Expectations are tough to get away from.
If you're 6-11, D1-capable and the son of Ralph Sampson Jr., it's hard for fans to expect anything less than for you to be the all-encompassing leader of your team.
For four years, fans have been waiting, hoping for Ralph Sampson III to step to a new level and become the player they believe he should be – not just from a physical standpoint, but from a leadership standpoint as well.
In Saturday's game, Sampson once again showed he has the tools and he's capable of the producing, finishing with 15 points, eight rebounds and four blocks.
What was interesting, though, was that after a game in which he really did lead this team – most points, most rebounds and played well down the stretch -- he once shied away from the idea of being the leader.
"I recognize that our team is now lacking experience-wise, leadership-wise but I think the team has taken it upon themselves to step up individually and be accountable of each other," Sampson said after being asked whether he feels a greater sense of urgency to step up and do more with Trevor Mbakwe out. "I saw that when I was sitting there, out, and I saw that stepping back in and being able to play again. Seeing the team talk to each other, on the court and off the court … I feel like the leadership is more of a team thing. It takes not just one person to lead a team. Really the team is kind of leading itself into the right direction.
"The older people who have been here – like me and Rodney – with Trevor still on the bench able to talk to us, I think it's just our job to steer it in the right direction."
And maybe that's OK. Maybe it's just not Sampson's personality to be an aggressive, put-the-team-on-his-shoulders kind of guy. Maybe his place is actually to simply be a good player, one of the best on this team.
