Cut from a different Cloth: The NBA's Rookie of the Year, MichaelCarter-Williams

In the Beginning.....

Being black isn't easy. The mother of NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams, Mandy Carter-Zegarowski, knows that saying better than anyone. She became pregnant with Carter-Williams in college at Salem State University located in my home state of Massachusetts. Being a pregnant African-American at a predominately Caucasian school was frowned upon during that time period and Carter-Zegarowski considered having a abortion. Deciding against abortion, she raised the eventual NBA star as a single mother in Hamilton, Massachusetts which is a very affluent neighborhood. Tragically, nine months after Carter-Williams was born, the mother of Carter-Zegarowski passed away. One would think that the tragic events would hinder her and "MCW" but it was the complete opposite even though life wasn't easy as they migrated from apartment to apartment.

"We lived in five apartments in five years,’’ Carter-Zegarowski said. “It wasn’t easy. But I know I’m a stronger person and I think my son is. He learned some hard life lessons early."

Carter-Williams was different as a kid in a good way as he habitually played with a circular, orange object named Spaulding and both have become great friends.

"Some kids had stuffed animals growing up,’’ Carter-Williams said. “I had a basketball."

Let me start this off by saying I'm wrong. When Michael Carter-Williams drafted with the 11th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, I honestly thought he was going to be a bust. The young man weighed 185-pounds while standing 6'7. The tallest point guard with that type of height that first comes to mind is obviously Magic Johnson and no one with the height I thought could really succeed. My first glimpse of "MCW" was in the Orland Summer League; I watched him closely because of the lack of faith that I had in him because he has too skinny and his summer league tenure proved me right. I kept a keen eye on a kid I thought was a waste of a lottery pick and a probable bust. At the conclusion of the summer league, he averaged:

Year	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
2013	13.6	4.2	6.8	2.0	0.271	0.158	0.760

In my opinion, you can't be thought of as a franchise player while averaging those stats in the summer league. Why? Because it's filled with more people trying to achieve than people who will live it and to shoot 27.1% from the field and 15.8% from the 3-point line. Carter-Williams made me think I could play in the NBA with the disappointment he was with his ineptitude shooting. I did the "Birdman handrub"  because I thought I was right on him 100%.

Fast forward to opening night, and the 22-year old had one of the best rookie debuts in NBA history against the reigning 2-time defending champions — Miami Heat. The skinny kid from Hamilton, Massachusetts had 22 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds and 9 steals (most by a rookie in their debut) subsequently after that game, he had 26 points and 10 assists against Derrick Rose. Carter-Williams would go on to win player of the week becoming the second rookie to achieve that honor since Shaquille O'Neal in 1992. He had a good first month on the job as he would go on to win the league's Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors for November in which he averaged 16.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.4 steals.

A Guiding Force.....

Most rookies that enter the league make a dream-like salary and with that comes  opportunity but also more distractions but the parents of Carter-Williams would take responsibility of his money to prevent him from mishandling millions of dollars. His mother, Mandy, had deposited the $4.5 million he's guaranteed over the next two years into a trust fund in which he can't touch for the next three years.

"I told Michael he’s probably fine without me,” Zegarowski said. “But if there’s a chance I can make it 1 percent better by being here, I’m doing it. Maybe it’s 2 percent, maybe it’s 3 percent, maybe it’s 80 percent — I don’t know the percentage — but it’s just always worked. I’m telling him the same things today that I was telling him when he was 10 years old."

His stepfather, Zach Zegarowski, is living with him to help ease the transition from college athlete to NBA star.

"It’s going to be a tough year for him physically and emotionally,” Zegarowski said. “I’m really more of a support system and a sounding board — on top of a cook, a chauffeur, a maid and all that stuff. I just want him to concentrate on basketball."

Carter-Williams has no problem with his father living with him as he loves the bonding time with him.

"He’s been dealing with me with basketball my whole life,” Carter-Williams said. “To have him is great. It’s a comfortable thing...It’s just better having him here. He’s just done it my whole life. There was no other person, really. I’m most comfortable with him."

Being a young man in his early years with money like Carter-Williams', his parents are looking out for him so he doesn't surround himself with sycophantic people who will only care about themselves and not Carter-Williams.

A Star in the Making.....

