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What if Dexter Lawrence had decided to play basketball?

BSIMatt : 5/17/2019 7:20 am
Quote:

Even though he was a mere 6 pounds, 9 ounces and 22 inches in length at birth, Lawrence quickly developed into an unusually large kid. The tendency, according to Parker, is for overweight kids to become lazy. Not so with her son, who was much more enamored with pickup basketball games than video challenges.

While young Lawrence endured the “cracks” from classmates about his size, he remained steadfast in his pursuit of athletics. He was faster than all of his “little” friends up until middle school. And more agile.

“If they could jump over a fence without using their hands, I was going to do the same thing,” Lawrence says of his buddies. “If they could dunk a basketball, I would do the same thing. . . . Because I was big, it wasn’t like I thought, ‘I can’t do that.’ I was still more athletic than almost everybody I was hanging out with.”

On Wednesdays throughout his high school career, Lucas says Lawrence and his teammates participated in weight room drills, everything from flyovers to box jumps to hurdle jumps. Lawrence’s agility matched that of running backs, receivers and defensive backs, according to Lucas.

Now, as a Clemson junior, Lawrence stands 6-foot-4 and weighs in the neighborhood of 350 pounds. To watch him on just about any play from scrimmage is to admire his mobility, regardless of his size. Never has the word “dexterity” -- pun intended -- been more applicable to a college defensive lineman.

“He’s 345 (pounds), but he is muscle,” says Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. “His composition is really good. Then you couple that with his unique agility, ability to change direction, just strength, makes him really, really special.”

David Cutcliffe, whose Duke team plays at Clemson Saturday, has watched Lawrence’s development since high school.

“His athleticism defies someone that size, always has,” Cutcliffe says.

Read more here: https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article221650790.html#storylink=cpy


What if Clemson’s Dexter Lawrence had decided to play basketball? Well, it almost happened. - ( New Window )
I liked Lawrence more then Josh Allen  
George from PA : 5/17/2019 7:42 am : link
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RE: I liked Lawrence more then Josh Allen  
Big Blue '56 : 5/17/2019 7:55 am : link
In comment 14446801 George from PA said:
Quote:
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Apparently, so do a bunch of others. TBD
Bold prediction  
Chris684 : 5/17/2019 8:20 am : link
Lawrence will make all-pro in his career.
I don't know how high Lawrence can jump...  
Klaatu : 5/17/2019 8:31 am : link
But I'll bet he sets one hell of a pick.
Can you think of anyone crazy enough to try to stand between  
Ira : 5/17/2019 8:31 am : link
Lawrence and the basket?
RE: I liked Lawrence more then Josh Allen  
Blue21 : 5/17/2019 8:44 am : link
In comment 14446801 George from PA said:
Quote:
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I thought I was the only one
He was starting center for HS basketball team  
BSIMatt : 5/17/2019 8:51 am : link
And also played AAU. He was essentially same size in HS, 6-5 340. They had a game from wake forest high on YouTube, and Lawrence is out there running up and down the court, coming out and guarding guys on permiter, moving off ball on offense, grabbing offensive rebounds and scoring.He just looks light on his feet, he doesn’t look anything like a nose tackle, he looks like a big power forward. I don’t think I can really compare him to anyone, he is a very unique guy.

If you saw him  
Gman11 : 5/17/2019 9:19 am : link
driving down the lane would you take the offensive foul? If it was me I'm getting the hell out of the way.
please  
bc4life : 5/17/2019 10:54 am : link
find video of him dunking at 340
Lawrence, Hill and Tomlinson ...  
Spider56 : 5/17/2019 11:58 am : link
No one is going to run on us this year ... hopefully Betcher will find a way to stop the pass, especially on 3rd down
I really like this kid - I think he's a steal at 17  
PatersonPlank : 5/17/2019 12:12 pm : link
IMO, he is just as good as any of the DL players drafted in the Top 10. We may find out the other Clemson players looked good because of him.
RE: please  
BSIMatt : 5/17/2019 12:39 pm : link
In comment 14447051 bc4life said:
Quote:
find video of him dunking at 340


