SFCityBear said:

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01Bear said:

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helltopay1 said:

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Dear Bearman: I looked him up. Scouts were not thrilled with his shooting technique. One scout said that this aspect of his game can be taught.. maybe. I sure hope so...If not, he will be undersized PF. Just like Kelly.

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Yeah, in the first video, he has a very low release point with a low/flat arc on his shot. It also looks like it takes him a while to get the ball in position for his release, but once it's there, there's a quick release.

If he were to work on rebuilding his shot, it should be possible. But he would need a really good shooting coach. I wonder if Larry Bird is available (I'm a die hard Lakers fan and hated the Celtics, but I respect the heck out of Larry Bird).

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He could be an exception. Cazzie Russell was a terrific shooter with a low release and a line drive shot. He was uncanny - and very unusual. I wouldn't want to mess with a guy's stroke if he keeps getting the ball in the basket, no matter what that stroke looks like. It is when you get a Wallace or a Singer, who could not find the basket with a hunting dog, that you think about rebuilding a shot from scratch.

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I agree....Cazzie wasn't the only good shooter with little arc....a local flat shooter was Joe Ellis....He shot the ball as flat as anyone I've ever seen and Phil Chenier had little arc on his shot either.....no need to rebuild Ajakili's shot.....I saw Wallace several times when he was in HS and he didn't even shoot from outside since it was fairly easy for him to drive to the hoop but when he got here and I saw his shot, I complained for 4 years about getting his shot fixed.....Alajiki's shot, from my observations of the highlights, is not that bad at all including the trajectory...I saw several of his shots from deep that seemed to have a soft touch as they bounced off rim before going down.....that doesn't happen if you shoot it too flat....I continue to think he is going to be just fine when he gets here.....He does have another year to improve and as far as taking too long to get the shot off, that can be because he HAD the time to set up so he used it...... he transferred to a top east coast program so he should be getting good coaching.....

SFCityBear said:

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01Bear said:

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helltopay1 said:

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Dear Bearman: I looked him up. Scouts were not thrilled with his shooting technique. One scout said that this aspect of his game can be taught.. maybe. I sure hope so...If not, he will be undersized PF. Just like Kelly.

---

Yeah, in the first video, he has a very low release point with a low/flat arc on his shot. It also looks like it takes him a while to get the ball in position for his release, but once it's there, there's a quick release.

If he were to work on rebuilding his shot, it should be possible. But he would need a really good shooting coach. I wonder if Larry Bird is available (I'm a die hard Lakers fan and hated the Celtics, but I respect the heck out of Larry Bird).

---

He could be an exception. Cazzie Russell was a terrific shooter with a low release and a line drive shot. He was uncanny - and very unusual. I wouldn't want to mess with a guy's stroke if he keeps getting the ball in the basket, no matter what that stroke looks like. It is when you get a Wallace or a Singer, who could not find the basket with a hunting dog, that you think about rebuilding a shot from scratch.

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I'm unfamiliar with Cazzie Russell, but I take your point. It's a fair point.

I have never seen Sam play in person, so I'm going strictly off his (highlights) video. I do wonder what his shooting percentages from behind the arc and at the free throw line are, though. That will probably provide more information on his shot than can be gleaned from these videos.

bearmanpg said:

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SFCityBear said:

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01Bear said:

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helltopay1 said:

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Dear Bearman: I looked him up. Scouts were not thrilled with his shooting technique. One scout said that this aspect of his game can be taught.. maybe. I sure hope so...If not, he will be undersized PF. Just like Kelly.

---

Yeah, in the first video, he has a very low release point with a low/flat arc on his shot. It also looks like it takes him a while to get the ball in position for his release, but once it's there, there's a quick release.

If he were to work on rebuilding his shot, it should be possible. But he would need a really good shooting coach. I wonder if Larry Bird is available (I'm a die hard Lakers fan and hated the Celtics, but I respect the heck out of Larry Bird).

---

He could be an exception. Cazzie Russell was a terrific shooter with a low release and a line drive shot. He was uncanny - and very unusual. I wouldn't want to mess with a guy's stroke if he keeps getting the ball in the basket, no matter what that stroke looks like. It is when you get a Wallace or a Singer, who could not find the basket with a hunting dog, that you think about rebuilding a shot from scratch.

