The Case for a Kurz and Lafayette Call Up

There has been some great happenings in the league for the past few weeks, as many players have received call ups to the NBA. For example, Cartier Martin just got called up to the Washington Wizards, Cedric Jackson from Erie was just called up to the Wizards, and Mustafa Shakur from Tulsa was just picked up by the OKC Thunder. With all these happenings going around, I would like to make the case for two of players to receive call ups -- Rob Kurz and Oliver Lafayette.

In the case for Rob Kurz, I would point out that Rob is a stretch four that is going to keep a defense spread for any team with a penetrator. Rob is averaging 17.2 ppg and 10.1 rpg, and he is currently 6th in the league with 20 double-doubles on the season. He is shooting 42% from three this year, and he is always a threat from outside. Yet, I think he has proven this year that he is much more than just a spot up shooter. Coach Meyer has challenged him to be a better inside scorer and defender, and his post game has grown by leaps and bounds. As for defense, he is very strong and able to get other bigs off their sweet spot in the post, and he has been a phenomenal rebounder at 10.1 per game (4th best in the league). Rob was with the Golden State Warriors last year, and I think he is a far better and much more well rounded player than he was last year with the Warriors. He would definitely make an NBA team better.

Oliver Lafayette is not a name that jumps out at people, but he has been unbelievable the past few weeks and is a real stat stuffer. Here are his numbers for the month of March: 22 ppg, 6.5 apg, and 5 rpg. During our last seven games, where we have won six of those games, Oliver has been at his best. During that stretch, he is averaging 24.15 ppg, 8.58 apg, and 5 rpg. And, impressively, he has been doing that against excellent competition in Keith Mcleod, Cedric Jackson, Jackie Manuel (one of the best defenders in the league), and Russell Robinson. I think, most impressively, he is finishing games well. In other words, when the game is near the end, he is invariably making plays that get us the win, and I think that separates him from being just another guy scoring 20 in a losing effort. Further, beyond his offensive prowess, he has done a great job defensively. He is clearly the best help defender that we have had in our three years -- he just has a knack for being in the right spot at the right time, and he should be lauded for that. Not sure if he will get a call up, but I hope he starts to get into the conversation with how well he has played recently.

Well, there is my clearly biased two cents! Love to hear what others think!