Bradshaw to begin practicing

[KentuckyWild2020]

I’d go back slightly before Durant for the start of the trend. Amar’e Stoudemire was built up for years as the “future of the game.” That is—a big with guard-like skills. Durant is just better at it than Stoudemire. But as far as watching the game goes—I’d rather watch guys show skill than having refs call the game in a way that allows a Shaq to bump thinner guys anywhere he wants to then dunk. Strength is a good thing in virtually any sport. But that’s not what Naismith wrote in the rulebook. If I have this spot the bigger guy can’t knock me out of it without fouling.

Present day gives the ultimate example of the trend. Wembanyama is 7’4” and rail thin. Has spent his life developing ball handling and outside shooting. Truthfully—if he ever has any lower body strength there should rarely be a need for him to shoot 3’s. But that is what modern bigs want to do.

And I agree that it’s a mistake for Cal to take that away from an AD or Townes. Told them that was cute but if they want to be rich they needed to show what they could do inside. Worked out with AD—we won a title. But both players could have done some of both and I’m quite sure they would still have gotten rich.

Here is the truth about all of this and the most important part of it all.. These new age of bigs who can all of a sudden shoot the 3 is nothing new, back in the 70's,80'sand 90's you would get yanked out of the game for shooting outside if you was a big.

Think about this in today's game
Bird Danny Ferry Detlef Kukoc Tom Chambers

Many many others could shoot the ball outside back in the day but teams and coaches would not allow unless of course you was Larry Bird. Now if you are a stretch big, you are considered GOLD in today's game.

Still i think players like Durant Tatum and players with size who can put the ball on the floor like guards and do the things they do are are special elite one of a kind, very few have the handles like they do...

[KentuckyWild2020]

And the reason big guys who can shoot are basketball manna is because they can shoot over the top of people and because they can play at three levels (if they're good).

Who wouldn't want a guy who can post it and shoot it? I mean it's obvious why they would be coveted.

Thing is, not all those guys are the same just because they look the same. I mean if we lived in a world like that then Shagari Alleyne and Wembanyana would be equals.

If and i mean if Shagari could have shown he could shoot and put the ball on the floor in today's game, some GM some team would be taking him 1st round lol lol....

My nickname for Shagari has and will always be the CRANE.

Sitting at a bar one time way back in the day and this big arm swooped over me like a CRANE and grabbed his drink , Shagari lol lol..

[George]

He was going to Memphis, it is known..

Yeah, to play for Cal.

[KentuckyWild2020]

Again, i hope Bradshaw does great and i have always like a shooting big man, Danny Ferry was one of my favorite players WAY BACK IN THE DAY..

We have looked our best spreading the floor and using our quickness to track rebounds on misses. Still i think the combination of Bradshaw Ivisic or Onyenso is most important defensively in the paint, if nothing else simply altering shots would go along ways...

[Joneslab]

If and i mean if Shagari could have shown he could shoot and put the ball on the floor in today's game, some GM some team would be taking him 1st round lol lol....

From what I recall Shagari didn't have a terrible shooting touch.

The problem with him was more the mental part of the game. Somebody who would know told me once that Shagari hated basketball and couldn't stand the competitive part of it.

The thing that separates these guys a lot of times has nothing to do with skill, it's how they're wired. Some people just aren't natural competitors the way you have to be to succeed at this level--and especially in the NBA.

It's when you have the skill and the fire that makes a player special. The last two POY's in the SEC have been tall, lanky shooters who would have been "forwards" back in the day.

[KentuckyWild2020]

From what I recall Shagari didn't have a terrible shooting touch.

The problem with him was more the mental part of the game. Somebody who would know told me once that Shagari hated basketball and couldn't stand the competitive part of it.

The thing that separates these guys a lot of times has nothing to do with skill, it's how they're wired. Some people just aren't natural competitors the way you have to be to succeed at this level--and especially in the NBA.

It's when you have the skill and the fire that makes a player special. The last two POY's in the SEC have been tall, lanky shooters who would have been "forwards" back in the day.

True facts in regards to the FIRE part, have to be a Alpha for sure...

Good news about this team this year even though we did just lose, i feel we actually do have those FIRE guys on the team that we have been missing for a while now. Maybe we will look back and realize that this loss to UNC was actually a good loss and helped set the path moving forward, i don't know...

[KentuckyWild2020]

Yeah, to play for Cal.

I am not even sure who the coach was at the time to be honest, i assume it was Cal then. My knock on Cal at MEMPHIS was every year he would play a absolute cupcake schedule then flop in the tournament until he actually had a few decent years with Rose and company.

What is weird is that way back in the day i always thought CAL was a top notch coach X's and O's type of guy at Umass etc, maybe i just really wasn't paying attention i don't know. I always thought if Rick left, Cal is the guy i would want until Donovan replaced him in my mind.

Anyways, Cal is here forever as long as he wants to be, may as well accept it. Also may as well accept he's not a great X's and O's coach and we will only go as far as the recruits will take us. We just have to hope the new recruits are as good as advertised and like Will said, hope they are different and have that FIRE in them....

[Joneslab]

Speaking of Bradshaw, here's good video of him talking about how close he's gotten to Big Z.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1732806689332621389

[Catsrock]

Good to know Z knows enough English to be funny. I certainly couldn’t be funny in Spanish. Unless my Spanish is considered funny.