McDonald's Nuggets: 'The Last Dance,' 2021 prediction, more
Dan McDonald is back with his weekly column, McDonald's Nuggets. This week’s edition shares some thoughts on "The Last Dance" going into the final two episodes, a prediction on the 2021 class and his Commits of the Week.
MORE: Three-Point Play | Wednesday's Leftovers | Top 2020 signees from outside the Rivals150
2020 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Position
2022 Rankings: Top 75
*****
WHAT’S ON MY MIND: Takeaways from 'The Last Dance'
We’re going into the final Sunday of the "The Last Dance" and, like most of you, I’ve been completely fascinated by the 10-part documentary on the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls. I have some thoughts I’ve been saving for this column.
Let me start by asking: Can we all collectively agree to stop the debate over who is better between Michael Jordan and LeBron James, especially if you’re under 35 and are too young to have a real memory of Jordan in his prime? They are different players, have different personality types and played in completely different versions of the NBA. Completely reasonable and knowledgeable people can strongly disagree here.
Now that that’s off my chest, I have no idea why Jordan ever worried about people not liking him after this documentary. He has come off as an incredibly authentic person who has his flaws like the rest of us – and he owns them. His approval rating seems to be higher than ever. The one part that still completely blows my mind about Jordan is that he played on his injured foot knowing there was a 10% chance he could suffer a career-ending injury. Going along with that, I love his mentality about playing every night because he didn’t want to disappoint a fan that could be watching him for the only time. Compare that to today’s “load management” trend, which I’m perfectly fine with and understand, but I love Jordan’s mindset.
The story about Scottie Pippen not going in for the final seconds of the playoff game because the play was drawn up for Toni Kukoc is really disappointing. Pippen's playing style leads me to believe he was great to play with, but that’s about as bad as it gets as a teammate.
How about Dennis Rodman needing a trip to Vegas with Carmen Electra in the middle of the season to get his mind right? I don’t think Twitter could handle that happening today with an NBA star.
To steal a line from Kevin Durant, Jordan’s mom is the real MVP, especially for Nike. How different would shoe companies look today if she never pushed him to go meet with Nike and instead he signed with adidas or Converse?
And lastly, Phil Jackson’s ability to manage all the personalities on that team, as well as the situation with Jerry Krause, is nothing short of incredible.
*****
PREDICTION: Fewer early signings in the 2021 class
Rivals analyst Corey Evans discussed the extension of the current recruiting dead period in the Three-Point Play this week. The 2021 class is in a really rough spot here, as it’s looking like there will be very few opportunities for them to play in front of college coaches between now and the Early Signing Period.
It should also be noted that college coaches are spending less time than ever evaluating juniors because so many are scrambling to see unsigned seniors and monitoring the transfer portal. Combine all that with the possibility of a one-time transfer-without-sitting-out rule going into place for the 2021-22 season – which means coaches will want to have spots open for the late signing period – and we’re going to see fewer class of 2021 prospects sign than we have in recent years.
That number might not look too different at the high-major level, but at the mid-major and on down it could be significant.
*****
2021 COMMIT OF THE WEEK: Zach Clemence to Kansas
Bill Self and the Jayhawks are off to a really nice start in the 2021 class with the addition of Zach Clemence, a Texas native now playing at nearby Sunrise Christian. The 6-foot-10 post player has a nice combination of post-up game and the ability to step out and hit jumpers. Defensively, his length allows him to be a presence protecting the rim, and he’ll continue to become a better rebounder as his body fills out.
*****
2022 COMMIT OF THE WEEK: Bowen Hardman to Ohio State
Chris Holtmann and his staff wasted no time getting off to a quick start in the 2022 class. Earlier this week, Bowen Hardman, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Cincinnati, made a very early commitment to the Buckeyes after also being recruited by Butler, Cincinnati, Indiana, Louisville, Purdue and Xavier. I’ve yet to see Hardman play live, but after watching some film on him and talking to coaches in the area, this seems like a really good pick-up for Ohio State. Coaches rave about his character and personality and he’s one of the top shooters in the Midwest.