KillWill

and other historical tidbits.
http://slamonline.com/online/2008/01...o-kobe-bryant/

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"Some people, they play the piano. And some people, they move the piano."

-O. Schmidt

JPSeraph

Interesting article. Not very analytical in nature, but a great set of interview quotes. Thanks for posting!

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On a given day, in a given circumstance, you think you have a limit...

jericho

I definitely think of Baylor as being the first really notable "slasher" - at least of the high-flying variety. Then Hawkins, then Erving.

BadBaronRudigor

Baylor wasn't really a slasher though. Great dunker but did it more on short moves from the post or wing using his quickness and leaping ability. In those days, anyone that tried flying down the lane got their knees cut out by the enforcers. Every team had a Rick Mahorn type or two. Same with Hawkins as a pro; on the fast break he was a bigger more athletic James Worthy but they didn't set up for him to flash the lanes . . . Erving really was a prototype because the defense and rules had loosened up due to the emergence of the 3 point shot (didn't really have much place in early Hawkins era ABA). Now if Hawkins had played today, then you'd have had the showcase drives he made famous on the playgrounds of NY because the rules wouldn't let people touch him.

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jericho

Good point, Baron. The "slashers" and "skywalkers" are often muddled together. Actually, the first player I remember being referred to specifically as a slasher per se was Reggie Lewis, back in the day.

JPSeraph

I guess that distinction kind of goes in hand with what Phil said:

“No. Doc had those great hands. He had the ability to do a lot of the stuff he did with one hand out there. He had that sweeping move where he would hook and drive to the basket. Kobe has been more of a slasher and more of a shooter perhaps than Doc was. The three-point line has changed a lot of that.”

How we define "slasher" ends up determining who we'd have to consider a slasher.

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On a given day, in a given circumstance, you think you have a limit...

Air Jordan 23

Interesting article, but I gotta take issue with Sonny Hill on one thing he was quoted on:


We already know how MJ and Bird would do in the handcheck era--they acutally PLAYED in that era.