by DepressedHawksFan on Sat Oct 15, 2005 6:02 am
I've seen both Kwame and Dwight play when they were in high school, and it's no comparison... Dwight was and is better, by a lot. Kwame had all the measurables to be a star in the NBA (still could be), but you could tell even dating back to his days in HS that he needed lots of work before entering the league, and that he always seemed to have a lack of passion when you watched him play. Remember, Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry were considered the top players in the 2001 class, and Kwame only moved ahead of them in the draft because of his workouts.
With Dwight, there was no dispute. Almost all tagged him as the undisputed best player in his class, although a few people here and there liked Al Jefferson better. When you saw Dwight play, you could tell he loved the game of basketball, and with his physical and athletic ability, along with his upbringing, that he could, and more than likely would, succeed immediately in the league. The only thing going to college would of done is helped him further develop his skill set, something that he is still working on, but that was far better than what Kwame had when he entered the league.
As for Kwame being more physically gifted, that's highly debateable. When Dwight worked out at the combine, he had a better quickness test than most guards, and, as you can see in that picture, his vertical is flat out awesome. He also projects, at worst, to grow to 7 feet (he's 6'11 right now), with doctors saying he could grow as tall as 7'1. Dwight's arms are also longer than Kwame's.
Anywho, that's my two cents on the subject. I hope Kwame gets his crap together, because he's a great kid who simply came into a bad situation in Washington and wasn't nearly as prepared for the league as Dwight. If anyone can turn Kwame around, it's Phil Jackson.