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Post by oudrummer on Jan 17, 2013 16:54:19 GMT -5
And you're definitely more in the know than I am. I agree with his skill set Keith should be at least on an nba roster. But he's not. I question the people doing the legwork for him then. Keith's job is to develop and give his agent and company something to sell. If he is really doing that, and I believe he is, then clearly his representation is not doing their job. He's an athletic shot blocking big. I think him playing overseas at this point is a reflection on his representation. While I'm really just talking out loud as I know nothing of his personal things, and it's none of my business, I would be looking for someone to do a better job of doing my business and getting me the opportunity I should be getting. If a guy like Amir johhnson has a job in Toronto, why wouldn't a younger better version at least have the shot somewhere?
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Post by rimwrecker on Jan 17, 2013 23:24:39 GMT -5
You make some very valid points. I don't know what Benson's exact thinking is. But, there is a learning curve with all of this. Sometimes when everything isn't going as you would like it, you have to be careful about what components you tweak. When you change everything at one time, things can get worse.
Last year he had to live through the lockout. This year, Atlanta's priority was to unload Johnson's and Williams' contracts. He got to play in Summer League and was able to shine until Atlanta caught themselves and realized that the purpose of the Summer League is to feature their current draft picks.
I think in the next go round, Benson will have more experience under his belt and can begin to evaluate everything. Remember, there is no handbook for all of this. He is competing with a generation of athletes whose fathers are coaches (Austin Rivers) (were their coaches as in Sullinger) and NBA players (countless others). Benson has had to do it the hard way from birth in pursuing this career. So, he has to play the hand that he was dealt. That is why I say that politics has been the operational component in his entire career. The politics have never been in his favor. That is why he has been such an anomaly. He kept working when all of the politics were against him.
He has always operated on the principle that if he could play, at some point someone would give him the chance to show it. So, his focus has always been upon himself -- not others.
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Post by bigguy on Jan 18, 2013 7:52:10 GMT -5
The reality is, he now has been out of college and it's exposure to the NBA scouts for the second year. The D-League gets you exposure but honestly not as good exposure as college did.
As an NBA D-League player, you get paid next to nothing, it is as bad a financial life as college. He needs to start earning some real money for the years of his prime are slowly disappearing. It seems Keith doesn't want to play overseas but this most recent decision to go and start earning some money might turn out to be the best decision he ever made if he can learn to live away from home. JMHO. If he was NBA ready, he would be in the NBA. Whatever they are not seeing in his game is what it is. And at this rate, overseas may be all he ever attains. It is good to see he went for the $ because in the end, that's what it is all about.
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Post by rimwrecker on Jan 18, 2013 19:42:21 GMT -5
The word is out!
Keith Benson to suit up with Texters in 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup Inquirer.net By Celest R. Flores MANILA, Philippines — Talk 'N Text has tapped youthful forward-center Keith Benson to reinforce its campaign in the 2013 PBA .
Somehow, this is not coming through as a live link. Maybe you can help me out.
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Post by rimwrecker on Jan 18, 2013 20:08:17 GMT -5
You are right. The life in D-League is worst than college. Let me put that on the record.
However, most of us are only familiar with the ways in which LeBron or Kobe make the NBA out of college, or with the ways that players from schools like Duke become immediate franchise players by becoming lottery picks. You are unfamiliar with the stories of James White, Ivan Johnson, Taj Gibson, and countless others. We are also acclimated to thinking that either you make it as a lottery pick or you don't make it at all. That is not the case for big men. It takes them longer to develop.
If you look deeply, the players who have gotten picked from the D-League so far are getting picked by teams that they have a history with. Chris Douglas Roberts was picked back up by Dallas, the team he played for in training camp. Damion James got picked back up by Brooklyn, a team he played for for 2 years before he went to Atlanta's training camp. So, even though Benson got called up by the Golden State Warriors out of the clear blue sky, the odds are that he will stick with a team like Atlanta that he has relationships with. One trainer in Atlanta told him that he got invited to training camp for 4 consecutive years before he got a contract.
Look at Donald Sloan, he was with Benson in Atlanta. He has been in and out with the Cavaliers. He was cut on Christmas day. He is back with them.
So, most people are unaware of the ebb and flow. It is important to pick up some money so that you can sustain yourself in the interim.
Don't cry for Benson -- Argentina. He has had a wonderful year. He played for a team in Sioux Falls where the coach supported him. He got called up to the NBA. He played in the Cleveland Cavaliers mini-camp and the Hawks' Summer League. He was called MVP of the Atlanta Hawks' Summer League team. The Hawks flew him in twice to work out prior to Training Camp. He had a great training camp. He was told by Josh Smith that he had a good training camp. Al Horford texted him that he "can play at this level." He said they just had too many guys on the roster.