Haha, that's actually what got me to the video of the Wake Forest HS game. Still cool to see him moving around like that though, and running full court basketball games for a 340lb "nose tackle" doesn't seem like a commonplace phenomenon. Somewhat related to that was in the video Eric posted with the interviews with his Clemson coach the Clemson coach went out of his way to highlight and praise the endurance/stamina Lawrence had. The coach had experience in the NFL, and had the experience of witnessing men of that size requiring "breathers" after so many reps, he said he called off Lawrence after 6 reps with "good on good"(Clemson 1's going against each other) and Lawrence came off the field and was barely breathing and said "Why'd you take me out coach, I could have given you 6 more reps like that". Also, said he never wants to leave the field, begs coaches to put him back in the game when he was pulled out.
RE: I really like this kid - I think he's a steal at 17  
GothamGiants : 5/17/2019 12:41 pm : link
In comment 14447212 PatersonPlank said:
Quote:
IMO, he is just as good as any of the DL players drafted in the Top 10. We may find out the other Clemson players looked good because of him.


Any other class he’d be getting a ton more hype ... this draft was so loaded on defense he sort of got lost in the shuffle ... would’ve been fine with him at 6 - he’s a stud
He didn't get the press before the draft because the so called experts  
Spider56 : 5/17/2019 1:52 pm : link
have declared run stopping ability is not as important as rushing the passer. They don't get that defense still wins games and championships.
RE: He didn't get the press before the draft because the so called experts  
GothamGiants : 5/17/2019 1:52 pm : link
In comment 14447414 Spider56 said:
Quote:
have declared run stopping ability is not as important as rushing the passer. They don't get that defense still wins games and championships.


Amen!
more upside  
gggggggmen : 5/17/2019 2:28 pm : link
Lawrence has more upside than Josh Allen. He's a true tank in the middle of the defense. Allen's comps arent Khalil Mack, but Anthony Barr/ Leonard Floyd remember
So getting Lawrence and Jones at #17 and #6  
TMS : 5/17/2019 3:06 pm : link
worked well for us if they both work out. Still think Jones would have been gone before #17 but maybe Lawrence should have been too. DG lands on his feet again.
Wait... What if he "had decided to play basketball"?  
Leg of Theismann : 5/17/2019 3:32 pm : link
He did decide to play basketball. In high school.

Unless you mean try to become pro at it. Which is a ridiculous notion. In terms of height he's a taller PG or shorter SG. Who was the last 350 lb PG you remember making it in the NBA?

That said, very excited about his athleticism.
RE: I don't know how high Lawrence can jump...  
Reale01 : 5/17/2019 4:50 pm : link
In comment 14446833 Klaatu said:
Quote:
But I'll bet he sets one hell of a pick.


"Not a pick!"
- J Seinfeld
Josh Allen  
jacob12 : 5/17/2019 5:48 pm : link
Allen is larger and faster than Khalil Mack. Josh explodes off the ball and he has a great closing burst.
Disagree  
BSIMatt : 5/17/2019 7:20 pm : link
Not with size, he weighed 10 pounds more, and has a couple inches in height but Mack has same reach/am length bigger hands and posted better 10 yard split,better 3 cone, better short shuttle, broad jump and on top of that posted a ridiculous 40 inch vertical which shows off his explosiveness in his lower body. Mack is more explosive than Allen, imo.
RE: RE: please  
markky : 5/18/2019 10:08 am : link
In comment 14447255 BSIMatt said:
Quote:
In comment 14447051 bc4life said:


Quote:


find video of him dunking at 340

Also, said he never wants to leave the field, begs coaches to put him back in the game when he was pulled out.


In contrast to (what I've seen of) Q Williams. Q was gassed during the game against Clemson and was on the bench during a few critical plays.

I'm psyched about Big Dex.
If he played in the NBA, Laurence's body type would remind me of  
JohnF : 5/18/2019 12:56 pm : link
Charles Barkley (who was shorter... In 2002 a Sports Writer said Barkley was "Officially measured at 6-4 7/8 inches".)

Laurence is heavier, but Barkley was no light weight coming out of college. He entered the NBA draft at 302 lbs, hence his nickname of "the round mound of rebound". His height and weight didn't hinder his career (though he did lose weight later playing in the NBA).
Really liked this pick  
NephilimGiants : 5/20/2019 4:31 pm : link
Still Josh Allen or Devin White would of really strengthen or D#.
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