DaRizzle

Better comprehending a post before attacking, questioning, etc...

Im just saying sometimes people read what they "want" to read. This is all speaking in general, not you.

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Boob-No-More

That's pretty funny as even at a much younger age Kareem (on the Lakers) trailed the players who trailed the players who trailed the play up the court. That didn't keep either one from being effective, even into the twilight of their careers.

Wise move by Happy. It's not like he could have out muscled Wilt, the greatest rebounder in NBA history, for a rebound even if he'd wanted to. Those last couple years with the Lakers, Wilt focused less on scoring (those Laker teams has so many offensive weapons). Instead he focused on rebounding, defense and other ways to help his team win. Right up to his final two seasons with the Lakers, at 35 and 36 years old, he continued to lead the league in rebounding and FG% and still averaged over 4 APG. It's too bad they didn't record blocked shots back then. Even at the end of his career, Wilt was an amazing shot blocker. I'm pretty sure he's the only player to ever block Kareem's sky hook - twice in the '72 WCF at the age of 35.

Yes, young Lew/Kareem was an amazing talent, but Wilt got the last laugh that year. Thanks to his defense on Kareem in that WCF series, the Lakers beat the Bucks in six games and went on to win the title with the 35 year old Wilt taking home the finals MVP award.

BNM

Hector

You know Boob, you're too old to learn new tricks, but if you wrote in just a tad less of a snickering, bullying style, I might be able to communicate with you. With the 1970s increase in the fast break style causing winded centers, old centers like Wilt set the tone for lagging down the court and younger Jabbar soon followed that precedent. As long as they carefully picked their spots, it didn't affect effectiveness, but sometimes 5 on 4 cost a basket. Today as the whole team waddles across the court while the dribbler doesn't look for the long pass, the center never gets winded. And Hairston often did outrebound Chamberlain, due to position. Yet if Hairston had 80% of the rebound and Chamberlain 20%, Hairston practically handed it to him.

Boob-No-More

My writing style is neither meant to be snickering nor bullying. I admit it's rather direct and when I disagree with someone, I'm not afraid to say so. I put more effort into the content than the prose. Perhaps if I was writing for publication and being paid by the word I'd "friendly" it up a bit. But for writing in this forum, it is what it is.

And on those running teams the center's role was NOT to run down court and fill a lane on the break. It was to grab the defensive rebound and make the outlet pass that initiated the break. Wilt was great at this, as was Walton. Kareem was a pretty darn good rebounder early in his career, too but tapered off significantly as he aged.

This is not directed at you, but I remember some posters whining that the Blazers could never be a running team as long as they had Sabonis at center. This was, of course, total BS. You don't need five gazelles to run an effective fast break. You need a good defensive rebounding big man who can make an outlet pass. You need a PG who can push the ball and make the right split second decisions and get the ball in the hands of the right teammate at the right time and place. You need one, or ideally two athletic wings who can get down court and fill the right and left side lanes and finish at the rim. And you need a good shooting trailer for the times when both wings are covered. In this situation, it doesn't matter if the center lags the play down the court.

In fact, it's usually better if he does trail the play. One of the reasons the showtime Lakers were so effective is they had the right combination of players to run the break, PLUS when the break wasn't there they waited for Kareem to mosey down the court to set-up their half-court offense - which usually meant getting the ball in Kareem's hands for the always reliable, almost unstoppable sky hook. They had a GREAT running team AND a GREAT half-court offense all at the same time without changing personnel.

BNM