Bol Bol Shines As Oregon Rebounds And Cuse Plummets

Highly touted Oregon freshman Bol Bol shined at Madison Square Garden tonight, scoring 26 points on 11-17 shooting and adding 9 rebounds in the Ducks 80-65 win over Syracuse in the consolation game of the 2K Empire Classic.

Bol scored on an array of floaters inside the key, finesse moves around the basket, put-back ducks and layups, and even hit one of his two three-point attempts. The 7-foot-2 freshman also was poised and passed well in attacking the vaunted Syracuse zone.

Bol Bol addresses the media after Oregon's win versus Syracuse.

“[Bol’s] a unique player and he’s going to grow into a special player,” Oregon coach Dana Altman said after the game, “because you saw him shoot the three, you saw him handle it, he made some passes.”

“At 7’2, to do the things that he can do,” Altman continued, “you saw that soft touch, the jump hooks and that the ball just lays on the rim. He’s got a very soft touch for 7’2.”

Bol, ranked the fourth best high school prospect by Rivals.com (ahead of Zion Williamson), bounced back from a subpar performance Thursday night in a loss to Iowa.

“I think [tonight’s win] was really important because of what happened last night and we didn’t play too good,” the soft spoken Bol said. “After the game we were just focusing on the next game and playing really hard.”

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, while not happy after his team’s second loss in two nights, had high praise for Bol, as well.

“He’s a good player, he’s big, he’s tough. He’s very good. He’s a big problem out there,” Boeheim said. “He’s got a great touch. I think that’s the biggest thing, he has a great feel for the game. He’s a good passer and he’s a good scorer. He can shoot from the perimeter, he can shoot from the high post, that’s a great combination.”

Oregon moves to 3-1 and faces Green Bay on Tuesday.

Syracuse, who many predicted would be a top team in the ACC this season, drops to 2-2 after two subpar performances from team leaders Tyus Battle and Oshae Brissett. The Orange will face a less formidable opponent in Colgate on Wednesday.

“The bottom line is we need to make some threes if we shoot 28 of them, if we’re going to be successful,” Boeheim said of his team’s 5-28 performance from beyond the arc.

Luckily for Cuse, there is a lot of season left for improvement. Scarier for the rest of the country, the same thing can be said of Bol Bol and the Oregon Ducks.

A Look at the Knicks' Summer - Progress Made

It’s been a busy summer for Phil Jackson. A lost summer, if you are even half listening to the chatter.

Phil’s name, of course, triggers serious sports emotions in New York. So, when attempting to assess the job he’s done so far, New Yorkers must sift through that emotion.

With only two low salary spots available, we can now start to get a feel for how the team will look when the season starts in the fall.

Guess what? 

It ain’t as bad as you’ve heard.

The Knicks’ starting lineup will likely look like this: Jose Calderon (PG), Aaron Afflalo (SG), Carmelo Anthony (SF), Kyle O’Quinn (PF), Robin Lopez (C). However, Jerian Grant (G), Kristaps Porzingis (F/C), Derrick Williams (F), and Langston Galloway (PG) should all be in the rotation.

It is clear that Jackson’s plan was to create a roster that was more versatile, selfless and possessed a higher basketball IQ than the one he was saddled with last season.

I have heard arguments from Phil detractors – of which there are many – that the roster he inherited (J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, Tyson Chandler, etc.) was more talented than the group he assembled this summer.

That may be true if you define basketball talent strictly as jumping ability, one-on-one prowess, name recognition, and swagger. But, Phil seems to have successfully put talented role players around the one true star on the squad.

Carmelo Anthony should enjoy playing with this season’s Knicks a lot more than he has in the past. He will be surrounded by guys who will be eager and capable of getting him the ball in the correct spots. Moreover, this team now has multiple players who enjoy doing the dirty work (see defense), which should also be appealing to Melo.

At the same time, this particular roster puts much pressure on Carmelo. Not only must he carry the team offensively, but the pressure is also on him to get this team into the playoffs, which a player of his talent and stature should be able to do, though it won’t be easy.

Now, are you ready for a shocking statement?

Wait for it…

Phil Jackson’s best work this summer was done in the draft.

