot range to hit open jumpers (assuming the game isn't on the line, ie--West vs. Wisco freshman season). The only problem with his jump shot is that there can't be a defender within 10 feet of him if he is going to hit one from the perimeter and even then.....? He's not what we in the profession refer to as a "gamer" he's more of a practice hero, a guy that drains shots in practice but crumbles in the spotlight. And while his post moves rival that of Kevin McHale's or Hakeem Olajuwon, his overall lack of height and upper body strength really doesn't intimidate anybody. His range can occasionally extend out past the 3-point line, his shot has a nice clean rotation to it, but the loading process is almost robotic and lacks a genuine flow.
As for ball handling.....let's just say that Ballbach is less than proficient in this category. He has a tendency to start fastbreaks on his own after the rebound and when he makes it to halfcourt, assuming the ball hasn't been stolen already, he stops at the first sight of resistance and feverishly starts scrambling to find the point guard. The look of panic on his face is usually quite comical and you'd wish he'd just make the outlet pass immediately after the rebound instead of trying to do his best Antoine Walker impression. He has a deceptive quick first step and is repetitively able to get by defenders, but....he is not a great finisher and is usually rejected by defenders in the paint.
His passing skills aren't too bad actually, he keeps the offense flowing and is always willing to make the extra pass. He knows his role in the offense and plays within himself, for the most part.
Offense: Without the ball
When the ball is not in his hands, Ballbach is good at two things, boxing out and setting screens. And while the screens he sets aren't very punishing (players have reported that running into a Ballbach screen is like running into a giant pillow) he contributes by keeping opponents from interfering with the players on his team that actually CAN rebound. This skill is something that doesn't show up in the box score, but his ability to occupy space is an attribute that should not be overlooked.
Defense
Try as he might, defense doesn't appear to be the calling card of this husky sophomore. He does a good job of getting himself into a good athletic position when on defense, but when you don't have an ounce of athleticism, all the positioning in the world can only get you so far. Whatever quickness he has that allows him to get by defenders on offense is completely void on the other side of the floor. On defense he moves his feet as if he were standing in 8 inches of mud. This deficiency is the main reason he's not a great pressure defender because he's forced to give his man a good four feet of space at all times so he doesn't get beat off the dribble.
He does display a strong comprehension of where he should be in terms of defensive rotations and he is a good help defender. He also has a good sense of anticipation that allows him to play the passing lanes semi-effectively. The utter disregard for his body bodes well for his willingness to take charges and dive for loose balls.
Overall Outlook
The minutes will be hard to come by at the varsity level for Mr. Ballbach, assuming he even makes the varsity team next season. He's definitely one of those bubble players who will be affected by the level of talent in the classes before and after him. If the 1999 or 2001 class have a surplus of talent he could find himself on the outside looking in. His game would translate very nicely to the Saturday moring city leagues and he would be highly sought after if he was indeed cut.
With his father standing at 5'8'' and his mother at 5'3'', the scouts aren't exactly gitty about his growth potential. What you see is what you'll be getting with this young man for the next few years. If he does make the varsity level next season he will struggle to find a position. With everybody passing him up on the puberty charts, he'll be undersized as a post player and too slow to be out on the perimeter. His contributions will likely be made on the scout team in practice and maybe even as a pseudo waterboy on road trips.
In summary, despite being very critical of his game, Ballbach is not that bad of a player. He's a good kid that stays out of trouble, does well in school, and has a good rapport with the other players and coaches. If I was a betting man, I'd say there is a better than 50% chance you'll be seeing him on or near the basketball court for West Bend West the next couple of years.
# posted by hucklebuck @ 11:52 AM 
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Are you sure that was written about just yourself, or the collective whole of you, me, kovo, ehlke, and kreiter (junior year)?
Yeah, I was going to say, except for the parents' height and the "beautiful rotation" but I decided to keep it real!
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