In similar fashion to other NBA rookies who felt as if they should have been drafted with a higher pick, Carter-Williams grew a personal vendetta against the 10 franchises that passed him over.

"Every game I try to prove that I could've been the No. 1 pick," Carter-Williams said. "I have confidence in myself that I should've been."

As the season progressed, Carter-Williams would go in to do something along with Orlando Magic rookie guard Victor Oladipo that hasn't been done before. Two rookies finishing a game with a triple-double. "MCW" finished the game with 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists and it was the first time since 2007 in which two opponents had a triple-double.

After that game, Carter-Williams would go onto a 7-game hiatus with a skin infection on the front of his right knee which caused right knee soreness. Despite his little lapse, he would go onto win Rookie of the Month of honors by averaging 19.3 points, 8.2 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 steals for December. The brittle like youngster would go on to achieve the distinction again in January by averaging 16.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.5 steals. Carter-Williams would also make his All-Star weekend debut as he participated in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge and Taco Bell Skills Challenge.

As the NBA season made its annual trek into March, Carter-Williams had his second career triple-double against the underachieving New York Knicks and with that game he became the first Sixers rookie to have two triple-doubles in a season. As March concluded he was named the East's Rookie of the Month for averaging 14.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.8 steals. April came around and he was just trying to end his Rookie of the Year season on a high note; he set a Point Guard high with 14 rebounds.

Carter-Williams ended his rookie of the year season with season averages of:

Year	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
13-14	16.7	6.2	6.3	1.9	0.405	0.264	0.703

The 2014 NBA Rookie of the Year averaged what I call a "Baby Triple-Double" with his season average of 16-6-6. Carter-Williams is the third player in NBA history with a stat line like that in a rookie season, as he joined Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson.

"There's so much that's contributed to Michael's success," said Carter-Zegarowski. "Like having a great coach that's allowed him to make mistakes and improve his game."

Despite the stellar season, "MCW" was sadly part of the Philadelphia 76ers team that set a NBA record for futility with a 26-game losing streak which tied the '10-11 Cleveland Cavaliers for the dubious record.

"I think [the losing] is still tough for him," said Carter-Zegarowski. "He's had the good fortune of being a part of a lot of winning teams. We have a lot of conversations about it being a business and we remind him often that there's a goal. The Sixers have a goal, they're just not set up to win right now."

With one season under his belt, "MCW" has his hopes high as he will be playing alongside of Nerlens Noel who missed the entire 2013-2014 season due to rehab as he came back expeditiously and was ready to play but management saw no point in playing him in a wasted season. Philadelphia will most likely have a top-3 pick and hopefully draft a wing player as they progress in their rebuilding phase.

Carter-Williams proved my opinion of him wrong and hopefully he doesn't go through the "sophomore slump" because with a great season like that he shouldn't fall off, especially on a team that desperately needs him. Current New Orleans Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans, was the last player to have his name mentioned with Oscar Robertson in his rookie season when he was a member of the Sacramento Kings and he fell off by not living up to expectations. Hopefully the lanky guard in the city of "Brotherly Love" doesn't end up like him and becomes a conscientious person in his craft.

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W2W4: New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers; March 21st, 2014

Written By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, March 21^st, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers

Pre-Game News and Notes

The New York Knicks are in the midst of playing their best basketball of the season, reeling off seven straight wins. They will look to continue the good play and winning streak tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers, owners of their own lengthy streak. The 76ers are currently riding a franchise long 22-game losing streak and do not look like they will be ending it any time soon. The Knicks have to come in and handle business against a team that is more concerned with getting a top draft pick than winning games at the end of the season. Here are some news and notes to help get the Knicks the victory tonight.

Match-Up of the Game: Carmelo Anthony vs. Thaddeus Young

http://www.morningpickup.com/76ers-drop-pair-games-weekend/

When the 76ers started moving players at the trade deadline, Thaddeus Young was one expected to go. The versatile forward would have fit nicely in almost any front court in the NBA, but he was the one player the 76ers decided to keep. Even though the expectations for the team were rock bottom right from the start of the season, Young has played well, averaging career-highs in points, rebounds, assists and steals. He will be matched up throughout the night with Anthony, being tasked with slowing down the Knicks best player.

Carmelo Anthony has played well all season and has continued it throughout the winning streak. He will give Young everything he can handle tonight. Look for Anthony to come out aggressive early and often as the Knicks will try and put the 76ers away early and cruise to a victory.