I know, I know, what about that poor little Knicks fan whose hopes and dreams were shattered on draft night? No, not the actual draft pick, but the kid who was caught bawling on camera. Well, sources tell me he was actually planted in the crowd by ESPN (just joking).

In all seriousness, despite the crying and ridicule from fans and media after the selection of Kristaps Porzingis - including from yours truly, after two weeks of summer league play it is clear that Porzingis has as much potential as anyone in the 2015 draft.

The 7’3 Porzingis is fluid, athletic, has seemingly unlimited range on his jumper, and has a high basketball IQ. He is also tough and media savvy, which might be his most valuable traits while playing in New York City.

While my originally preferred target with the 4^th overall pick, Emmanuel Mudiay, has looked like a keeper for Denver as well, it was relayed to me that the Knicks’ brass felt Mudiay was too “ball dominant” for their liking.

Porzingis’s biggest question mark was basically just that. He was an unknown from Latvia whom fans and most media had never seen. But after seeing him play for all of ten minutes, you get a glimpse of the talent that reportedly prompted Knicks Head Scout Clarence Gaines to say he would’ve taken the 7’3 Latvian #1 overall.

With all this talk about Porzingis, it’s easy to forget that Jackson also pulled another first round pick out of thin air. He acquired the rights to the #19 pick, Jerian Grant, for Tim Hardaway Jr.

Grant, a 5-year Notre Dame combo guard who led the Irish to their best season since Digger Phelps roamed the sidelines, is kind of like a Mudiay-lite. He’s light on the Mudiay potential and athleticism, but also light on the ball domination and inexperience.

Grant is a very talented two-way guard that can score and pass and has a great chance to play major minutes in his rookie year.

So, despite all the Knicks/Phil Jackson jokes – and they will continue with force, New York has added some good pieces.

Yes, the Knicks struck out on all of this year’s “big” free agents. And yes, a couple of them refused to even meet with the Zen Master.

However, if there was a year to strike out, it was this year.

LaMarcus Aldridge is a high-end complementary player, but he is not winning you any championships.

By subtracting Chandler, Smith, Shumpert, and Hardaway Jr. and replacing them with Afflalo, Lopez, Porzingis, Grant and others, the Knicks have become more well-rounded and more importantly, more stable.

How many wins that translates into will depend largely on the type of bounce-back season Carmelo has, along with the type of coach Derek Fisher matures into.

But, the Zen Master has started the rebuilding process in an intelligent, responsible fashion that hints that he is in this for the long haul (his five-year contract), not the quick fix that New Yorkers irrationally long for.

2015 Mock NBA Draft, 1st Round - What they SHOULD do (updated).

The NBA Draft takes place tonight in Brooklyn. Here's a look at how I think it SHOULD go down, if I were the GM of all 30 teams

1. Minnesota – Jahlil Okafor, 6'11, C, Duke. How you pass up on the best offensive big man in many a year, I don't know. His defensive woes have been way overblown.

2. Los Angeles – Karl-Anthony Towns, 7'0, C, Kentucky. The Lakers could use a multi-talented big to bolster their front line, along side Julius Randle.

3. Philadelphia – D’Angelo Russell, 6'4, G, Ohio State. Russell is the best non big in the draft and Philly, of course, has a couple young bigs.

4. New York – Emmanuel Mudiay, 6'5, G, China. As we know, the Knicks’ roster is bare almost everywhere. Why not start filling the point guard position with an athletic big guard with loads of potential.

5. Orlando – Kristaps Porzingis, 7'1, PF, Latvia. The Magic are in a safe position to take a chance on the ballyhooed foreigner. They could end up stocked with young talented bigs.

6. Sacramento – Myles Turner, 6'11, PF/C, Texas. The Kings have glaring needs at PG and PF. Turner makes sense here. He has great size and much potential, despite a somewhat disappointing freshman campaign at Texas.

7. Denver – Mario Hezonja, 6'8, G/F, Croatia. Denver needs help everywhere and is in rebuilding mode, so why not take a chance on a high upside, athletic Croatian SG.

