Unfortunately Ralph could dominate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar one night and get manhandled by Bill Hanzlik the next night.
Yeah, well, that's what I meant about Ralph Sampson, CometsWin. I suppose that's what a lot of people meant about Ralph. I think Jerry Sichting got his own bar in Beantown and is still is revered for taking Ralph's best shot in the 1986 championship round, and saying that a guy who stood 7'4'' didn't hit as hard as a little girl. I image Sampson would be the definition of "finesse" player. A game of speed, skill and athleticism, you got the good Ralph. A street fight or a wrestling match, you'd get the bad Ralph. Can't explain why that was. Turns out it didn't matter too much to me. A fan is a fan and that's all that I am. But I understand why people wanted more......
Actually, Ralph may have been more point forward than point center, heypartner..... ...it even seemed at times that Sampson fancied himself a point guard. He really wasn't sure what he was, I guess. The game would take its toll on Sampson, because although he was more gifted than anyone at 7'4" has been or ever will be, Sampson was still not physically able to withstand what the NBA grind would do to his frame. Particularly an athletic (albeit slight) frame. Ralph got hurt in a game in Boston in 1986. Hurt real bad, as I recall, falling on his back on that shiny rotten mess of a Parquet floor in the old Boston Garden. He looked like a heap of old clothes as he was carried on a cot off the floor. He was never really the same after that. If he did have any mental weakness, I'd bet alot of it came from that fall. He may never have trusted his body again. It certainly didn't give him any reason to, as it turns out.....
I'm so glad to see someone write this. I would also add that his biggest weakness was that he really didn't know what he wanted to be. I remember in college he made a point about not being Kareem'ish, and he wanted to be his own man. Dude, you are 7'4". Dream just grabbed that Center position away from you. And then the injury.
Sampson was an on and off player before the injury and possibly the most frustrating talent to watch. He was so gifted, but when he should've passed the ball, he wanted to be a guard and bring the ball up the court. Yes, we know you are a 7'4" freak that can dribble the ball, Ralph, but how about you pass the ball to the guard and run down the court to post up? I've posted old Sports Illustrated articles on here in the past that say the same. I remember watching the guy go for a 20-10 game and follow it up with something like a 6 point 4 rebound game. Arrrgghh... so... damn... annoying. Even Steve Francis didn't aggravate me as much as watching Ralph (ok, maybe he did). And, sadly, his mental weaknesses came long before his fall. After the fall, a combination of mental and physical weakness killed his game. I don't look to knock down Rockets greats, but I swear, with the passing of time, everybody becomes untouchable legends in our eyes. We seem to forget these guys had huge faults. For those that believe there will never be another Ralph Sampson, I'll challenge that : In his prime, Kevin Garnett was a better Ralph Sampson. *runs for cover*
Don't tell me, let me guess....... ....I should trust you, because you're a doctor, right? (lol) Ralph Sampson's inconsistency again stemmed as much from what was expected from Sampson as it was what he could or couldn't do. You would think, that at 7'4", Sampson would park in the paint and never leave it. Or, if you moved him to the 4-spot alongside then-Akeem Olajuwon, he'd use those perimeter skills of his to change the game from there. Ralph had no excuses for not being more than what he was. But it would have been a great help to decide just exactly what he was supposed to be. But what he was expected to be had everything to do with his height, and almost nothing to do with his game. I think Sampson's athleticism at his height worked against him, much the same way Yao Ming's height tends to work against him now. Yao of course, is nowhere near the caliber of athlete Sampson was, but that height is still that height, and it is difficult for any body to sustain itself over an 82-game NBA season (most players at that height or taller have, by and large, underperformed). At the end of the day, because of Sampson's individual ability, more often than not, it seems that his performances were directly related to his mood (or at least, that became the accepted rationale), because there HAD to be some reason beyond our understanding why Ralph was on and off more than a light switch. I never considered saying that Ralph Sampson was once one of my favorite Rockets was enshrining him in the Hall of Fame, Dr of Dunk. If I'd been paying any attention to how Tracy McGrady's been received, I would definitely have thought twice about saying a good word about Stick. I think Sampson was an overgrown small forward, at the end of the day. he didn't want to be a "low post player" in the classical sense, and he said so several times. I think he wished he was smaller than he was; he always seemed to have more in common with John Lucas than he did with Olajuwon. I think in wanting to be his own player, Sampson missed out on being the best player HE could be. That realization would have helped him redefine whatever position he played. But as I've said myself several times, your big people HAVE to do a big man's job—defend the basket and rebound. The Rockets had enough guys who could handle the break and play the perimeter. They had NO ONE with Sampson's size—few people in the league had Sampson's size. Had Ralph played the way he had to—the way his height dictated he should—the way his ability allowed—he certainly would have been a better Kevin Garnett than KG. As a good as a player is or was, he can only be as good for his team as he is good at his job. I just wonder if Sampson ever really realized what that job was.....