Pre-Game News and Notes:

The Knicks still have no timetable set for the return of Kenyon Martin or Andrea Bargnani. Martin seems to be closer and more likely to return of the two. He would have be a seamless addition to the rotation as his main job would be playing defense and rebounding while Bargnani was a big part of the Knicks offensive plans and had trouble fitting in with some players. Cole Aldrich should continue seeing time as the reserve big man with the positive results he has produced recently.

For the 76ers, James Anderson will be a game-time decision. If he is unable to go, expect to see a lot more of Tony Wroten. Wroten, who gave the Knicks problems in their last meeting, is an athletic wing who likes to get to the basket. He is far more explosive and aggressive than Anderson and would give the Knicks a lot more problems; Anderson is more of a three-point specialist.

-Control From the Start

It is imperative for the Knicks to get off to a strong start. If they are able to take the lead early on and build on it they can take the 76ers out of the game right away. The 76ers are a young team that cannot be given hope; the longer they are in the game the more dangerous they will be. It would be best for the Knicks to take them out early and not let them build any confidence. On a 22-game losing streak they will grab onto the faintest of hopes and try to ride that to a victory.

-Strong Guard Play Continuing

The Knicks guard play improving has coincided with the winning streak. Since J.R. Smith has been inserted into the starting lineup everything seems to be clicking. He has begun shooting the ball better and everyone now knows their roles. Tim Hardaway Jr. looks much more comfortable as the only scoring guard off the bench and the intangibles that Iman Shumpert brings fits in better with the second unit.

Also playing better throughout the streak is Raymond Felton. He will have his hands full tonight against potential NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams. Carter-Williams is having a solid season for the 76ers, but is turnover prone and struggles to shoot the ball at times. If Felton and the rest of the guards can slow him down they will have a much easier time taking down the 76ers.

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Why The Sixers Can Make The Playoffs Next Season

The Philadelphia 76ers are two days removed from a loss to the Indiana Pacers, which set a franchise record of 21 consecutive losses. It is no secret that their plan was to tank this season, but the manner in which they have been losing has surprised people.

Things may look gloomy for basketball fans in Philadelphia in the present, but the future could see a quick turnaround if the players that they do have can tap in to their potential, and if the Front Office is able to make the right moves for the organization during the upcoming offseason. If the correct decisions are made, it could even be possible for the Sixers to make a quicker than expected return to the playoffs. Here are a few reasons why:

2014 Draft:

As things stand at this moment in time, the Sixers have the second-worst record in the league, with the Milwaukee Bucks just two games behind. The Sixers have been planning to land the top pick in this year’s draft all year long, made evident by the moves they have made in order to tank, trading good players for nothing more than draft picks and a player ruled out for the season through injury.

The Sixers potential 2014 draft pick:
Andrew Wiggins

A report has surfaced over the last few days that, should Philadelphia land the first pick, their primary target is Andrew Wiggins, the 6’8” small forward currently playing in college for Kansas. Wiggins would be a perfect fit for the Sixers, especially as their current small forward position is completely lacking in talent at the present time. Wiggins could immediately slot into the starting position and add to what is already a young and athletic team.

Also, we must not forget that the Sixers have the Pelicans’ first round pick in this year’s draft as well, providing that it does not fall in the top five. As things stand, the Pelicans’ pick would currently sit in 7th place in the draft, providing the lottery does not throw out any surprises, so the 76ers can almost certainly expect to get another good player in what has been tipped as a strong draft class.

The 76ers have struggles despite MCW's
excellent start to his NBA career

A young, talented core:

At an average age of just 27.3 years old, the 76ers have the youngest roster in the league. Despite this youthfulness, there is plenty of talent for the Sixers to build around next season.

Michael Carter-Williams has been one of the few bright sparks for Philadelphia this season, and could well be on his way to winning the NBA's Rookie of the Year Award, with his averages of 16.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.2 assists through 67 games, with a couple of triple-double performances already under his belt.

The Sixers will also be able to welcome Nerlens Noel into the line-up next season, after a horrible ACL injury he suffered while playing for Kentucky has forced him to miss his entire rookie season thus far. Noel had hoped to return this season, sending out a tweet which read “04-04-14”, however, his coaching staff was quick to reject any notion of Noel playing this season.

