NBA season tips-off with a decided Wolfpack flavor

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The 2008-2009 NBA season tipped-off with three games last night that each had a very prominent NC State-related storyline when:

(1) JJ Hickson began his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers who lost to the defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics.

(2) Hickson wasn’t the only former NC State big man to take the court last night. The three recent former Wolfpack big men who have been first round draft picks – Hickson, Cedric Simmons and Josh Powell – combined for a grand total of 2 minutes and 43 seconds of playing time last night. Thes three players stayed in college a combined five years.

(3) Vinny Del Negro began his NBA head coaching career with the Chicago Bulls with a big win!

and

(4) Nate McMillan’s talented and young Portland Trailblazers lost to the Los Angeles Lakers last night (despite the gold medal that Nate helped USA Basketball win this summer).

I’d say that is a pretty impressive evening for the Wolfpack. To their credit, I just checked GoPack.com and they actually had a little article about the start of the NBA season (although they missed the specifics of the three games last night).

Additionally, ACCNow updated their charts for the ACC in the NBA for this year and can be seen by clicking here.

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25 Responses to NBA season tips-off with a decided Wolfpack flavor

  1. PackerInRussia 10/29/2008 at 1:51 PM #

    Remember that big game Ced Simmons had against Duke? Yeah, that was really nice.

    BTW, I’m trying to figure out the relationship between this article and the accompanying Google ad asking me: “Why Is Your Stomach Fat?” from http://www.StomachFatIsUgly.net. And here I’d thought my regular exercising was firming things up a bit.

  2. RickJ 10/29/2008 at 2:07 PM #

    Starting PG for Nate in Portland? None other than Steve Blake. I hated Steve Blake when he played at Maryland, almost as much as I hated that he wasn’t playing for us.

  3. gopack968 10/29/2008 at 2:44 PM #

    Julius Hodge did not make the Nets roster. But in this blog entry he talks about the experience and his future plans. Sounds very upbeat.

    http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/hodge/2008/10/27/a-numbers-game/?rcommentid=417&rerror=incorrect-captcha-sol&rchash=3b83813e3fe16d088d85c650fcbba3d2

  4. SuperStuff 10/29/2008 at 3:11 PM #

    Steve Blake wanted to play for the Wolfpack real bad. I mean real bad. I think that may have contributed to his problems with Hodge in college.

  5. howlie 10/29/2008 at 3:32 PM #

    “Remember that one big game Ced had against Duke?”

    The guys mentioned are like the bands who were “one hit wonders.” They weren’t so much ‘one [year] and done” as much as “one significant game in their career” and done.

    They remind me of the guard from Kentucky [?] who had a ‘lights out’ Final Four [Rex Chapman?], then went pro early to Charlotte, then fizzled like a drizzly storm… evaporating the next day.

  6. Pack92 10/29/2008 at 3:32 PM #

    Josh Powell should have never left early. But, he was a true student-athlete and maybe the smart decision is paying off now.

  7. redfred2 10/29/2008 at 3:50 PM #

    “Remember that big game Ced Simmons had against Duke? Yeah, that was really nice.”

    Uh yeah, I remember that ONE BIG GAME also. I’m telling you that none of those kids should have left college when they did. It may, or may not, be to their advantage in the long run for just signing period, and taking the money, but they played at NC State, under a hokey BB scheme which sheltered them from any true comparisons on this level. More importantly it also sheltered those players from gaining confidence while developing on the collegiate level before that unnecessary leap. Now they’re all up there riding the pine and watching how the big boys really play the game, and there’s no second guessing or turning back.

    Only at NC State would fans condone a kid signing into the NBA when there is no way in hell that he could even put up CONSISTENT numbers against even the middle level competition in his own league. That’s the NC State way though, if there is a even small carrot being waved, be sure pluck it before it has a chance to grow any bigger. You’re at NC State man, it’s engrained, we can’t relate anything but worst case scenarios and the most negative outcomes that man can conjure up.