---

I agree....Cazzie wasn't the only good shooter with little arc....a local flat shooter was Joe Ellis....He shot the ball as flat as anyone I've ever seen and Phil Chenier had little arc on his shot either.....no need to rebuild Ajakili's shot.....I saw Wallace several times when he was in HS and he didn't even shoot from outside since it was fairly easy for him to drive to the hoop but when he got here and I saw his shot, I complained for 4 years about getting his shot fixed.....Alajiki's shot, from my observations of the highlights, is not that bad at all including the trajectory...I saw several of his shots from deep that seemed to have a soft touch as they bounced off rim before going down.....that doesn't happen if you shoot it too flat....I continue to think he is going to be just fine when he gets here.....He does have another year to improve and as far as taking too long to get the shot off, that can be because he HAD the time to set up so he used it...... he transferred to a top east coast program so he should be getting good coaching.....

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Fair points. I hope that Sam will prove to be an excellent shooter at Cal.

I'm actually happy to land him. Happy with Roberson too. Now---about that last spot???.

Agreed. Alajiki is currently far more explosive than Kelly. We'll see whether that changes as he gets older and his body experiences physical maturity.

Agree he possesses developed skills, particularly, his perimeter shooting. His range and accuracy are particularly notable. The level of his competition could possibly be questioned, but his play reflects good coaching and a high hoops IQ.

01Bear said:

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SFCityBear said:

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01Bear said:

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helltopay1 said:

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Dear Bearman: I looked him up. Scouts were not thrilled with his shooting technique. One scout said that this aspect of his game can be taught.. maybe. I sure hope so...If not, he will be undersized PF. Just like Kelly.

---

Yeah, in the first video, he has a very low release point with a low/flat arc on his shot. It also looks like it takes him a while to get the ball in position for his release, but once it's there, there's a quick release.

If he were to work on rebuilding his shot, it should be possible. But he would need a really good shooting coach. I wonder if Larry Bird is available (I'm a die hard Lakers fan and hated the Celtics, but I respect the heck out of Larry Bird).

---

He could be an exception. Cazzie Russell was a terrific shooter with a low release and a line drive shot. He was uncanny - and very unusual. I wouldn't want to mess with a guy's stroke if he keeps getting the ball in the basket, no matter what that stroke looks like. It is when you get a Wallace or a Singer, who could not find the basket with a hunting dog, that you think about rebuilding a shot from scratch.

---

I'm unfamiliar with Cazzie Russell, but I take your point. It's a fair point.

I have never seen Sam play in person, so I'm going strictly off his (highlights) video. I do wonder what his shooting percentages from behind the arc and at the free throw line are, though. That will probably provide more information on his shot than can be gleaned from these videos.

---

Cazzie Russell was the national high school player of the year in 1962, a high school all-American, a 3 year starter for the University of Michigan, where they won 3 Big Ten titles and made 2 trips to the Final Four, losing to John Wooden and UCLA in the Final game in 1965. In college, he was a three-time consensus all-American, and averaged 27 points and 8.5 rebounds as a small forward and a guard. In 1966, he averaged 32 points per game, and was named AP national player of the year.

Russell was drafted by the Knicks where he averaged 13 points and would help them win the NBA title in 1970, where he was 6th man. He got traded to the Warriors in 1971, and averaged 21 points in 1972 and 1974. He signed with Lakers and played 3 years with them, and then a year with the Bulls. Over his NBA career, he averaged 15 points, shooting 46%, and averaged 83% on his free throws.

I couldn't find much game video of Russell, but here is a video of a game of horse, with Cazzie competing with Oscar Robertson, Calvin Murphy, Adrian Smith, and Jack Marin. Because each player shoots the same shots from the same spots, you can really see how much flatter Cazzie's trajectory was, compared to the arcs of the other competitors. His free throws had a very flat trajectory.

bearmanpg said:

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SFCityBear said:

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01Bear said:

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helltopay1 said:

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Dear Bearman: I looked him up. Scouts were not thrilled with his shooting technique. One scout said that this aspect of his game can be taught.. maybe. I sure hope so...If not, he will be undersized PF. Just like Kelly.

---

Yeah, in the first video, he has a very low release point with a low/flat arc on his shot. It also looks like it takes him a while to get the ball in position for his release, but once it's there, there's a quick release.

If he were to work on rebuilding his shot, it should be possible. But he would need a really good shooting coach. I wonder if Larry Bird is available (I'm a die hard Lakers fan and hated the Celtics, but I respect the heck out of Larry Bird).

