With all the hype Wade and Brown generated in their first two games, and Edwards, too, last night, the guy who has me most excited about what MIGHT be possible this year, is Wesley Iwundu.
He is a completely different player, MENTALLY, this year. He is free from feeling as though, even if subconsciously, he has to play a subservient role to Marcus Foster. In some ways, even with "good Foster," I'm not convinced this side of Wes would have ever emerged with Marcus on the team. But his athletic gifts and length will cause SO many problems for opponents...and he is MUCH stronger this year, it seems to me. He looks big. He is finishing plays around the rim. He is battling. He is assertive.
I was tough on Wes last year...and IMO, it wasn't off-base. But emerging from that shit-show to play the way he is, so far, is incredible. I am really, really happy for him, and more importantly, the team.
You could almost say the same things of Edwards. More assertive. Battling. Finishing. Attacking. Marcus Foster, I am convinced, would simply not have allowed that to emerge.
These two guys are the key to the season...they will be the ones we must count on to be CONSISTENT, to stop runs, to answer, to steady the team, to get a big put-back. It have wanted to say this is "Wes' team"...but really, these guys are equally critical, and most importantly, must never evolve into thinking that they have to get theirs, the way Foster and Gip did (and others, too, really).
Just about all of the 8 or 9 scholarship players can score the ball. These guys just need to do what they do, and let the offense and team work, as a unit. Ultimately, that's the key to the season: Wes and Justin making sure it is EVERYONE's team.
He is a completely different player, MENTALLY, this year. He is free from feeling as though, even if subconsciously, he has to play a subservient role to Marcus Foster. In some ways, even with "good Foster," I'm not convinced this side of Wes would have ever emerged with Marcus on the team. But his athletic gifts and length will cause SO many problems for opponents...and he is MUCH stronger this year, it seems to me. He looks big. He is finishing plays around the rim. He is battling. He is assertive.
I was tough on Wes last year...and IMO, it wasn't off-base. But emerging from that shit-show to play the way he is, so far, is incredible. I am really, really happy for him, and more importantly, the team.
You could almost say the same things of Edwards. More assertive. Battling. Finishing. Attacking. Marcus Foster, I am convinced, would simply not have allowed that to emerge.
These two guys are the key to the season...they will be the ones we must count on to be CONSISTENT, to stop runs, to answer, to steady the team, to get a big put-back. It have wanted to say this is "Wes' team"...but really, these guys are equally critical, and most importantly, must never evolve into thinking that they have to get theirs, the way Foster and Gip did (and others, too, really).
Just about all of the 8 or 9 scholarship players can score the ball. These guys just need to do what they do, and let the offense and team work, as a unit. Ultimately, that's the key to the season: Wes and Justin making sure it is EVERYONE's team.