    Along those same lines, I’m wondering when the discussion is going to heat up about Russell Wilson’s baseball vs football ability? How much wiser he’d be considered around here if he gave one of the two up?

  8. 66pack 10/29/2008 at 3:59 PM #

    Three players playing a total of less than 3 minutes is not very impessive.

  9. Noah 10/29/2008 at 4:02 PM #

    I don’t think Chapman ever made it to a final four with UK. He was one of Sutton’s players, not Pitino’s.

    He played two years at UK and he played 13 or 14 years in the NBA. I don’t think he was ever a star, but he was a really good #2 or #3 scoring option.

  10. Par Shooter 10/29/2008 at 4:39 PM #

    Not really sure how Rex Chapman is relevant as a “flash in the pan” NBA player. Dude played 12 years in the league and averaged right at 15 ppg over that 12 year career. He also averaged 16 ppg as a freshman at UK and 19 ppg as a soph before going pro. Hardly 1 good game. And Noah is correct that he never played in a final 4. He also left UK when they were getting ready to get slammed (relatively speaking) by the NCAA for the $$ issues.

  11. redfred2 10/29/2008 at 4:41 PM #

    “WATCH OUT RUSSELL, THERE’S A 260 POUND DEFENSIVE END BEARING DOWN ON YOU!!!”

    “WATCH OUT RUSSELL, THIS PITCHER HAS A 97 MPH FAST BALL, AND HE HAS CONTROL ISSUES ALSO!!!”

    “DON’T EAT THAT RUSSELL, SOMEONE ONCE CHOKED ON THAT STUFF!!!”

    “DON’T CROSS THAT ROAD RUSSELL, SOMEONE ONCE…”

    “GET A CLEAR, PROTECTIVE TENT, WITH CLEAN AIR RUSSELL, YOU KNOW EVERYBODY LOVES THE BUBBLE BOY!!!”

  12. WV Wolf 10/29/2008 at 7:25 PM #

    Just a small correction, Josh Powell was undrafted.

  13. redfred2 10/29/2008 at 8:14 PM #

    Sorry, I didn’t mean to run everybody off with a post that isn’t even remotely related to the header.

    So, back to the header, kinda. It’s really nice to see guys like Vinnie D and Nate McMillen achieving that level of success. Then you take a look around at the former NC State BB players who have had somewhat similar success as players, or even later in coaching. Head coaches are visable in different places, and some are doing pretty well for themselves. As far the players who had any real measure of success in the NBA, well, I guess you’d have to go all the way back to Todd Fuller for that one. I can’t remember, somebody please help me on this one, but wasn’t Fuller a highly recruited, complete, and NBA-ready player straight out of high school? Or, did he mature and develop on the collegiate level even during some really lean times at NC State, and while under the guidance of a certain NC State Head BB Coach who gets no respect at all around here?

    Times have changed since then though, kids are leaving for the NBA without any hestitation, and long before they’re anywhere ready for that type of game. That’s especially true when they come from a college BB program where sticking around doesn’t really afford them an avenue to grow personally, or give them anything to look forward to by coming back for the next BB season. I believe Sidney Lowe is THE one who wants to change that more than anyone, that he can correct that problem for the ailing NC State that he now calls home. He just needs to be allowed more time to learn on the fly, to restructure as he goes, and he will develop an entirely new culture surrounding the present, and sorely underachieving, Wolfpack BB program.

  14. TOBtime 10/29/2008 at 8:38 PM #

    redfred2, I don’t remember the recruitment of Fuller. I do remember he developed into a very good ACC center who battled a true NBA star, Tim Duncan, to an absolute draw the last 2 years I saw them play against each other. I also remember they both stayed 4 years and at one point Fuller had a 4.0 GPA in Math. Not sure if he graduated with the GPA that high. Todd was (is) an awesome guy on and off the court and was a real shining light for NC State when we didn’t have much light at all.