8. Detroit – Justise Winslow, 6'6, G/F, Duke. The Pistons need help at the G/F spots and Winslow's stock has been soaring, largely based on his NCAA Tourney performance where he showed all around skills and the heart of a lion.

9. Charlotte – Frank Kaminsky, 7'1, PF/C, Wisconsin. Word is that MJ is high on Frank the Tank and with the trade of Noah Vonleh, the Hornets have even more room for a solid big.

10. Miami – Stanley Johnson, 6'6, SF, Arizona. Johnson was slightly disappointing as a freshman at Zona, but he is still highly regarded and is a good fit for the Heat with his versatility and hard-nosed play.

11. Indiana – Cameron Payne, 6'2, PG, Murray State. The Pacers need help at guard, specifically point guard. The Murray State phenom could be a perfect fit.

12. Utah – Devin Booker, 6'6, SG, Kentucky. The Jazz, like everyone else, can use a 6'6 pure shooter to go with their young mix of talent.

13. Phoenix – Willie Cauley-Stein, 7'0, C, Kentucky. This is a nice fit for both parties. Who really knows what the Suns are doing, but Will Trill is a defensive-minded big that runs like a gazelle.

14. Oklahoma City – Sam Dekker, 6'9, SF, Wisconsin. OKC needs some scoring reinforcements from the G/F position and Dekker could be that guy.

15. Atlanta – Bobby Portis, 6'11, PF, Arkansas. Portis would give the Hawks’ frontcourt depth and versatility.

16. Boston – Trey Lyles, 6'10, PF, Kentucky. The Celtics are likely looking for the best non guard available at this spot and Lyles is the guy.

17. Milwaukee – Montrezl Harrell, 6'8, PF, Louisville. The Bucks could use some bulk and energy up front.

18. Houston – Tyus Jones, 6'1, PG, Duke. The Rockets need a pure PG and Jones is the best one available at this spot.

19. Washington – Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, 6'7, SF, Arizona. The Wizards could use some help at the forward spot and Hollis-Jefferson could add defensive toughness, as well.

20. Toronto – R.J. Hunter, 6'6, SG, Georgia State. The 6’6 Hunter fills a SG and perimeter shooting need for the Raptors.

21. Dallas – Delon Wright, 6'5, PG, Utah. The Mavs need a PG and Delon Wright is a pure one that can do a little bit of everything at 6’5.

22. Chicago – Kelly Oubre, 6'7, SF, Kansas. If Oubre is still around, this makes sense here. The Bulls need SG insurance and SF help. Oubre has loads of potential and new coach Fred Hoiberg is familiar with the former Big 12 player.

23. Portland – Kevon Looney, 6'9, PF, UCLA. Looney is a good 6’9, long, athletic and skilled gamble for the Blazers, who may need to replace LaMarcus Aldridge.

24. Cleveland – Jerian Grant, 6'4, G, Notre Dame. If Grant is still around at this spot, it would be a steal for the Cavs. Grant can contribute right away at both guard positions, as he can score, but is very unselfish with a high basketball IQ.

25. Memphis – Olivier Hanlan, 6'4, G, Boston College. This could be looked at as a bit of a risk/reach, but Hanlan is probably the best shooter/scorer available and has the size, at 6’4, to be a combo guard.

26. San Antonio – Rashad Vaughn, 6'5, SG, UNLV. This is a tough pick. There are no clear choices, but they should take a chance on a young shooting talent that they can develop.

27. Los Angeles – Justin Anderson, 6'6, G/F, Virginia. The Lakers badly need SF help and Anderson seems to be a fit here. Anderson came out of nowhere to star for Virginia last year, only to have his season cut short due to injury. So, this is a bit of a risk.

28. Boston – Jarell Martin, 6'9, PF, LSU. The Celtics need all the help they can get at the forward position and Martin has great upside.

29. Brooklyn – Chris McCullough, 6'9, F, Syracuse. McCullough played in only 16 games as a freshman at Syracuse due to a season ending ACL injury. He’s raw and a project, but has lots of upside and NY area ties.

30. Golden State – Joseph Young, 6'2, G, Oregon. What does the team that has everything get for itself? I say they go for another explosive shooter/scorer to plug into their backcourt to give the Splash Brothers a rest.