---

He could be an exception. Cazzie Russell was a terrific shooter with a low release and a line drive shot. He was uncanny - and very unusual. I wouldn't want to mess with a guy's stroke if he keeps getting the ball in the basket, no matter what that stroke looks like. It is when you get a Wallace or a Singer, who could not find the basket with a hunting dog, that you think about rebuilding a shot from scratch.

---

I agree....Cazzie wasn't the only good shooter with little arc....a local flat shooter was Joe Ellis....He shot the ball as flat as anyone I've ever seen and Phil Chenier had little arc on his shot either.....no need to rebuild Ajakili's shot.....I saw Wallace several times when he was in HS and he didn't even shoot from outside since it was fairly easy for him to drive to the hoop but when he got here and I saw his shot, I complained for 4 years about getting his shot fixed.....Alajiki's shot, from my observations of the highlights, is not that bad at all including the trajectory...I saw several of his shots from deep that seemed to have a soft touch as they bounced off rim before going down.....that doesn't happen if you shoot it too flat....I continue to think he is going to be just fine when he gets here.....He does have another year to improve and as far as taking too long to get the shot off, that can be because he HAD the time to set up so he used it...... he transferred to a top east coast program so he should be getting good coaching.....

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I agree. He looks like a player to me. Glad we have his commitment.

SFCityBear said:

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01Bear said:

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SFCityBear said:

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01Bear said:

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helltopay1 said:

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Dear Bearman: I looked him up. Scouts were not thrilled with his shooting technique. One scout said that this aspect of his game can be taught.. maybe. I sure hope so...If not, he will be undersized PF. Just like Kelly.

---

Yeah, in the first video, he has a very low release point with a low/flat arc on his shot. It also looks like it takes him a while to get the ball in position for his release, but once it's there, there's a quick release.

If he were to work on rebuilding his shot, it should be possible. But he would need a really good shooting coach. I wonder if Larry Bird is available (I'm a die hard Lakers fan and hated the Celtics, but I respect the heck out of Larry Bird).

---

He could be an exception. Cazzie Russell was a terrific shooter with a low release and a line drive shot. He was uncanny - and very unusual. I wouldn't want to mess with a guy's stroke if he keeps getting the ball in the basket, no matter what that stroke looks like. It is when you get a Wallace or a Singer, who could not find the basket with a hunting dog, that you think about rebuilding a shot from scratch.

---

I'm unfamiliar with Cazzie Russell, but I take your point. It's a fair point.

I have never seen Sam play in person, so I'm going strictly off his (highlights) video. I do wonder what his shooting percentages from behind the arc and at the free throw line are, though. That will probably provide more information on his shot than can be gleaned from these videos.

---

Cazzie Russell was the national high school player of the year in 1962, a high school all-American, a 3 year starter for the University of Michigan, where they won 3 Big Ten titles and made 2 trips to the Final Four, losing to John Wooden and UCLA in the Final game in 1965. In college, he was a three-time consensus all-American, and averaged 27 points and 8.5 rebounds as a small forward and a guard. In 1966, he averaged 32 points per game, and was named AP national player of the year.

Russell was drafted by the Knicks where he averaged 13 points and would help them win the NBA title in 1970, where he was 6th man. He got traded to the Warriors in 1971, and averaged 21 points in 1972 and 1974. He signed with Lakers and played 3 years with them, and then a year with the Bulls. Over his NBA career, he averaged 15 points, shooting 46%, and averaged 83% on his free throws.

I couldn't find much game video of Russell, but here is a video of a game of horse, with Cazzie competing with Oscar Robertson, Calvin Murphy, Adrian Smith, and Jack Marin. Because each player shoots the same shots from the same spots, you can really see how much flatter Cazzie's trajectory was, compared to the arcs of the other competitors. His free throws had a very flat trajectory.

---

SFCityBear (or anyone else who got to see Oscar Robertson play live), which modern (1980s era onward) player most resembled him in terms of style of play? Would that be Magic Johnson, Russell Westbrook, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, John Stockton, or someone else? I ask just so I can have a better frame of reference to understand how good he was. I know that the highlight films for my personal basketball hero (Magic Johnson) tend to capture only one side of his game (his incredible passing skills), they really don't tend to show his basketball IQ. This is even more true for someone like Larry Bird whose athletic abilities were about par or subpar for a NBA player of the time but whose skills (especially his shooting) and basketball IQ were outstanding. The highlights of his games really don't show how devastating he was as a player.

