Have to get this down so that I hopefully don't flip-flop later: I feel disgusted at this whole players demanding a trade thing. Yes, no doubt Chris Paul deserves (as with any player with his heart and desire to win) to be on a contender. Yes, this summer is probably akin to someone seeing his good friends get a dream job together and growing to look at the years left on his contract as a death knell. But he is under contract, first and foremost.
The fact that Duke James, or Lebron "The Decision" along with William Wesley and Maverick Carter are actively encouraging Paul to "force the Hornets hand" just makes me ill. More later...
Monday, July 26, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
The Other Old Guys - Last Rodeo
I'm sad to see the Spurs, now. And so I root for them. I root for them, too, because I always liked them even though they were never "my" team. One reason I liked them was because everyone else called them boring, and I liked going against the tide. Some other reasons I liked:
-The Little General (second best coach's voice now that Alvin Gentry has entered my life) and his Finals clinching 19 footer.
-Jaren Jackson for 3 (JVG was quoted in that Finals with the Knicks: "I don't want Jaren Jackson to beat us." Throughout the decade, San Antonio has always relied on good spot up 3 point shooters: Kerr, Horry, Ginobili, Bowen, Elliott, and now even Bonner and George Hill to give them a true inside-out. Jaren Jackson, a player with an NBA Live '98 rating of abysmal, was the quintessential outside threat for the Spurs. For me.)
-Tony Parker's ability to be a top 5 in FG% at 6'3" (actually, he would annoy me with his eyebrows and big head even while he amazed me)
-Horry against the Pistons in Game 5 (culminating with the "Stretch Armstrong" dunk over their entire team)
-Tim Duncan
Timmy D is the boring superstar of the boring Spurs. Whatever. In addition to his trademark bank shot, Duncan had a slew of post moves that not only compensated for his relative lack of athleticism, but gave him an advantage on nearly every big man in the NBA. The notable exception was Shaq, who in his prime was the Duncan Stopper...but even then the Lakers could only put him on Duncan in spurts otherwise they'd risk foul trouble and TD bringing the Big Paint Camper out with his mid range jumper.
Duncan's game has slowed as everyone's has, but he's still effective. In his prime? I haven't seen a post player since be sooo money. The Spurs would throw it to Timmy in the 4th, and let him go to work. At 7ft., with his footwork and moves, he'd overpower smaller frontlines, drive on huge bigs, hit hookshots and "squirt shots", and running hooks in the lane. He can still score, pass, rebound, and block shots...but back then he was the most reliable player in the league on both ends of the floor. Nearly none of his offensive moves were jaw dropping, in fact I rarely saw him swish (Duncan's shots always seemed to hit some iron, and didn't have a lot of arc) inside shots. No flair to the Big Fundamental. He just went to work, and got it done.
My favorite Duncan sequence was against the Nets in the finals, against the tattooed, high-leaping, rim bending, howling, bare chest exposing Kmart. He was an anti-Duncan, in case the previous description's didn't make it clear. Kmart had a very quick spin to his right, from the left block, which he could turn into a flip shot or a dunk. I think he used it effectively on the Walker Wiggle when the Nets played the Celtics. Anyways, the sequences, because there were two, went like this:
1. Kmart catches the ball 8ft. from the basket on the left block, TD at his back.
2. One dribble, and the super quick spin to his right gets him around Duncan's side.
3. My reaction is worried, it's too easy, Kmart is too quick, and he jumps really high REALLY fast (even now, after double knee surgeries, Martin still shows traces of one of the quickest hops around. fast twitch fibers...fast twitch fibers). In other words, I'm sure he's about to dunk it on TD.
4. Kmart explodes off the ground, and the Kmart missile is met, milliseconds after a successful launch, by a Duncan Ceiling. REJECTED!!!
5. Kmart comes back down to earth, dejected.
second sequence:
Repeat steps 1-4, with step 3 now a reaction of eager anticipation for step 4 which of course happens again.
