Comparing Jaylon Smith to Larry Bird

[tyke1doe]

At least it was creative.

You're kinder than I am about to be. Talk about a stretch of Mr. Fantastic proportions.

 

[tyke1doe]

Compare him to Michael Brooks who the Broncos took in the 3rd round in '87 and went on to play in a couple of SB and had a 10 year career in the NFL.

Compare him to Jessie Armstead who had to wait until the 8th round in '93 after he tore his ACL as a sophomore and went on to have a 5 time probowl career with the Giants.


We’re not reinventing the wheel in Dallas.

Compare him to Willis McGahee who was drafted in the first round but sat out his rookie year based on the injury he received in the National Championship Game against Ohio State.

 

[JoeKing]

As I was reading the OP. I was thinking to myself a more apropos comparison would be Roger Staubach who we had to wait for as well. I'm glad some of you made that same connection.

 

[Manster68]

Alright I'm not coming in here to bag on you like the mob mentality around here.

I want to say your OP seems incomplete. You started it out like you had a very big thought, and process, you wanted to discuss and lay out and then all the sudden you hit the post button without completing it. What you posted seems like an introduction section to an article that has a lot more you want to say but you just didn't say it.

Expand on what you were thinking. Tell us exactly what you're thoughts are on here, and why you think we could look at these situations in a similar fashion. Flesh out the rest of the idea in here and let people at least see your complete thought on the subject and not just the introduction to what you were wanting to tell us about.

Sorry if I didn't get my point fully across. It seems like when I was in grade school and high school in New Hampshire, Auerbach made this pick for Bird and he he never got disputed, mocked, criticized at all. I believe his 13 championships at that time warranted his bold move.
Remember, the Celtics were in decline as Havlichek retired and the only real stellar player at that time on the team was Cowens. That really was a risky move for a first round pick. Auerbach took a shot at going for a potentially great player and he struck sweet oil in Indiana.

The Cowboys are trying to strike similar sweet Indiana oil. Instead of it being in Terre Haute, they are digging in South Bend. Jerry Jones made an "Auerbachian" move when he selected Jaylen Smith. Time will tell how this will end.

 

[DeaconBlues]

Yes Bird did not have a blown out knee. Instead, the Celtics gambled on a basketball player who can’t run and can’t jump.

Stopped reading right there. You know nothing of how Bird was regarded in college.

 

[erod]

Stopped reading right there. You know nothing of how Bird was regarded in college.

These young bucks didn't see Bird vs Magic in college.

 

[Seven]

Soooooo.........I'll take Indiana for $500, Bob.

 

[BoysFanInAustin]

Zeke comparison to Tim Duncan is a better one.

All the way to both teams having injury plagued seasons that put them in position to grab a franchise changing stud!

You can also make the comparison of Robinson and Romo being playoff chokers. Hopefully Zeke can carry Romo to greatness the way Duncan carried Robinson.

Lot of parallels between the 96-97 Spurs and the 2015 Cowboys.

Although I still take Dominique Wilkins(Spurs leading scorer that year)over Matt Cassel(worst qb performance in cowboy history).

That's the exact comparison I make. The Romo injury (and the playoff choker rap) made me think of Robinson's injury along with Dez Bryant's injury (compared to Sean Elliott injuries in 97) as well. Those are the two leading scorers sidelined for the Spurs like Dez and Romo to the Cowboys. I use Darren McFadden's 1k season to Dominique's scoring. McFadden once highly regarded having that one breakout season in the twilight of his career.

 

[TwoCentPlain]

Sorry if I didn't get my point fully across...

The Cowboys are trying to strike similar sweet Indiana oil. Instead of it being in Terre Haute, they are digging in South Bend.

Ahhhh, Indiana. That is the similarity. I knew there had to be one.

 

[Gameover]

. I use Darren McFadden's 1k season to Dominique's scoring. McFadden once highly regarded having that one breakout season in the twilight of his career.

Good one!

 

[CCBoy]

Hang in there...like an omen in a Nordic myth, this could come back and be rock solid. Hang in there guy, I'm of the group that really like the investment in yet another very good linebacker. It may take some time and commitment to reap the full benefits, but you are right in mentally connecting greatness to this pick. We know, recently, where that logic went with Saun Lee. If those two's careers overlapped for five seasons, the Dallas linebacker group would be top shelf.

 

[CCBoy]

Highly unathletic basketball player with no injuries.
and
A highly athletic football player with a hurt knee and nerve damage.

I totally get it. Legit comparison.

I see, you recall Saun Lee's beginnings, yet great talent...and shown on the field as well.

 

[Scandri100]

A guy that will turn out defense into an offense.

 

[RS12]

Did I mention I hate the off season?

 

[Mountaineerfan]

This thread proves its 5 o'clock somewhere.

 

[dallasdave]

Do I dare walk this plank? After much thought I think I will. If this is posted, then I obviously am. Back in the 1980’s I read a biography on Red Auerbach, the late, great Coach/GM/President of the Boston Celtics. He was directly involved in 16 of the 17 Boston Celtics NBA Championships. In his book, he talks about his acquisition of Larry Bird. Like Bill Russell and the late Len Bias (RIP), he planned this for a year or two.

What links Bird to Jaylen Smith is the fact that Boston drafted Bird in 1978. It was a future pick. Bird played his senior season at Indiana State as a draftee of the Celtics. The Celtics had a deadline to get Bird signed or else he would have been available for the 1979 draft (with Magic Johnson). Boston signed Bird within 48 hours of that deadline.

Yes Bird did not have a blown out knee. Instead, the Celtics gambled on a basketball player who can’t run and can’t jump. Auerbach even admitted that he didn’t know what he was getting until after Bird arrived in Boston.

I believe Jaylen Smith flashed in South Bend similar to Bird flashing in Terre Haute. Every time I think of Jaylen Smith being drafted by Dallas, I am mentally drawing comparisons to Bird being selected by the Celtics. There was an absolute that Boston had to wait an entire year for Bird’s services. If the nerve heals for Jaylen, he can possibly play very late into the season.

With the explosion of social media today, and the impatience of many fans, I do realize the significant difference with what happens now in 2016 and what happened 37-38 years earlier.

I liked that, thanks and hope he can be as good as Bird was in his day !!!

 

[Risen Star]

A lot of hurtful, mean spirited responses in this thread.

 

[Manster68]

A lot of hurtful, mean spirited responses in this thread.

Don't worry about it. I did 20 years in the Navy - the mud-slinging doesn't phase me. I knew this was coming.

 

[AsthmaField]

A lot of hurtful, mean spirited responses in this thread.

 

[LandryFan]

A lot of hurtful, mean spirited responses in this thread.

I think someone should create an award of some type to recognize your compassion and understanding for your fellow Cowboys fans! You are such a calming influence here...