Former Bearcat one of 'most complete' NBA players
Feb. 3, 2014


Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson (1) takes a shot against Orlando Magic center Glen Davis (11) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeats Orlando 98-79. Brian Spurlock/USA Today Sports

Written by
Mark Schmetzer
Enquirer contributor

INDIANAPOLIS – The 1966 NBA draft was the last to include the territorial angle, the marketing tool that gave teams dibs on natives and local college products.

A glance at the roster and stats of the Indiana Pacers suggests that the territorial draft is alive and working remarkably well for the team with the Eastern Conference’s best record – better than the two-time defending-champion Miami Heat.

Lance Stephenson, the 2009-2010 Big East Rookie of the Year in his only season with the University of Cincinnati, and former Xavier star David West are playing key roles and had earned All-Star Game consideration for a Pacers’ team that owned the NBA’s overall best record going into their game against the Orlando Magic on Monday night at cavernous Bankers Life Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.

Indiana’s record slipped to a second-best and 35-10 with a 102-94 loss on Thursday to the Phoenix Suns – only the second home loss in 23 games this season. The Pacers climbed back to the top on Saturday with a 97-96 win over Brooklyn and Oklahoma City’s loss at Washington.

Stephenson, in his fourth season with Indiana, logged his NBA-leading fourth triple-double of the season Thursday against the Suns, finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. West, in his 11th NBA season and third with the Pacers, overcame early foul trouble to score 18 points against Phoenix and followed up by scoring seven of his 17 points to help the Pacers hold off the Nets on Saturday.

Stephenson tried to downplay suggestions that his triple-double against Phoenix stemmed from learning before the game that he’d been passed over in voting by Eastern Conference coaches for a reserve spot in the All-Star Game.

“It’s just an All-Star Game,” said the 6-foot-5, 230-pound shooting guard, who has gained 20 pounds since his season with the Bearcats. “We want to win a championship. I’ll just keep working and improving every year. I’m definitely more interested in winning the championship game.

“Obviously, it’s a big goal, but I work hard every year,” he added. “Every time I step on the floor, I’m trying to prove something.

“I already have an edge on my shoulder. This won’t make me madder. I always bring aggressiveness to the game.”

Some would say too much. A school of thought suggested that conference coaches were voting payback for what some consider to be Stephenson’s over-the-top antics – described by Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz in Friday’s edition as “his incessant trash talk, his hip gyrations after a three-point play, his penchant for flopping (for which he was fined $5,000 by the NBA on January 21) and his junior high school celebrations.”

Indiana coach Frank Vogel suspected even before the voting results were announced that Stephenson’s antics might cost him.

“Belief that he belongs is one of things we’ve talked in terms of his ‘dignified’ celebrations,” Vogel said before Thursday’s game. “Do any of the elite players behave that way? That’s one of the things as he grows and develops his game – to let his game do the talking.”

If payback was the case, it’s a shame, West said.

“Coaches at times can be (jerks) sometimes,” said the 6-foot-9, 250-pound West, the 2003 Associated Press and United States Basketball Writers’ Association National Player of the Year as a Musketeers’ senior. “That (stuff) is petty. They’re grown men. The fact is that he has beaten them and had great games against the majority of the coaches in this league, particularly the first part of this year. He’s a major reason we’ve been able to get as many wins as we have.

“He’s carried us at times,” added West, who played in the 2008 and 2009 All-Star Games while with New Orleans. “He’s won games for us single-handedly, particularly early.

“For a lot of those (coaches), this is the highlight of their year. The highlight of our year will be after April, when those guys are home. I take pride in playing in May and June while they’re sitting at home. I get a kick out of that. I just hope that Lance uses that to fuel him down the stretch.”

West, who’s played the past few games with a pad on his right hand, went into Monday’s game third on the team in scoring with a 13.1 average and rebounding with a 6.5 average, which Vogel considered to be a major reason the power forward deserved his own All-Star consideration. At least, that’s the case he had made to his fellow conference coaches.

“His sacrifice and the contagiousness of his sacrifice is probably the No. 1 reason we have the record we have today,” Vogel said before Thursday’s game. “He could easily be a 20 (points)-10 (rebounds) guy, but because of that and his defensive intelligence, I think he should be an All-Star.”

West, who’s jersey number “30” has been retired by Xavier, confirmed that he’d just as soon spend All-Star weekend – scheduled for February 14-16 in his old stomping grounds of New Orleans – celebrating his daughter’s birthday, as he did last year.

“For me, it’s not a big deal,” said West, the beneficiary of Stephenson assists on four of his eight field goals on Thursday. “Personally, I haven’t statistically had to do as much.”

That’s not true for Stephenson, who’s come a long way from playing in just 12 games in his first season after being Indiana’s second pick in the 2009 draft. He appeared in 42 games the next season before enjoying what has been described as a breakout year while starting playing in 78 and starting 72 of Indiana’s 82 games last season.

Stephenson was leading Indiana in assists with an average of 5.4 per game and was second on the team and led all NBA guards in rebounding at 7.2 while ranking second among the Pacers to All-Star starter Paul George in scoring with a 14.2 average through Sunday.

His triple-double Thursday tied the Pacers’ single-season record, set by Detlef Schrempf in the 1992-1993 season, and awakened memories of former University of Cincinnati star Oscar Robertson, the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season when he piled up 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists for the 1961-1962 Cincinnati Royals in just his second season after being the team’s territorial pick in the 1960 draft.

Those memories are particularly strong in Indianapolis, where Robertson – who played at a Stephenson-like 6-5 and 220 pounds – grew up. Obviously, it’s way to early to compare Stephenson with the iconic Robertson, but the similarities can’t be ignored.

“He’s one of the most complete players in the league,” Vogel said of Stephenson. “He does it all. He guards. He rebounds. He’s one of the best wing rebounders in the league. He’s one of the best passing playmakers in the game, and he scores the ball. He gives us a great edge.”

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20140...BA-players

Larry Bird has always spoke glowingly about Lance's potential. I think there's a strong chance that w/o Bird's affinity for Lance's skill set and subsequent tutoring Lance may be barely hanging on somewhere in the NBA. A lot of chance involved in NBA success. Drafted by the right organization with a commitment to player development has made a world of difference for the former Bearcat.




mc

(02-04-2014 08:30 AM)marcuscan Wrote:  Larry Bird has always spoke glowingly about Lance's potential. I think there's a strong chance that w/o Bird's affinity for Lance's skill set and subsequent tutoring Lance may be barely hanging on somewhere in the NBA. A lot of chance involved in NBA success. Drafted by the right organization with a commitment to player development has made a world of difference for the former Bearcat.




mc

Great article. Props to Lance. He's turned into a much better pro than anyone could have predicted following his only year at UC, where he was very inconsistent, a poor shooter and very immature. Mick clearly helped in his development. It no doubt helps Mick in his recruiting efforts today to note that Lance Stephenson came through the Bearcat program and is enjoying considerable success in the NBA.