By Ray Glier
I was just watching a 6-foot-10 center stand in the middle ofa zone defense. I don’t mean actively stand, such as bending his knees and being in some sort of ready position, or looking for an opponent to box out, and maybe getting his hands in the air.
I was looking at Mississippi State’s 6-10 Renardo Sidney stand with his hands to his side and shuffle his feet without energy.
It was all wrong. A shot would go up and Sidney would leap at the rebound thinking it was all skill and length to rebound. It wasn’t. A smaller man, with better position, got some rebounds before Sidney.
It was the same on the offensive end. Sidney’s hands were down at his side. He was not ready for a pass and several times passes he wasn’t ready for passes.
He has gifts. He hit a fall away jump shot from the foul line. He slammed home a few balls when he had a chance.
Sidney had 24 points. He was 9 of 12 from the field shooting the ball. Mississippi State beat its rival Mississippi.
Sidney will play in the NBA.
But it was disappointing to see some of those things.
Sidney missed a year of basketball for eligibility issues. He got in a fight with a teammate and was suspended. The teammate was the one who left school, not Sidney, who was reinstated.
The big guy is somewhat out of shape; at least that’s the way it looks.
Still, there is significant talent and, after all he has been through, Sidney will likely be in the NBA next season, especially if he strings together more games like Thursday night.
There has to be more from him. Ole Miss does not have a true center and he will not get away with a lot of these things. He has long arms and a big body and is hard to handle on the offensive end for a smaller team, but there better be more effort.
You can bet the NBA guys are thinking the same thing. It is difficult for 270-pound guys to be bouncing up and down like guards, but at least reach toward an opponent in the paint and turn and pin them behind you so you rebound better.
He should get his hands ready for the pass, not draped to his side. The ball can come quick and through a maze of hands.
Be ready, that’s all.
