Can Kwame be the SECOND coming of "BIG BEN" ?

PhunkyPhil · Starting Rotation Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 186

I really think Kwame can be that type of player. He's shown he can "D" up the best post players in the league. He's built like BEN when he was 24. I really think Phil should and will go that way with him. Lets not throw in the towel just yet. What do you guys think?

The Dagger · Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 7:22 am Post subject:

NO! NEVER! Blasphemous!

themaster · Starting Rotation Joined: 15 May 2005 Posts: 101

i think Kwame will be a better 1 on 1 defender but will never be as good a rebounder or shotblocker as Ben

DiehardLakerFan · Starting Rotation Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 463

DiehardLakerFan · Starting Rotation Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 463

Big Ben averaged 27 minutes, 8 and a half boards, 2 blocks, and a steal when he was 24. Kwame averages 6 boards, half a block, and a third of a steal in 25 minutes

PhunkyPhil · Starting Rotation Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 186

Remember guys Ben sucked when he first came into the league. Kwame of course had much higher expectations but nobody really knew what his game was going to develop too. I think by matching Bens style Kwame will find his niche. Kwame just needs to work on his rebounding and stay consistant with hid post D.

Too all you guys comparing stats that's all BS. Kwame never had a coach with a plan. Being abused by MJ never helped either.

One last thing. For the first 5 years of his career Ben was known more for being the guy Kobe crushed on in his first exhibition game. If Kwame works hard he can be our Ben Wallace type player.

Krispy Kreme · Franchise Player Joined: 30 Mar 2003 Posts: 12252

LTD · Starting Rotation Joined: 21 Jun 2005 Posts: 463

Personally, i don't think kwame's smart enough nor does he have the mindset to be like Big Ben. A good amount of the time, undrafted players are more than willing to fill roles like BW's because they appreciate the fact that they are even in the NBA. I found out all I needed to know about Kwame when Phil asked him what he thought about Big ben's 17 rebound and no points game.

For the record, I'm not saying that I've totally given up on him, but instead just saying that I don't think he'll ever become the second coming of Big ben.

One last thing, Big Ben has shown that he's a helluva rebounder. kwame has never shown that he's capable of consistently rebounding like Big Ben.

PhunkyPhil · Starting Rotation Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 186

LTD,

Great point but maybe just maybe he'll start to get it. With big Phil around anything can happen.

LkrsOvrMia

PhunkyPhil · Starting Rotation Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 186

I believe in anybody that puts on purple and gold.

Coca James · Star Player Joined: 23 Jun 2005 Posts: 1549

Kwame has all the physical tools to be better than Big Ben.. just dont know if he has the heart, drive, passion, or intelligence
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The Dagger · Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 8:26 am Post subject:

X56 · Starting Rotation Joined: 24 Apr 2005 Posts: 675

I certainly hope so, he seems to have the built and the athleticism. The key is if he works hard on his game...
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LakerLegend · Star Player Joined: 10 Jun 2001 Posts: 1538

I hope so. This team needs as much help as possible.
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PopcornMachine · Franchise Player Joined: 19 Apr 2001 Posts: 10566

Ben's success is mostly due to his determination.

Kwame has the physical attributes. He just needs to want it more.

Can Kwame be like Ben? Sure, but he hasn't shown he wants it that much.
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bounty · Star Player Joined: 15 Aug 2005 Posts: 3946

Ben has had to work for everything.Kwame has been given everything. That is conditioning of the mind. has Kwame proven the ability to reprogram his thinking?
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lakers1969 · Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 9:24 am Post subject:

Kwame will improve next season and if only he would get some advice to Alcindor. Also, most of his improvement were due to Ronnie's scrimmage with him. I hope Ronnie's heart and passion will add a spark to Kwame.

PhunkyPhil · Starting Rotation Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 186

Yeah Kwame seems to be a product of atmosphere. Being here in LA seems to have made him happier and should make him more productive in the years to come. Knowing he doesn't have to score a bunch of points will really help develop his rebounding and defense. He's already our best one on one post defender.

MIMLaker · Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 9:31 am Post subject:

Only if, God forbid, Mark Madsen were to die in a horrible auto accident and his unflappable heart and bilingual, Stanford-educated brain got transplanted into Kwame's respective body cavities.

Ben Wallace has heart, hunger, and work ethic that came out of being drafted from a small college, and having to play for the Bullets (!) and Magic before landing with the Pistons.

Ben is an undersized center -- at BARELY 6-8 w/o shoes, he actually tried to play guard early on.

