In Search of Redemption: Cliff Alexander’s Struggle to Return to Relevance
McDonald’s All American, number three in ESPN’s 100 top recruits, top prospect for the Kansas Jayhawks. These are all things that are on Cliff Alexander‘s resume. That resume now also includes: freshman bust, undrafted, and bench player. The fall from grace has been swift and staggering for the 20 year old. He now finds himself with a franchise that has a penchant for loving the underdog. How did this once phenom end up in this situation?
The sky was the limit for the high flying Alexander coming out of high school. The Chicago native was blessed with an NBA body(6’9, 7’2 wingspan, and a muscular 250 lbs) at a young age, allowing him to dominate the competition. Alexander quickly entered the talks of being the number one high school prospect in the country(his stiffest competition being fellow Windy City prep star Jahlil Okafor).
Seriously, the kid was a man child. Don’t believe me? Watch this:
The Chicago native committed to Kansas in November of his final year of high school. At this point he was a clear top five prospect, and a huge pick up for Bill Self. Alexander found immediate success as a freshman on the top ranked Kansas basketball team. It all seemed to be going according to plan(top prospect, major college, depart after a successful year to the NBA).
This is where things start to unravel. Just a decade ago it wasn’t uncommon for an 18 year old basketball phenom to hire an agent. But, the days of jumping straight from high school to the NBA are in the past. Weeks before the NCAA tournament, a precautionary investigation was launched to find out if Alexander had hired an agent. Kansas then held the freshman out for the remainder of the season as a precaution. The timing of this investigation ended Alexander’s collegiate career.
The investigation wasn’t the only thing that was holding Alexander back. Defensive lapses and inconsistency found him on a short leash with coach Self. His minutes saw a steady decline after the midway point of the season. Ultimately ending with his de-activation due to investigation.
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Alexander’s draft stock was in a full on free fall at this point. Like I mentioned above, we are only a dozen years removed from prep stars making the jump to the big league. The athletic power forward would have been a sure fire lottery pick in that era. Instead, Alexander watched his stock go from lottery to second rounder. The fall eventually ending in Alexander signing with the Blazers as a undrafted rookie free agent.
How did this once highly touted big man end up in Rip City? Alexander was not only hurt by an inconsistent Freshman year, but he has also suffered from the changing play in the NBA. The rookie is a classic throw back to nineties big men(the hair and number scream Charles Oakley), a role on the clear decline in pro ball. Dunking and rebounding is all you used to need as a NBA post player. Now you need to be a floor spacer, a rim protector, and a facilitator (Draymond Green, LaMarcus Aldridge).
Nov 15, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) shoots the ball over Portland Trail Blazers forward Cliff Alexander (34) during the second half at Time Warner Cable Arena. Hornets defeated Portland 106-94. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Alexander now faces two uphill battles. First, he must deal with losing his once lofty hype. Second, he has to prove that classic power forwards still have a place in the NBA. He is certainly on the right track on the first battle. Alexander has already overcome an injury scare, and appeared in three NBA games. Only time will tell if he will be able to overcome the second battle.
Until then he will find the support of a city looking for a bit of redemption itself. Portland’s draft woes are well documented, but a rookie steal like Alexander would go a long way to fix it. Plus, this city has a habit of rooting for Cliff’s that have a knack for crowd pleasing dunks.