Who's the idiot teammate that passed the ball to him in the backcourt as they were coming up the court? To his credit, he immediately found a guard to pass to.

Sometimes three skills are enough: catching, dunking, and...walking.

We also need to remember this kid is so huge compared to the rest of them he most-likely is playing slow so he doesn't kill them. One elbow to the face from a guy that massive, relative to the others, would crush their eye sockets back to last week.

That's not any challenge for him, To develop he needs to play against better players.

Mobility will always be a problem. And the feet will always be stressed, like with Yao Ming and BIll Walton.

Would have loved to have seen Sabonis in his prime. He was 7'3" and ran the floor like a small forward. And he rocked a great mullet.

I would have thought Greg Oden's son would be out of college by now.

/hot

Less gangly than I expected, especially at the high school level. A bit more muscle mass and he could dominate the paint in at least college.

Was he playing against an all Asian team?

Fallout Boy: Also, he is traveling all the damn time.

No one calls traveling in basketball anymore. They can take 10 steps, and if ends in a crowd-pleasing dunk, no calls will be made to keep the entertainment value high.

MaxxLarge: AverageAmericanGuy: He's not a very good basketball player. Tall, maybe, but his fundamentals are lacking.

Maybe. But when you're 7'5", does it really farking matter?!? That's like saying, "Sure, he's got a 14" cock. But as porn stars go, he's pretty ugly."

Yeah that does matter, we used to have a guy on our basketball team that was 6'6", he was pretty bad at basketball mainly because he could not get out of his own way, we basically told him to stand under the basket and get our rebounds.

ksobby: He's only in high school. He can't have been that height for very long so of course he looks like a newborn colt out there. As long as injuries don't get him (which, sadly, is highly likely) and he loves the sport, he'll be a force when he understands how to move that frame ... That just takes time and practice. Worried he may end up being one of those guys that does something because everyone tells him he has "a god given gift" to do so without any of the passion.

The NBA will compensate a lack of passion for the game with a shiat ton of cash. And yeah he does need some work.
/Blazers will draft him
//we all know how that ends.

Lot of NBA scouts have fark accounts...

/impressed

Because of his size alone he'll go to a major D1 school. The problem is, when you are 7'5" in high school, you really aren't learning any skills except put your hands up high, then dunk over the kids who are 6'. When he gets to college and the players are 6'10", more physical, and understand the game better, he may struggle quite a bit

He looked like he was playing against children. How good does he have to be? Just throw the ball higher than the other players can reach and he'll catch it and drop it down the net.

/admittedly knows nothing about basketball, but could tell how frustrated everyone else on the court was. ;)

Thought he looked pretty good out there shooting in warmups. Seems like he has some touch to with the height and he's not awkward looking at that height and that age which is really something. Imagine what he'll look like when he gets to college and puts on another 20 or 30 lbs of muscle.

I just wish there was a video of him against some AAU players or at a Nike camp because it is really hard to tell anything against an opponent without a player over 6 feet.

7'5" with a knee injury already?

Funny how that works.

babysealclubber: WestHamHooligan: 00:28 seconds... cam pan to the sweet little chick is the kind of thing that gets you a slap from the wife... just saying

I noticed that too. At first, I was all, "but he's going that way," but then, I was all, "alllll right."

Haha. That's the best part of the video.

animal900: Less gangly than I expected, especially at the high school level. A bit more muscle mass and he could dominate the paint in at least college.

Was he playing against an all Asian team?

Worse. White Christian boys.

WestHamHooligan: 00:28 seconds... cam pan to the sweet little chick is the kind of thing that gets you a slap from the wife... just saying


lol, I saw that too. Love it.

Easy Reader: /admittedly knows nothing about basketball, but could tell how frustrated everyone else on the court was. ;)

That's pretty much why basketball will never be my favorite sport. In the pros, sure, the guys who overcome physical talent with skill are the exception that prove the rule. But even in college, you can contribute to a competitive team if you're just good enough. Sports like football, soccer or baseball will take you whether you're 5'0" or 6'9". You may be railroaded into a certain position, but there's something for you to do if you do it well enough.

