The Next Cavs Superstar - That You've Never Heard Of....

Have I got a story for you today. This maybe even qualifies as breaking news. Last night the Cleveland Cavaliers signed a player that has more basketball potential than any rookie they have had since LeBron James. That includes Kyrie Irving.

Another 23?
If you thought I was talking about Cavs draft pick Colin Sexton, you'd be wrong. But I do think Sexton will be a very good addition. The guy I'm taking about is Billy Preston.

His story is a strange one. It goes from Virginia, to Kansas, to Bosnia, to now Cleveland. Grab a cup of coffee if you want.

One year ago, Billy Preston was the toast of the basketball recruiting circuit. He wasn't being recruited by every school. Just the basketball powers like Kentucky, UCLA, and Syracuse. He wound up with a commitment to national powerhouse Kansas, and highly respected Coach Bill Self.

Why was Preston so highly thought of? Because he is  6'10" and about 240 pounds with a 7-2 wingspan 19 year old. He also has mad basketball skills. He is effective both inside and out on the basketball court. Very good shooter for his size. Very good ball handler too. He was ranked as the best high school player in the State of Virginia and the 20th best high school player nationwide in a very strong class.

He  went to 4 different high schools, ending up at basketball prep school Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. Preston enrolled early at Kansas, last June, in order to begin informal workouts with the team. In some pre-season games at Kansas he played OK. Just feeling his way with his new team. Then came trouble.

He had a minor injury in one of the games, and was held out of the next few games. Then came the incident that ended his Kansas career, and probably changed his life.

Preston had a brief career at Kansas.
Before the next game Preston  went to move his illegally parked car, and got involved in an accident. No one was hurt. But the school withheld him from playing while they looked into the "financial picture" of the car he happened to be driving. Then the NCAA started investigating. Could a highly recruited college athlete have been given a valuable gift? Shocking.

But the investigation stretched on for months. In fact, there has been no resolution to this day. That's a big problem as most basketball phenoms are "one and done" in their college career. The NBA requires players to be out of high school  for a full year before entering the league. So they go to college for only one year.

Preston and his family made the tough decision to leave Kansas, with Coach Self's blessing, and play professionally in Europe. He signed for Igokea in the Bosnian League. Now imagine this kid in Bosnia. Talk about a fish out of water. He went  with his Mom, but he was miserable. He only lasted 3 games before he returned to America.

Thee next step was the NBA Draft last week. But NBA scouts like to see players play before they put their reputations on the line. Nobody had really seen Preston play in  over a year. Somehow, he went undrafted.

Preston has met some NBA players.
Enter the Cleveland Cavaliers. A team looking to get younger and more athletic. They sign him to some type of contract. Details not released yet. But this seems to be a "low risk - high reward" move.

Preston has the talent to become a star in the NBA. But if that ever happens a lot has to happen. The Cavs will supply the coaching and training. The veterans will provide the mentoring. He will be playing in the Cavs summer league team for rookies and first year players. Undoubtedly he will start in the G league, or developmental team in Canton. But how fast could he develop? The skills are there. He just needs to regularly play games in a team environment.

A Kansas assistant coach said Preston is a combination of stars like Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, and Kevin Garnett. So no pressure at all. But if he does develop into a star, it will be in spite of the unusual route he has taken.

Highlights from senior year at Oak Hill Academy.

Brief highlights from Kansas and Bosnia.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
The Olympics Have Lost Their Luster..... I used to really enjoy watching the Olympics. Everything from the opening ceremonies, and the parade of nations, to the closing ceremonies. I would even enjoy the Winter Olympics which include sports that many of us in the United States are not too familiar with. I'll still watch, buy I'll do it with skeptical attitude. Not so much for the athletes. But for the whole corrupt process. Back in the day, the Olympic Games were all about amateurism. Only amatuer athletes were allowed to compete. This was the amatuer athlete's one shining moment. Maybe there wasn't much money in the actual competitions they were in. But there was the dream of Olympic gold. There was something pure about it. Strict rules made sure about this. One of America's greatest athletes was Jim Thorpe. He won gold for track and field events in the 1912 Olympics. But it was discovered that when he was in college, he played semi-pro baseball one summer a
Read more
Image
5 Coolest Christmas Gifts of 2016..... I used to hate shopping for Christmas gifts. The shopping malls that time of year are usually ground zero for misery. Traffic is bad. You spend a helluva lot of time just trying to park. The stores are packed, and if you find something to buy, you get to stand in a long line. But much of that changed for me a few years ago. I do most of my shopping online. You can find most anything online. Shop, do research, even read what other shoppers thought about the product. Amazon is my favorite store. I recently watched a video of the inside of a Amazon fulfillment center. There were robots whizzing around and lots of automation. They say your product is ready for shipping only a matter of minutes after you make the click on your computer. But the biggest question remains of what gift to buy. Nice clothes are a OK gift, but boring. Gift cards are practical, but not much thought goes into it. Personally, I like gag gifts too. What's better than
Read more
Image
The Night Ride: Wet, dark, and cold. Did I say wet?.... As some of you know, I started riding a bike this year. Well, I didn't just start. Let's say I un-retired from 2-wheeled riding after a break of around 30 years. I never liked running. My wife did long power walks. But I felt the need for speed. I shopped around and got a great bike by Specialized. (My wife probably thinks it's too great). I started this summer without much confidence, but gradually built strength and endurance. Now, I love it. I find riding is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, clear the mind, and do a workout all at the same time. Greater Cleveland has developed such a great park and trail system that I never get bored. But except for rare occasions, I have been riding alone. That changed this weekend. A scene from last years Night Ride. An organization called NEOCycle put on a great cycling festival this weekend. The idea was outstanding. There were a series of bike rides/races, with the
Read more