Also as far as the SF/PF argument, I am a firm believer in adjusting your lineup and strategy to get your best talent on the floor. We have a lot of wings: Roberson, Celestine, Bowser, Hyder, Klonarias....are all smaller. Given our deficiencies on the frontline I definitely could see Kuany and/or Alajiki (7'2" wing span at 17 years old) at the 4, especially with continued growth and with strength training. The fact that they may be good outside shooters would be a benefit.

calumnus said:

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Also as far as the SF/PF argument, I am a firm believer in adjusting your lineup and strategy to get your best talent on the floor. Given our deficiencies on the frontline I definitely could see Kuany and/or Sam (7'2" wing span at 17 years old) at the 4, especially with continued growth and with strength training. The fact that they may be good outside shooters would be a benefit.

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Agreed.

Also, given the direction the professional game has been headed (in no small part thanks to the Warriors and to the Rockets' former GM Daryl Morey), I suspect more "undersized" players will be playing the 4 and possibly even 5 in not just the NBA but also the college game. I expect Coach Fox will understand how the game has evolved and will adapt, including utilizing some of the taller or bigger wing players and having them play in the post every now and again (at a minimum). Of course, if Cal can land a dominant traditional 4 or 5, I expect Coach Fox to utilize lineups built around that player.

I prefer 5 good players who aren't big to 5 big players who aren't good.

stu said:

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I prefer 5 good players who aren't big to 5 big players who aren't good.

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I'm not sure anyone ever suggested those were (the only) options. Personally, I'd prefer 13-15 great players (who were also dedicated students) ranging in size from about 6'2 to 7'6".

01Bear said:

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SFCityBear said:

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01Bear said:

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SFCityBear said:

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01Bear said:

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helltopay1 said:

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Dear Bearman: I looked him up. Scouts were not thrilled with his shooting technique. One scout said that this aspect of his game can be taught.. maybe. I sure hope so...If not, he will be undersized PF. Just like Kelly.

---

Yeah, in the first video, he has a very low release point with a low/flat arc on his shot. It also looks like it takes him a while to get the ball in position for his release, but once it's there, there's a quick release.

If he were to work on rebuilding his shot, it should be possible. But he would need a really good shooting coach. I wonder if Larry Bird is available (I'm a die hard Lakers fan and hated the Celtics, but I respect the heck out of Larry Bird).

---

He could be an exception. Cazzie Russell was a terrific shooter with a low release and a line drive shot. He was uncanny - and very unusual. I wouldn't want to mess with a guy's stroke if he keeps getting the ball in the basket, no matter what that stroke looks like. It is when you get a Wallace or a Singer, who could not find the basket with a hunting dog, that you think about rebuilding a shot from scratch.

---

I'm unfamiliar with Cazzie Russell, but I take your point. It's a fair point.

I have never seen Sam play in person, so I'm going strictly off his (highlights) video. I do wonder what his shooting percentages from behind the arc and at the free throw line are, though. That will probably provide more information on his shot than can be gleaned from these videos.

---

Cazzie Russell was the national high school player of the year in 1962, a high school all-American, a 3 year starter for the University of Michigan, where they won 3 Big Ten titles and made 2 trips to the Final Four, losing to John Wooden and UCLA in the Final game in 1965. In college, he was a three-time consensus all-American, and averaged 27 points and 8.5 rebounds as a small forward and a guard. In 1966, he averaged 32 points per game, and was named AP national player of the year.

Russell was drafted by the Knicks where he averaged 13 points and would help them win the NBA title in 1970, where he was 6th man. He got traded to the Warriors in 1971, and averaged 21 points in 1972 and 1974. He signed with Lakers and played 3 years with them, and then a year with the Bulls. Over his NBA career, he averaged 15 points, shooting 46%, and averaged 83% on his free throws.

I couldn't find much game video of Russell, but here is a video of a game of horse, with Cazzie competing with Oscar Robertson, Calvin Murphy, Adrian Smith, and Jack Marin. Because each player shoots the same shots from the same spots, you can really see how much flatter Cazzie's trajectory was, compared to the arcs of the other competitors. His free throws had a very flat trajectory.