He got a lot of promises by Erie who created a 3 team trade for him and it didn't work out. Now, he has gotten a lucrative contract to play for 4 months in the Phillipines. It doesn't get much better than that.
As I said before, the head coach of the Hawks told Benson that they will have 10 roster spots next summer and that he is on their radar. He has talked with scouts from the Pistons and Hawks who have scouted him in Erie and in Reno. He has been told that he deserves a bona fide shot at the NBA.
There are a limited number of spots on NBA teams. There are 1st round draft picks who are in the D-League and sitting at home. JuJuaun Johnson played against Benson at Purdue. He went in the 1st round, got traded by the Celtics and cut by Houston. He was the #1 draft pick in the D-League and has fallen to #24 in the ranking. He weighs 205 lbs. and looks like a high school player in terms of his body development.
So, there are countless examples of players who went to storied programs who are sitting at home at the moment.
If you study the career patterns of numerous NBA players you will find multiple paths to the Holy Grail.
Don't cry for Benson. He sees his path. He has gotten encouragement. He is on the radar. He will reach his goal of playing on an NBA team. Keep Hope Alive! There is no window that is closing.
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Post by spiritsquad on Jan 19, 2013 12:39:50 GMT -5
It was a very good move for him long term because he can continue to work on his game and get stronger and bigger before next summer while becoming a bit more comfortable financially. From the sounds of it he will finally get a legitimate shot next summer at making an NBA roster. Best of luck to him overseas, I am sure he is going to shine brightly
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Post by rimwrecker on Jan 19, 2013 22:13:45 GMT -5
Also, keep in mind that when Jordan was cut as a freshman in high school, nobody on the message board would have thought that he would become the greatest player to play the game. When Benson went to Oakland, there were those who felt that he would never have a chance to get drafted in the NBA. So, he has been a defyer of negative predictions throughout his basketball career.
There are players from this community who were stars in high school whom he has surpassed by hard work. There are lottery picks who are sitting at home right now. So hard work trumps talent and politics. It takes time and faith, but Benson is a living testament to that. Benson was told when he was only twelve years old that if he wasn't a star by that time, that he might as well forget it. There is a path that everyone swears by but they grow silent when their "predicted stars" fall off of the mark or when those that they predicted failure for succeed. We can all supply names and case histories to document that point.
Who would have predicted that Grant Hill could have overcome his near death experience to be playing vibrantly at the age of 40? There is more in the man than in the land!
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Post by rimwrecker on Jan 23, 2013 23:26:10 GMT -5
Benson has arrived in Manilla and is settling in to 3 times a week weight lifting (with a personal trainer) and daily basketball workouts with a trainer. His trainers are preparing him to play 40 minutes a game. They play a game or two a week. So, if you tune in, you should get to see him play aplenty. The owner of the team has deep pockets and spares no expense to motivate his players. He is taking the whole team to Hong Kong for 5 days this weekend as a reward for winning the championship. Kito gets to go, even though he just arrived. The team reward for winning the championship is Rolex watches all around. Hopefully, Kito will get one if they win the next go round, He hopes that they don't move on to cuff links in April! The owner has been described as the counterpart to Dr. Buss (sp?) owner of the Lakers. He spares no expense to show his appreciation to his players. Kito is a younger player on the team. The veterans are happy to have him to share the load of winning. There is not the same sense of competition (to make the NBA) that exists in the D-League. They just want to win. Fortunately, he doesn't play until February 8th. It is hard to adjust to a 13 hour time change.
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Post by ouguy on Jan 23, 2013 23:40:47 GMT -5
Thank for the insight as usual Rimrecker. Glad to see he is going to be in a winning atmosphere where the players get to play loose and enjoy themselves. Much less stressful than his NBA-DL situation. Good luck to him. Any way of watching one of their games online?
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Post by rimwrecker on Jan 24, 2013 23:01:36 GMT -5
In terms of his games, if you google his team -- Talk N Text, it will take you to their web site. There are a lot of ads that suggest that you can sign up for watching the games online. I saw a rate of $11 or so a month. I am waiting for them to post the February - April schedule so that I can see whether all of the games are going to be shown. The last time I checked, the schedule was not up.
All of the ads lead to you believe that all of the games are available online. You also get a 7 day free trial. I am going to wait until the games begin to begin the free trial.
So, yes,you should be able to see his games.
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