TD: Offseason diligence has lifted Rams’ Nixon into a key r

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Blackmagic804

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"I wouldn't say it's just my shot that has given me the confidence," he said. "It's more Coach Smart. He has confidence in me, so I can go out there and play my game. He just gave me the green light as long as I take good shots. I don't feel like I have a leash on me. I can go out there and play freely.
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Nixon is a hawk on defense. Smart has dubbed Nixon and junior guard Brandon Rozzell "The Energy Brothers" and says there's a correlation between their intensity on defense and in the Rams' press and how much they score.
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http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/s...etball/article/VCUB02_20091201-223003/309006/
 
Nice attention for Ed. I am happy for him and he is obviously a hard worker (given his pride in defense). A 41.5 vertical leap is eye POPPING!
 
Like Ed said in the post-game presser: "I always had the dunk" with a wry smile on his face.

The kid could always dunk. I remember watching video of Ed Nixon when we first signed him in the Pinellas County Dunk Contest in '07.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyxnGqIZr1w

Nixon is #42. He pulls some ridiculous dunks. He had a reverse jam, a windmill jam, a Dee Brown blind man dunk jumping under the basket to the weakside. He also tried a two-handed REVERSE windmill 360, but didn't quite get the 360. Still, all NASTY dunks for the then 17 year old. Kid has big-time major college athleticism.
 
We have "two lords a leaping" (couldn't resist, given the season) including Rozzell, of whom Shaka said had the highest vertical on the team.
 
Blackmagic804 said:
"I wouldn't say it's just my shot that has given me the confidence," he said. "It's more Coach Smart. He has confidence in me, so I can go out there and play my game. He just gave me the green light as long as I take good shots. I don't feel like I have a leash on me. I can go out there and play freely.
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That would be as opposed to the old coach?
 
Certainly sounds like that was what he was saying. Brandon Rozzell hinted at the same thing as well a couple of games ago in a press conference.
 
Sounds like Capel and Jamal. That worked out pretty well.

There's nothing worse than looking over your shoulder when you're trying to play. Things have to be automatic. Part of it is experience and repetition, but sometimes a coach has to show a little confidence in guys in order for them to have confidence in themselves. I guess when you have Eric Maynor and Larry Sanders to rely on down the stretch, you might take the attitude, "why trust the other guys?" I think Maynor trusted them a lot more than Grant did.
 
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