Also again, speed with the ball does not correlate with speed without it. I've known so many guys that were so fast with the ball but it seemed like the ball couldn't keep up with them so they had sloppy handling. This is why you hardly ever hear NBA scouts talking about speed like they do in the NBA. They do drills with the ball. Dwight has always been strong, but he still has to put the ball in a hoop. Some of the best post players aren't even these physically super strong guys. They are guys with skill and quick coordinate feet. You can't even keep your back to the basket that long to just post up someone and back them down that long. 3 seconds and 5 seconds back to the basket. Post game is really the only time where strength comes into play. I think if NBA players use PEDs it's to return faster, which I guess seems to be against the rules
I agree with you. Take Lowry for example. He was relentless while coming off the bench, not so much as a starter playing heavy minutes, Morey said in a couple of interviews that Kyle would take his game to another level if he could sustain the same relentlessness for 35 mins, and that of course, proves to be a tall order for most athletes. In another subject, having a little more explosion can be the difference between a fringe nba player and a role player, a role player and a borderline all-star, and forth. Almost everybody could get an advantage from peds. Henry Abbott wrote a good piece on peds and the nba.
Scratch that link, I had this one in mind: http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/50443/tell-me-the-nba-has-no-doping Came across this one as well: http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/54045/three-nba-doping-myths
same old arguments that being faster and stronger doesn't help? why am I not surprised. not only has abbott refuted all those tired arguments, peds provide more than speed or strength. they also provide faster recovery time from fatigue and injury. also better stamina overall. in a league full of back to backs and 4 in 5s, thats a competive advantage. moreover, being faster doesn't help in steals, blocks and defense overall? or being stronger doesn't help in fighting for position or rebounds? how often do we say "oh man, that guy has such explosive athleticism! I would love to have that guy on my team"?
"D-wade is so strong and has such good body control. he can take contact and still bully his way to the rim!" but no, being faster or stronger doesnt help... you can't pretend like this is a sport where strength and off the ball speed are irrelevant. because thats also a part of the game that we marvel at and admire. when tiny nate rob can dunk and block we love it. why? cause of unmatched athleticism.
Heh some say that. I sure don't. I still remember how many people thought Tyrus would be better than Lamarcus Aldridge because man that guy can jump! Or that Sully is fat and out of shape. Every year NBA scouts seemed to get fooled about athleticism.
Did we not learn anything from Roger Clemens and his PEDs saga? It's about quick muscle recovery and always performing at your peak. It's not about much else than that.
Those are all highly skilled players. Does being a athlete aid them, it sure does but the thing is they definitely can't get by on it to say...break records like how just hitting a ball harder would definitely help that. You see a lot of players get older...get hurt...and never be the same. Basketball is just a skill first sport though...although I'm sure the whole recovery angle would make a lot of these competitive guys try this stuff. Not that it doesn't take skill to hit a ball or throw it. Takes tremendous skill, but the difference is that added strength makes you hit the ball harder when you do or makes you throw it faster. Also...If Wall is on PEDs they sure aren't helping him much
I actually think if it's widespread in the NBA I think this could be it moerso than speed and strength. Guys like Kobe and Lebron are ironmen for example. Lebron seems almost super human in that lack of time he's missed and with how often he's used.
disagree on highly skilled. wall and bedsoe can't shoot. and their handles aren't great either. but they are strong, fast and explosive. not saying any of them are doping. but they are examples of the kind of athleticism that is useful in this league. and achievable tbrough doping
PEDS helps build the muscles but not the tendons. Its sad to say that anytime a player goes down with a devestating injury after a routine play/route, there will always be the suspicion of PEDS use at least for me.
Wall's handles are pretty sick. The problem is he still doesn't really do with the ball or play PG effectively. Bledsoe's a pretty good defensive players. That's certainly a skill. They both can run almost at full speed with the ball, that is very much a skill. Any ways I think both are highly skilled players, but Wall is the perfect example of a guy that would be a complete beast if he had the skill to match. If he could shoot and had real PG instincts he'd be a all-star level player. It's kind of like Blake, you see him getting better now but it's not because he's getting stronger or jumping higher. He came into the NBA with that. It's because he's developing a post game and improving his offense.
Steroids should be mandatory in sports. I mean, don't we want to see more athletic athletes? Bill Simmons comes across as an overly righteous d-bag in that article -- And I'd say that to his face.
really? so in order to participate in the sport players must subject themselves to detrimental health effects?
Honest question: many people think that a majority of pro athletes are using PEDs. What would happen if we made them all legal for pros, and skipped the testing? What if players publicly discussed which drugs they used in what way, allow people to talk about the upsides of quicker recoveries and worse wear and tear in the long term, just let it all be a part of public discussion. Would players be at a higher risk if PEDs were legal? Would they use more? What would happen? Would having players openly use PEDs with close medical supervision be worse than the present situation of them using what they can and just trying not to get busted?
HGH could certainly help basketball and football players. It would help your hand eye coordination and explosiveness.