5. Kmart comes back down, screaming at the refs for a foul. Doesn't come.
Tim Duncan was a genius on offense AND defense. He literally let Kmart go by him, and then obliterated his move. Twice. In a row. I liked him immensely every since.
Anyways, TD with his sagging shoulders and puppy-like expression is endearing. As are all these old champions. They are nice guys, all of them, I believe. Part of the San Antonio Spurs culture. Their coach is even nicknamed Pop. Maybe I buy into the marketing of this franchise too much, but I was so happy when they beat their Texas rivals in the first round.
And that's why I'm sad now, because they're down 3-0 to a Suns team that is better. During the regular season, I saw them blow leads and turn the ball over in crunch time. Back in their heyday, a 7 point lead by the Spurs was like a 15 point lead because of their team defense. Not anymore. They are like a grandfather figure of sorts in the NBA, utterly strong and dependable, wise and humble, they trumped doubters many many times. But Father Time's hand continues to rest on shoulders and pass over brows; the sad fact is age claims everyone in the end. The playoff series against the Mavs showed the old men could still fight...but no one comes back from 3-0.
I just hope the Spurs can take one, maybe even two, games from Phoenix. I'm not ready for them to ride out into the sunset. I'm not ready to wave 'bye' to the most dependable NBA team of the decade.
-The Little General (second best coach's voice now that Alvin Gentry has entered my life) and his Finals clinching 19 footer.
-Jaren Jackson for 3 (JVG was quoted in that Finals with the Knicks: "I don't want Jaren Jackson to beat us." Throughout the decade, San Antonio has always relied on good spot up 3 point shooters: Kerr, Horry, Ginobili, Bowen, Elliott, and now even Bonner and George Hill to give them a true inside-out. Jaren Jackson, a player with an NBA Live '98 rating of abysmal, was the quintessential outside threat for the Spurs. For me.)
-Tony Parker's ability to be a top 5 in FG% at 6'3" (actually, he would annoy me with his eyebrows and big head even while he amazed me)
-Horry against the Pistons in Game 5 (culminating with the "Stretch Armstrong" dunk over their entire team)
-Tim Duncan
Timmy D is the boring superstar of the boring Spurs. Whatever. In addition to his trademark bank shot, Duncan had a slew of post moves that not only compensated for his relative lack of athleticism, but gave him an advantage on nearly every big man in the NBA. The notable exception was Shaq, who in his prime was the Duncan Stopper...but even then the Lakers could only put him on Duncan in spurts otherwise they'd risk foul trouble and TD bringing the Big Paint Camper out with his mid range jumper.
Duncan's game has slowed as everyone's has, but he's still effective. In his prime? I haven't seen a post player since be sooo money. The Spurs would throw it to Timmy in the 4th, and let him go to work. At 7ft., with his footwork and moves, he'd overpower smaller frontlines, drive on huge bigs, hit hookshots and "squirt shots", and running hooks in the lane. He can still score, pass, rebound, and block shots...but back then he was the most reliable player in the league on both ends of the floor. Nearly none of his offensive moves were jaw dropping, in fact I rarely saw him swish (Duncan's shots always seemed to hit some iron, and didn't have a lot of arc) inside shots. No flair to the Big Fundamental. He just went to work, and got it done.
My favorite Duncan sequence was against the Nets in the finals, against the tattooed, high-leaping, rim bending, howling, bare chest exposing Kmart. He was an anti-Duncan, in case the previous description's didn't make it clear. Kmart had a very quick spin to his right, from the left block, which he could turn into a flip shot or a dunk. I think he used it effectively on the Walker Wiggle when the Nets played the Celtics. Anyways, the sequences, because there were two, went like this:
1. Kmart catches the ball 8ft. from the basket on the left block, TD at his back.
2. One dribble, and the super quick spin to his right gets him around Duncan's side.
3. My reaction is worried, it's too easy, Kmart is too quick, and he jumps really high REALLY fast (even now, after double knee surgeries, Martin still shows traces of one of the quickest hops around. fast twitch fibers...fast twitch fibers). In other words, I'm sure he's about to dunk it on TD.
