Why only 3 NBA Years?

[AlaskaSU]

Read an article saying that Pearl had a hard time getting to the basket because the NBA centers were nothing like he was used to. Pure bullsheet; he played against Walter Berry and Ewing. As a 14 year old he was punishing the best NYC bigs. I have two theories. 1) His brain tumor affected his game and his mentabolism/weight. 2) A-hole coaches wanted to one up him and he was a soft target.

 

[RF2044]

I think Kenny Smith nailed it in the TNT telecast [and no disrespect intended toward Pearl]. Paraphrasing, Pearl peaked early, his physique gave him an advantage warding off defenders through the collegiate level, and things came easy to him. The work ethic wasn't quite there because the game was so easy for him up to that point.

When he got to the NBA, he couldn't overpower defenders the way he could at the previous level, he wasn't always in the best shape, and his work ethic wasn't where it needed to be [compared to many other NBA players, who would cut off their arms if need be to keep earning an NBA paycheck].

I don't think Kenny was knocking Pearl, I think it was just a statement of fact--and in no way diminishes the accomplishments Pearl had, nor his status as a basketball phenom / icon.

Frankly, the mere fact that Pearl was an NBA player and played for three years is indicative of MAKING IT, even if his professional career didn't go as well as we as die hard SU fans would have liked / hoped.


PS--on an unrelated note, I actually saw Pearl play in his final NBA season. It was the inaugural season of the Miami Heat - 1988 - and Seikaly was a rookie. We were in Miami on vacation, and my dad took me to the game. I was excited both because it was my first NBA game but also because of the two SU players. Rony didn't do much, but Pearl had a pretty good game, even though he pulled a muscle in his groin and had to come out of the game, which was disappointing.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198812260MIA.html

 

[kuethstheman]

Someone on the radio in Rochester mentioned that he was quoted as saying pro ball wasn't fun and that he realized it during his first week of NBA practice. If he arrived with a decent work ethic, I think it went down the tubes early. Like RF said, he put on some weight. I'm sure that made it tougher.

 

[Toga]

Someone on the radio in Rochester mentioned that he was quoted as saying pro ball wasn't fun and that he realized it during his first week of NBA practice. If he arrived with a decent work ethic, I think it went down the tubes early. Like RF said, he put on some weight. I'm sure that made it tougher.

Plus he had to play in the Nets' mausoleum instead of the Carrier Dome. JB also said that Pearl didn't love playing the game, though he sure looked like he loved it while at SU. Salami and Doritos too.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Hes before my time, but could it be his lack of an ability to develop an outside shot hurt his NBA career? His numbers back that up.

 

[cuseinseattle]

I think Boeheim mentioned it in his book but back then you didn't have personal trainers and people working you out and all sorts of things. It was a different game. I think both Pearl and DC would have had different NBA careers if they had that.

 

[AlaskaSU]

He gained weight but I assume that it was not due to a sudden influx of burritos and hsalami. They were his staples. I had read, quite a while ago, that perhaps there were preliminary effects of a developing brain tumor. Given how easy it was for him to shred Big East guards I do not buy that he could not cut it against NBA guards under normal circumstances. If he could take Kenny the Jet on the playgroung, why could he not take him in the NBA?

 

[cuseinseattle]

There has to be an emotional aspect to it. Like he didn't find the NBA fun or lost his love of the game or didn't like something about it because to be honest it really makes no sense to go from being that dominant to not playing in the league past 3 years.

 

[kuethstheman]

Don't kill me but I always suspected he was into drugs a little. Pair that with a bunch more money and I could understand why he might have lost a step. Especially if he didn't enjoy the NBA experience that much.

 

[cuseincincy]

Don't kill me but I always suspected he was into drugs a little. Pair that with a bunch more money and I could understand why he might have lost a step. Especially if he didn't enjoy the NBA experience that much.

I knew Pearl casually in the 84-89 era. I can't say we were friends but we spent time in a lot of the same places. His girlfriend also lived in the same building as my best friend for a period of time so we weren't strangers and were friendly. Pearl was no angel and not perfect but I never knew him to be involved in drugs. He did enjoy his liquor but beyond that nothing else stands out. I will say that he was very comfortable being Pearl. And he was always fun to be around, I mostly remember his smile.

 

[HOFCeluck]

In his book JB says that Pearl Washington simply didn't have the drive to get better that guys like Sherman Douglas did.

Something to the effect that he was as likely to be upstate riding horses as he was to be in the gym working on his jumper.

 

[OttoMets]

Pearl was just a cool guy who plateaued once he got to a level where the guys who have excellent careers attack the game with 80-hour workweeks. He'd never needed to put in that effort before and he didn't enjoy the game enough to do it.

Since I'm not the guy cutting the big checks, I can't fault him for that. People who are excellent professional athletes are necessarily a little bit nuts - it's a very difficult full-time job.

