Ender's Game

Epic! Last night's showcase of imminent NBA lottery picks lived up to the spectacle. The marquee match-up of course was the Duke Jabari Parkers versus the Kansas Andrew Wigginses. Andrew Wiggin(s) aka "Ender" (is it going to take a sporting nerd push to get this obvious SciFi crossover nickname through?) closed out the game (get it? ender? closeout?) and looked good doing it. Though he was limited by fouls up front he scored 10 points in the last 8:30 of the game. A majority of his looks were set post looks, where he was a physical mismatch for his defender. It was clearly not Wiggins' optimal set as he looked awkward trying to get free in the post, but superior athleticism and size won out. He also looked very smooth taking a jab step and icing the game with a jumper. If his outside shooting becomes as reliable as his acrobatics he will be an amazing player this year. I definitely look forward to seeing more of what he does driving to the hole, and can only imagine what he can do once his skinny frame fills out.

Jabari Parker also had a legit outing, in fact in many ways he seems more fundamentally sound and more filled-out than Wiggins. He poured in the points last night and only a few of his possessions did his action looked forced. He seemed smooth from distance and had a few jawdropping feats in the lane. It would seem that Parker may be an even more slam dank prospect than Wiggins (so to speak?).

Julius Randle is also a freak. Despite a slow start he almost single-handedly brought down the veteran spartans. He finished with a monster 27 and 13 and was ridiculously strong in the paint, he clearly favors his strong hand (lefty) to a fault but no one was strong enough to force him to his right. Presumably he adds more subtlety to his repertoire over the season, as NBA defenders would be all over that.

NBA GMs are salivating already.

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."