4. Kmart explodes off the ground, and the Kmart missile is met, milliseconds after a successful launch, by a Duncan Ceiling. REJECTED!!!
5. Kmart comes back down to earth, dejected.
second sequence:
Repeat steps 1-4, with step 3 now a reaction of eager anticipation for step 4 which of course happens again.
5. Kmart comes back down, screaming at the refs for a foul. Doesn't come.
Tim Duncan was a genius on offense AND defense. He literally let Kmart go by him, and then obliterated his move. Twice. In a row. I liked him immensely every since.
Anyways, TD with his sagging shoulders and puppy-like expression is endearing. As are all these old champions. They are nice guys, all of them, I believe. Part of the San Antonio Spurs culture. Their coach is even nicknamed Pop. Maybe I buy into the marketing of this franchise too much, but I was so happy when they beat their Texas rivals in the first round.
And that's why I'm sad now, because they're down 3-0 to a Suns team that is better. During the regular season, I saw them blow leads and turn the ball over in crunch time. Back in their heyday, a 7 point lead by the Spurs was like a 15 point lead because of their team defense. Not anymore. They are like a grandfather figure of sorts in the NBA, utterly strong and dependable, wise and humble, they trumped doubters many many times. But Father Time's hand continues to rest on shoulders and pass over brows; the sad fact is age claims everyone in the end. The playoff series against the Mavs showed the old men could still fight...but no one comes back from 3-0.
I just hope the Spurs can take one, maybe even two, games from Phoenix. I'm not ready for them to ride out into the sunset. I'm not ready to wave 'bye' to the most dependable NBA team of the decade.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
KG and the Celtics - the berserker's edge
Sparked by a conversation with a buddy who hates, hates, HATES the Celtics and all Boston sports teams/fans. Naturally, he looked at the KG situation with venom, comparing his bluster to that of an aging silverback pushed to the edges of the pack but still beating his chest on the sidelines to let them know he's still in charge.
ESPN, the NBA, and probably every bball fan outside of Massachusetts seems to be in agreement: KG the habitual line stepper, and this cobbled together 2008 championship team, needs to go the way of Old Yeller and be put to rest. KG has a particularly bad case of the rabies, getting into Andray Blatche's ear http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08enzRf8Vug during the regular season (note that I am not a Wizards fan) and sending snarly, stinging elbows to Q Rich (note that in a real fight, I think Q takes KG down at 3-1 odds) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eycPuFmGCdU.
But look at that Game 1 scuffle in a different light. If the Celtics are indeed done, isn't their pugilism, their fight, really their last method of banding together? Not for futility trying to stay relevant, but to survive? It's their rallying cry, for better or worse. Cornered, injured, old, their ubuntu had gone the way of teammates questioning each other's motives as far back as mid-season. It needed to be reignited with a real spark; the spark has been found in reactionary violence as a means to save what little they have left of their championship mettle.
If this is the last ride indeed, and the team is to be blown apart, then I see this team in a different light--not as pathetic bullies, but as marginalized warriors pressed into the corner. KG even sported a band aid over his eye, a badge that covered a physical wound but coupled with his attacks made him appear vulnerable and maybe even a little pitiable. But he's fighting. If you take the elbow seriously, and the barking and glares and trash talk and screams then you know that KG has never lacked passion. He is hurt, by Richardson's disrespect of Pierce, by the media making a joke of his team, and at his teammates and himself and how far they've fallen. He's angry at them all, but especially at Father Time and the inevitable decline of the body that every man must face and learn to deal with. Of course he fights, scrabbles, and scraps. And if you take anything from game 1, it should be Glen Davis's 3 point play, the jubilation, and the return of the Celtics' defense for that quarter and a half to squelch the Heat.
With Boston up on Miami in Game 2, while the grizzled Garnett watches on, Boston has banded together through aggression and passion. I think we ought to be excited to see how long the old band can hold out, and not licking our chops to see their demise.