This is part of the reason I think underclassmen should be reluctant to leave school early. Being a college student is fun. For the bulk of the time, being a professional is not.

 

[AlaskaSU]

His skills were not inadequate for the NBA. Who had a better handle and he had excellent court vision/awareness. His shooting was plenty good enough for a point guard. Just how much better would you have wanted him to be?
He might not have enjoyed the pro grind but he enjoyed the pay. Afterwards, he even played for some scrub league.
Fact is that he gained weight and that is hard to do during an NBA season. Could his career have been cut short by a change in his metabolism? We will never know when that tumor started?

 

[alphaorange]

His skills were not inadequate for the NBA. Who had a better handle and he had excellent court vision/awareness. His shooting was plenty good enough for a point guard. Just how much better would you have wanted him to be?
He might not have enjoyed the pro grind but he enjoyed the pay. Afterwards, he even played for some scrub league.
Fact is that he gained weight and that is hard to do during an NBA season. Could his career have been cut short by a change in his metabolism? We will never know when that tumor started?

I'm not sure why you insist he had to be sick. That really is a ridiculous assertion. Cancer is not a slow developing disease. I have seen enough of it (including brain tumors) in my family to have a good idea. Most of the previous posts are indeed correct. His outside shot was NOT sufficient for the NBA. His dedication was not sufficient for a guy with limited athleticism. His defense was not up to par. Kenny Smith continued to improve after high school and Pearl was much closer to his ceiling. Pearl was what he was: One of the most influential and dynamic players SU has ever had, and a fantastic college player. He also just happened to not be an elite NBA player. It doesn't lessen his status in my eyes, nor in the eyes of most SU fans.

 

[rrlbees]

I'm not sure why you insist he had to be sick. That really is a ridiculous assertion. Cancer is not a slow developing disease. I have seen enough of it (including brain tumors) in my family to have a good idea. Most of the previous posts are indeed correct. His outside shot was NOT sufficient for the NBA. His dedication was not sufficient for a guy with limited athleticism. His defense was not up to par. Kenny Smith continued to improve after high school and Pearl was much closer to his ceiling. Pearl was what he was: One of the most influential and dynamic players SU has ever had, and a fantastic college player. He also just happened to not be an elite NBA player. It doesn't lessen his status in my eyes, nor in the eyes of most SU fans.

His original tumor in 1995 was benign. Benign tumors are often slow growing and can take as long as 10 years or longer to present themselves.

 

[AlaskaSU]

and a benign brain tumor could indeed affect his metabolism. I am not insisting on anything. I am saying that it is a possibility. Pearl's ceiling was plenty good enough for the NBA. As a point guard his primary job was ball handling and management. His skill set was NBA caliber. He did gain weight and that could have been due to hormonal abnormality. A brain tumor might also affect motor skills. Things to consider given that he was THE BEST BALL HANDLER to come out of college.

 

[SBU72]

I think Kenny Smith nailed it in the TNT telecast [and no disrespect intended toward Pearl]. Paraphrasing, Pearl peaked early, his physique gave him an advantage warding off defenders through the collegiate level, and things came easy to him. The work ethic wasn't quite there because the game was so easy for him up to that point.

When he got to the NBA, he couldn't overpower defenders the way he could at the previous level, he wasn't always in the best shape, and his work ethic wasn't where it needed to be [compared to many other NBA players, who would cut off their arms if need be to keep earning an NBA paycheck].

I don't think Kenny was knocking Pearl, I think it was just a statement of fact--and in no way diminishes the accomplishments Pearl had, nor his status as a basketball phenom / icon.

Frankly, the mere fact that Pearl was an NBA player and played for three years is indicative of MAKING IT, even if his professional career didn't go as well as we as die hard SU fans would have liked / hoped.


PS--on an unrelated note, I actually saw Pearl play in his final NBA season. It was the inaugural season of the Miami Heat - 1988 - and Seikaly was a rookie. We were in Miami on vacation, and my dad took me to the game. I was excited both because it was my first NBA game but also because of the two SU players. Rony didn't do much, but Pearl had a pretty good game, even though he pulled a muscle in his groin and had to come out of the game, which was disappointing.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198812260MIA.html

I've made similar comments about some of SU recruits. They physically peak earlier than their peers, which allow them to have a hugh advantage. Then the work ethic falls off and when they enter college and their peers catch up with them (and sometimes surpass them), they don't meet ecpectations.

 

[Dave85]

I think Kenny Smith nailed it in the TNT telecast [and no disrespect intended toward Pearl]. Paraphrasing, Pearl peaked early, his physique gave him an advantage warding off defenders through the collegiate level, and things came easy to him. The work ethic wasn't quite there because the game was so easy for him up to that point.

