I love Tyler Hansbrough. I do. And as a fan and avid supporter of the young man, I love him enough to know that he will not have the same impact in the NBA as he has at North Carolina.
Hansbrough is not—and never has been—the most talented player on the court. He isn't the best shooter, the best defender (well, maybe), the best passer, anything.
What has made Hansbrough a household name is that he works harder than you. It doesn't matter who "you" is, he is outworking them. He wants the rebound more than you, he wants to dunk on you more than you want to block him, he wants the loose ball more than you do, he wants to win more than you do.
He works so hard that if he entered the Democratic primaries tonight, he'd win the nomination (Hansbrough for President may not be a bad idea).
While his undeniable work ethic and his incomparable passion for winning is every coaches dream, to be an NBA star, you need a certain amount of—dare I say—umph. An x-factor. Something you can do that no one else can.
Unfortunately, that's not what he brings to the table.
I do believe that Psycho T can and will be a solid double-double guy (12 ppg, 10 rpg or so) in the NBA, but I can't help but to feel he's just one of those guys who are better college players.
NBA scouts, while they admire him, aren't necessarily drooling at the mouth for Hansbrough like they are Michael Beasley or Eric Gordon. He doesn't have what the scouts look for: the ability to create your own scoring opportunities, eerily long limbs, and freakish athletic ability.
What everyone's favorite farm boy will become, however, is a locker room favorite.
Teammates will gravitate towards him like the Lakers do, Ronny Turiaf, and the fans will too.
He will make his teammates dive for loose balls, hustle back in transition defense, crash the boards and get out on the fastbreak simply because he does it and will do it every night, but he will not have the ball in his hands with 10 seconds to go.
As far as the draft goes, depending on its depth, I believe Psycho T will be selected just outside of the lottery while players with more "upside", Gordon, Beasley, and Brook and Robin Lopez will fill out the first 13 picks.
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3 months ago
I totally agree. Hansborough is an exceptional COLLEGE basketball player, but just doesn't have the skill set to be an NBA star. There aren't many NBA players who were drafted high first round because of "hustle", which is what he displays each and every time on the court. Once he gets to the professional level, the caliber of scorers and defenders is so much higher, and will not be affected by his ability to out-hustle everyone. I think he will have success as a role player in the NBA, but not nearly at the level as a superstar like Kevin Durant.
3 months ago
I would take him to be on my team any day.
3 months ago
Nice work, Gem!
3 months ago
You fall for the media hype. Of course Hansbrough works hard, that is what he is supposed to do. The way everyone makes it sound is that no other player works hard, which is a complete fallacy.
TH looks like he is working harder because he has to work harder to complete the same action that others can do more comfortably, and when push came to shove against Kansas, TH was out-worked by Kansas as a unit.
This article sounds like it was written by a mix of Mike Patrick and Dick Vitale.
2 months ago
Jared obviously has never watched a Carolina game. Hansborough doesn't work hard because he has to in order to be as good as the other players...he is as good as the other players but what makes him better is his work ethic. I'm not crazy enough to think that he will be an impact player in teh nba but he will certainly be a great addition for who ever he winds up with. As far as the Kansas game...what else would you have him do go out and sell programs...Carolina had a cold start and where never able to recover...this happens in basketball. By the way you don't win College Player of the Year by being average....watch a game or two before you ever comment again.
about 1 month ago
Tyler may not be the most talented, atheletic player but he is a hard worker! He does not have the prettiest shot and he is not a Larry Bird as far as passing and ball-handling! I like Tyler but I believe that he needs to work on his outside shot and dribbling! Tyler will suceed because he is a hard worker and has a lot of determination! I know him personally and he is a great kid! He has a great work ethic and a super good attitude! He is not a trouble maker and I believe the sky is the limit for him! Good Luck Tyler!
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