I think this is more on overall skills but it's good to see Brad get his props:
Friday, September 17, 2004
The art of selflessness
By Terry Brown
ESPN Insider
You won't find it in any boxscore or statistical analysis, but there is such a thing as the pass that leads to the pass that leads to the bucket.
It's right there next to screens and defensive switches, and central to our search for "real" basketball players as we enter our final day of compiling a team of NBA players that would win in June, as well as win in Athens.
"Complementary players are the key to any basketball team," said an NBA scout. "You have to have guys who are willing to sacrifice themselves and make that pass and follow through with their cut with only a hope that if they are open, they'll get the return pass. Most of the time they won't, but they keep the offense going time and time again."
[font=verdana, arial, geneva]It's a battle of A-game and egos when Kobe and T-Mac face off.[/font]Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant are more than willing to take the shot. They are applauded for sometimes making the pass. But put all three of them on the same team, and on any particular play, only one of them can take that shot, and only one of them can make that pass.
We could have started this whole list by breaking out the tape and watching what players do when they don't have the ball, and the camera isn't focused on them, and eliminated any of them that stood on the periphery constantly calling for the rock.
The difference between a good player and a great player may very well be what he does with his time when he doesn't have the ball in his hands.
"There is a right way to set a screen," said another NBA scout. "And it doesn't involve raising the opposite hand to call for the ball before the play even has a chance to develop."
But before we go any further, here are the centers for our team:
Brad Miller, C, Sacramento Kings
Court Sense7Locker room Chemistry7Coachability8Fundamentals8Work Ethic8Pluses: In the East, they talk about how big and strong he is. In the West, they talk about his soft hands and keen sense of passing. But does it really matter when you realize that everyone is talking about a player who was never drafted?
Minuses: Almost looks as if he could fall over on his side, even as he hits full stride.
Scout's take: "He could have been born 20 years ago, and he would have been just as good an NBA player as he is today."
Jamaal Magloire, C, New Orleans Hornets
Court Sense6Locker room Chemistry7Coachability8Fundamentals7Work Ethic9Pluses: In his second season in the NBA, he became a 50-percent shooter. In his third, he became a double-digit scorer. In his fourth, he became a double-digit rebounder. He begins his fifth in about a month.
Minuses: There are still gaps in his game that he could walk through without ducking at 6-foot-11.
Scout's take: "This kid started from scratch in the NBA and turned himself into an all-star without having to apologize to anyone along the way."
(Note: Magloire is Canadian by birth but has never played for the Canadian Senior Basketball Team, and therefore, is still eligible for our team ala Tim Duncan -- though his address may have to change.) That would make it an even 12 for our team of "real" players.
Friday, September 17, 2004
The art of selflessness
By Terry Brown
ESPN Insider
You won't find it in any boxscore or statistical analysis, but there is such a thing as the pass that leads to the pass that leads to the bucket.
It's right there next to screens and defensive switches, and central to our search for "real" basketball players as we enter our final day of compiling a team of NBA players that would win in June, as well as win in Athens.
"Complementary players are the key to any basketball team," said an NBA scout. "You have to have guys who are willing to sacrifice themselves and make that pass and follow through with their cut with only a hope that if they are open, they'll get the return pass. Most of the time they won't, but they keep the offense going time and time again."
We could have started this whole list by breaking out the tape and watching what players do when they don't have the ball, and the camera isn't focused on them, and eliminated any of them that stood on the periphery constantly calling for the rock.
The difference between a good player and a great player may very well be what he does with his time when he doesn't have the ball in his hands.
"There is a right way to set a screen," said another NBA scout. "And it doesn't involve raising the opposite hand to call for the ball before the play even has a chance to develop."
But before we go any further, here are the centers for our team:
Brad Miller, C, Sacramento Kings
Court Sense7Locker room Chemistry7Coachability8Fundamentals8Work Ethic8Pluses: In the East, they talk about how big and strong he is. In the West, they talk about his soft hands and keen sense of passing. But does it really matter when you realize that everyone is talking about a player who was never drafted?
Minuses: Almost looks as if he could fall over on his side, even as he hits full stride.
Scout's take: "He could have been born 20 years ago, and he would have been just as good an NBA player as he is today."
Jamaal Magloire, C, New Orleans Hornets
Court Sense6Locker room Chemistry7Coachability8Fundamentals7Work Ethic9Pluses: In his second season in the NBA, he became a 50-percent shooter. In his third, he became a double-digit scorer. In his fourth, he became a double-digit rebounder. He begins his fifth in about a month.
Minuses: There are still gaps in his game that he could walk through without ducking at 6-foot-11.
Scout's take: "This kid started from scratch in the NBA and turned himself into an all-star without having to apologize to anyone along the way."
(Note: Magloire is Canadian by birth but has never played for the Canadian Senior Basketball Team, and therefore, is still eligible for our team ala Tim Duncan -- though his address may have to change.) That would make it an even 12 for our team of "real" players.
