During the second championship season, Tomjanovich likewise exhibited a laissez-faire attitude toward Clyde Drexler, a supremely talented player, but a notorious back-stabber and mean-spirited locker room lawyer.
(It should be noted that Olajuwon was more of a face-up, foul-line-and-baseline scorer than a lane-anchored center. Article is hardly funny. Pretty damning if you ask me.
I was gonna post that same quote, codell. Hakeem was definitely a center who posted up in the lane most of the time. Who is the author thinking of, David Robinson?
Apparently, he never heard of Dream's shake, his spin baseline off the post or his jump hook spinning into the lane.
Tomjanovich utilized the sizeable post-up talents of Yao Ming mostly as an afterthought. And this perimeter-oriented philosophy is exactly why, given the unavailability of Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams and Pat Riley, Kid Kobe would be inclined to play for Tomjanovich (and why Shaq still wants out). It's like this guy started off with a conclusion, and then started making up facts to support it. Rudy never ran anything close to a 'perimeter-oriented philosophy' until his only remaining big men were Maurice Taylor and Kelvin Cato. For six years, every play Rudy ran started or ended with a post entry to Olajuwon or Barkley? Face up from the foul line?!? Not even close. Shaq may still want out, but I doubt it's because of Rudy. Rudy knows how he won his two championships, and it wasn't from feeding the ball to jack-it-up me-first guards. I realize Rudy won't be remembered as the most complicated strategist in NBA history, but I'm sick of these clowns characterizing him as 'dim'. Anybody remember why Jerry West and the 'Competition Committee' kept on instituting new rules like the Charles Barkley backing-it-in rule and the reinstatement of zone defenses? Oh, yeah, I remember. Because they were sick of getting their asses kicked every year by Rudy's dim, boring, isolation-oriented offenses.
Rudy treats his players like adults and they usually respond like adults. Kobes ego could'nt be bigger than Vernon Maxwells', and Rudy got championship play from Max (until Max went crazy). That sportswriter knows very little about RudyT and less about the Rockets championship years. When it comes to the Rockets, RudyT, Clyde, Calvin, Dream...he would'nt know **** from shinola.
The egos may be the same, but Max knew how to play a team game. Kobe still thinks he can win a game in the last minute by himself. He is a good player, but I wouldn't put him in the same league with MJ, Bird, Magic, Stockton or R. Miller for last minute heroics.
For a better article than that trash from foxsports, see: ESPN 2: Rudy T shoudn't rush in written by someone that's actually seen a basketball game or two.
Two articles on the same topic which both use the word "Lilliputian". Do these guys share a thesaurus?
Yeah, good catch. "Lilliputian" -- I'm going to start using that in sentences from now on. I had to look it up; it means unusually small. The phrase comes from some English novel in the 1700's. Anyway, who cares -- Rudy T, just watch your back.
SOME ENGLISH NOVEL??? damn, i am stupid, but what they teachin in schools these days? i read that in the 3rd grade. never understood the period political commentary, but i thought it was cool. damn, no offense meant, but damn!
Your right, as you've offered implicity, I'm "damn" stupid. I commend you and your 3rd grade teacher.
