Whitman-Hanson 2010 Summer League

 T.J.'s Camper of the Week

Week #3's Camper of the Week:

Michael Craven

Team: Blue      Height: 5'11''      Weight: 190 lbs      Vertical Leap: Higher than You

 TJ: Well Mike, congra...

Mike: Before you begin T.J., I'd like to say a few things. First of all, the game of basketball is a beautiful thing. There is more than one camper out there everyday busting their ass just as hard as the next guy. It's a team game. Always has been a team game. Always will be a team game. On top of all that, T.J., the team would have nothing to do or nothing to strive to become if it weren't for the opposition. What I'm trying to say is that I wouldn't be here if it weren't for every other individual that was there as well. But anyways, I digress. Go ahead.

T.J.: Great stuff Mike...Great stuff. This first question here is a two part question. First, who is your biggest role model on the court? Second, what NBA player would you most compare yourself too?

MC: My biggest role model on the court would have to be Paul Pierce, for his loyalty, commitment, skill, and knowledge of the game. And the second part? What NBA player would I compare myself too? I've asked myself this question two thousand times and every time I come up with a different player. I honestly do feel that my game adapts to the game that is being played and I am able to fill in what needs to be filled in. A lot of times though, I find myself trying to do too much and fill voids that I'm not capable of filling at certain times. So I'm inconsistently consistent...or consistently inconsistent....whatever...if you can think of a player I'll probably accept the comparison....Next Question...

T.J.: Dirk Nowitzki

MC: Fine...Deal...Next Question...

T.J.: You had a great game against the Black Team Last Sunday, talk about the Blue team's 2-1 start and its matchup this weekend vs. the Yellow Team with newly acquired big man Josh Yucious.

MC: Thank you, first of all. Second of all, it seemed that every play that I was involved in on last Sunday, another member of the Blue squad was right there beside me in the thick of it. Black is a scary matchup and if you aren't running on all cylinders as a team, then the game can get out of hand quickly. As far as the 2-1 start, we are about where I expected us to be. This is a good league with a lot of tough players in it. We just need to stay focused and keep playing within our game and we should be okay. I feel as though every team in the league matches up well with every other team. It's just a matter of who executes on game day. Yellow as you know is a solid team, inside and out. Their guard play is top notch and the addition of Yucious is yuge. YUGEEE. He frees up Brian Smith from the shackles of post play that restricts his game. It also adds a dominant man on the post who cleans up the glass and finishes strong on the right side. With a big man who can also run the floor, Yellow could certainly pose as a serious threat. It's tough to find a stronger starting five than Fader, Ford, Barron, Smith, and Yucious.

T.J.: What about Gardner?

MC: Oh yea....him too...