Question about 5's

[SLUMS81]

Question with regard to recent discussion about BT vs. other bigs: Is it easier for a player with skills to become a power player with skills, or is it easier for a power player to become a skilled power player?

I personally think that it is easier to build muscle than it is to build a reliable, in-game shooting touch at any position. That is why I think BT is a great get for SLU.

[slufanskip]

That is a good question. You can help a guy add weight and muscle, but it seems to me you can't make a guy tough. He either is or he isn't. To add skills takes a certain mentality also, for example if you are 18 and can't shoot ... it takes a lot of discipline to correct your shot and get better. Hours upon hours usually alone or with one other person just shooting over, and over again. Quickness is a very hard thing to teach and I would say you rarely see a guy get quicker and if so not much.

Would you rather have Shaq or Dirk. Shaq will never develop the skills to play outside and Dirk will never have the mentality to go inside and bang, regardless of how much muscle you put on him.

Personally, in todays game, if it was just one or the other. I'd rather have the Skinny kid that needs to add weight and muscle, but already has a perimiter game and can put the ball on the floor a bit.

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[3star_recruit]

"Would you rather have Shaq or Dirk"

Before he wore down, I'd take Shaq every day of the week. Elite paint players win championships.

[p diddy]

You take the power guy because he changes entire defensive game plans. teams now have to commit to double and triple teams and that leaves wide open shooters.

shaq, duncan and hakeem have won nine championships during and after the jordan area's six titles.

big jump shooters are great, but unfortunately, they get a little too soft when things get too hot. see dirk the past two years and okur during the spurs series. he was nowhere to be found.

bad boyz for life

[VTIME]

Did you know that in 2004, the Detroit Pistons became only the second team in NBA history to win a championship without one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.

[Clock_Tower]

Good question. Agree that you cannot coach or really improve size, speed and toughness. A kid is naturally tall/short, fast/slow and tough/not tough.

If you agree that power player with skills must, at a minimum, possess toughness - or else he really isn't a "power" forward, then I'd say it is easier for a power/tough guy to develop skilss such as a consistent shot. Not that TL is the type of player you are referring about, but look at how he developed his shot from the end of his Frosh year to the start of last year. J. Tatum was a guy who was tough and prefered the fight for the ball, get it and dunk it over you rather than Baniak who just as content to get 2 points by setting the ball in the hoop or with a short shot. Muscle and experience certainly helped both guys but did not change their basic games. Also, Anthony Bonner was a power/tough guy his Frosh year who slowly developed a mid-range shot. Really, got his shot down after SLU in the NBA but still developed it.

Technique on shot mechanics, off ball positioning, blocking out/rebounding all can be taught. Adding muscle helps but a kid's desire, toughness and instinct is really either there or not there. Unless I misunderstand your question, IMO muscle does not make a power forward. I'd rather have the athlete and try to teach him to shoot. Then, again, Shaq still cannot shoot and make a free throw.

[slu72]

without a doubt. You hear coaches say all the time, the two most important positions on the court are PG and a Power inside man. With two good players at these positions you give your team a lot more options on offense. The Power guy starts destroying you inside off feeds by a driving pg, you have to pull defenders to the inside to stop it, aka pack defense, which leaves you wide open to easy 3's. How many times have people complained about UB's pack D for this very reason? We never really had the bigs necessary to cope with decent power forwards. Much easier for an opponent to set up his D to deal with a good perimiter player than it is a PF. Look at this year's finalists, both had tremendous inside games, and used them to set up their perimiter game. Even though they never made the NCAA's, those Bonner teams were probably the best SLU had in the last twenty years or so. Like Al McGuire said, "you need an aircraft carrier to win." One thing I wished UB had done last year was utilize the twin tower approach more often, where IV was the PF and BH the 5. I think this would have got us a few more wins, but we rarely saw it. That's why I think RM is still looking for a strong 5 to complement BT.

[VTIME]

The last team to win the national championship without a dominant inside game was Syracuse in 2003. Before that it was Michigan State in 2000. Yeah, the big man is very important. Carmelo Anthony was a very special freshman, even better than Durant, because Anthony averaged around 20 and 10 and he lead his team to the National Championship. The Spartans were lead by those fantastic Flintstones. Other than that, the big man has run college basketball.