oops, hold on a second there, DoD. In your zeal to prove your point, you slipped Sampson's name in there with good centers. I'm sure it was just an oversight on your part. Sampson had potential, talent, and height. What he lacked was heart. He could have been a good center. Hell, he could have been a great center. But we must judge him on his accomplishments, which, IMHO, ranks him as average at best. ------------------ Behad Sergeant at Arms of the Clutch BBS
Don't forget Ralph was ROY his first year and an All Star in his first four years. He was a 20+ ppg a 10+ rpg and 2+ bpg player those years. I know he dissappeared in some big games but he also had some very good games. Don't forget the shot in LA that got us to the finals in 86. And remember he was still at the infant stage of his pro career. Sampson did not start going downhill untill he screwed up his knees. One bad knee is bad enough but he ended up with two. His skills declined very sharply and very quickly after that. It's true enough that Sampson never seemed to have the same fire or desire as the Dream, but to ignore his accomplishments and call him avg at best is a failure to recognize the facts on your part. Ralph Sampson was an exellent player with extraordinary skills and may have acheived super star status had he stayed healthy. ------------------ [This message has been edited by crash5179 (edited February 24, 2001).]
Naa... I'm sure it wasn't. He was a good center. He was inconsistent at times, but when healthy he was among the better centers in the league. ------------------ "Ive seen more class at a Pig Humpin Contest ." -- moestavern19 makes headlines again, and in the process leaves little doubt as to what Saturday nights in his hometown of Lompoc, California are like.
Yeah, but Ralph was a 7 footer. ------------------ "Ive seen more class at a Pig Humpin Contest ." -- moestavern19 makes headlines again, and in the process leaves little doubt as to what Saturday nights in his hometown of Lompoc, California are like.
I got to stand by my position. Sampson was waaaay overrated. Sure he had a good start to his career, but he had Olajuwon on the opposite side of the lane, taking the heat off Sampson. Do you really think he could have put up those numbers consistantly without Hakeem? No way. Sure he had a few good games, but so has Carlos Rogers. Is 'Los a good center? As far as "The Shot" is concerned, it was more luck than skill. I will forever be grateful he made it, because I had tickets to the next home game. Making that shot made my tickets good for the finals, instaed of game 6 of the WCF's. But how many times did that ball bounce on the rim before it went in? It was luck. Sorry, I never will agree Sampson was a good center. ------------------ Behad Sergeant at Arms of the Clutch BBS
Don't mean to beat a dead horse but Ralph did put those numbers up with out Dream. During his rookie year when he won ROY his numbers were great and he made the All Star team. He had 20+ pts 11+ boards 2+ blocks in his rookie season. Dream was still a Cougar. You say the shot in L.A. was luck...maybe so, but he still made it and grabbed a little piece of Rockets history along the way. ------------------
Yeah, i was just kidding. But besides the height/size difference, and the fact that ralph actually lived up to his potential for a couple seasons, their stories are somewhat similar. ------------------ Never Underestimate the Heart of a Champion
Somewhat similar? You will have to explain that one. Ralph was college player of the year. Dominated on the college level. Number 1 pick of the draft. Rookie of the year. 4 time all star. And had his career cut short with injuries. ------------------
Ralph was much better and had much higher expectations, but after the Blazers got a glimpse of Cato, they expected pretty big things. Cato also, like Sampson, was athletic, tall, and had great potential. They are barely alike, but the way their careers weren't what everyone expected is kind of similar. (Cato still has a chance to redeem himself) ------------------ Never Underestimate the Heart of a Champion [This message has been edited by vj23k (edited February 27, 2001).]