  15. Trip 10/29/2008 at 9:22 PM #

    “Along those same lines, I’m wondering when the discussion is going to heat up about Russell Wilson’s baseball vs football ability? How much wiser he’d be considered around here if he gave one of the two up?”

    I could see RW giving football another year before giving it up for baseball, he just has a much better career future there. Dual threat quarterbacks just don’t make it in the NFL very often, especially 5’11 ones. :\

  16. JeremyH 10/29/2008 at 11:09 PM #

    gopack968 thanks for the Julius Hodge link. I think he gets it, and he’s always believed he can reach his accomplishments. He was the reason we beat Connecticut and made it to the sweet sixteens. Him. If he wants to be an NBA player, then he will be an NBA player. It’s not a matter of if, but a matter of when, given he continues to plug away. I’m sure he will be on short lists if teams run into injury problems, and there’s nothing wrong with strengthening your resume in an Australian league. Maybe his agent can get him some of that Josh Childress money ; D

  17. JeremyH 10/30/2008 at 12:29 AM #

    My comment is awaiting moderation…..maybe the ‘child’ in childress?

  18. Noah 10/30/2008 at 8:06 AM #

    Todd Fuller was not one of the top-100 recruits in the country going into the recruiting season. But he worked with Bobby Jones and by the end of the year, most people had him in the top-50.

    That was the year we took Marcus Wilson (top-40), Chuck Korenegay (top-25), and then got Fuller. We actually got a commitment from Jason Sasser (top-40) on the same day as the commitment from Wilson…but Robinson didn’t have room for him and he ended up at Texas Tech.

  19. Classof89 10/30/2008 at 8:27 AM #

    Good grief…Marcus Wilson instead of Jason Sasser…one of the great recruiting missteps in Pack hoops history…Seems like Les was involved in several other historic missteps as well..

  20. JeremyH 10/30/2008 at 10:28 AM #

    let’s see if this version requires ‘moderation’..

    gopack968 thanks for the Julius Hodge link. I think he gets it, and he’s always believed he can reach his accomplishments. He was the reason we beat Connecticut and made it to the sweet sicsteins. Him. If he wants to be an NBA player, then he will be an NBA player. It’s not a matter of if, but a matter of when, given he continues to plug away. I’m sure he will be on short lists if teams run into injury problems, and there’s nothing wrong with strengthening your resume in an Australian league.

  21. Wolf Dog 10/30/2008 at 11:05 AM #

    I wish Hodge well but coaching staff here at the time screwed up his jump shot and taken him time to get it back. Thought Karl with the Nuggets never really was fair to Hodge. Seemed to me like he never wanted Hodge. Even leaking out the comment, “Why did we draft a shooting guard that cannot shoot” I hope to see Hodge back in the NBA, but with guaranteed contracts combined with lots of shooting guards and small forwards trying to get in NBA, I doubt it.

  22. Noah 10/30/2008 at 11:51 AM #

    I don’t see Hodge ever playing in the NBA. He’s not a good enough ball-handler to play point and he can’t shoot.

    He can spend the next dozen years, however, playing in Europe and making a lot of money. I wish him luck.

  23. redfred2 10/30/2008 at 3:48 PM #

    I was being sarcastic, I knew Todd Fuller was a late bloomer and wasn’t considered a top prospect out of high school, although he had begun to turn some heads on the local level later in HS.

  24. redfred2 10/30/2008 at 4:37 PM #

    I’m with Noah, on this particular topic anyway, but I was surprised when Hodge went so high in the draft to begin with. I love him and his all out desire to play BB, he was great for NC State, but he doesn’t have the necessary tools that are required to get playing time in the “Showtime” of the NBA.

  25. PackerInRussia 10/30/2008 at 11:38 PM #

    In good news, JJ Hickson doubled Sean May’s point production in last night’s Bobcat/Cavalier matchup. Of course that would be scores of 4 points versus 2.

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