ESPN, the NBA, and probably every bball fan outside of Massachusetts seems to be in agreement: KG the habitual line stepper, and this cobbled together 2008 championship team, needs to go the way of Old Yeller and be put to rest. KG has a particularly bad case of the rabies, getting into Andray Blatche's ear http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08enzRf8Vug during the regular season (note that I am not a Wizards fan) and sending snarly, stinging elbows to Q Rich (note that in a real fight, I think Q takes KG down at 3-1 odds) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eycPuFmGCdU.
But look at that Game 1 scuffle in a different light. If the Celtics are indeed done, isn't their pugilism, their fight, really their last method of banding together? Not for futility trying to stay relevant, but to survive? It's their rallying cry, for better or worse. Cornered, injured, old, their ubuntu had gone the way of teammates questioning each other's motives as far back as mid-season. It needed to be reignited with a real spark; the spark has been found in reactionary violence as a means to save what little they have left of their championship mettle.
If this is the last ride indeed, and the team is to be blown apart, then I see this team in a different light--not as pathetic bullies, but as marginalized warriors pressed into the corner. KG even sported a band aid over his eye, a badge that covered a physical wound but coupled with his attacks made him appear vulnerable and maybe even a little pitiable. But he's fighting. If you take the elbow seriously, and the barking and glares and trash talk and screams then you know that KG has never lacked passion. He is hurt, by Richardson's disrespect of Pierce, by the media making a joke of his team, and at his teammates and himself and how far they've fallen. He's angry at them all, but especially at Father Time and the inevitable decline of the body that every man must face and learn to deal with. Of course he fights, scrabbles, and scraps. And if you take anything from game 1, it should be Glen Davis's 3 point play, the jubilation, and the return of the Celtics' defense for that quarter and a half to squelch the Heat.
With Boston up on Miami in Game 2, while the grizzled Garnett watches on, Boston has banded together through aggression and passion. I think we ought to be excited to see how long the old band can hold out, and not licking our chops to see their demise.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Some delightful discombobulation!
check out the ghetto league pass: atdhe.net you can watch low quality feeds of any NBA game, any night.
you also sometimes get some interesting sound bytes during the breaks
Celtics vs. Bulls, first quarter break.
Doug Collins's headset apparently having problems:
"i'm all discombobulated"
"when you talk to me i don't like how it sounds"
"testing testing...123"
"doesn't sound the way it normally does"
And he goes on like that, while Kevin Harlan coughs and tries to placate.
Good teamwork!
you also sometimes get some interesting sound bytes during the breaks
Celtics vs. Bulls, first quarter break.
Doug Collins's headset apparently having problems:
"i'm all discombobulated"
"when you talk to me i don't like how it sounds"
"testing testing...123"
"doesn't sound the way it normally does"
And he goes on like that, while Kevin Harlan coughs and tries to placate.
Good teamwork!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Butler's back
Butler is playing with fire now with Arenas gone...coincidence?
Wizards look spry, playing against a Magic team struggling but still powerful.
Wizards look spry, playing against a Magic team struggling but still powerful.
The blown out, grease-stained, out of date Hibachi
It seems a cruel thing to kick a Gilbert when he's down. At least, I won't mention the guns in a closet and the indefinite suspension and the millions he will lose and even the chance at jail time. Again, I won't mention them again.
All D.C. fans are disappointed; the season of promising turn around has gone downhill since an opening 'W' in Dallas and now taken a nosedive with Arenas's foolery. Some are not surprised (Arenas is the NBA's leading prankster) while still disappointed. And then there are the many, many Wizards fans who are disappointed with the team and with the $14+ million a year star player while being EXCITED by the prospect of potentially losing that star forever.
The obvious argument is that, if Arenas's mega contract is voided or the Wizards are able to trade him for expiring TMacs or other players, D.C. will jettison an injury prone clown unfit to take the court in an NBA game. This doesn't, however tell the whole story.
