From: terry@garfield.Stanford.EDU (Terry Wong)
Subject: Re:  Latrelle Sprewell
Keywords: WOW!
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 92 08:42:48 GMT

In article <1992Dec16.210250.11169@ptdcs2.intel.com>, kstewart@ptdcs2.intel.com (Kent Stewart) writes:
|> 
|> 
|> Setting aside the recurring objection that the Warriors would be
|> better served by drafting lesser talents in bigger bodies, I'd like 
|> to say that Latrelle Sprewell is showing signs of becoming an *amazing*
|> ballplayer.
|> 
|> Especially since coming off his brief stint on injured reserve (courtesy
|> of Greg Kite, thankyouverymuch), he has been playing with a ruthless calm
|> confidence that is sometimes startling.  His first step is the fastest on
|> the team, his slashes to the hoop and ability to finish have been stellar
|> (and occasionally Jordanesque!), and he is rapidly expanding his smooth
|> perimeter jump shot out to three point range.
|> 
|> And this is a guy who was drafted as a "defensive specialist". He *is*
|> a gifted defender, and can generate blocks and steals and turn them into
|> fast break opportunities.  But the added offensive explosiveness he is
|> displaying makes him look like a certain future all-star to me, even in
|> the guard-rich west. And that astounds me.  I had no idea he was going
|> to be this good.

Kent, I share your enthusiasm for Sprewell.  
This guy is simply outstanding.
He's not getting the press around the NBA that more heralded rookies are
getting, but he deserves consideration for the NBA all-rookie team, maybe
not the first team, but definitely the second team.

Sprewell is turning into a go-to guy for the Warriors.  When the
Warriors were tied with the Kings this Saturday in the last minute of
play, it was Sprewell who scored the last two field goals to win the game.
The game winning shot was an incredibly difficult runner to the hole from
about four feet out over Mitch Richmond and two other Kings.  This guy
wants the ball at the end of games.

After Tuesday's wipeout of the Clippers, Larry Brown couldn't stop
praising the guy.

In the 7 games after he has come off IR, he has been averaging nearly
20 points a game.  More than that, he is always on the floor at the
end of games and in some games, he is playing even more minutes than
Hardaway or Mullin!  Don Nelson says that Spree just does so many
good things for the Warriors when he is on the floor that he can't
afford to let him off the floor.

The story behind Sprewell is pretty amazing.  He didn't start playing
basketball until his senior year in high school, because he was
moving around a lot before then.  He played a couple of years at
Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.  In high school
and junior college, he played forward and center with his back to the
basket.
He then transferred to Arkansas where he played 2 years.  

Here's an amazing fact:
 **********************************************************
 His first year at Arkansas was the first time
 he had ever played the guard position.  That's right, he has only
 played facing the basket for 2 years!
***********************************************************  
A tremendous defensive player from the start, his
offense really started to come around in his senior year.  His ppg jumped
from 8.9 ppg to 17.8 ppg from his junior to senior year.  Spree explains
that in high school and JC, he was the go-to guy, and he just needed
some adjustment time moving up to a major college and playing a new position.

In the short time he has played for the Warriors, he is just getting
better and better.  The range of his shot keeps increasing and his
confidence level just keeps on building.  

A lot of people were shocked when the Warriors chose Sprewell in the draft.
Many of them had never heard of him before.  However, he certainly was
no secret in the SEC where he was on the all-conference team.
His reputation was just starting to spread.  Danny Bawamani, basketball
columnist for the Sporting News, wrote the week before the draft that
the dark horse of the draft was Latrell Sprewell.  He flatly stated that
Sprewell was one of the top 15 players in the nation, a point that
is being bourne out now.

The Warriors certainly didn't like see this broadcast before the draft.
They had already decided for some weeks that Spree was going to be their
pick and they were afraid that other GM's would pick up on this.
  Ed Gregory was the first Warriors man to scout him.
After he saw him for the first time at Arkansas, he was tremendously 
impressed.   He made a point not to breathe a word about him until
he returned to the Warriors head office for fear of attracting attention
to him.  The Warriors never even had Sprewell over for a tryout
for fear that this would alert other teams.  In the pre-draft Chicago camp, 
after the Warriors had already decided to draft him, Don Nelson passed
Spree in the hallway and didn't even say hello to him.  That's how secretive
they were about it.

|> 
|> Byron Houston is at least a couple of years off of that pace, but he also
|> looks like he will become a very solid player.  He plays very big for 6'5",
|> and can hold his own defending in the low post, blocking shots and pulling
|> rebounds. His offense is trailing his defense right now, but there are
|> signs he could improve pretty rapidly. He could become very valuable to the 
|> Warriors, who lack both height *and* bulk.  Byron has the strength and the 
|> bulk, and his 85" wingspan helps to compensate for his height.
|> 

Houston, except in the 2nd Charlotte game against Larry Johnson has
shown that he can guard almost anybody in the low-post.  He even
gets assigned the task of guarding the center at times.  He actually
did a credible job against Shaquille O'Neal.  In the two recent Clippers
games, he did a great job of frustrating Danny Manning, who is one of
the best low-post scorers in the NBA.  In tonight's game, Manning
became so frustrated that he committed 2 offensive fouls against Houston
within a matter of minutes in the 1st half.  This forced him off the floor
for the remainder of the half.

The guy is incredibly strong.  Horace Grant was quoted as saying that
Byron Houston is one of the three strongest guys in the NBA.

					terry@garfield.Stanford.EDU