D'Angelo Harrison
- Thread starter NYCRedmen
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beast of the east
Active member
Look, the past 20 messages or so has guys who believe Harrison deserved to be suspended and those who think the transgressions were minor. Bottom line is, all that doesn't matter now, and it appears his head is focused on being appositive contributor on the court, and has taken steps to control his anger. Good luck to him. Any formula that has us in the top 20 has Harrison performing like an all league first team player. We are all pulling for him to do well, that much is clear.
Agree, as much as I have been upset with his antics in the past, I am pulling for this kid but not just for what he can do for the team, but what he can do for himself. Dealing with anger in any setting can be almost debilitating. Life constantly throws you curves and injustices but it's how you deal with such that almost defines who you are. It's a tough road ahead and as coach states, as all young people, he is a work in progress. The true test will be when the horn sounds, the lights go on and the game may not be going his way. It is only then that we will see just how far DLo has come.
I agree. Last year is the past. Let's move forward with positive thoughts. Big difference I see is conditioning. D'lo looks like he is in much better shape than last year. With all of the other weapons on the floor, he should have even better looks than he did when he had Moe on the floor sharing the load.
tom in salem
Well-known member
Quinn Rochford @QSJUHoops 39m
Really good stuff here at Dribble. Harrison says he's finally gotten a sense of the physical demands. He's lost a "ton of weight." #sjubb
Retweeted by Rumble in the Garden
Really good stuff here at Dribble. Harrison says he's finally gotten a sense of the physical demands. He's lost a "ton of weight." #sjubb
Retweeted by Rumble in the Garden
Pleasedontbanmeagain
Member
Really nice and genuine kid. Truly seemed to be at peace with himself...don't want to read too much into it obviously, but I would be absolutely shocked if he had the same attitude issues as previous years.
I suspect we've all crossed paths with guys who are great athletes and first-class people who have a switch that gets flipped in competition. It's part of what makes them exceptional athletes.
I'm a D-lo fan and think he'll be smarter this year, but I have no illusion that he'll be completely tamed. I fully expect he'll still lose it a time or two in the heat of battle. My hope is he'll listen when the staff tries to rein him in.
Pleasedontbanmeagain
Member
No doubt. But you can't declaw a Tiger. You can't castrate a mustang. You need that fire...it's just a matter of moderation. As long as it serves to pump his team up and avoid run ins with refs (who definitely have given him a raw deal over the years), he will be fine. Let him be who he is as long as it's not counterproductive to the team.
It's not about trying to eliminate the emotion from his game; it's about channeling it and not letting it go too far. He will still probably let out a few screams after and an 1 or knocking down a big 3, and that's fine. He's one of a thousand kids who play with that kind of energy and emotion, and from what's been said the real issues ran deeper than that. As long as he stays away from the latter, the energy/emotion piece shouldn't be a problem nor should it be confused as the issue.
Pleasedontbanmeagain
Member
His mother (or is it grandmother?) has a huge influence on calming him and he recently visited his brother in prison. He seemed to have a good conversation with both a few times since the suspension and he appears to have a better head on his shoulders. His mother will not let him get to that point and he always posts pictures of her so you know he loves and respects her. He's a good guy who is misunderstood at times. He will have a great year.
There's three reasons why I think Dlo will have a fantastic year:
1- maturation
2- healthy branch
3- additions of Jordan, sancheZ, and hooper
Big, big year ahead
1- maturation
2- healthy branch
3- additions of Jordan, sancheZ, and hooper
Big, big year ahead
Pleasedontbanmeagain
Member
Very true. He cannot be the guy to put the team on his back...that's when the pressure is on him and he makes a ton of bad shot selections. As articles have stated, he's really best in an off-ball position. When Harkless kind of took control 2 years ago and Harrison was off-ball, he played very well. When he was forced to be THE guy, he had some good games, but overall his numbers fell due to bad shot selections. Now he has guys like a healthy Branch and Jordan to find him.
beast of the east
Active member
Just remember, he didn't get suspended for being spirited, and I seriously doubt that Lavin is instructing him not to be passionate. He has an explosive temper, and now is as good a time to reign it in. On the court, it got him a suspension. On the streets, the result could have been much worse. I think he knows that, and also knows he came perilously close to throwing away everything he's worked so hard in basketball for. That's where his grandmother and brother comes in - reminding him that he has a chance to be something, and not to waste it with a big mouth.
I'm rooting for him hard to hard a great season.
I disagree that he can't put this team on his back--to a degree. I also disagree that putting the team on his back led to his bad shot selection. IMO his poor shot selection was more due to him not getting enough good shots while he was hot or while we needed it. Harkless didn't take control of the ball two years ago. Harkless was our center, remember? He scored most of his points down low off of putback slams (averaged 3 offensive rebounds per game) and in transition (averaged 1.6 steals per game). He was a fantastic offensive rebounder. He did not dominate the ball from the perimeter, although he was given a decent amount of chances to create from midrange. Harrison averaged more points than he did. What Moe did was give Harrison was a second scoring threat, but let's not rewrite history--not aimed at you. Moe did not have a top 15 pick type of season. He was taken that high because of his incredible potential. Even with Moe two years ago, the team looked completely anemic offenively with Harrison out of the game...it was ugly.
To me, there is a big difference between carrying a team and being the ONLY legitimate scoring threat. I think we could win if Harrison averages 20 ppg. Hopefully the guys around him give him enough good looks and enough space to be able to do what he does best. If he doesn't have 2-3 guys draped on him at all times, that 20 will come much more easily. For that to happen others will have to step up and prove they are threats to score the ball.