i'm tired of hearing people talk about how the rockets can draft a center and "hakeem will tutor _____ for a few years." when the hell was the last time you heard of hakeem tutoring ANYONE? the last thing hakeem tutored was david robinson in the playoffs. hakeem just doesn't, and has never, struck me as the type to help another player's game out. if no one can name ONE TIME hakeem has mentioned WANTING to help someone (other than himself ) , please stop with this myth. hakeem has no desire, IMO, to help anyone but himself.
True, Hakeem has never been one to "tutor" anybody since Robinson and Ewing, whom he flat out schooled. Maybe the center we draft can get tougher and learn from getting schooled by Dream in practice. This is kind of like of Dream got tougher playing with Mo Malone at Fonde when he was at UH. ------------------ "Oh No..." -Bill Walton in 97 just before Stockton's buzzer beater
I beg to differ. Dream has always enjoyed playing against young upcoming guys in practice. Othella was one. ------------------ "We're having a pretty good time considering one day we're all going to die." Steve Martin, 1976
I don't know verse.... I went to 4 Houston vs. Dallas games over the past two years (I live in Dallas). Usually I get there really early, and watch the shootaround before warm ups. Typically, I see Hakeem playing one on one with one of several players.....once it was Kenny Thomas. He was simply schooling KT, but after he would score, he would face KT, palming the ball, and show him his positioning, etc. They would talk a bit, then he would give KT the ball, and the same thing would occur. Another time it was Carlos Rogers. Same type situation occurred. Granted, it was a relaxed game, but there was a lot of instruction and talking back and forth, nodding by the tutoree as well. ------------------ My doctor says I am bipolar. I am going to get a second opinion. I have never had intimate desires for polar bears.
verse, you're wrong... as always. I've also seen Dream talking to the youngsters out on the floor and then passing the ball back and forth before games... more this year than the previous year, but I think that when Charles was around Dream was a bit quieter. ------------------ When this guy started smoking 40 years ago, people had no idea it was bad for you. People had to guess based on the hacking cough, shortness of breath, and bloody phlegm girl you looks good won't you mock that draft up?!
I’m not going to doubt whether or not that happened, because you say you were there. However, consider this: haven’t you ever played pickup games and helped out one of your boys with a certain move? That’s not what I call mentoring someone…that’s just giving a few tips. What I meant was truly taking someone under his wing and working on their game – day in and day out. Why is it that you never hear any PLAYERS saying that they have been studying with Hakeem? Why is it you never hear Hakeem, himself, talking about the work he has been doing with _________ on his game? You certainly heard about it with Moses & Hakeem. You certainly heard about it with Robinson & Duncan. You certainly heard about it with Jordan & Pippen. Granted, those “second names” mentioned above are all quality players, but the point is still the same. The leader took the follower under his wing and showed him the game as it should be played on the NBA level. I’d have to believe that if Hakeem had even made an ATTEMPT to do this, you’d have heard Othella or KT or Kelvin Crapo or Jim Peterson or Dave Feitl or Two Sammiches or Zan Tabak at least mention it. Maybe you have. I know I certainly have not heard of it. You could say that those players were not of quality, but that’s bullsh!t. I’ve tutored and mentored kids that were 6 and 7 years younger than me (12-20 yrs old), and they have always been grateful for it (giving props, y’know?) Yet, I’ve never heard of such a thing with Hakeem. I have no choice but to believe it’s because he’s never done it. And that’s sad.
shut up Achebe!! seriously though, passing back and forth is not tutoring. i'm talking about spending "quality basketball time" with a person day in and day out - regular season and MORE IMPORTANTLY - in the offseason. when the last time you heard of hakeem working w/some1 in the offseason???
I agree and disagree a bit with verse. Othella's game shows shades of Barkley, Hakeem and Willis (he has Big Kev's hook shot) and Dream did try to work with Cato. Dream's only drawback is that he doesn't work with players more forcefully. He doesn't work on making Cato work hard. He's a veteran and he should talk to Cato about respecting the game, the team, and himself. But Dream was more worried about playing time and his contract, so I mostly agree with verse. ------------------ "Win if you can, lose if you must but always cheat!" - Jesse Ventura
What about Mo saying a major reason he came to Houston was to learn from & play with Dream? Then during this offseason, Dream stating his belief that all Houston needs to do is re-sign current free agents like himself & Mo, and the team will be ready to compete for the championship? I'd be willing to bet Dream's been working with Mo. ------------------ Founding Father of the Refs Suck Club
you're reaching, you're reaching. now we're arguing about 'degrees' of training? I saw a video clip of Hakeem telling Langhi stuff in the locker room. Should we debate about how serious Dream was based on how many clothes he had off at the time? I mean, if you're going to tutor someone, you have to show him testicle stance right? pthththhthhhththt. Quit taking classes from the heypartner rule of extremism. It's okay to not find fault in Dream, it's okay to respect Dream.
