There’s been so much backlash to Kansas star Darryn Peterson missing time that we’ve reached the backlash-to-the-backlash portion of the public discourse.
Jay Bilas called the criticism of Peterson “unfair” and said if he really wanted to shut it down for the season, he’d do so and still go No. 1 in the NBA draft. His coach Bill Self, whose bluntness a week ago gave credence to many of these narratives about Peterson’s availability, has taken the national media to task for those exact narratives.
So I’m here to provide the backlash to the backlash to the backlash.
It can probably be summed up in one sentence: If we accept that no questions can be lodged about Peterson’s heart, then something is really worrisome about Peterson’s body.
The freshman phenom has been terrific when he’s on the court. But after hurting his hamstring early in his season, he’s also missed time with cramping, ankle and quad issues and flu-like symptoms.
He’s played 465 minutes of a possible 1,130 — for comparison, teammate Melvin Council Jr. has been out there for 968 minutes. It’s earned him an undeniably funny nickname from the haters based on his initials: DNP.
This really hit a fever pitch earlier this month. Before Kansas faced undefeated No. 1 Arizona, Peterson was ruled out with flu-like symptoms 10 minutes before the game. The Jayhawks handed the Cats their first loss anyway. Then he scored 23 points at Oklahoma State but removed himself early in the second half and watched the rest of the game.
At that point, Self — who’s stuck up for his player all season and said he agreed with Peterson’s family that the guard should only play when close to 100% — made his revelatory comments.
“I thought we were past it, but obviously we’re not,” Self said. “It’s certainly a concern. You get into the NCAA Tournament, you’re playing a team just as good as you and you need to have all your best players available, so to speak.”
Ah, proof! Peterson (specifically, any “protect yourself” advice from his agent) was wearing on the Hall of Fame coach. The internet ran wild. What a bad teammate. These guys are paid now, so we can criticize them like professionals. And so on.
Peterson even did one of the rarest things imaginable and got “First Take” to talk about college basketball before March, Stephen A. Smith declaring that “no team in hell” should draft Peterson No. 1.
I agree, but not for the reason everyone seems to be settling on.
First of all, this class is loaded. AJ Dybantsa was the big thing coming out of high school. Cameron Boozer now looks like the can’t-miss prospect of this group. Wait, I meant Caleb Wilson at North Carolina. Then Arkansas’ Darius Acuff dropped 49 points – 41 in regulation! – after wearing a walking boot for two days, and the same night Peterson had a little cramp against Oklahoma State.
You, a tanking, rebuilding NBA franchise, don’t have to feel tied to Peterson at Nos. 1, 2 or 3. There are tons of great flavors of ice cream out there this year.
And moreover, the availability thing does not have to be a reflection on Peterson’s character or competitiveness. It can simply be about his body’s ability to withstand an 82-game NBA season, when he can barely play two-thirds of a college season. Why is he cramping so often and why can’t he get through it with some electrolytes and massage guns? It’s stumping Self, so it sure as hell stumps me.
It doesn’t help that Peterson has rarely spoken to the media throughout this campaign, leaving a vacuum for Reddit threads and conspiracy theories. He gave ESPN an interview before the Jayhawks’ game Monday, and said, “Basketball is my life… If you would have asked me last year, what were my goals for this year, I would never mention missing games.”
Then Kansas toppled No. 5 Houston on Monday, and Peterson (14 points) said afterward he ignores the internet’s criticism. “I’ve kind of been an anti-social loner my whole life, so I just kind of deal with it on my own,” he said.
I don’t know, I get Kawhi Leonard vibes when I hear him talk, but maybe I’m being unfair. I’m sorry, Jay Bilas!
Kansas has won and lost without Peterson. It’s won in impressive fashion and lost in embarrassing fashion with Peterson. One thing you shouldn’t do is pick the Jayhawks to go all the way in your bracket. We can take Peterson at his word that he wants to be out there, but you never know when the cramping will take hold.
