Hard work, dedication, and countless hours of practice that’s right PRACTICE are all ingredients in the recipe for success. All these things are exercised by people who wish to improve some area of their skill. They are especially used by college athletes, most of whom have dreams of making it to the pro level in their given sports.
This past week not only brought the last game of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic for Clemson; it was also the start of this year’s NBA season. And after watching basketball games most of my Christmas day I had an epiphany and realized that this year’s Los Angeles Lakers team plays very similar to the Clemson Tigers.
The Lakers lost their season opening game against the Chicago Bulls this past Sunday. The Lakers led the Bulls most of the game. And just like the Tigers they had trouble executing and maintaining the lead in the last seconds of the game. The lack of skill shown in this area by both teams exemplify that true harmony is still needed amongst the players and an established way of playing amongst the teams.
Check out these two videos.
http://youtu.be/7XF-gLE2jrQ
http://youtu.be/cfHVsSGm8Hk
Hmm, notice any similarities?
The Clemson Tigers and the L.A. Lakers have a lot of new faces to each of their rosters after losses of key players from their previous seasons. The Tigers lost heavy hitters Demontez Stitt, Jerai Grant, and a go-to guy in Xavier Anderson. While Lakers lost key players like Lamar Odom and Shannon Brown in preseason trades. Both of these units are also adjusting their playing style under new leadership. Brad Brownell is currently in his second season as Head Coach at Clemson University and Mike Brown is coaching his first season in Los Angeles.
On a positive note, another similarity both the Tigers and Lakers share is the fact that they are able to put up points off the bench. With such drastic changes in both teams’ roster and a lack of leadership it is almost a necessity that 6th man players are capable of scoring. Each of these squads has bench players stepping up to the plate and contributing to the scoreboard when the starters get out of rhythm.
Freshman K.J. McDaniels was a top performer for the Tigers in their game against UTEP during the Diamond Head Classic. The starters had a hard time getting baskets, so the rookie stepped up in a major way scoring the Tigers’ first five points. Due to a Kobe Bryant wrist injury, the Lakers’ bench really contributes to their points.
So with the commonalities they share with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Clemson Tigers just may be closer to the NBA than they think!
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