I do kind of recall Othella saying something about how much he benefitted from work he put in with Olajuwon. I remember him working on some of Dream's moves. But I understand the difference you are pointing out. Dream isn't in the league right now to be coaching others; he's there to play. I think you're being a bit too harsh in implying he's being selfish about it. But, I think it is true that it wouldn't sit well with him if he was wanted just to tutor the young guys and not for his own considerable abilities on the court. I certainly think having Dream will accelerate the learning curve of any young center we happen to draft just because of their constant interaction and the things Dream will be teaching them. But I think suggestions that Dream will remain as a sort of player-coach who is going to spend all his energies teaching someone else are way off. ------------------ RealGM Gafford Art Artisan Cakes
ahhhh, so this is why he hasn't tutored kelvin crapo? kelvin has no testicles to speak of. ------------------ Lt. Roastabotch reporting for duty!
JV: agreed 100%. i shouldn't paint hakeem as a money-grubbing, self-centered b*stard (even though he does a damn good imitation at times). i guess i just expect more of him. after all he's done for the city and the franchise, IMO, he has one more battle to fight. that battle is the passing of the torch, the imparting of knowledge unto students willing to listen. i just wish he'd put more effort into doing so. yea, he can still play. no one's denying that. but, IMO, for a man who has buttloads of money, 2 rings, and a city's respect, there are things (at least) just as important at this stage than "continuing to play." pass the legacy on, dream. pass the knowledge on. or at least give cato a redeembable coupon at the nearest O'Reilly Auto Parts for a set of nuts....
Achebe verse does not follow anyone's extremism. He is simply the best at it in this forum, and I cannot resist agreeing with the passion of it all. ZRB can pull off a few goods ones, too, when he isn't quoting Fran Blinebury . I find your passionate extremes to be pretty fun, too, although you waste them in the Hangout too much. grrrrrrrr. There, that wasn't too extreme of me was it. I'm feeling like a moderator. Yeah that's it....a moderator who moderates silly extremes by reasoning out a contrary silly extreme to the point that the level headedness of SamCassell and Haven find themselves unable to resist agreement. back on topic: Jordan never tutored anyone either. The greats don't know how to explain it. Give me da ball! And, Langhi, fockass! Let's get SILLY! p*****s
Can someone remember the quote about Hakeem not getting his change. That was certainly a lesson. Besides, hearing that makes me laugh. ------------------
Greedy baster! ------------------ Rarely is the question asked: Guns kill squirrels than REDRUM to fools across the nation?
Hakeem worked out and gave Shaq a few lessons on the post game during the summer of '92 in a gym in L.A. Both Shaq and Hakeem state this in their autobiographies. I've also heard they have played together in subsequent off-seasons. I also recall reading a Zan Tabak quote (when he was with the Raptors and upon facing against Hakeem for the first time), of how practising against Dream during his time in Houston was a great learning experience and helped him as a basketball player - which obviously didn't help too much! verse, it almost seems like you are going out of your way to find fault with Hakeem. Sure, his tutoring abilities may not be great, but 2 or 3 posters just gave you specific examples of him at least attempting to share his knowledge. Also, I never remembering hearing or reading about Jordan giving tips to Quitten or any other player on the game. Azim da Dream ------------------ "Africa is a nation that suffers from incredible disease." - Geroge W. Bush, commenting on the troubled continent, to reporters in Sweden
I would expect more from Hakeem if he hadn't delivered the Rockets two titles along with becoming the franchise's greatest player. ------------------ Protrolls.com! RITQAIOCLHTPFOTFWBPTD
When have the Rockets ever drafted someone who was expected to succeed Dream. For the past seventeen years Dream has been the man on this team. There was never any need for him to tutor a young guy. Just because the situation never presented itself doesn't mean Dream wouldn't do it. ------------------ "If you don't understand it, don't try to understand it." -Carl Everett
