| 22 October 2009
The adjustment period in this league for a rookie takes time. For some rookies, it takes a whole season.
The constant on-court regiment, enduring back-to-backs, traveling from city to city are feats which often get lost in translation when these guys make the jump from campus to the pros. As Blazers assistant coach Kaleb Canales told me last week, “Playing an 82-game schedule is a skill.” So true. And for those rookies who have yet to break a regular rotation, the NBA life can be a bit of a rude awakening along with learning that skill.
Talking with Blazers rookie forward Dante Cunningham recently for a SLAM online feature story – detailing his upbringing on Andrews Air Force Base alongside Denver Nuggets rookie point guard Ty Lawson - it was clear the past couple weeks of preseason basketball have been a bit tough for a guy not used to watching and learning.
Even Dante had to know it would be like this though.
Last year was a breakout season for Cunningham, one where he notched career numbers during his four- year stay at Villanova. But these five months after being selected in the second round by Portland, Dante’s left with little choice but to be patient and wait his turn on a deep team which appears bottomless at forward with LaMarcus Aldridge, Travis Outlaw and Juwan Howard before him.
Welcome to the league rook.
It happens.
We can say this about Cunningham though. While he hasn’t logged major minutes this preseason, he certainly has made the most of his playing time in five games. He went for 10 points in 12 minutes in a loss to Utah, only to finish with 14 points and 6 rebounds in 21 minutes in another Portland loss to the Jazz earlier in the week.
His roughly six minute scoreless play in Portland’s 113-93 win over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night however was nondescript at best.
Who knows what this season will bring for Cunningham. Don’t be alarmed if you hear questions from beat writers and bloggers alike about Dante making the trip down to the Idaho Stampede of the NBDL once we’re a couple months into the regular season, especially when he fails to sniff the floor among Nate McMillan’s tighter rotation.
Until then, Dante Cunningham will simply have to patiently go about his business and be ready on the fly.
photo: trailblazerscentercourt
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