1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

Have you ever seen someone that can get to rim with this kind of speed/athleticism like westbrook?

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by IBTL, Feb 13, 2020.

  1. Aruba77

    Aruba77 Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 1999
    Messages:
    13,415
    Likes Received:
    14,256
    He should teach House how to finish at the rim and stop flubbing those dunks
     
    IBTL, bj3175, D-rock and 1 other person like this.
  2. Bo6

    Bo6 Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2010
    Messages:
    3,641
    Likes Received:
    5,454
    a 6'7 westbrook is a scary thought.
     
    lw17 and D-rock like this.
  3. Zboy

    Zboy Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2002
    Messages:
    27,234
    Likes Received:
    21,955
    No one has had his combination of 1) speed, 2) power, and 3) the ability to change directions as quickly as he does.

    For example, Lebron going downhill is difficult to handle as well but he isnt as quick and isnt able to change direction as effortlessly as Westbrook.

    Lebron is more of a straight line freight train.

    Westbrook is a zigzagging power freight train weaving its way through your scrambling transition defense.

    Blazer's Drexler running the fast break is another name that comes to mind but he as well was mostly a straight line driver and not as much a single man wrecking crew like Westbrook.
     
    #143 Zboy, Feb 15, 2020
    Last edited: Feb 15, 2020
  4. D-rock

    D-rock Member

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2006
    Messages:
    40,743
    Likes Received:
    64,228
  5. Starvela

    Starvela Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2005
    Messages:
    210
    Likes Received:
    133
    I’m sorry but I think people forget how much of an athletic freak Jordan was in the mid to late 80s...He was insane, nobody even comes close..He was like a prime Westbrook on steroids!!
     
  6. DaBeard

    DaBeard Member

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2017
    Messages:
    2,994
    Likes Received:
    8,229
    Sorry bro Jordan didn't have the hops like Brodie
     
    IBTL likes this.
  7. MD_in_Training

    Joined:
    Mar 17, 2008
    Messages:
    4,104
    Likes Received:
    1,832
    Wait... what?
     
    BaselineFade and IBTL like this.
  8. Starvela

    Starvela Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2005
    Messages:
    210
    Likes Received:
    133
    Huh....
     
    BaselineFade and IBTL like this.
  9. D-rock

    D-rock Member

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2006
    Messages:
    40,743
    Likes Received:
    64,228
    MJ had a 46" max vert, one of best ever.

    But Brodie is faster and stronger for his size.
     
    BaselineFade likes this.
  10. riko

    riko Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2014
    Messages:
    9,634
    Likes Received:
    16,083
    Shawn Kemp in his prime had a 48 inch vertical leap. Kemp is one of the saddest stories in all of sports. Man seemingly has the world in his hands but constant drug abuse and by the time he was 26 he was fathering 7 different kids from 7 different woman was the start of one of the most rapid downfalls in sports history. He gained like a 110 pounds i and went from a chiselled frame of 220 pounds to well over 330 pounds in a short span and his career was effectively over .

    Before the pick and roll became In vogue he and Gary Payton were tearing the nba apart with it. The most underrated duo in modern day history.

    Had the sonics kept that squad intact and Kemp stayed healthy that team was a force to be reckoned with. Sadly kemp wanted out and he went to the cavs and his career went down the toilet. He was just as explosive as anyone the league has ever seen in his prime.

    Drugs, to much woman and not taking caring of his body which were all self inflicted destroyed the career that would have seen him a first ballot hall of famer
     
    smp, IBTL, fckbandwagons and 2 others like this.
  11. D-rock

    D-rock Member

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2006
    Messages:
    40,743
    Likes Received:
    64,228
    Amare Stoudamire was 6'9.

    Russ is essentially shorter Amare with better quicks, handles and passing.
     
    IBTL likes this.
  12. D-rock

    D-rock Member

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2006
    Messages:
    40,743
    Likes Received:
    64,228
    I am starting to hate the term smallball because it is not only inaccurate but so distracting.

    Rockets essentially play 2 types of offense. 4 Out when Russ in lineup and 5 Out when he is out of lineup.

    But when Russ is in lineup, 4 Out is actually the secondary offense. The primary is to get out and run hard and attack offense before opposing team sets up.

    Being "small" is not a requirement.

    It's just that there are not a lot of "big" players who have the requisite skills - above average or better 3ball shooter, length (rim protect/attack passing lanes/recover, put ball on floor and drive to rim, athletic (lateral agility & verticality) to switch everything on defense, strength to defend low post, etc.
     
    hakeem94 and IBTL like this.
  13. IBTL

    IBTL Member

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2010
    Messages:
    11,366
    Likes Received:
    11,525
    If only there was a shoe made to display this inability to not get air and jump
     
    Roomba likes this.
  14. Roomba

    Roomba Member
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2017
    Messages:
    3,783
    Likes Received:
    13,562
    Groundman
     
    IBTL likes this.
  15. Verbal Christ

    Verbal Christ Member

    Joined:
    Feb 20, 2009
    Messages:
    17,221
    Likes Received:
    26,338
    Jordan was better going to the rim than anyone in the history of Earth.

    Argue about 2nd place.
     
    BaselineFade likes this.
  16. IBTL

    IBTL Member

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2010
    Messages:
    11,366
    Likes Received:
    11,525
    Fair but you could make an argument wb does it with more speed and power than anyone ever
     
  17. elmotsang

    elmotsang Member

    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2007
    Messages:
    1,495
    Likes Received:
    667
    Faried can run very fast
     
  18. heypartner

    heypartner Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 1999
    Messages:
    62,479
    Likes Received:
    56,052
    Hell, I mean, I could argue Shaq was the best at going to the rim,,,and not close. :p
     
    #158 heypartner, Feb 18, 2020
    Last edited: Feb 18, 2020
    Verbal Christ likes this.
  19. marky :)

    marky :) Member

    Joined:
    May 1, 2009
    Messages:
    4,563
    Likes Received:
    4,100
    Jordan had elegance and smoothness going to the rim and when in the air. So it almost looks like it took no effort for him and probably why people forget he had crazy hops. I probably remember just as many of his crazy layups compared to his dunks.

    Westbrook is a Dodge Viper ACR attacking the rim and Jordan was a Mclaren P1.
     
  20. Verbal Christ

    Verbal Christ Member

    Joined:
    Feb 20, 2009
    Messages:
    17,221
    Likes Received:
    26,338
    If Shaq got the ball within 5 feet of the basket it was over, but he wasnt taking anyone off the dribble obviously! LOL

    Mike could drive from anywhere on the court and was the best finisher the game has known.
     

Share This Page