---

SFCityBear (or anyone else who got to see Oscar Robertson play live), which modern (1980s era onward) player most resembled him in terms of style of play? Would that be Magic Johnson, Russell Westbrook, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, John Stockton, or someone else? I ask just so I can have a better frame of reference to understand how good he was. I know that the highlight films for my personal basketball hero (Magic Johnson) tend to capture only one side of his game (his incredible passing skills), they really don't tend to show his basketball IQ. This is even more true for someone like Larry Bird whose athletic abilities were about par or subpar for a NBA player of the time but whose skills (especially his shooting) and basketball IQ were outstanding. The highlights of his games really don't show how devastating he was as a player.

---

That's a difficult question. The rules were so much tougher in Oscar's day, that few players could dominate with just athleticism. I saw Oscar live in person only once, at the Cow Palace in the NCAA semifinal game against Cal in 1960. At the time Cal was ranked #1 in the UPI Poll, and Cincinnati was rated #1 in the AP Poll. Oscar was averaging 34 points a game, but it was a real dogfight, and our Bears held Oscar to just 18 points, on 4 of 16 from the floor. The Cal starting five played nearly the entire game, with Tandy Gillis doing a tremendous job guarding Robertson, with some help inside of course, but at the end of the game, Cal was completely gassed, especially Imhoff, who had a cold, and they fell flat the following night against Ohio State in the NCAA Final. Imagine having to play the NCAA semi-final and final on back-to-back nights - another reason it is hard to compare players of the past with the modern players.

I did get to see quite a few of Cincinnati's games on TV though. College basketball on TV was in its infancy in 1960, but every Saturday they showed Missouri Valley Conference games, and Oscar (who was the best player in the nation) was featured in most of the games.

I doubt there has been another player like Oscar. He might have been comparable to Magic, in that they both had so many skills. Oscar's teams did not fast-break as much as Magic's teams, but I think Oscar was the better defender. My favorite matchup in the NBA was Oscar Robertson vs KC Jones of the Celtics, where you had the best offensive guard in the league going against the best defensive guard in the league. KC would get inside Oscar's jersey, and made him work harder than anyone, and slowed him a little, but Oscar still got his points and his wins, even against KC and the Celtics. That made me appreciate Tandy Gillis and Bob Dalton (who held Oscar to 19 points on 5 of 16 shooting in the 1959 NCAA Semifinal) even more. And of course, Pete Newell's strategy had a lot to do with our wins over Cincy and Oscar.

As to what modern player most resembles Oscar, we might want to ask Southbender, if he is still paying attention to this board. He played against Oscar in high school, and might have an idea or two about what modern players resemble Oscar the most.

The only rap against Oscar was he didn't play defense because he wanted to conserve his strength for offense. but Fred LaCour played against him and he told me that " Oscar played defense when he wanted to."

SFCityBear said:

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01Bear said:

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SFCityBear said:

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01Bear said:

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SFCityBear said:

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01Bear said:

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helltopay1 said:

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Dear Bearman: I looked him up. Scouts were not thrilled with his shooting technique. One scout said that this aspect of his game can be taught.. maybe. I sure hope so...If not, he will be undersized PF. Just like Kelly.

---

Yeah, in the first video, he has a very low release point with a low/flat arc on his shot. It also looks like it takes him a while to get the ball in position for his release, but once it's there, there's a quick release.

If he were to work on rebuilding his shot, it should be possible. But he would need a really good shooting coach. I wonder if Larry Bird is available (I'm a die hard Lakers fan and hated the Celtics, but I respect the heck out of Larry Bird).

---

He could be an exception. Cazzie Russell was a terrific shooter with a low release and a line drive shot. He was uncanny - and very unusual. I wouldn't want to mess with a guy's stroke if he keeps getting the ball in the basket, no matter what that stroke looks like. It is when you get a Wallace or a Singer, who could not find the basket with a hunting dog, that you think about rebuilding a shot from scratch.

---

I'm unfamiliar with Cazzie Russell, but I take your point. It's a fair point.

I have never seen Sam play in person, so I'm going strictly off his (highlights) video. I do wonder what his shooting percentages from behind the arc and at the free throw line are, though. That will probably provide more information on his shot than can be gleaned from these videos.

---

Cazzie Russell was the national high school player of the year in 1962, a high school all-American, a 3 year starter for the University of Michigan, where they won 3 Big Ten titles and made 2 trips to the Final Four, losing to John Wooden and UCLA in the Final game in 1965. In college, he was a three-time consensus all-American, and averaged 27 points and 8.5 rebounds as a small forward and a guard. In 1966, he averaged 32 points per game, and was named AP national player of the year.

