Little Men, Big Faith

     Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues, once the NBA’s little engine that could, defiantly rebuked the notion of limits when he entered the NBA Draft in 1987. At only 5’3, Muggsy was too small to play in the NBA, or so he’d been told. Guys his size had no business playing sports at any level, let alone professionally, many often mocked.
     Muggsy proved that statement a falsity while enjoying a successful 14-year career in basketball’s most prominent league. He remains today the smallest player to ever wear an NBA uniform. It is largely because of him that many small guards across the world have faith in themselves, and now more than ever, that faith is being tested.
     While the storm of free agency in the NBA is at its calm, the opposite can be said for professional overseas players who have yet to sign on dotted lines. While various countries have their own leagues with their own starting dates, professional basketball in Europe, where the quality of play is second to only the USA, is nearly a month away.
    Finding a suitable team in a European country can be a stark challenge for American cagers. This is especially true when the coaches U.S. players hope to be recruited by speak a different language, sleep at a different hour, don’t enjoy burgers or fries, and have never seen the faces or names of those their scouts recruit.
     While the eye test allows forwards and centers to pass with flying colors, it leaves small guards with F’s time after time. Regardless of any gaudy stats and film, the majority of faraway coaches don’t want players shorter than 6’0 who they have never seen. As a result, this is why the ‘Muggsy Mentality’ must be in every point guard if one hopes to thrive on foreign soil.

     Most coaches ruled out Muggsy Bogues after one look at him. One anonymous college coach degradingly once joked he could fit Muggsy in his pocket. That certainly didn’t stop the little man from reaching his dream of becoming a full-time basketball player in the NBA, but instead fueled that dream into reality. Muggsy’s mindset could be summed up in one phrase: “You can’t stop me.”
     It only took one basketball mind to take a chance on heart trumping height. Kevin Loughery, who at the time led the Washington Bullets, was that man. Muggsy needed only one opportunity, and coach Lougery gave him just that. Muggsy did the rest.
     The little man eventually joined the Charlotte Hornets, where he now remains the franchise’s all-time leader in assists, steals, and minutes played. He was small, but he was driven. He was short, but he could play. Most importantly, when he got his shot, he proved his worth.
     Guards all over the world can take inspiration from Muggsy’s career. While free agency is nearing its climax for many overseas professionals, now is the time for professional American-born guards seeking a distant opportunity to avoid doubt and concern, just as Muggsy did. Now is the time when the little guys of the world must work for their contracts, but remain confident, and embrace the opportunities when they arrive. Now is the time to believe.

The Wrong Right Pick

Entering this year's NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons badly needed a shooting guard, or just a shooter in general. The only two-guards on their roster were Rodney Stuckey (who doesn't quite fit at shooting guard or point guard) and Kim English (who belongs in the D-League). Thus, it seems logical that Detroit selected Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a shooting guard out of Georgia, with the eighth pick of the draft. The 6'5 guard has both athleticism and a shot that are difficult to overlook. Obviously, he was not overlooked by Detroit. They needed a shooting guard. So Dumars made the correct pick given the team's needs, right? Wrong. Dumars made the right pick for the roster, but the wrong pick for the organization and future of the Detroit Pistons.

Dumars missed out on a real game changer, the national college player of the year, and a Kyrie Irving-like talent when he selected Caldwell-Pope. With all due respect to the former Bulldog, the Pistons were just as foolish as the seven teams who drafted before them and failed to select this draft's best player, Trey Burke. It's one thing to draft the position of need, but its another (tragic) thing to surpass the draft's best player, especially when he has slipped several spots to your team. Former Michigan Wolverine Trey Burke is not only one of the prospects with the most potential in the 2013 NBA Draft, but he is also the player most NBA ready. Though he stands at only 6'0 tall, he is without a doubt the most skilled player who will enter the NBA in 2013. As just a sophomore at the University of Michigan, Burke not only won the Cousy Award which goes to the nation's top point guard, but he also claimed the Wooden and Naismith Award's which recognize college basketball's best player. His accolades speak for themselves.

Perhaps Dumars deems awards and accolades as overrated. Well, Burke didn't just win awards, he won games too (and he put up numbers while doing it). The point guard led his team to the NCAA National Championship against Louisville, and finished his sophomore campaign tallying 18.6 points per game and dishing out 6.7 assists per game. I get that Detroit is currently home to Jose Calderon, Andrew Bynum, Brandon Knight, and Rodney Stuckey, who can all play point guard. Burke, moreover, would surprise me if he's not better than all four of the aforementioned guards. I also get that Dumars wanted a shooter. While Caldwell-Pope might be able to fill that void, Burke is actually the better shooter. Caldwell-Pope shot 33.9% from beyond the arc in his career at Georgia, while Burke shot 36.7% from three point range in that same two-year span. As sad as this is to think about, had Detroit taken Burke with the 8th pick in the draft, he could have very well been their best player from day one. Unfortunately, for Pistons fans, we will never know if such a statement reigns true. Dumars, furthermore, has had a history of regret come draft time. Perhaps the year 2003 rings a bell?







***As a die-hard Michigan State fan, it pained me to write an article praising a former Wolverine.