Even before Arenas blew his knee out, he wasn't worth the kind of money given to him by Abe Pollin. Sure, he was a top 5 scorer, fast and strong, and a self-described "layup artist" who could shoot from anywhere on the floor. Anywhere. He had his share of buzzer beaters, the two that stick in my mind being a playoff game winner against the Chicago Bulls in 2005 and the 3 pointer against Milwaukee in the regular season where he famously turned around and began walking away BEFORE the ball dropped through the net. He scored 60 against the Lakers after which the Black Mamba himself said "Gil doesn't have a conscience."
Sexy? Very. His talent was always through the roof. But it's not the injury and his recovery from it that gives me pause, because he's obviously working his way back from a long time off and he has indeed shown flashes of his old Agent Zero self. It's not the off the court stuff. The reason he wasn't worth the money is because Arenas was not a good point guard, on the floor team leader, gave poor defensive effort, and had horrible shot selection.
A franchise player he is not. The best player on a team has to give that team a persona. Kevin Garnett is the howling wolf (sorry Minnesota), defensive minded, passionate player who influences everyone on that Boston team. Even though he can't play like he used to (I miss that unstoppable turn around on the baseline, the jumper released almost behind his head as he fell away) he is that team and he maximizes what he does so that the Celtics can win games. Want a younger example? Brandon Roy, the Lebron James Lite who gets his teammates involved, takes over in the 4th, and plays both ends. Ok, the list of overpaid, max-contract NBA players has more than a few names that stand out, and only in the past year and half have teams began to get really thrifty. But Arenas is not a franchise money guy. He doesn't put a stamp on a winner like the aged KG, nor is he able to harness his prime time skills like Roy, James, Kobe, Wade. Don't even get me started on the fact he's not a point guard.
Back in 2006 I watched Arenas in Orlando. The game was indicative of the Wizards during their "Big 3" "heydey": the Wizards' combo of matador D and 3 streaky scorers meant they could lose or win on any given night. Jameer Nelson made a couple nice plays, including a drive and score on Arenas. There was some jawing. Arenas proceeded to take bad shot after bad shot, driving wildly, not getting calls, isolating on Nelson and firing away early in the shot clock, complaining. The score, which had been back and forth in the first half and beginning of the 3rd, grew for Orlando as the Wiz watched Gilbert one on one them to death.
I was reminded of that game when I caught some of a Phoenix route of Washington last month. Arenas 's shot selection was like a bad Japanese bistro buffet. Shitty raw oysters, old deep fried chicken with sweet sauce, and sushi rolls all rice no fish. He seemed as determined to shoot himself, Butler, and the rest of the squad in all their feet as he was determined to average 20 and 10 at the start of the season.
So those good old days for Washington fans? Compared to those lean years featuring an aging Mitch Richmond and Rod Strickland they must have been like winning a championship. However, when you really look back at them, Charles Barkley was right when he said that team could never really compete on an elite level. And while it wasn't all his fault, Arenas was a huge factor. Sure, the Hibachi could get red hot now and then. Sure, those buzzer beaters were great. But time and again Arenas and the Wiz put themselves in holes they needed to come back from, or let leads slip away. These things that wouldn't have happened had they defended better and been more efficient offensively.
He's a dangerous gun to have, but he's no sheriff...sorry that was terrible. I mean, he can't even holster his weapons properly. He's not even a deputy. He'll go somewhere else and hopefully provide a long range attack next to a true superstar, and while Washingtonians won't want to see the business end of his jumpers, they're eagerly anticipating the Wiz brass running him out of town
All D.C. fans are disappointed; the season of promising turn around has gone downhill since an opening 'W' in Dallas and now taken a nosedive with Arenas's foolery. Some are not surprised (Arenas is the NBA's leading prankster) while still disappointed. And then there are the many, many Wizards fans who are disappointed with the team and with the $14+ million a year star player while being EXCITED by the prospect of potentially losing that star forever.
The obvious argument is that, if Arenas's mega contract is voided or the Wizards are able to trade him for expiring TMacs or other players, D.C. will jettison an injury prone clown unfit to take the court in an NBA game. This doesn't, however tell the whole story.
