DewNO
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I feel like we're missing from this discussion that JaVale McGee is possibly the most physically athletic player in the league. The things he can do aren't just "amazing potential" they're actively, actually amazing. He can do things with the ball that no one else on Earth can do. His length, hops, and wingspan make for one of the most terrifying single-possession players in the league, and possibly in the history of the league. Isn't that alone worth paying attention to? I love to watch Ray Allen or Anthony Morrow in their craft as a good shooter. That's really special. Focus, proprioception, angle, mental toughness, tenacity, all in one package. As a certified curmudgeon I love those things, and I love the game of basketball. But no one else can do what JaVale McGee does, quite the way he does it.
The fact that there's kind of a story, a character, an ethos behind McGee's peculiar brand of athleticism, and that there's kind of a "curse" to the "gift" is fantastic and interesting, but ultimately it's just gravy on a delicious, delicious steak of jaw-dropping, unfathomable athleticism, even when compared to some of the best athletes in the world.
Hmm, interesting, but I would argue that coaches are the most loaded "position" in the NBA. Popovich and D'Antoni stand out because they are world class. I think there is plenty of innovation in the coaching profession. But with roster turnover, ingrained habits, an "arms war" of athletic defensive wings, and rules that favor the pick and roll and speedy point guards on the dribble... I think GMs end up choosing not safe and uninnovative but stable and contextually innovative, coaches like Mike Brown that (for example) can get any team to defensive excellence
Like, Doug Collins did a great job with the unconventional Philly roster even though it was kind of flawed, and you could say the same about George Karl, Doc Rivers, Keith Smart, Tom Thibodeau, and Frank Vogel. All loaded teams in one sense or the other, but also flawed teams that required versatility and a coach's guiding hand. You can make more than quibbles about each of them: Thibodeau's offense always looks stilted, Vogel never seemed to get them to take full advantage, Boston's offense was awful, and George Karl didn't use Ken Faried nearly enough (and totally choked in the playoffs, imo; it took him way too long to deploy their elite combo of Andre Miller-Ty Lawson in Game 7).
Still, I don't know that any of that has to do with innovation.
Awesome. Great breakdown.
Great idea. Also, an extra .5 assists on assisted 3-pointers would really complete the picture, at least as far as this single stat is concerned.
Whoa. This is awesome.
This is a fun article, and I agree, it was definitely worth it. But the back-to-back-to-backs were caused by choosing 66 games instead of, say, 50-55 games in the same amount of time and starting the season too soon and because the lockout absurdly prevented team trainers and players from making contact. It wasn't because of a Faustian bargain. The handling of the lockout was extremely poor, and the structure of the league that causes lockouts and causes them to be so specifically destructive is the problem imo.
Listen, I am the biggest fan of David Robinson and Tim Duncan you'll ever find - and George Gervin seems like maybe the coolest cat in the history of the league. But if you changed the list to four Manu Ginobilis and then asked that same question "Disagree with us?" I wouldn't have to figure out how to comment on this site.