2013 McDonald's All-American Game

[NOVoodoo]

Tonight (Wednesday) at 6:30 PST on ESPN

This might be of more interest to the collegiate fans on the board, but with the 1-and-dones, this should be your go-to during commercial breaks of the Grizz/Blazers game, because this is probably the best high school class since '07, and most of these guys will wind up in the NBA, probably sooner than later.

All of NBADraft.Net's top five picks in 2014 will be in action -

#1- Andrew Wiggins (undecided)
#2 - Jabari Parker (Duke)
#3 - Noah Vonleh (Indiana)
#4 - Julius Randle (Kentucky)
#5 - James Young (Kentucky)

Even when you look at DraftExpress, their top four picks will be in action as well -

#1 - Wiggins
#2 - Randle
#3 - Aaron Gordon (Arizona) - also Drew Gordon's brother
#4 - Andrew Harrison (Kentucky)

So we have six different players that are currently in the top five of either of the two leading mocks for 2014, playing in an All-Star game together. That's worth watching, no matter what your interest level in amateur ball is.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

I remember watching this with Oden and Durant in the game and dreaming of a scenario where Oden would be a blazer........

 

[NOVoodoo]

I remember watching this with Oden and Durant in the game and dreaming of a scenario where Oden would be a blazer........

Man, it's hard for me not to be more of a fanboy with Oden on this forum, because I can't feel ya'lls pain, but damn was he great.

Just look at all of the NBA players that were on the rosters though -

East

Ty Lawson
Javaris Crittenton
Earl Clark
Mike Conley
Lance Thomas
Vernon Macklin
Wayne Ellington
Thad Young
Brandan Wright
Gerald Henderson
Greg Oden

West

Darrell Arthur
Kevin Durant
Daequan Cook
D.J. Augustin
Robin Lopez
Brook Lopez
Spencer Hawes
Chase Budinger

That's not even that impressive of a class, and there were still only like 4-5 guys that didn't make it in the league, and even out of them, 3-4 of them had great NCAA careers.

That's why I'm saying this game will be worth watching as an NBA fan, especially with probably the best HS class in a while playing.

 

[THE HCP]

I saw Chris Sheridan just wrote that if they let HS kids back in the draft, this HS class would have the top 4 picks!


Sent from HCPs Baller-Ass iPhone 5.......FAMS!

 

[NOVoodoo]

I saw Chris Sheridan just wrote that if they let HS kids back in the draft, this HS class would have the top 4 picks!


Sent from HCPs Baller-Ass iPhone 5.......FAMS!

I can buy that from Sheridan. This is one of the weaker tops of a draft that I've seen in a while, and this is also shaping up to be a very strong HS class at the top, especially with Wiggins reclassifying to 2013. I've only seen Parker, Wiggins, Gordon, and a couple of the other guys in real action, so I could be buying in on the hype of the class too much, but the analysts that I usually trust are generally singing the same praises about most of these other guys.

That's what's got me so interested to tune in tomorrow and see the rest of the class first hand, especially Julius Randle. One of the ESPN networks scheduled one of his games this season, but when I tuned in, he was out with injury. I'm pumped to see him matched up with Gordon.

 

[THE HCP]

I can't watch til I get home from the Blazer game so I won't be checking on this thread, don't want any spoilers son!


Sent from HCPs Baller-Ass iPhone 5...FAMS!

 

[NOVoodoo]

I can't watch til I get home from the Blazer game so I won't be checking on this thread, don't want any spoilers son!


Sent from HCPs Baller-Ass iPhone 5...FAMS!

Got ya... btw - where's Happy Valley, OR in relation to Portland?

Just checked the rosters for northwest players, and the only one's a guy from there, Nigel Williams-Goss, who won the three-point contest on Monday, a UW commit, ESPN's #20 recruit.

 

[THE HCP]

Out in the country somewhere...... I honestly would have to google it!


Sent from HCPs Baller-Ass iPhone 5...FAMS!

 

[THE HCP]

I remember reading about that kid a couple years ago. The article said he was from here and it was weird cause I'd never heard of him.


Sent from HCPs Baller-Ass iPhone 5...FAMS!

 

[VanillaGorilla]

I remember reading about that kid a couple years ago. The article said he was from here and it was weird cause I'd never heard of him.


Sent from HCPs Baller-Ass iPhone 5...FAMS!

It's because he moved to Nevada to go to Findlay Prep before he ever played high school ball in Oregon. He was just blowing up in the under 16 AAU circuit.

Also, Happy Valley is in Clackamas.

[/IMG]

 

[NOVoodoo]

Anyone see the game tonight? I'm still looking for a boxscore, but Aaron Gordon looked great. His game translated well for a loosely defended All-Star game, but he'll be fun to watch at Arizona. I was trying to think of a good comparison, but the only one I could really think of is Blake Griffin, which I guess is a kinda lazy comparison, because he looks like Griffin, just a little smaller and slightly less above-the-rim, but he definitely has a great power game, is a great dunker, and didn't show much else (again, this is in an All-Star game though).

Jabari Parker disappointed me. Not just with his game, but with his body language. The game didn't mean anything, but he just seemed like he was drifting out there, and I wonder if he's getting a little complacent. I've seen him at Simeon, because back when he was still considering Michigan State, I made it a point to check out his games, and he was absolutely dominant. This wasn't the same Jabari Parker I was used to seeing though. I figured being the hometown kid, he would have stepped up to the plate more, like LeBron did when the game was in Cleveland.