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1. Trips Right said:

   July 4th, 2009 at 9:00 am

   Hank, great post and welcome aboard.

   My thoughts on Damion James’ return are right in line with yours. NBA scouts need to see Damion shoot it more consistently and put it on the deck going to the goal. It doesn’t matter if he’s doing it againt 3’s or 4’s, they just need to see him do it in game situations.

   In my opinion, there is no better situation for Damion to showcase these skills than Texas considering next season’s personnel. The synergies Damion will enjoy from the combo forward spot include an open floor, defenders that struggle on the perimeter, and defense that is focussing on Pittman, Hamilton, and Bradley. James should go nuts.

   Also, if Brian Boddicker and Connor Atchley are any indication, then Rick Barnes has no problem allowing his 4’s to stroke it from deep. I’m sure Damion will be afforded the same liberties, as long as it’s done in rhythm.

   Again, welcome. Looking forward to your thoughts on hoops. Word to the wise. Avoid engaging in WNBA discussions with HenryJames. Nothing good can come of it.

2. Steve Nebraska said:

   July 4th, 2009 at 10:13 am

   Hank, Penders should have given you more run.

3. Burnt Orange Wookie said:

   July 4th, 2009 at 12:07 pm

   Can any good thing come from a WNBA discussion?

4. Darrell said:

   July 4th, 2009 at 1:20 pm

   Good post, but I don’t believe that Abrams was an good option. He probably shot us out of more games than he won for us. Check his stats.

5. Vasherized said:

   July 5th, 2009 at 4:18 am

   Our length on the perimeter should make Jay Bilas very uncomfortable.

   Welcome aboard, Hank.

6. The General said:

   July 5th, 2009 at 11:30 am

   Can any good thing come from a WNBA discussion?

   Presumably, there will be a discussion, however short, when they put that bitch to sleep.

   If there is an upside to the current recession, it is that it may kill the WNBA.

7. Bob in Houston said:

   July 5th, 2009 at 12:54 pm

   Now, nothing against you, Sir, but I’ve never understood this attitude.

   I don’t watch the WNBA, but I don’t denigrate people that might like it.

   I watched the hot-dog-eating contest yesterday just to be sure that I don’t care for competitive eating, via participation or viewing. But if people want to do it or watch it, more power to ‘em. It’s what makes America great, or at least used to.

   If the WNBA disappeared tomorrow, it wouldn’t make a camel’s hair of difference in my life. As long as they don’t ask me to subsidize it (directly, anyway), why should I care? Why should anybody?

8. Joey Chestnut said:

   July 6th, 2009 at 12:29 pm

   Because if the WNBA goes away then there will be more airtime for me!

9. The General said:

   July 6th, 2009 at 3:33 pm

   Bob in Houston,

   Because the NBA shoves the WNBA down our throats, subsidizes a league that has never come close to breaking even, and because the product is awful.

   WNBA basketball equals high level rural high school basketball.

   If they let the league sink, swim, or be televised on its own merit, then I would not care one way or the other.

   And, if there are a finite amount of funds in the world of professional basketball, I would prefer they go towards something productive, like an initiative for un-god-freaking-awful officiating or a half court shooting contest at the All Star break.

10. I'm Confused said:

    July 6th, 2009 at 5:48 pm

    General, Do you really believe that any of those dollars that are being directed towards the WNBA have weakened the NBA?

    If you don’t like the league don’t fucking watch it and if it is causing you that much distress maybe you have other issues.

11. Bob in Houston said:

    July 7th, 2009 at 4:51 am

    “Because the NBA shoves the WNBA down our throats, subsidizes a league that has never come close to breaking even, and because the product is awful.”

    Come on now. Do they come to your house and make you turn on the game?

    I haven’t been to a NBA game in years, so I haven’t paid an inflated price for a ticket, a small portion of which technically could be said to go to the WNBA. But I’ve never heard of anyone saying,”Wait, part of this money I’m spending goes to the WNBA… I’m not going.”

    The thing is on the ropes, as best I can tell. The Comets, who were popular (it turned out) because they won and won and won and won, folded. When Les Alexander sold the Comets, I knew it was only a matter of time (as Les never would sell something that was making money). I was surprised that he found a sucker.

    At some point, the NBA will pull the plug. Until then, I recommend staying ignorant.

12. That's a FACT, JACK! said:

    July 7th, 2009 at 9:04 am

    I’m not a sucker. That was a better buy than any of my furniture.

13. Dingamahoo said:

    July 7th, 2009 at 9:54 am

    I’m not sure this is really going to be a great situation for James. Tthe OP correctly wrote, ” I guess this will all depend on James in the end as he has control of his own destiny. Surely, Barnes would welcome James being a serious outside threat who could get to the rim and finish.” I see that as an ominous sign.

    Coming out of the pro camps James was told decisively that he needs to work on his shot and his perimeter defense. Yet, all signs from Barnes seem to say that he’s going to be needed to play inside this year, and James has good-naturedly said he’ll do whatever is best for the team. So, how does he pick up the skills to showcase his NBA-ready game in a system that needs him to do the opposite?

14. Trips Right said:

    July 7th, 2009 at 11:25 am

    Because with Pittman in the ballgame, our 4 is a hybrid. He’s a 4 that’s interchangeable with the 1,2,and 3 in our halfcourt offense.

    In fact, if you see Damion play with his back to the basket more than two or three possessions per night, I’ll crap a Close to Jumping and set HenryJames on fire.

    On defense, however, Damion will be guarding 4’s in our regular personnel.

15. SL Xpress said:

    July 7th, 2009 at 4:41 pm

    While I do feel like Damion won’t have quite the opportunity to work on his handle and his outside shooting on this coming year’s team he had this past year, he will be able to work on his game in an atmosphere of trust, and one in which his confidence in himself won’t be tested.

    At the end of the day, I think that’s why he came back. If he’d left for the NBA, he probably would have been a 2nd round guy with only a shot at a guaranteed contract. He saw what happened with PJ Tucker. I think Damion sees the decision of returning as one in which he can get himself better prepared, possibly parlay his success this coming year into a first round pick, which will allow a little more leeway in terms of his NBA career arc.

    That’s thinking about it a little more logically than I think what happened. At the end of the day it was an emotional decision. Damion simply decided he wanted to come back, even though people close to him felt like he probably should go pro. But as far as logic goes, I think that’s where his head was at. Whether he gets to work on driving on defenders or shooting from outside as much as he wants to, he’s going to have an opportunity to work on it some, and he could, with a good year, move his draft stock higher.

    I would love to see it. He’s simply a great kid, who has worked very hard. There’s not a more loyal person in the entire program. He’s going to be a huge asset on the court and in the locker room as the program takes its best shot at a national title it’s ever had — and quite possibly ever will have.

16. SL Xpress said:

    July 7th, 2009 at 4:42 pm

    That wasn’t really the name I was going for, there, lol.

17. Vasherized said:

    July 7th, 2009 at 6:54 pm

    Lets just pretend it never happened.

18. ChicagoTTU said:

    July 8th, 2009 at 6:56 am

    Dudek? Holy shit, a Polack Barker! Pierogi for all!!!

19. Rick Barnes said:

    July 8th, 2009 at 7:01 am

    “he will be able to work on his game in an atmosphere of trust, and one in which his confidence in himself won’t be tested.”

    You sure about that?

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