When he got to the NBA, he couldn't overpower defenders the way he could at the previous level, he wasn't always in the best shape, and his work ethic wasn't where it needed to be [compared to many other NBA players, who would cut off their arms if need be to keep earning an NBA paycheck].

I don't think Kenny was knocking Pearl, I think it was just a statement of fact--and in no way diminishes the accomplishments Pearl had, nor his status as a basketball phenom / icon.

Frankly, the mere fact that Pearl was an NBA player and played for three years is indicative of MAKING IT, even if his professional career didn't go as well as we as die hard SU fans would have liked / hoped.


PS--on an unrelated note, I actually saw Pearl play in his final NBA season. It was the inaugural season of the Miami Heat - 1988 - and Seikaly was a rookie. We were in Miami on vacation, and my dad took me to the game. I was excited both because it was my first NBA game but also because of the two SU players. Rony didn't do much, but Pearl had a pretty good game, even though he pulled a muscle in his groin and had to come out of the game, which was disappointing.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198812260MIA.html

Maybe he just like the atmosphere of playing the college game better over the NBA. Money isn't everything even though most people claim it to be so.

 

[AlaskaSU]

I've made similar comments about some of SU recruits. They physically peak earlier than their peers, which allow them to have a hugh advantage. Then the work ethic falls off and when they enter college and their peers catch up with them (and sometimes surpass them), they don't meet ecpectations.

The Pearl's ball handling skills had no need to improve as so many pros attested to including Magic Johnson. What pro had a better handle? Just exactly what about his handle needed to improve?

 

[HOFCeluck]

While some brain tumors cause weight gain, if I
was a betting man I would say it wasnt the tumor that caused his weight issues.

 

[djcon57]

People who are excellent professional athletes are necessarily a little bit nuts - it's a very difficult full-time job.

It's not a coincidence that Kobe, Jordan, Tiger etc are social weirdos.

You have your outliers here and there the majority of elite pro athletes are obsessive and/or had a father push them to where they are.

Even looking at Steph who seems to be pretty normal dude...Dell probably had him shooting at 3.

 

[Consigliere]

Read an article saying that Pearl had a hard time getting to the basket because the NBA centers were nothing like he was used to. Pure bullsheet; he played against Walter Berry and Ewing. As a 14 year old he was punishing the best NYC bigs. I have two theories. 1) His brain tumor affected his game and his mentabolism/weight. 2) A-hole coaches wanted to one up him and he was a soft target.

Or 3) Didn't know how to lose and lost the love of the game.

 

[rmtsu]

Read an article saying that Pearl had a hard time getting to the basket because the NBA centers were nothing like he was used to. Pure bullsheet; he played against Walter Berry and Ewing. As a 14 year old he was punishing the best NYC bigs. I have two theories. 1) His brain tumor affected his game and his mentabolism/weight. 2) A-hole coaches wanted to one up him and he was a soft target.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/23/s...te-failure-as-pro-he-ll-forever-be-pearl.html

''I had a God-given talent and I was always ahead of everybody else in high school and in college,'' Washington said. ''But when I got to that next level, guys were above me. So at that point, you have to say either 'I'm going to work at it to become a good player in the N.B.A.' or 'This ain't for me anymore.' I decided that it wasn't for me. I didn't love it enough to really work hard at it anymore. But I have no regrets.''

Most guys that stick in the NBA for an extended period get better than they were in college (physically, conditioning, skill wise, learn and get smarter), obviously there are always exceptions, but Pearls advantages weren't as great in the NBA where even the guards he played against in college had gotten better. Certainly not a knock against him but just reality. As much as he did well against Ewing in college, Ewing also got better in the NBA physically, but night in and night out you are playing against the best players in the world, not just a dozens or so games a year in college where you might be playing against a team with several NBA quality players. Its a grind. As good as Walter Berry was in College he was out of the NBA in 3 years one of the reasons being his work ethic or lack of. He used to not work hard at all at practice at St. Johns but Louie put up with it because against college players he could go out and score 25 a night, but it was much tougher in the NBA and NBA execs are not as forgiving, the player who replaced Pearl was Sherm Douglas, every year there are hungry players getting drafted willing to work their tails off to get better and either make a team or get playing time.

The other thing that hurt Pearl and may have helped to diminish his willingness to work at it was the situation in New Jersey at the time, he was a push it up the floor point guard, and NJ wanted to slow it down. That took away one of Pearls big advantages and I'm sure made it much less fun to play.

Thing that impressed me most about Pearl was his accessibility and willingness to interact with fans. When he came back to Syracuse he always seemed to be around and was very friendly, not super talkative but certainly didn't try to hide. He gave back to and embraced a community that was appreciative of what he meant to Syracuse. I didn't know him and had only talked to him briefly a few times in the late 85-86 time frame through other friends of mine, but I when ever I did see him around through the years he always greeted you with a smile and a nod.