Thaddeus Young had seen himself talked about in trade rumors constantly throughout the season, but remained in a Sixers uniform as the trade deadline came and went, as his consistent and impressive performances have proved him to be a valuable asset going forward.

Even if Philadelphia were to eventually trade him next season, they could command a good player in return, but if they do keep him, he would be an excellent on-court leader for a young team, even though he will only turn 26 years of age himself this summer.

Nerlens Noel was traded for Jrue Holiday
on draft night

Cap space:

Having traded away Jrue Holliday, Spencer Hawes, Lavoy Allen and Evan Turner this season, while only receiving draft picks and Danny Granger, who they later bought out of his contract, the 76ers have been able to clear around $26.3 million from their payroll, leaving the Sixers with the following contracts on their books for next season:

Guaranteed contracts:

Thaddeus Young: $9.4 million

Jason Richardson: $6.6 million

Nerlens Noel: $3.3 million

Michael Carter-Williams: $2.3 million

Tony Wroten: $1.2 million

Arnett Moultrie: $1.1 million

Player options:

Byron Mullens: $1.0 million

Total: $26.8 million

Assuming that Mullens picks up his option and factoring in how much the Sixers will have to pay their future draft picks, Philadelphia will have around $30 million to spend during free agency.

With a number of All-Stars and other high quality players potentially becoming available via free agency this summer, the Sixers have a lot of financial flexibility to splash the cash on a top player, or if they prefer they could spread the money to buy a number of players.

Weak Eastern Conference:

This season’s Eastern Conference has been the weakest in recent memory. Before the All-Star break, there were only four teams in the East who had a record above .500. As well as this, the three teams with the worst records in the league are all situated in the East, while the Atlanta Hawks, who occupy the final playoff spot with a 31-35 record at the time of writing, would be sat in 11th if they were a Western Conference team.

If Eastern Conference teams are not able to strengthen for next season, either via trade, free agency or the draft, this will give Philadelphia a huge window of opportunity to soar up the standings and contend for a playoff place. This would be nothing more than the loyal fans of Philadelphia as well as the current players deserve for what has been a very tough season.  With that being said, if the upcoming offseason goes as planned, the toil of the 2013-2014 season will have all been worth it to bring the 76ers back in to the playoffs, and in to the headlines for the right reasons too.

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Victor Oladipo Is A Star In The Making

Written By Clevis Murray

Michael Carter-Williams will most likely win the NBA's Rookie of the Year award this season for the Philadelphia 76ers as he is averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists.  It will be interesting to see if Carter-Williams can put up those numbers throughout his career as his team improves because it's easy to put up great numbers while on a bad team.  Lately NBA players who've come from Syracuse haven't been successful and the last Point Guard from that university was Johnny Flynn.  Flynn had a great rookie year and that's about it since he's now out of the league.  Victor Oladipo is perhaps losing the battle for Rookie of the Year but what matters is his growing career arc and an Orlando Magic team that currently is in a better position to succeed than Carter-Williams' 76ers.  On a Orlando Magic team that has great young players, Oladpio is showing why he will have the best career out of anyone that was drafted during the 2013 NBA Draft.

Coming out of Indiana after being there for three years Oladipo was known for his defense, athleticism and hustle which gained him a comparison to Miami Heat star guard and perennial All-Star Dwyane Wade.  Due to watching Wade in his early years and Oladipo now anyone can see the comparison. Oladipo improved each season at Indiana but wasn't a household name until his junior season and was a terrific shooter but not so much of a scorer.

This season with Orlando he is averaging 13.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists along with shooting 41.2 (FG%), 30.4 (3P%) and 78.2 (FT%). His shooting percentages are somewhat similar to when he was in college which were 53.8 (FG%), 33.3 (3P%) and 71.6 (FT%). As you may have noticed his field-goal percentage has dropped off 12.6% but the reason that could be is because the NBA is a completely different game than college basketball and also in college he was more of a slashing guard and was a "Shooting" Guard. As he was drafted with the second pick he was asked to become a "Point" Guard similar to the Russell Westbrook experiment by the Oklahoma City Thunder who transformed Westbrook from the shooting guard to a point with much success. Oladipo has shown flashes this season of becoming that type of player which would make him a combo guard and add to the multitude of reasons as to why he's a future star.

