Hoops

Where have all the great centers gone??

We'll see ;-)

I guess my definition of great is different to some.
Dwight was becoming a monster at the end of his first season, not halfway through his third.
Malone always delivered, ask his many kids...
Arenas is good, not great, besides- his second season he was getting 18/6/5.
Bryant was getting 15/3/3 in 26 off the bench his second season..

Now T-mac is one that exploded in his 4th season.
So you got one.

Again, we will have to wait and see but i think Bynums room for improvement is not as large as people would have you beleive. He will be awesome one game but i still see him having big nights off...

My prediction... a fitter version of Eddie Curry.

Throw all the stats you want at me and i'm sticking to my statements- he will be a solid pro, no-where near top flight center material.

His career highs are what top flights should get every couple of games.

And when are people gonna stop telling me how old players are??? like its some kind of hint to steady improvement. Are you all sport agents or something coz i ain't buying.

Dwight showed it from day one. As did Hakeem, Duncan, KG... all of em. Show me a player who became a franchise player after 3 years of being a role guy- doesn't happen.

"Heard he's developing a decent hook..."

That reads on a ton of big guys NBA tombstones...

right next to;

"needs to develop lot better face up game"

So who do you get the inside word from la boy?


"in fact a retired lakers told me he reckon bynum'd be the next "man" for lakers after kobe"

I think you're gonna get burned on this one Quagmire. Its a lot easier to be a top flight centre now when good big guys are thin on the ground.

Bynum has everything going for him and he already was among the top rebounders and blockers last season. I think the only way he will fail is if he doesn't have the right work ethic and mindset to succeed.

I see him as a top flight C within a couple of years along with Yao, Dwight and Oden, with guys like Bogut, Chandler and Z in the next tier. Defensively Perkins has now proved he is right up there too.

Just coz your retired doesn't mean you have a clue- look at Isiah...

We'll wait and see obviously, but my tip is Bynum will never be a top flight center. Not even close really.

Bynum will be an above average pro, but i still don't think he will be a top flight center, when i think of great centers, i think of guys who consistantly drop 20/10 and block 2-5 shots on teams whose sole focus is to stop THEM, not their team-mates...

There just aren't any of those guys left outside of Dwight...

And Duncan too...if you call him a center...i do.

Hey Quagmire, I'd like to say that Bynum is all hype, but I can see why people are excited by him.

His first two seasons were pretty uninspiring, but check out his game by game performances in the season just gone and you will see he was really having a breakout year until he did his knee.

He's definitely shown he can be a top centre, he just needs to play himself back in following his injury and ramp up his consistency, especially against the better teams. I remember for example that he was shut down both times by Boston during the season and had weaker stat lines against defensive teams like Detroit and San Antonio.

But I'd say with his size, athleticism, Kareem's coaching, reported work ethic and guys like Gasol and Kobe to take the pressure off on the court, he has a pretty good chance of succeeding.

If karma has anything to do with it though, the Lakers should be forced to pay their luck forward from the Gasol 'trade' and give Bynum to Sactown (make up for 2001), Milwaukee (make up for Kareem), Philly (make up for Wilt)!!! Hehehe

lol, that's why I said take Isiah's glasses off.


Cannot believe I didn't name Bill with the other 2!

Patrick Ewing...pffft.


I think you are forgetting about Wilt and Kareem there champ. Take off Isiah's glasses mate.

What is all the hype over Andrew Bynum???

Is he really that good? People are talking like he is a big deal and that he dominates etc... i just don't see it.. perhaps its coz i've grown up listening to the hype around young players and i'm just growing more and more acustomed to them turning into good, not great, players..

And for my two cents Kidd should be in the olympics coz speed will be less of an issue so he is going to be fine in D, also, as stated many times, he is a coach on the court and this is never more valuable than when you have a team playing together for the first time and thrust straight into olympic compitition. They will need vets to run the show.

Greg "even my mum must think I am ugly" Ostertag.

I can't believe we're discussing great centers and no-one has mentioned ARVYDAS SABONIS yet. What's wrong with you people? :)

s30, Bill Walton was great in the 70s - he led the Blazers to a championship - but then his feet gave out on him, and he was just a solid backup after that, when he could get on the court, that is.

I'm struggling to think of other dominant centres over the years, other than those already named. Rik Smits? James Donaldson? Chocolate Thunder from the planet Lovetron?

I can think of plenty of busts at center though. Joe Barely Cares (a #1 overall pick - McHale went at #3!), Chris Washout (#3 pick), Sam Bowie (#2, as we all know...!), Benoit Benjamin (#3), Pervis Ellison (#1), Dinner Bell Mel Turpin (#6), Kwame Brown(#1), Kandi Man(#1), Steve Stipanovich(#2), Shawn Bradley (#2), Big Country (later "Small Continent") Reeves (#6), Donnie Darko (#2), Rafael Araujo (#8). I'll even throw in Dwayne Schintzius, even though he was a late draft pick, but he still woefully underachieved.

I answered Walton to the question of "were there many dominating C's in the league in the 70s?". The guys I stated all dominated the centre at position during the 70s. I only just noticed you had already said Cowans kriss, doh.

Oops, you are correct lethal5.


Good to hear you are still here Fez..

Bill Walton only average.... Mmmm interestin call that... One of the NBA's top 50 of All time, NBA MVP, Finals MVP, not to mention his acheivements at UCLA. A little credit needs to be given to him considering the injuries that plagued his career.IMO His overall record matches up pretty well to the other greats.

Is everyone forgetting Bynum.........if he comes back strong, he will be the best Ctr in the NBA

Same can be said about Oden

Mid 80s champ.

Q - you have two junior sides in one Division - 1 strong, 1 mediocre.

The mediocre team may not make the finals - pending on your good team dropping a game to your mediocre team.

Do you allow it as a club / coach ?

The Chief was drafted in 1980 as well I believe..


Panther, I just answered your question mate, you wanted to know why have him...

Coach has stated he wants him, players all want him, he is a winner, a coach on the floor, he can teach the young guys, he is a "glue" guy.


Puerto Rico and Brazil are pretty decent.

Kriss

Wilt Chamberlain
Mo Malone
Bill Walton
Willis Reed
Dave Cowans

US have not lost a game that Kidd has played. 38 - 0.

Coach K has personally stated that Kidd is like a coach on the floor.

Good enough reason there...

He wont be dropped.