Report on the Difference Tournament
by Jerome Green
4/13/2008
"Your Boy is ready right now". This is the statement that Lamar Odom made to Lance Stephenson's father after the LA dream handily beat Team Odom Saturday night at the Fairfax high school, Los Angles in the Difference Basketball tournament. After watching Lance Stephenson live for the first time, I would say that Odom’s assessment was right on target.
Lance and Renaldo Sidney both started off as if they were in mid-day traffic on the 405 and then somehow realized that they were driving in the car together and could use the commuter Lane. As their individual games picked up their teams fortunes also took flight. I was surprised to see L.A Dream team actually playing more team ball than Team Odom. Team Odom seemed more determined to challenging Lance and Renaldo then playing team ball and eventually ran into their own traffic Jam of sorts.
One of the bright spots for Team Odom was Darrius Morris who is a junior at Windward School in Culver City, Los Angles. Darius is always fighting the perception that since he goes to a small school and plays in non-competitive league, that he doesn’t have big time game. That is not the fact at all. As one coach told me on Saturday night after the game, "Darrius’ game has steadily improved". Darrius is an example of what it's like to choose a school for academic reasons, work on your game and still play on the main stage in the spring and summer. Darrius will have no problem qualifying, and has developed great study skills to go along with his A-level game. From scout.com, university of Michigan fan page- “Darrius Morris is moving up the food chain, he is now a 4* with a bullet. He won't be our best kept secret for too much longer, I hope he believes in being loyal”.
I was also impressed with Jason Pruitt, of LA Dream Team, who is actually showing signs of maturing. After the game I said to him." I haven't seen you pass that much in 3 years", he smiled and said, "On this team I have to pass". I've known Jason since he was in the 5th grade and he been on stacked teams before, but this is the first time that I've seen him, actually run the point, make great decisions and take the shots that were there. He didn't force one shot the entire night. I hope he can get his academic life together and find a school to play at. He is a very strong guard.
I was equally impressed with Justin Cobbs. I usually walk away after watching Justin play, wanting more, but last night he did very well in an up and down game. Hit several big 3’s, played defense and seems very comfortable playing in the backcourt with Darrius Morris.
The one player that looked out of place was Hollis from Loyola High School and Team Odom. This may not be the best team for him. He had zero points for the entire game. I attribute the fact that his team doesn't run the Princeton offense, as a liability to Hollis. He is the type of player that seems to fit best with teams that run plays or at least set and screens. He also seemed undersized compared to Lance Stephenson, who is a man-child. I think Hollis will do fine if Team Odom runs a few more sets, which get him open looks or he finds a team that runs a more pattern set-which is hard to find in summer ball.
For all the bad press Renaldo Sidney gets, it is amazing that he didn't look nearly as bad as what critics say about him. He has range; he hit at least six-three’s (3 in a row) from all sorts of angles. Took good shots and had a series of dunks. He and Stephenson looked at ease playing with each other.
Stephenson has a web series, Born ready, www.bornready.TV and I can truly say that with some continued development and a greater commitment to defense, that Stephenson is truly ready. It will be a shame if the NCAA institutes the 2-year college rule before he enters the NBA, because as Odom says, "he's ready now" and he is only a junior.
On a side note.
Organizers, please never have games in that small -2 dribble gym-at Fairfax. That gym is too small for 11 year olds to play in. Spend a few bucks and get a real second floor. That is the only serious knock I have on the event. I didn’t even mind paying $10.00 to cover the game, but it’ the second gym is an insult to the teams that had to play there.