In basketball, height beats skill. Sure you can make the NBA at 5'0" if you're that once-in-a-generation freak that can cut like Barry Sanders, dribble 20 basketballs at once, pass inside through a zone defense blindfolded and consistently hit a half-court shot, but the guy who's 7'5" is guaranteed an offer as long as he can run. The NBA will always have a glut of centers who really don't give a shiat. Now, I confess I'd be one of them if I was 7'5", but that's kind of my point. This is a game that rewards more tall people who don't care than short people who do. If I'm 7'5", I can breeze into the NBA and wash out in shame, but I'll still have made more money playing basketball than someone two feet shorter who may have practiced 80 hours a week.

dragonchild: You may be railroaded into a certain position, but there's something for you to do if you do it well enough.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact there are only 5 positions.

Being tall is always an advantage in sports. I've heard pro baseball scouts discount guys who were smaller/less athletically built, even if they were somewhat better than their teammates.

Cosmoboy: The NBA will compensate a lack of passion for the game with a shiat ton of cash. And yeah he does need some work.

Again, like Oden.

The guy never wanted to play basketball.

kidgenius: Fallout Boy: Also, he is traveling all the damn time.

No one calls traveling in basketball anymore. They can take 10 steps, and if ends in a crowd-pleasing dunk, no calls will be made to keep the entertainment value high.

I went to a Bulls game last week, and I was shocked to see traveling called multiple times.
/Starting to get back into basketball for the first time since Jordan retired. Previously spoiled Bulls fan.

I dont get all the negative comments

1, he was nursing a knee injury
2, he is already infinitely better at catching the ball, posting up, and dunking that Manute Bol ever was
3, he actually ran backwards down the court - something that 99% of 7'0+ players never do - he actually has very good coordination for his size.
4, he actually has a nice shooting touch. He doesnt look lost on freethrows either.
5, Oh, and HE'S 17 YEARS OLD

Sure, there was nothing impressive in that video as far as beating someone with a move - but having been a manute bol fan, just seeing a guy that height being able to catch the ball softly, actually move like a basketball player - barring injury, acromegaly, or some weird medical condition like Kenny George had, he will probably make it to the NBA.

babysealclubber: Maybe it has something to do with the fact there are only 5 positions. Being tall is always an advantage in sports.

Generally, especially in power positions like pitcher (baseball), defender (soccer) and lineman (football). But in positions where quickness is essential like shortstop, forward or halfback, you'll see some short guys recruited because they can make cuts that break the ankles of anyone in pursuit. In baseball, being short is even a benefit because the strike zone is not a fixed size but based on the batter's height and stance.

Having only 5 positions hurts, but with few exceptions even college guards are usually over 6'. Having to hit an elevated target in traffic to score means even distance shooters are at a disadvantage.

padraig: AverageAmericanGuy: He's not a very good basketball player. Tall, maybe, but his fundamentals are lacking.

My step-daughter plays basketball. Coaches say that they'd have a tall girl with average skills, than a average-height girl with great skills. Seems like size matters a whole farking lot in basketball.

In high school, and some colleges, yes. But at the top level talented guys destroy average taller guys consistently.

miss diminutive: MaxxLarge: AverageAmericanGuy: He's not a very good basketball player. Tall, maybe, but his fundamentals are lacking.

Maybe. But when you're 7'5", does it really farking matter?!? That's like saying, "Sure, he's got a 14" cock. But as porn stars go, he's pretty ugly."

But this guy is like a 14 inch cock on a pornstar; he's so big that he's cumbersome and uncoordinated. Plus both can cause serious damage to themselves or others by just slipping or falling.

chances are he has a 14 inch cock too...

dragonchild: In baseball, being short is even a benefit because the strike zone is not a fixed size but based on the batter's height and stance.

This is true in theory but not really in practice.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=14098

All professional sports are comprised of genetic outliers. Basketball just happens to favor the tall. If you've got more slow twitch than fast twitch muscle fiber, you're just shiat out of luck. Well, maybe you have an 85 VO2Max and you can become a cyclist or a marathoner or something.

He's no Gheorghe Mureșan.

Came for this, going to have to leave it myself:

http://youtu.be/1aQJedIVTX4

Pardon the youtube bootleg, but still...

Whar birth certificate? WHAR!?!?!

dragonchild: Generally, especially in power positions like pitcher (baseball), defender (soccer) and lineman (football). But in positions where quickness is essential like shortstop, forward or halfback, you'll see some short guys recruited because they can make cuts that break the ankles of anyone in pursuit. In baseball, being short is even a benefit because the strike zone is not a fixed size but based on the batter's height and stance.