Russell was drafted by the Knicks where he averaged 13 points and would help them win the NBA title in 1970, where he was 6th man. He got traded to the Warriors in 1971, and averaged 21 points in 1972 and 1974. He signed with Lakers and played 3 years with them, and then a year with the Bulls. Over his NBA career, he averaged 15 points, shooting 46%, and averaged 83% on his free throws.

I couldn't find much game video of Russell, but here is a video of a game of horse, with Cazzie competing with Oscar Robertson, Calvin Murphy, Adrian Smith, and Jack Marin. Because each player shoots the same shots from the same spots, you can really see how much flatter Cazzie's trajectory was, compared to the arcs of the other competitors. His free throws had a very flat trajectory.

---

SFCityBear (or anyone else who got to see Oscar Robertson play live), which modern (1980s era onward) player most resembled him in terms of style of play? Would that be Magic Johnson, Russell Westbrook, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, John Stockton, or someone else? I ask just so I can have a better frame of reference to understand how good he was. I know that the highlight films for my personal basketball hero (Magic Johnson) tend to capture only one side of his game (his incredible passing skills), they really don't tend to show his basketball IQ. This is even more true for someone like Larry Bird whose athletic abilities were about par or subpar for a NBA player of the time but whose skills (especially his shooting) and basketball IQ were outstanding. The highlights of his games really don't show how devastating he was as a player.

---

That's a difficult question. The rules were so much tougher in Oscar's day, that few players could dominate with just athleticism. I saw Oscar live in person only once, at the Cow Palace in the NCAA semifinal game against Cal in 1960. At the time Cal was ranked #1 in the UPI Poll, and Cincinnati was rated #1 in the AP Poll. Oscar was averaging 34 points a game, but it was a real dogfight, and our Bears held Oscar to just 18 points, on 4 of 16 from the floor. The Cal starting five played nearly the entire game, with Tandy Gillis doing a tremendous job guarding Robertson, with some help inside of course, but at the end of the game, Cal was completely gassed, especially Imhoff, who had a cold, and they fell flat the following night against Ohio State in the NCAA Final. Imagine having to play the NCAA semi-final and final on back-to-back nights - another reason it is hard to compare players of the past with the modern players.

I did get to see quite a few of Cincinnati's games on TV though. College basketball on TV was in its infancy in 1960, but every Saturday they showed Missouri Valley Conference games, and Oscar (who was the best player in the nation) was featured in most of the games.

I doubt there has been another player like Oscar. He might have been comparable to Magic, in that they both had so many skills. Oscar's teams did not fast-break as much as Magic's teams, but I think Oscar was the better defender. My favorite matchup in the NBA was Oscar Robertson vs KC Jones of the Celtics, where you had the best offensive guard in the league going against the best defensive guard in the league. KC would get inside Oscar's jersey, and made him work harder than anyone, and slowed him a little, but Oscar still got his points and his wins, even against KC and the Celtics. That made me appreciate Tandy Gillis and Bob Dalton (who held Oscar to 19 points on 5 of 16 shooting in the 1959 NCAA Semifinal) even more. And of course, Pete Newell's strategy had a lot to do with our wins over Cincy and Oscar.

As to what modern player most resembles Oscar, we might want to ask Southbender, if he is still paying attention to this board. He played against Oscar in high school, and might have an idea or two about what modern players resemble Oscar the most.

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Wow! That helps fill in some serious gaps in my basketball knowledge! From your description, I really wish I could've watched that Cal vs Cincinnati game. Thanks, again, for sharing your memories and knowledge with us.

helltopay1 said:

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The only rap against Oscar was he didn't play defense because he wanted to conserve his strength for offense. but Fred LaCour played against him and he told me that " Oscar played defense when he wanted to."

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Unfortunately, too many modern players seem to have forgotten that basketball is a two-way game. That's why I'm so proud of guys like Jaylen Brown who insist on improving both their offense and defense.

helltopay1 said:

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The only rap against Oscar was he didn't play defense because he wanted to conserve his strength for offense. but Fred LaCour played against him and he told me that " Oscar played defense when he wanted to."

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Yeah, I remember when Oscar spouted off a while ago about how he'd guard Steph Curry by picking him up at half-court or three-quarter court. That was maybe a little jealousy. Now if KC Jones, Walt Frazier, Gary Payton or Jason Kidd had said the same thing, I'd have believed it, because they all had the defensive credibility to back it up.

Bump