I mentioned last weekend that I’ve been watching old NBA games on YouTube, and while Karl Malone, for obvious name-related reasons, is probably never going to be surpassed as my all-time favorite basketball player, Hakeem Olajuwon is making it pretty close.
I mean, look at this:
It’s not just the moves, either. Sure, it’s nice to see Hakeem bust out a wicked crossover and leave the defender flat-footed, and it’s even better to see him sandwiched by two Celtics and then slip out and score before the defenders realize he’s gone, but what really gets me is the times he gets beat. The defender will push him ten feet from the basket, they’ll read the Dream Shake, they’ll get a hand in his face, and he’ll still nail the fadeaway.
I’m a huge fan of advanced statistical analysis and coming up with the most effective ways to measure player performance, but really, there’s nothing that can capture just how good some players were other than just watching them play. Statistics can tell you Hakeem was an incredibly effective low post scorer, and compare that to some of the other great centers, but there’s no record of how much space there was between the ball and the defender’s hand after his up-and-unders, or how many times he pulled out dribble moves that guards would be proud of, or how many head fakes he took before he decided to just drain the jumper.
It’s why basketball is such a great game.
Now let’s get to the latest news and rumors from around the NBA:
PISTONS LOOKING AT ISIAH THOMAS?
Depending on how accurate this is, the Pistons could be in a major one step forward, two steps back situation. But I’m still not sure what Isiah has done recently to merit another shot at running an NBA franchise. If the Pistons go for him, let’s just say they will be roundly scrutinized.
Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News:
League sources say that Pistons owner Tom Gores is seriously thinking of making what has been a long-overdue, front-office shakeup after the season, with Thomas recently emerging as a top candidate to take over the role of the team’s top basketball executive from his former backcourt mate, Joe Dumars.
Dumars has been on borrowed time for a while, partly because of his penchant for firing coaches — eight since 2000 — and partly because of his drafting of Darko Milicic in 2003. He could have selected any one of Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony or Chris Bosh with the No. 2 pick, after Cleveland drafted LeBron James. The Milicic pick is on his permanent record, as are the four straight lottery seasons in which his team has not won as many as 30 games. His tenure is expected to end when his contract runs out this spring.
“Gores is definitely looking at Isiah to replace Joe,” one league source said.
JIMMER FREDETTE FREED FROM SACRAMENTO; SIGNS WITH BULLS
I was a little surprised at Fredette’s buyout, because he’s developed into a quality NBA role player, but Pete D’Alessandro seems determined to blast the Kings’ roster into a thousand pieces and clear as much court time for Ben McLemore as possible, so that means Jimmer has a new home. And it’s hard to argue he’s not walking into a better situation in Chicago, with no other genuine lights-out shooter on the roster.
Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com:
Jimmer Fredette has cleared waivers and will sign with the Chicago Bulls, according to a league source.
Fredette reached a buyout agreement with the Sacramento Kings earlier this week and has found a spot to land in Tom Thibodeau’s system. While Thibodeau wouldn’t confirm interest in Fredette on Friday, he did admit the Bulls would welcome any shooting they could get.
ESPN.com’s Marc Stein reported earlier this week that the signing was “likely.”
“We could always use shooting, so we’ll see,” Thibodeau said. “I know they’re looking at a number of guys right now. But any time we could add shooting, we’re interested. I think the more shooting you have, the more it opens up the floor. It’s just to create the space, too. We want to open things up where we could attack off the dribble with our cuts, things of that nature. But it’s also how you complement your primary scorers, so we feel that’s an area of need.”
GARY NEAL HAPPY TO BE OUT OF MILWAUKEE
As I’ve mentioned a couple times, Gary Neal went to my high school, so he can basically do no wrong in my eyes. But I can’t say signing with the Bucks was a great career move for the former Calvert Hall Cardinal. I think the simple fact that he’s thrilled to be a Charlotte Bobcat says all that needs to be said, but just in case, there’s this tweet:
More Neal: “Happy to be in a situation to play in games like this, not doing whatever it is Milwaukee is attempting to do.”
— Dan McCarney (@danmccarneysaen) March 1, 2014
ANDREW BYNUM SAYS HE WANTS TO PLAY
… but he’s still weeks away from returning to the court. Still, a healthy Bynum might counter a healthy Greg Oden come East finals time. And that would be a big-man-with-no-knees battle for the ages.
Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star:
Bynum has sat out the majority of the last two seasons. He never wore a game uniform in Philadelphia during the 2012-13 season. This year, he was suspended after 24 games by Cleveland after he lashed out against the team’s guards by taking a midcourt shot in practice and mocked an assistant’s officiating. Here in Indiana, Bynum is still weeks from seeing the court.
This has led fans to wonder what’s really up with his knees and critics to ask what’s wrong between his ears.
But the Bynum who sits inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse says he now has the drive to get through the pain.
“My motivation is because I want a championship,” says Bynum who has been in the league for nine years and won two NBA titles with the Lakers.
“I want to play.”
GORAN DRAGIC IS STILL REALLY GOOD
Yeah, so it turns out this Slovenian guy can play. When Eric Bledsoe was out, they started Gerald Green, PJ Tucker, Miles Plumlee, and Channing Frye alongside Dragic. Jeff Hornacek and Markieff Morris are frontrunners for Coach of the Year and Most Improved, but Dragic should have his own award category so that what he’s done this season could get some recognition.
The Associated Press:
Goran Dragic almost didn’t play Friday night.
On a bad ankle, with his Phoenix team needing to end a three-game skid, he decided to give it a try.
The result was a career-high 40-point performance in 42 minutes, leading the Suns past the New Orleans Pelicans 116-104.
“I think everybody knows about Goran Dragic now,” Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said, “or they should.”
A game-time decision because of a sore right ankle that had kept him out of Wednesday’s loss at Utah, Dragic played all but the last 10 seconds of the second half in the first 40-point game for a Phoenix player since Amare Stoudemire’s 44 on March 19, 2010.
“That’s what All-Stars do,” Hornacek said, a not-so-veiled reference to Dragic being left off the All-Star team.
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Dan Malone is in his fourth year as a journalism student at the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and spent this summer as a features intern at the Cape Cod Times. He blogs, edits and learns things on the fly for Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on Twitter.