Chamberlain, Russell, Jabbar, Malone, Ewing, Olajuwon, Shaq, Duncan, KG...?
I think David Stern should put up a "Help Wanted" sign in the front offices somwhere. The NBA is desperately in need of big men to carry the torch. Other than the fading Tim Duncan and KG, there a only a few guys who have the potential to be in the same breath as the giants who set the standard...
1) Dwight Howard is the best player...ever? Imagine the perfect combination of strength, speed, and leaping ability coupled with a basketball IQ that increases exponentially with ever game he plays. He is a 6'11, 265 pound monster. Here he is in his FOURTH pro season (out of high school no less), averaging 23 and 15, and controlling the game at both ends of the court. As a defender he needs some work, but still has the ability to play with a certain amount of nonchalance and challenge almost every shot that goes up in the paint. The thing that is so impressive about Howard is that he only has seemed to scratch the surface of what his athleticism allows him to do. Too add some minutia, if there are any of you INSANE people left who think the Magic made the wrong decision in taking Howard over Okafor, allow me to refer you back to their meeting earlier this month. Okafor put in a solid effort with 16 and 12. Howard contributed 33 and 18 (and 4 blocks to Okafor's 0) for his Magic, who won the game. If he continues his pace (Malone averaged 25 and 10 for his career), I would go as far as to say that with a mean streak, an altered free throw stroke (61% for his career), and a bit of a touch from 17 feet (which I feel he can easily develop), it wouldn't be a stretch to say that Dwight Howard would among the game's elites.
2)For those of you loyal NBA fans (are there any left?) who escaped your "I only want to see you when you have gifts for me" relatives and watched the Christmas day Lakers game, you saw the coming out party of the Lakers budding star, Andrew Bynum. To the delight of Jack Nicholson and Lakers fans everywhere (because they are everywhere for some reason), Bynum showed toughness and a strong post-presence (something that they've recently relied on the likes of Kwame Brown and Mark Madsen for, and thus lacked). In what was the best game of his young career, Bynum shot 11 of 13 for 28 points and grabbed 12 boards (8 of them offensive). It's this kind of pure efficiency (63 FG% on the year) out of post-players that the NBA lacks across the board. It is a lot easier for guys to be able to come up and shoot the ball well or be a creative slasher, but in the contemporary NBA (aside from Tim Duncan), to be able to craft the majority of your game with your back to the basket is almost a lost art. Bynum is just now starting to realize how to use his 7 foot frame, and as he puts on weight, his game will do nothing but expand. So you think that because he is playing running mate to the black (not meant racially) hole that is Kobe Bryant, the kid will never be able to develop right? Wrong. Kobe's propensity to pass the ball aside, this kid already has the swagger it will take to succeed at the highest level. Already this season he has been known to call for the ball in late game situations. When you are on the court with the arguably the best scorer in the history of the game (Kobe became the youngest player to score 20,000 points last week), and can still demand the rock, it's saying you have marbles, if nothing else. Also, as of late, Kobe has started to stray away from his super ball-hog mentality (that was responsible for getting handled by Detroit in the 2004 finals, and dismantling what had the potential to be the greatest dynasty in NBA history). His awareness has increased a ton as he now PASSES the ball when he gets triple team. The beneficiary? Bynum (who is second in the league in dunks).
As we sift through the Brendan Haywoods, Anderson Varejaos, Andrew Boguts and Udonis Haslems of the NBA, we search desperately for the game's next dominant big man. For now, Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum, you have clowns to the left of you, jokers to the right, and we're Stuck in the Middle with You.
Stay tuned for the next edition in which we'll discuss Dactyl-to-be Chris Bosh and the semi-proven Yao Ming.
Musical Score:
Stealer's Wheel-Stuck in the Middle With You
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
seriously...kobe/shaq lakers were farrrrr from being considered the best dynasty (see Russell, Bill and Jordan, Michael) and don't forget Al Jefferson. AJ is averaging like 20 pts and 12 reb and is only 2 years older than bynum. Anyways a much better read than three's company.
Post a Comment