The time has come for us to get this Blog off started and find the next writer for the site. We have 10 contestants so the competition is going to be fierce. I will be posting the first 3 contestants articles today, then 3 more tomorrow, 3 more on Friday, and the final contestants on Saturday.
The contestants topics are player profiles. Each contestant was given a player by random draw to write a profile on.
Remember to rate each contestants article. So without further delay here is our first contestant, Wes Foster.
Player Profile: Kris Humphries
The former 1st round pick (14th overall) of the Utah Jazz (2004) was acquired by the Mavericks this summer in the Shawn Marion sign and trade deal with the Toronto Raptors.
Kris Humphries was originally thought of as a "throw-in" in the Shawn Marion deal, but might have some people forget about the departure of Brandon Bass (via free agency Orlando Magic) this off season.
What does he excel at (strengths)?
The thing that will surprise most people this season will be his athletic ability and basketball talent. He is a good offensive and defensive rebounder. Kris has excellent upper body strength which allows him to be very physical down around the basket. He has a nice stroke from pretty much anywhere inside the 3-point line. He can finish on the break when giving opportunities (especially from Kidd). From what I can tell he is very competitive and seems to know the game of basketball very well. Also, he is not afraid to mix it up with teams like Denver, LA, Detroit and other physical type teams. His biggest strength will be his energy and hustle.
What does he need to work on (weaknesses)?
Shot selection. Maybe it was just the preseason, but I felt that he took too many outside jump shots. I think his game is more geared toward slashing and driving to the basket and getting to the free throw line. On the ball defense probably not his best attribute, he will struggle against quicker big men (Dwight Howard, Lamar Odom, Kenyon Martin, etc). Turnovers can be a problem. For the team and coaches to have confidence in him he needs to work on decision making especially when the games are on the line. Finally, free throw shooting, during his short NBA career he has shot 58% from the free-throw line (but shot 75% in College). Not a good thing for a guy that should be getting to the line quite a bit.
How does he fit on the Mavericks team this year?
Hussle, Hussle, Hussle. If Kris wants to make a contribution on the Mavericks this year he has to be the energy guy off the bench. He will be an important player on this team if can be a spark plug that energizes the team and the crowd. He can also fill in for injured players. The thing about the NBA is that there are always injures, especially for an older team, like the Mavs. It will be nice to have someone who can come in and play the 3, 4 or the 5, if needed. I also predict (not really far fetched) that he will become a fan favorite like Eddie Najera, but Kris has much more upside and athletic ability.
Water Cooler Talk (extra information)
-Former McDonalds All-American (2003)
-2003 Mr. Basketball in the state of Minnesota
-Originally committed to Duke during High School, but decided to attend University of Minnesota where is father (William Humphries) played football.
-Named freshman player of the year in the Big Ten (2004)
-Left Minnesota after one year to enter the NBA Draft (14th overall: Utah)
-If not for basketball, Kris would probably be competitively swimming alongside Michael Phelps in the Olympics. Kris Humphries still holds the USS national record for the 50M freestyle for 10 and under boys.
- Still only 24 years old and most college scouts compare him to Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina (now with Indiana Pacers)
- Past NBA player comparison: Tom Gugliotta (probably not as talented)