So this thread was bumped earlier today: I Heart Kareem Canty but ...
Inside that thread is a bunch of (amusing) back-and-forth about how some people saw Canty as being better than Tyler Ulis. This is relevant today because Ulis was drafted by the Phoenix Suns last night (34th overall) and Canty, who technically left Auburn early, wasn't drafted. And wasn't going to be drafted.
(I say "technically" there because Canty was facing discipline for a behavioral issue and elected to bounce rather than face the music. He's not a typical early-entry guy.)
Anyway, I said in the earlier thread and still believe that Ulis is a more complete player than Canty. That's not a controversial opinion. Some Bunkerites were seduced by Canty's upside. I cannot hate because, as you know, I was seduced by Jeremy Johnson's upside and we've all seen how that worked out.
What I want to discuss here, though, is Canty's upside.
He has a lot. He has a fire in him that many players lack. When he's playing with the right frame of mind, he's a damn good player. With additional tutelage from someone who knows shooting like Chuck Person, I'm certain that Canty could be even better. He shot 36% from three last season, so he's already solid. He's willing to drive to the bucket, absorb hits, finish with strength. Canty settled for contested threes last season in situations where he coulda/shoulda penetrated, but that's correctable. I think he has NBA upside. He's not Damian Lillard or Dwyane Wade, but he could be something like Robert Pack from those Denver Nuggets teams from the 1990s.
Why isn't Canty being discussed in those terms? Because he lacks mental toughness. That may sound strange to people who know Canty because he seems really tough -- and he is. I'd never want to get in a fight with the guy. He's mean. He's street tough, but he has a hard time maintaining intensity when things aren't going well. He tends to sulk in those situations, which leads to spazzy possessions. That's not good.
Which leads into another problem: He's difficult to coach. Canty tends to think he knows everything, which is fine if he's a dependable, high-level player. But he's not. He's in desperate need of some mentoring, I guess you'd call it, but Canty has spent most of his life playing with a ME AGAINST THE WORLD mentality. I don't think he is even capable of allowing people to guide him at this point in his life. I believe that day will come -- as it does for most everyone -- but it might be too late for him to salvage an optimal career in professional basketball.
I like Kareem. I've spent a lot of time talking with him off the record and he's a bright guy. He's the most talented basketball player I've covered here since Marquis Daniels. If Canty had Marquis' work ethic and coachability, man, I'm convinced you'd have heard his name called last night.
I still think Canty will have a shot, but I'm very skeptical that he'll be able to maximize his considerable ability.
Being a great player requires so much more than athletic talent. You have to be coachable. You have to be calm (or at least cool) under pressure. You have to be a leader.
