I love Larry Brown for all he did for the 76ers and Allen Iverson, but this is the most delusional — caught up in the moment statement I’ve ever heard.
The SMU head coach — obviously ecstatic about making the NCAA tournament — told the media that he believes the undefeated and No. 1 ranked Kentucky Wildcats would make the playoffs in the East.
Larry Brown just said "I honestly believe Kentucky would make the NBA Playoffs in the East"
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) March 18, 2015
“We’ll they’d make the playoffs if they were in the East.
There’s no doubt in my mind they’d make the playoffs in the East. He’s [John Calipari] done an amazing job. It’s one thing coaching a team like us and all of the sudden out of the blue SMU is relevant. When you’re expected to win every game like he has, he’s done a remarkable job. He’s gotten then to buy in and defend. He tells me that the players listen to him better than the parents. I haven’t had that problem here. But I think somebody has to play great to beat them and they have to play really poorly to lose. I really belive that. But I hate sitting here and saying that because a seven seed won last year. John got to the final game with 10 losses, I think. My Kansas team had 10 losses and won the national championship. My first year at UCLA with all freshmen we had a bunch of losses. So you never know with the draw. I think the only way to beat them is you gotta make threes, your defense has to come from your offense, and then you have to play better than you know how.”
It’s an ignorant and uninformed statement from a man whose always been informed. We’re past all the statements about the UK beating the 76ers and the Knicks.
Brown put undo pressure on a Wildcats team that might have one or two players actually become really good NBA players.
Even worse — he’s disrespecting the NBA and the Eastern Conference. Are we supposed to believe that Kentucky would beat the Bucks, Pacers, Pistons and Hornets?
All those teams I mentioned have guys who were McDonald’s All Americans. Am I supposed to believe that Karl Townes would dominate Andre Drummond? The Harrison twins could really hang with Kemba Walker or Lance Stephenson at full strength?
Browns comments were a joke and made a mockery out of everything Kentucky may accomplish.