Why's it so Hard for Big Men to Develop an Offensive Game

[NYC Rebel]

alot of these dudes simply don't have the patience to learn the game so that they can play at thier highest capabilities.......

which is why most of these cats u see potential in never take off..

I'm not sure if that's true. They seem to put that patience into skill sets other than playing with their backs to the basket.

 

[FreedS[ohh]lave]

I can see the who you look up to thing though youd be shocked at how many cats that play sports on a pro level never even watch the sport they played growing up its just a job to them and what they do

 

[Street Knowledge]

Everybody wanna be a perimeter player. You see this at the park where the biggest nikka on the court wanna be Ray allen

 

[DaNatural]

Another reason, and one no one wants to admit but when they think about it they know im right, Magic Johnson.

Crazy thing is, Buck had a post game...

 

[TYBG]

I swear on everything..when I was a freshmen in hs, I played this team and there was 6'8' dude playing in the backcourt. Dude threated to leave his AAU team if he didn't play SG

 

[Clem]

His offensive game needed work, but the signs were there, especially considering how young he was at the time. There was no turn and face the rim from him, it was straight up "Im gonna back you down and shoot this here jump hook". It's a shame, cause he really was poised to be the best big guy in the league, he was coordinated but you could see something was off by the way he ran and landed.

Wasn't there something about his legs being two different lengths or am I making that shyt up? I thought they were off by like a few inches. Maybe it was just some shyt a SOHH poster made up though.

 

[Malta]

Wasn't there something about his legs being two different lengths or am I making that shyt up? I thought they were off by like a few inches. Maybe it was just some shyt a SOHH poster made up though.

Yeah, his legs were different lengths, so even if his knees didn't give out eventually he would have had back problems.

His body just wasn't built to last playing in the NBA.

 

[Sensitive Blake Griffin]

I blame AAU and guys coming out of college too early, the average rookie age of Robinson, Hakeem, Wilt, Duncan, Ewing and Kareem was almost 23 years old. I left out Shaq because he came out as a Sophomore, but even he was 20 as a rookie. These guys all got a lot of playing time and had their bodies mature as their games developed, they got to see what works and what doesn't in the post. I don't think it's any coincidence that the last great post player also happens to be someone that went to college for 4 years.

It's funny how a lot of the guys that came out of HS or entered the draft as freshmen almost all seem to have their breakout years around 21-23 years old, basically the time they'd be entering the league had they stayed 4 years. I like Andre Drummond a lot, but he's a perfect example of everything at work, on the AAU circuit he wanted to play like a SF and never really focused on developing a back to the basket game, despite having every tool you could think of to be a dominant post player. We can see how naturally good he is at the game right now in the NBA, imagine if he stayed 4 years at Uconn and learned how to play with his back to the basket just off trial and error of moves against guys smaller than himself. By his 2nd or 3rd year the entire offense @ Uconn would have revolved around him and he would have gained confidence in his offense. I mean, someone like Hibbert wouldn't have even been drafted had he tried to come out as a Fresh/Soph.


I maintain that the next great center will either come from Europe, or he'll be one of those undersized PF's that has a late growth spurt and shoots up to 7"0.

4 years of Demarcus Cousins would've been @ KY

 

[Loose]

AAU/Highschool Lack of involvement, Staying In College Lowers Your stock now, a ton of issues.


Edit @Malta already said it alright im done here.

 

[FTBS]

Yeah, his legs were different lengths, so even if his knees didn't give out eventually he would have had back problems.

His body just wasn't built to last playing in the NBA.

Damn shame too.


I think the issue as others have said, is a combo of the love that perimeter guys get and the amount of work and time it takes to develop a post game. Why go through all that when you can get a max deal just from being 6'10 and showing flashes? It's sad but true. Like so many other things in this country guys just don't have to work like they used to so they don't and the stuff that gets all the hype isn't what necassarily wins ball games. Only way we are gonna get another true back to the basket big man is if Shaq and Lisa Leslie have a kid together and lock them in a room with nothing but Hakeem, Kareem, and Duncan videos for the first 18 years of their life.

 

[BillBanneker]

This is the biggest issue. Especially when you look at the Jordan years and NBC was the "all MJ, All the Time" network. Young potential centers grew up seeing niqqas flourish at the wing position.....for as great as Hakeem was, why wasn't he put in the same spotlight given to MJ?

I can say as a football player wanting to play RB, I could look at the many styles playing the position. For someone wanting to be a potential center coming up, they didn't get to see it enough.

I surprised it took this long to mention this. Folks really underestimate the impact Jordan had in basketball (and to a lesser degree AI). Post play just isn't "sexy" anymore. And considering the rule changes which benefit perimeter players more.

 

[FreddyCalhoun]

Blame coaches with their own agenda. IF you have a 7'-0" and don't take time to work with him in the post...You did him a disservice. All it takes is effort. Look how Plumlee has evolved with a focus on his post game.

 

[mastermind]

I don't necessarily blame Magic though since most of these big men and trying to be ball handlers or nothing like that. Plus most of this new generation wasn't old enough to watch Magic.

I blame Garnett and Webber more than Magic. Webber says watching Barkley was what made him handle the ball more and run the floor.

Those two looked up to Magic, especially Webber.

Crazy thing is, Buck had a post game...

Hell yeah, it's why dude was able to be great at power forward when he came back. Unfortunately that didn't make Sportscenter highlight reels and your evening news.

 

[7PHX]

a lot of these big guys never had to develop an offensive game, cuz they grew up always being the biggest cat on the court, and thus being able to dominate by grabbing boards and dunking missed shots. and that shyt don't fly in the NBA where EVERYONE is tall and skilled.

maybe that's why Brook's the best scoring big man, always had someone as big as him to practice against and make him work on offense.