Pretty good article by SI’s Chris Ballard on the evolution of the post play in the league. Lots of insights from The Dream as well including his training sessions with Kobe and Lebron, and his thoughts on current big men in Giannis, Embiid, and Jokic.
Full article here: https://www.si.com/nba/2023/01/18/nba-lost-art-of-post-play-daily-cover
by cesga_0218
29 Comments
Morpheus found Neo
RED PILL or BLUE PILL
As a big man like Olajuwon, watching the death of the big man through the 2000s must have been painful, but enter Jokic and Embiid who just totally turned it upside down and sparked a new big man golden age. They’re great for the game
Hakeem saying “your are the one” is the highest fucking praise. He doesn’t even praise anyone like that to begin with
do you believe it now trinity
Robert Pera, open your checkbooks and send Jaren to Hakeem School!
Great article.
Cream Shake
I think Big Man Value is just going to keep going up as years go, even if their style of play is more flashy like Wembanyama or Bol Bol or more traditional like Embiid or Jokic. League is going to run through bigs in a while
He’s him
If Hakeem says “He’s the one” for Joker its the end of discussion.
>and you think he’s not serious but he’s so effective
This is what continues to awe me about watching Jokic play versus just reading his stat lines is that he doesn’t *look* like he’s having a huge impact on the game, but then you check his box score at halftime and he’s got 16/7/9 already and you just think “How…? …When?”
Great article.
>In time, Newell formalized his approach into Pete Newell’s Big Man Camp, which he held for three decades. (Newell never made money. “It was his way of giving back to the game,” says Pete Newell Jr., his eldest son, a decorated high school coach.) If you were an NBA GM and had a big, gangly draft pick, you made damn sure you sent him to Pete. Same went for the stars, including Olajuwon, whom Newell deemed one of his best students. When Shaq arrived, he was frustrated that defenders pushed him before the catch, so Newell taught him a counter, spinning to the baseline. (Patrick Ewing famously refused to go to the Big Man Camp, despite the Knicks’ pleas, and New York sportswriters later wondered if this was why he never developed elite interior post moves.)
Fuck Ewing though.
>He has tricks
#THE JOKER
Interesting article and it must have been the author’s friend’s dream come true to work on post moves for three hours with Hakeem.
based and dreampilled
> You don’t know when he’s faking and when it’s real
… so the purpose of a fake?
Hard Dreampilled
Glad Sengun got a shoutout in the article – he will carry the torch after Jokic
Jokic should win a 3rd straight MVP. As much as I want voter fatigue to set in and Tatum to win it, Jokic is just so dominant right now.
GAME RECOGNIZE GAME
Nikola “Neo” Jokic
Surprised to not see Sixers fans in here trying to make their case for Embiid as the one lol
Hakeem recognizes greatness.
That’s crazy Hakeem, too bad Jakob poeltl is better 🥱
what a very very good read, if you have the time definitely read the whole article!
Something about that last praise kicks it up into high gear.
Jokic shoots 3s not to settle but to compliment his others moves. Why is Embiid shooting 3s? He is settling.
Old Nuggets fans earned this for living through the 1996-2002 seasons.