Even before Arenas blew his knee out, he wasn't worth the kind of money given to him by Abe Pollin. Sure, he was a top 5 scorer, fast and strong, and a self-described "layup artist" who could shoot from anywhere on the floor. Anywhere. He had his share of buzzer beaters, the two that stick in my mind being a playoff game winner against the Chicago Bulls in 2005 and the 3 pointer against Milwaukee in the regular season where he famously turned around and began walking away BEFORE the ball dropped through the net. He scored 60 against the Lakers after which the Black Mamba himself said "Gil doesn't have a conscience."
Sexy? Very. His talent was always through the roof. But it's not the injury and his recovery from it that gives me pause, because he's obviously working his way back from a long time off and he has indeed shown flashes of his old Agent Zero self. It's not the off the court stuff. The reason he wasn't worth the money is because Arenas was not a good point guard, on the floor team leader, gave poor defensive effort, and had horrible shot selection.
A franchise player he is not. The best player on a team has to give that team a persona. Kevin Garnett is the howling wolf (sorry Minnesota), defensive minded, passionate player who influences everyone on that Boston team. Even though he can't play like he used to (I miss that unstoppable turn around on the baseline, the jumper released almost behind his head as he fell away) he is that team and he maximizes what he does so that the Celtics can win games. Want a younger example? Brandon Roy, the Lebron James Lite who gets his teammates involved, takes over in the 4th, and plays both ends. Ok, the list of overpaid, max-contract NBA players has more than a few names that stand out, and only in the past year and half have teams began to get really thrifty. But Arenas is not a franchise money guy. He doesn't put a stamp on a winner like the aged KG, nor is he able to harness his prime time skills like Roy, James, Kobe, Wade. Don't even get me started on the fact he's not a point guard.
Back in 2006 I watched Arenas in Orlando. The game was indicative of the Wizards during their "Big 3" "heydey": the Wizards' combo of matador D and 3 streaky scorers meant they could lose or win on any given night. Jameer Nelson made a couple nice plays, including a drive and score on Arenas. There was some jawing. Arenas proceeded to take bad shot after bad shot, driving wildly, not getting calls, isolating on Nelson and firing away early in the shot clock, complaining. The score, which had been back and forth in the first half and beginning of the 3rd, grew for Orlando as the Wiz watched Gilbert one on one them to death.
I was reminded of that game when I caught some of a Phoenix route of Washington last month. Arenas 's shot selection was like a bad Japanese bistro buffet. Shitty raw oysters, old deep fried chicken with sweet sauce, and sushi rolls all rice no fish. He seemed as determined to shoot himself, Butler, and the rest of the squad in all their feet as he was determined to average 20 and 10 at the start of the season.
So those good old days for Washington fans? Compared to those lean years featuring an aging Mitch Richmond and Rod Strickland they must have been like winning a championship. However, when you really look back at them, Charles Barkley was right when he said that team could never really compete on an elite level. And while it wasn't all his fault, Arenas was a huge factor. Sure, the Hibachi could get red hot now and then. Sure, those buzzer beaters were great. But time and again Arenas and the Wiz put themselves in holes they needed to come back from, or let leads slip away. These things that wouldn't have happened had they defended better and been more efficient offensively.
He's a dangerous gun to have, but he's no sheriff...sorry that was terrible. I mean, he can't even holster his weapons properly. He's not even a deputy. He'll go somewhere else and hopefully provide a long range attack next to a true superstar, and while Washingtonians won't want to see the business end of his jumpers, they're eagerly anticipating the Wiz brass running him out of town
Friday, December 18, 2009
The Dream Shake
“The Dream Shake…they know you’re going to turn…but they don’t know where, and when.”
-Hakeem Olajuwon
-Hakeem Olajuwon
If you had to use one word to describe basketball, you ought to use ‘creativity.’ The sport has been described as jazz. There is no other popular sport that offers the chance for so much manipulation of the ball, free wheeling movement, and thus a chance for players to put their own stamps on the game. Mid-air creativity a la Dwyane Wade is gorgeous, and spontaneous. The pinpoint dishes of Steve Nash and Chris Paul are passes perfectly designed no matter the hurricane of bodies swirling around them. But one move stands out the most to me, a move crafted and honed and multi layered: the Dream Shake.
