On account of the fact that I refuse to watch college basketball, I tend to steer clear of any discussion involving the NBA Draft. However, I couldn’t help but be intrigued by a few recent comments made by Kansas’s Thomas Robinson, who was inspired to share his most sincere thoughts and opinions after reading some curious writing on Anthony Davis’s t-shirt. Taking a cue from LeBron James, Davis showed up at pre-draft camp in a “Check My Stats” tee. Robinson felt that this was an interesting choice of attire, apparently because he posted more points and rebounds than the presumable number-one pick in the ’11/12 NCAA season. The following courtesy of Sports Illustrated…
“If you wanted to check the stats, then I’d be the No. 1 pick easily — if that’s what you want to do,” he said. “I should get one of those shirts. I’ll get a shirt that says, ‘Numbers don’t lie.’ ”
Based on the tale of the tape, Robinson — who could go as high as No. 2 to Charlotte but is widely considered a top five pick — has a point. He averaged 17.7 points, 11.9 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game, while Davis averaged 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and an NCAA-leading 4.7 blocks. Robinson was then asked if he would be looking for revenge from any team that passes him in the draft.
“I’m going to go after every team that I step on the floor against,” Robinson said. “There’s really not going to be a specific team that I’m going to point out and just try to kill. I’m trying to kill everybody.”
Though Robinson’s hope of being the No. 1 pick is far-fetched, he is among the most impressive talents in the group. He emerged following the departure of the Morris twins (Marcus, who plays for the Houston Rockets, and Markieff, who plays for the Phoenix Suns) after last season, and established himself as a reliable and potent threat in the post.
“I think I play with a different level than everyone else, a different intensity level,” Robinson said. “I’m going to play every night — that’s not something every guy [does]. Everybody don’t show up every night on a consistent basis. I think out of this group, I probably would say that I’m one of the players that do.”
As I stated at the start of the post, I don’t watch college basketball, so I don’t know enough about Robinson to pass judgment on his comments regarding the numbers and where he should be selected. I must say that I do like his assessment of himself, though. When speaking figuratively, the expression of a desire to “kill everybody” is a good thing—it shows that the rookie’s attitude is right where it should be. Gotta love the fact that he speaks his mind, too. I suppose some will probably perceive it as arrogance, but hey, this type of talk is what makes sports fun!
