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| Jul-15-12 | | I play the Fred: <After all, who had ever heard of Lin when I last posted regularly this past fall?> One of the Big Three networks (ABC, IIRC) did a piece on Lin before his rookie year, but it was never in the context that he would turn out to be a potential impact player in the league. It was more a piece about how atypical his path to the NBA was: Asian-American and Harvard and all. |
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| Jul-15-12 | | Jim Bartle: I agree Erving was great player in the NBA. No question. If he'd only had a reliable outside shot... I like your list of other forwards, <I play the Fred>. I would only add Elgin Baylor, who clearly belongs, and Connie Hawkins for his brief period of brilliant play with Phoeni. The rock-the-baby dunk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzq7... |
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| Jul-15-12 | | I play the Fred: <Jim>, wasn't Baylor a PF in his time? Of course, his era is irrelevant to the whole of NBA history. I guess if he'd come up in the late '70s he'd have been Adrian Dantley, or a quasi-Larry Johnson/Charles Barkley five or ten years later. We don't seem to have any notable players like that at the moment. |
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| Jul-15-12 | | Jim Bartle: Baylor rebounded like crazy (of course there were more available in the 60s), but he was the small forward. The Lakers "power forward" was Rudy LaRusso, a solidly-built 6-7 defender and rebounder. He finished his career with the Warriors, and the Lakers PF became Happy Hairston, who was outstanding. Baylor was probably closer to Paul Pierce or even Dwyane Wade among today's players, though better. |
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| Jul-15-12 | | I play the Fred: Paul Pierce <completely> slipped my mind. |
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| Jul-15-12 | | Jim Bartle: Baylor did something I've never seen another player do, which means nobody was really like him. He shot the ball in his jump shot just before he hit the ground again, not at the height of his leap. (Bernard King was the opposite, shooting quickly on the way up.) He jumped high, held the ball, and then shot when his defender was safely back on the ground. |
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| Jul-15-12 | | I play the Fred: Well, it's not quite the same thing, but David Robinson used to release his jump shot on the way down too. It was strange-looking, especially for a seven-footer, but Robinson was rather unorthodox on offense in most respects. I remember Doug Collins describing Robinson's game as "left-handed with right-handed moves". Collins often said, especially early in his career, that he felt Robinson could have been doing more; how much more could he have done? |
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| Jul-15-12 | | Jim Bartle: I'll check that out. Maybe Collins was saying Robinson was too nice, and too honorable, could have been even greater. He was so imposing physically, unbelievable to look at. Robinson was MVP in 94 (I think), then was absolutely taken apart by Olajuwon in the playoffs. |
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| Jul-15-12 | | I play the Fred: 1995. I just wish he and Olajuwon would have hooked up more than once in the playoffs. No one in history, Olajuwon included, could have guarded Hakeem during those playoffs. He played at his absolute best at the best possible time. |
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| Jul-15-12 | | Jim Bartle: True. Every play I would swear Olajuwon had to have taken steps. Then they'd show the replay, and damn if he didn't keep his pivot foot down. "The Dream Shake" indeed. |
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| Jul-16-12 | | refutor: agreed Jim Bartle re : dream shake
i think everyone wanted Robinson to look like he was trying harder...he was a guard when he started at the navy but grew 7 inches one summer (!) and turned into a center...my brother jokes it was some navy growth hormone :) i'm teaching my daughter to shoot the sky hook...not sure why somebody hasn't tried to consistently replicate the most devastating move in basketball history... |
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| Jul-16-12 | | Jim Bartle: "i'm teaching my daughter to shoot the sky hook...not sure why somebody hasn't tried to consistently replicate the most devastating move in basketball history..." I think the key is in the word "sky," as in not many people can shoot it from there. But think if Wilt or Shaq had had real hook shots. They would have scored every time down. I think if Robinson had been anywhere near his eventual height when he finished high school, he couldn't have gone to the Naval Academy. They have a height limit of 6'6" or something like that. |
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| Jul-16-12 | | refutor: Robinson and Karl Malone were probably a decade ahead re : physical training...watch some late 80s playoff games...i don't think a guy like Kevin Duckworth did many situps ;) |
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| Jul-16-12 | | refutor: with my luck Kevin Duckworth probably posts on here ;) |
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| Jul-16-12 | | Jim Bartle: Along with Oliver Miller, Billy Paultz and Hot Plate Williams. |
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| Jul-16-12 | | I play the Fred: <with my luck Kevin Duckworth probably posts on here ;)> Sadly, Duckworth isn't posting anywhere - he is deceased. |
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| Jul-16-12 | | refutor: my bad |
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Jul-16-12
 | | WannaBe: Versus the Lakers, under the basket, arm stretched with the ball, and scores. One of the most spectacular shot I've ever seen. Hey! Pres. Obama is watching the Brazil-USA game in person! Maybe Coach K. will put him in the game at 4th qtr! |
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| Jul-16-12 | | Jim Bartle: The famous drive against Kareem and Mark Landsberger, all the way behind and past the basket, then lay it in from the other side? Spectacular. |
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Jul-17-12
 | | perfidious: Re Duckworth: I'd forgotten about that. So many young players and ex-players going with heart problems across the years. |
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Jul-17-12
 | | HeMateMe: everything about Doc Erving was cool. He ruled the skies and the ABA. Red, white and blue ball. Best afro in sports. A wife named Turqoise. The dude was so cool, he made ice jealous. |
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Jul-17-12
| | WannaBe: I knew the Prez and First Lady was at the game last night, but did not know they were on Kiss Cam! http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olymp... |
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| Aug-10-12 | | refutor: orlando screwed themselves for at least a decade...never ever trade big for small...any package involving the lakers and orlando should have at least included bynum playing for orlando. |
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| Aug-10-12 | | Jim Bartle: We're talking about the trade on the Jeremy Lim page. |
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| Aug-10-12 | | RookFile: Not sure. The old rules were the team with the best center wins. Rule changes in the NBA seem to favor the team with the best shooting guards these days. |
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