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Why do you guys think Fizer was such a flop in the NBA?
He was the number 4 pick in the 2000 draft and since that draft all other number 4 picks have had productive NBA careers. The fourth pick of the 03' draft was Chris Bosh. As a Cyclone and Bulls fan I always have wished he had a better career.
When he came out, it reminded me right away of Corliss Williamson, who tore up everybody at Arkansas, but had to scrap his way into even a sixth man role in the NBA.
6'6"ish, power-forward type of game, it doesn't translate well into the NBA. He just wasn't quick enough, I think, to handle the 3 in the NBA, but too small for the 4. Overall, this put him as a dominant college player that wasn't really built for the next level.
That was my thought.
One word...
Tweener.
Too small to play the 4, not athletic enough to play the 3. Plus questionable character in the locker room. Plus injuries really did him in. He was also a bad defender. Had he not got hurt he'd still be in the league as a solid bench guy who could provide instant offense.
You would think that NBA teams would have been able to see he was going to be a tweener but I guess the Bulls couldn't. How did he get such a bad rep?
The NBA is full of guys who haven't lived up to their draft spots...Remember Kris Humphries who Morgan nearly got for us? Yes he's still in the league but is just a bench guy averaging 5-6 points a game. I believe Fizer's career ppg is higher.
Yeah but not all of them played for Iowa State and were drafted as high as number 4.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dolokaju
It's just like Troy Davis in FB; they both had the perfect assets for the college game but were of odd sizes for the pros. Size is one of the most critical aspects of having a prosperous pro career in both the NBA and NFL and neither had great sizes for their natural talents.
Darko was drafted #2, as was Sam Bowie way back in the day.Quote:
Originally Posted by Clone5
Draft position means nothing. It's what you do with it once you're in the league, or if you have the ability to translate your game into the NBA. Draft position just opens the door for the opportunity.
I don't think I'd go so far as to say draft position means nothing. It may not mean as much as it should but it does mean something. The percentage of number 1 picks being successful is much more than the 10th pick. Wtf were the Pistons thinking?Quote:
Originally Posted by CycloneErik
Unfortunately, I believe attitude. If height is that important, Charles Barkley would have never made it through his rookie year. A friend of mine was a senior walk on when Fizer was a freshman. Said Fizer was the biggest jerk he'd ever met, who made sure everyone on the team knew Iowa State was lucky to have him. I did look past that when Fizer took us to the #3 final ranking in the nation, and I quickly became one of his biggest fans. I hoped maybe Larry's verbal beatdowns humbled him a little, but when he got to the NBA, his true colors came out. His torn ACL's didn't help either. It's a shame.
I remember watching Bulls games while he was with them on WGN and even the homer announcers didn't seem to like him. I distinictly remember one overtime game against the Rockets where he scored 30 points and the announcers were sitll ragging on him. They called him a "blackhole."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clone5
Fizer got caught in a situation where he was on a team that had 5 guys that played his position and most better than him. Add that he felt he had to carry a gun with him and have a tough guy attitude, alienate himself from teammates and skip rehab for his many injuries and you have a recipe for disaster... It's nice that he is making a good living for himself overseas...
I agree with the tweener stuff, but I think it also has a lot to do with his head. He's a classic case of being a big fish in a small pond at ISU vs. being a decent sized fish in an ocean in Chicago. He didn't have much to compete with at ISU, and I'm sure he probably expected to walk into Chicago and have the same effect.
Shame, the guy was a thrill to watch when he was here, even if he didn't have the best 'tude.
Darren Sproles says not.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeremy