Thanks, now I feel old.
Gosh, yes.
Yeah like I needed this sh*it in my life......
Outstanding
I sheepishly admit I did not think he was ready when he went pro early.
April 10th, 2019 at 12:33 AM ^
Well, he didn't really have much choice, did he?
Good point.
ha!
yeah, he definitely should've come back for another year of that sweet, sweet brian ellerbe player development!
just spent five super-depressing minutes surfing the cbb reference page for those ellerbe teams. sweet holy hell those were dark days.
April 10th, 2019 at 12:40 PM ^
If memory serves, he didn't think so either. The story I rmember is he wanted to come back, but during the season got benched by the NCAA when they found out he went to go live with a family of his mom's that weren't granted guardianship of, after his best friend was shot in the face.
There may have been more to it, but I still hated the NCAA to focus on his case. I think they were gunning for anything Michigan based on the fallout from the sanctions. Screwed over a decent kid and player. Glad he made the best of it. Also glad that players my age are still competing. When I'm finally older than all of the players in the pros, my ego is going to take a hit.
April 10th, 2019 at 12:37 AM ^
I watched the Mavericks game tonight because Dirk is retiring and the NBA is basically unwatchable. The offense shoots from the three point line then every not shooting just runs back to guard the other three point line. There is nothing resembling defense. Nobody cares, just shoot and run.
It’s more aesthetically pleasing to watch for me because guys actually make shots. The harden and derozan shit annoys me where their goal is to coax a foul instead of score a basket. But it’s so nauseating sometimes watching a college game where no one makes open jumpers.
Ironically, I agree with both of you. The skill level in the NBA seems to be at its highest ever, but yeah, it is still frustrating to see the lack of defense until playoff time.
This may apply to back court players. I don't know about front court players.
Players like Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid would be superstars in any era. Davis is one of the most talented bigs of all time.
Dude. With the exception of a handful of HOF'ers (who could play in any era), the plodding, back-to-the-basket, rangeless frontcourt players from years past would be unplayable in today's game.
April 10th, 2019 at 10:33 AM ^
well, yeah, but you could say the same in the other direction...one of today's athletic but less-bulky bigs would get low-posted right out of the league in the 60s.
great players are great players.
Which of these players would get abused in the 60s?
- Marc Gasol
- Rudy Gobert
- Deandre Ayton
- Andre Drummond
- Karl-Anthony Towns
- Clint Capella
- Nikola Vucevic
- Nikola Jokic
- Joel Embiid
- Anthony Davis
Bob Pettit, the great big man of the 50s and 60s, had a listed weight of 205 pounds. Bill Russell had a listed weight of 220 pounds.
Meanwhile, wingmen James Harden and Paul George are both listed at 220 pounds.
"Today's athletic but less-bulky bigs" would feast in the 60s.
my main point (and i'm not making it very well, admittedly) is that, yes, today's players are great, but the great players of the past were, too. bob lanier's eyes would have popped right out of his head if he saw today's version of joel embiid guarding him in the low post, just like embiid's eyes would bug out at lanier trying to guard him out to 18 feet.
i don't think you can ever just pick up a player and drop him in another. bill russell would almost certainly not play at 220, but he was a great athlete and is one of the smartest players ever. he'd play heavier today...and be a great, great player.
i'd also say - james harden wouldn't be getting away with that four-step with a euro hop shit in the 60s, and i doubt he'd be getting touch fouls 22 feet from the basket. he'd excel, too - i'm not suggesting he wouldn't - but he'd have to adapt.
i love the pettit reference, by the way - if you've never watched clips of the night he dropped 50 on the celtics to win an nba championship, i highly recommend them. they're out there...
also, get off my lawn.
April 10th, 2019 at 10:34 AM ^
You're saying Greg Ostertag or Luc Longley would have difficulty in a Steph/Boogie or Bledsoe/Giannis pick and roll?
April 10th, 2019 at 11:43 AM ^
Very true...watched my first NBA “game” in years - Pistons Vs. Bobcats...if you can call it an NBA game. Most Sleepy ... boring ... non-competitive game of all time. Drive the basket with no coverage, threes from everywhere, all of them seeming to drop. ZERO defense. It reminded me of an NBA Allstar game or Harlem Globetrotters Vs. The Generals, except without the fun.
I couldn’t believe what I was watching, it was a joke.
Hope the college doesn’t evolve to that.
It goes both ways. The NBA usually steps up the defense in the playoffs. The issue is the offense is just too good at times and can be very hard to guard. How do you guard a player like Curry or Kyrie? Go under a screen and they'll drill a 3 on you. Switch and they'll go to work and cross up a big man. Try to fight through the screen and if you get caught for even a second and give them a foot of space they'll drill the 3. The NBA also has a defensive 3 sec foul which college lacks, creating even more space on offense.
This contrasted to college where teams go on 5 minute scoring droughts in the NCAA tourney, can't attack switches, and hedging somehow works. It can be infuriating to watch.
I tend to believe like this as well. I am in awe of the offensive skill level in the NBA-it is outrageous...so much so that it is boring. I know it is counter-intuitive but they are so good that, to me, it is unwatchable for a prolonged period of time-especially regular season. Regular season, I seldom watch for more than a few minutes. Post-season is better.
The defensive 3 second rule is quite the deal-is strictly enforced-offense can camp out there for the whole possession!
April 10th, 2019 at 11:57 AM ^
It always pisses me off when people say this stuff. If you actually know basketball you know how immensely talented and skilled the NBA is.
You run back on defense because if you crash the offensive glass you will get killed in transition.
The spacing in the NBA is phenomenal. The players are so good you can't help off players who drive because good teams have shooters waiting on the outside. You can't back off players and clog the lane because players are just too good of shooters.
There is a reason why your highest scorers and college struggle to stick with an NBA team and even if they do, average something like 3.4 points a game for their 3 year career.
Seems like people agree with you, the NBA is insanely skilled, and that’s the problem.
I do enjoy the playoffs and the storylines of free agency, trades, and players forcing their will on teams.
I watched the Mavericks game tonight because Dirk is retiring and the NBA is basically unwatchable
You watched the game because it's unwatchable?
The offense shoots from the three point line then every not shooting just runs back to guard the other three point line. There is nothing resembling defense.
So when they run back to get on defense, that doesn't resemble defense?
Juwan Howard, Tom Brady, Jamal Crawford...just to name a few Michigan iron men of professional sports.
Can we include Glen Steele and Jarret Irons as honorary lifetime "Michigan Iron Men"?
Seriously, though, that's a damn impressive feat by Crawford. Very few can score 50 at ANY age, let alone at age 39.
April 10th, 2019 at 10:02 AM ^
....but can he score 39 when he is 50??? Wilt says he did.
I’m 39. I got out of bed today and didn’t tear an achilles, so I’m pretty pumped.
Shit man, I’m 47. I lost a finger last week. Damn thing just turned green and fell off
April 10th, 2019 at 10:08 AM ^
Be happy that it was just a finger that fell off, hell you have 7 more!
Just imagine if your one and only....right thumb fell off, then you would be so screwed!
April 10th, 2019 at 10:25 AM ^
Can't wait to see his 39 point game at age 50.
April 10th, 2019 at 11:23 AM ^
Jamal...tireless warrior.
...I'll take whatever he's drinking
April 10th, 2019 at 12:00 PM ^
Worth noting that Crawford is the highest scoring Michigan player (product?) in NBA history.
He finishes the season something like 50 points shy of 50th place on the NBA all-time scoring list.
A reason to play for at least a couple of weeks next year?
He's also closing in on 20,000 career points - he has 19,414.
April 10th, 2019 at 12:09 PM ^
It's like 39 year olds look like Gandalf or something.
Who? Seriously, don't remember him.