You don’t have to be a Houston Rocket fan to love the Dream and his signature move. The fakes, the swaying fall-away jumper, pivots, the whole “go one way and then sweep back around and THEN sweep back AGAIN” for an open layup? No one since Kevin McHale made so many big men in the NBA look so foolish. Not by dunking on them for a poster shot, but by making them the unwitting (and unwilling) partner in a graceful dance they didn’t know the steps to. Hakeem’s defense is also legendary (all time blocks leader) and if you look at his playoff versus career numbers you can see that his points, rebounds, blocks, assists, and percentages all rise from great to better when the games count the most.
Of course, numbers are numbers (and Wilt holds them all) and there have been many great big men who could fill it up, or change the game on D, or both. The thing with Hakeem, though, was the style with which he did it, and that’s why we named the website Dream Shakers.
At the beginning of the 94-95 Western Conference Finals, the NBA awarded the regular season MVP to David Robinson, who had led his Spurs to the best record with these averages: 27.6ppg, 11rpg, 3apg, 3.2bpg, 53%fg, 77%ft. The Spurs were 62-20.
Hakeem had averaged 27.8ppg, 11rpg, 3.5apg, 3.36bpg, 52%fg, 76%ft. The Rockets were 47-35.
Comparable individual numbers, yes. But it was a no brainer when you looked at that one number: the teams’ records, clearly David Robinson deserved the award as he’d led his team to the best record. When the teams met in the playoffs, this happened:
Robinson: 23.8ppg, 11.3rpg, 2.7apg, 2.2bpg, 45%fg, 79%ft
Olajuwon: 35.3ppg, 12.5rpg, 5apg, 4.2bpg, 55%fg, 82.5%ft
The Rockets won in 6 games and went on to sweep the Orlando Magic in the Finals. Bill Simmons has described in detail the significance of Hakeem, in subsequent seasons, vanquishing his rivals (Ewing, O’Neal, Robinson) who make up some of the best centers of all time. Drexler said in the interview that it was awe-inspiring to watch Hakeem’s performance in that series, particularly with the pressure and stakes involved. Isn’t that, then what the real greats do? Jordan destroyed anyone and everyone who was ever conceived by pundits and fans as a worthy rival. That included Drexler. There’s a quote in that youtube clip that reads something like: “Rockets drafted Hakeem ahead of Jordan, and you know what? Not an ounce of regret from Houston on that one. Great player.”
One thing I left out was David Robinson’s dominance on made and shot free throws- he made 55 to Olajuwon’s 25. The reason for this is a prime example of Hakeem’s wonderful playing rather than a knock on his game: Robinson and the Spurs couldn’t touch the Dream.
Today, more centers are built for power, size, and athleticism. Some have a move. Dwight Howard has the faceup and drive, a quick spin after he takes a step, and the finish with the dunk or short shot. Dwight has correctly been called a man without a go to move because all of the above are not something he can utilize effectively when his team really needs a bucket. His bullying style is successful because he’s so big, strong, and athletic: he often can get a good look close to the rim or get fouled. But that lack of a soft touch and a dependable post move hurt him: he’s all bayonet, no rifle. Hakeem, on the other hand, had multiple weapons applicable in many situations: “He’s got about five moves, then four countermoves…that gives him 20 moves.” Shaquille O’Neal, the modern day most physically imposing center in basketball, deadpanned that. Dwight Howard, in some ways a more athletic splicing of Shaq and Robinson but as good as neither, makes the highlights with dunks and blocks unleashed with ferocity. These things, however, are replicated by Josh Smith, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, LeBron James, Chris Andersen… and the list goes on. At best, he can dunk and block more than anyone, good but not great.
The fluidity, the smoothness, the cleverness, these were the aspects of the shake. They made Hakeem, holder of numbers and awards to rival most NBA stars throughout, something special.
{sources- nba.com, basketball-reference.com}
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