Ben learned how to earn a great living by outhustling and outsmarting (yep, outsmarting) bigger players on D, by making himself stronger and faster thru relentless training, and by never giving up during a game.

Kwame, however, has been naturally bigger and stronger and quicker than most other players his age. He has all the physical advantages you could want in a C in this game. Six-foot-eleven, 270 pounds, long running strides, a strong torso.

He was picked #1 by arguably the greatest player of all time. He even had fairly good coaching (for a time) under Doug Collins, and has the opportunity to work with one of the truly high-class (if currently not as successful as it used to be) franchises in all of sports here in L.A.

Despite all of these benefits, Kwame still hasn't proven he can bring confidence, aggression, or even the a half-hour of sensible, fundamental basketball with him to the floor.

In elementary school, if you can't catch the ball in the paint during a game at recess, the other kids won't pass it to you. The end result is one of three -- a) you either sit out the game because you don't get picked, b) you hustle like crazy for rebounds and steals and loose balls to get touches and your teammates' trust, c) you step up and scream for the ball, desperate to prove you won't drop it again.

At $8M a year, and 3 dropped passes per game (minimum), Kwame, multi-year veteran of the National Basketball Association, still seems to favor option (a), by a WIDE margin, except he ahs amstered the art of sitting out while standing on the floor.

I went to the Boston game, and at one point in the 2nd half, when Kwame entered the game, I actually announced to a friend sitting with me to watch Kwame. I predicted that Kwame would drop the ball within 3 minutes.

One minute later, Kwame proceeded to have a rebound bounce off one hand. Two minutes and 55 seconds later, a pass went through both hands when he was 3 feet from the basket and his defender was out of position.

Technically, I think you have to some kind of grip ON the ball in order to drop it, but my friend said that was close enough.

Will Kwame ever be the second coming of Ben Wallace? Will Kwame ever be another "Big Ben"? I wish he would.

As of now, though, Ben reminds me of another iconic timepiece. One with similarly cartoonish hands. One that does absolutely nothing whatsoever to evoke thoughts of maturity, professionalism or adulthood.

The Pistons' Mr. Wallace is "Big Ben."

The Lakers' Kwame Brown is little more than an $8 million Mickey Mouse watch.

MIM
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critical_beatdown · Star Player Joined: 01 Jan 2006 Posts: 2072

I doubt Kwame will be as complete a defender, rebounder and shotblocker as Big Ben, but I do feel that Kwame will develop into a defender and rebounder along Big Ben's lines, while also becoming a far bigger threat offensively in time.

As a few have noted, Big Ben was just Ben Wallace who nobody wanted to keep around on their team for the first several years of his career. Jordan dumped him in Washington, and he got moved around once or twice after that. He was nothing spectacular, but a solid rebounder and athlete. But he kept working hard and it came together for him in Detroit.

*

Speaking of Jordan, one wonders if he just came back with some of his teammates just a year or two too young, and after making some questionable personnel moves while GM, not to mention the Draft. He could have been playing with Big Ben at PF/C, when the Wizards were weak in this area, and he already had Rip Hamilton. He had some pieces in place that may have enabled his comeback, if it was meant to be, and 2 of these guys ended up being key pieces of Detroit's title runs. Plus, Elton Brand was traded that year from the Bulls to the Clippers for the #2 pick and Brian Skinner, so Washington probably could have had Brand too. Or, the Wizards could have traded the #1 pick to Houston for 3 later #1 picks, and got Richard Jefferson, Zach Randolph and Jamaal Tinsley (Houston traded their 3 #1 picks in this draft for the Nets #1 pick Eddie Griffin).

PG - Rip Hamilton
SG - Michael Jordan
SF - Bobbie Simmons
PF - Elton Brand
C - Ben Wallace

venturalakersfan · Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:03 am Post subject:

Kwame should be a better offensive option than Ben.
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viper2 · Star Player Joined: 13 Jul 2004 Posts: 1297

We should diagram NO plays for Kwame with the exception of Alley Oops. Nuthin but alley oops for the man. I bet his scroring avg would double......

Bet money.......bet money ???!!!

trmiv · Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:19 am Post subject:

He has the physical tools to do so, but not the mind or the drive. He will never be more than his is now.

vvbandit · Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:19 am Post subject:

Im yet to see B Wallace drop a ball or have it knocked out of his hands while going for rebounds. Until those two things get fixed and his mental issues he will never be Ben Wallace