Not really. I haven't heard of anyone ever saying that. Tall guys shrink their zones all of the time. Actually, being too short hurts you in the field, you can't reach for the ball above your head as far and you have less range.

babysealclubber: Not really. I haven't heard of anyone ever saying that.

That's because the MLB, as a monopoly, has a de facto unwritten minimum height rule (new window):

As a result of Gaedel's appearance, all contracts must now be approved by the Commissioner of Baseball before a player can appear in a game. . . American League president Will Harridge, saying Veeck was making a mockery of the game, voided Gaedel's contract the next day.

They nipped a rather embarrassing loophole in the bud that would've given every team with a midget a free baserunner per game. That said, if you have an unfair height advantage in the NBA, you have a career. If you have one in the MLB, the Commissioner will void your contract.

I have also heard of and seen various pinch-hitters and leadoff hitters intentionally crouch to pressure pitchers with control issues, but it's not common because teams pay more for power.

dragonchild: I have also heard of and seen various pinch-hitters and leadoff hitters intentionally crouch to pressure pitchers with control issues, but it's not common because teams pay more for power.

Yeah, like I said, no one goes after short guys just because of their strike zone. 1. There's a rule. 2.Tall guys can and already do crouch at the plate.

Odds are is he is not use to his height yet. He is still in high school there is a good chance he was a foot shorter (or more) within the last four years.


Give him another 3-4 years and he may have better coordination, and be and ok basketball player.

This is the 21st century. Height is nothing.

I'll post this again, since many posters have completely gone off the rails:


The whole point of this "new" decision is to confirm what has already been happening.

In other recalls, such as for state senators, the petitions were already released in an easily-searchable spreadsheet format. The Government Accountability Board for this state originally denied these particular public records needed to be released. After the board was reminded of existing laws stating they have to, they are releasing scans of the documents, so they cannot be readily cross-checked for accuracy, including a valid count (deleting double-entries, etc). Why would they put so many road blocks into releasing information, when they have already done it for previous recalls?

The whole story is way less sinister than goon posters here are bleating about. It has already been proven many signatures are fake and fraudulently signed by the petition distributors themselves.

The issue is to get an accurate count and to prosecute fraudulent signature gathering. If you think those are ignoble desires, then you have no respect for the importance of our election process, the requirement recalls and elections are not banana-republic shams, and identity theft.

And I'll add the thought that transparency is extremely important with issues like this because of the open nature of gathering signatures. When one votes there are safeguards in place to make sure one person votes one time into a secure system. Gathering recall signatures has no security by necessity and design. Therefore transparency is needed so an accurate count of qualified signators can be verified and accepted by constituents.

Without faith in the process the results will not be followed, and a major tenant of civilized societies' strength is having faith in the accuracy of the process.

Lligeret: Odds are is he is not use to his height yet. He is still in high school there is a good chance he was a foot shorter (or more) within the last four years.


Give him another 3-4 years and he may have better coordination, and be and ok basketball player.

It's reported that he just turned 17yrs old. Chances are that he has true gigantism and in 3-4 years he will be pushing 8ft tall and barely able to walk.

Count how many times he dribbles the ball.

He's 17, and he's 7'5".
How many more years does he have, I wonder.

pxsteel: It's reported that he just turned 17yrs old. Chances are that he has true gigantism and in 3-4 years he will be pushing 8ft tall and barely able to walk.

He had a pituitary tumor which was operated on and removed.

I have no idea what that means for his continued growth and/or athletic development and/or life expectancy. I hope for his sake it's a kind of tumor that doesn't grow back.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/7-foot-5-senegale s e-teen-mamadou-ndiaye-dominating-201311480.html

jayhawk88: You're going to see this kid at a major D1 program in a couple years, no doubt.

Only if you consider UC Riverside or the like a major D1 program. Otherwise, no way sir.

Lt. Col. Angus: Different Mamadou N'Diaye

/Common name, I suppose

Yeah, it's like John Smith in Equatorial Guinea

/I have no idea if that's true.

He's only 17 and already has to take a break because of problems with his knees?
What makes giant freaks like Shaq able to do it but others not?