This season Oladipo has adjusted well to his new position and is becoming more and more acclimated to it each game he plays with his rebounds per 48 minutes (RP48M) being 6.2 which is 11th among rookies. Also among rookies Oladipo is third in usage rating with a 22.8.  That stat shows that even though he's 21 years of age he's gaining the trust from Head Coach Jacque Vaughn. Oladipo is averaging 31.8 minutes per game (MPG) and has a 13.9 player efficiency rating (PER) which is fourth among rookies and second among rookie guards. To complete the transition to "Point" Guard Oladipo will need to work on his court awareness and ball-handling since since his assist/turnover ratio is 1.34 (AST/TO) and among qualified players he is tied for 10th in turnovers per game (TOPG). Fellow rookie Michael Carter-Williams averages more turnovers per game (3.6) than Oladipo, but Oladipo has more total turnovers with 176 which is seventh in the entire NBA but his turnovers have been dropping lately with his assists increasing as he recently had 14 against the New York Knicks.

Oladipo's athleticism is tremendous and is key for a guard to become a star in the league. He has great quickness when heading to the basket and isn't afraid of contact while always being aggressive when attacking the rim. With his 42-inch vertical, Oladipo has thrown down some emphatic dunks this season and wanted the world to see his leaping ability in the 2014 Dunk Contest but wasn't invited to be a participant. His athleticism makes him finish strong at the rim and become a acrobat at the rim and if he keeps the mentality of attacking the hoop when possible, the time will come when he will get "Superstar Calls" and make constant visits to the free-throw line.

This year he has a become a pretty good pick-and-roll player and is showing us that his offensive game is developing as he has a great first step, step-back and pull-up jumper and is mainly spotted for taking the mid-range shot. Thus far this season he's had two standout games, the first came against Michael-Carter Williams when he had 26 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 3 steals; the second came against the New York Knicks as he amazed with 30 points, 9 rebounds, 14 assists and 2 steals. Despite being second among rookies in PPG, he is first among total points with 788 and could score 1,000 points if he remains healthy. Oladipo is third among rookies in scoring per 48 minutes among those who qualify with 20.9 and it wouldn't be a shock if he actually averaged that number in a season. Lastly Oladipo is tied for second with Utah Jazz Point Guard in Double-Doubles with five behind MCW's 10.

Defense is how Oladipo was known coming out of college for his tenacious defense due enlarge part with his 6'9.25 wingspan and he had a 2.8 block percentage which was first among guards in the 2013 draft class. Oladipo has a great motor and refuses to lose on defense and that's what he prides himself on the most. In college he once had a game with 22 defections which is thanks to his quick hands and feet as his main focus is his opposition. Also at IU on 45 possessions he guarded four different players and only gave up four points. This season he is second among rookies in steals and tied for 12th in the entire league as he is averaging 1.6 per game (SPG). He has the most total steals among rookies and is tied for ninth in the total NBA. Oladipo also has great strength and anticipation as a defender. 

Even though he's only 6'5" he is a pretty good rebounder for a guard due to his aggressiveness and it makes him a tough matchup for opposing guards night after night. In his rookie campaign he is second behind Carter-Williams in defensive rebounds per game (DRPG) with 3.8 among all rookies but is first among total DRPG with 216. His vertical leap will allow him to rebound more and at a higher rate as he is 8th among guards in the entire league in rebounds per 48 minutes (RP48) with 6.6. It shows that he has great potential to become a league leader in rebounds among his fellow guards.  

Victor Oladipo definitely has star potential and can only get better as he could eventually become a 20-5-5 player. Most people compare him to Dwyane Wade and that's a fair comparison except the only difference between the two is their ball-handling. Best case scenarios are Dwyane Wade and Andre Iguodala, worst case scenario is Avery Bradley. But with a work ethic like Oladipo's he probably won't end up with the worst case scenario comparison and live up to his true potential and realizes it saying "I feel I haven’t scratched the surface of how good I can be" and fulfill his dream of being the "greatest to ever play this game." He feels the improvement within himself as a person and player saying 

"I’ve come a long way,” Oladipo said. “Just as a person, not just as a player. I’ve been in so many situations. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs. Every game I can control one thing that’s what I bring in my energy at both ends of the floor and just play hard no matter what."

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