Can PPat develop an Amare-esque attitude?

RedRedemption · Mar 20, 2011

Blurr#7 said: ↑

Just out of curiosity what was Amare's "Swagger" rating pre draft? It seems to be important somehow.
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STOP IT!

JayGoogle · Mar 20, 2011

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Blurr#7 · Mar 20, 2011

highlander3128 said: ↑

I understand the "doing their talking on the court" stuff. But even Hayes shows a badass attitude in the last few games.
I don't mean PPat to turn into a doubebag, but a little intimidation presence on the court will surely be a good thing to his confidence.
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Here you need to read this article. Intimidation and presence is what you get when you constantly swat shot's and control the boards. There is no need for an "attitude" or this "Swagger" crap. Our most beloved Rocket has the right attitude and Patrick is doing just fine with his demeanor.

KEEPING THE FAITH/Olajuwon's, Rockets' quiet confidence has roots in Mecca
JONATHAN FEIGEN Staff
SUN 06/18/1995 HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Section Special, Page 8, 2 STAR Edition

Ignore the "Dream Shake," the single most unstoppable and identifiable move in the NBA, and the lone successor to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's signature "Sky Hook." Forget the jump hooks in the lane, the quick move and soft shot that sets up that fadeaway on the baseline.
Pay no attention to the defense, to the blocked shots and rebounds and the speed running the floor. And like David Robinson, try to forget all those fakes and jukes and first steps.

All that was enough to make Hakeem Olajuwon great, one of the best players in NBA history.

None of it made him a champion.

For Hakeem Olajuwon to become recognized as "the best player on the planet," as teammate Clyde Drexler has come to call him, he had to do more than that. He had to develop a game that touched every teammate, and lifted them to levels few thought possible.

And he had to develop in himself a calm, quiet confidence -- in his case, a tranquility born from his renewed and practiced faith -- that became the personality of his team. It became almost cliche years ago that players cannot be truly considered among the best unless they also improve the play of those around them. When Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were collecting championships and MVP trophies, it was used as the now-dated and inaccurate knock on Michael Jordan.

When Olajuwon was merely an automatic All-Star, the line was used to explain why he was not as celebrated as the champions. But though he has since elevated his own play through the strength of his personality and diversity of his game, he has elevated his teammates to levels that more than meet the requirements for all-time greatness.

And more to the immediate point, considering the comebacks and the steely-cool last-second wins, the perspective of Olajuwon became the persona of the Rockets, and as much a key to the triumph as any inside move or 3-point shot.

"I always knew he was a great player," Rockets vice president for basketball operations Bob Weinhauer said. "I had no way of knowing what a great individual he was. The way he carries himself and projects himself to everyone, his ease of doing things, his calmness, really carries over to the rest of the team." It cannot help but influence his Rockets teammates and their play. As forward Robert Horry said, when asked about the Rockets' calm under pressure and ability to rise to any occasion, "It all flows from No. 34."

He had been asked to be a more vocal leader in the past, and he has done that. But his greater impact is unspoken, not only in the example of work habits or play, but in his entire "stay hungry, stay humble" approach to his game and life.

"I admire him so much for his even temperament," Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "I've tried to coach that way. I am a very emotional person. But I realized when I started coaching, negative emotions can really hurt your team. That's the way Hakeem is.

"That's something I really admire in him. I've watched him grow. As a young player, he was really excitable and reacted a lot. Now I don't know how he keeps from reacting. He gets beat up every time down the court. The responsibility of being a great player on a team, and the strain of all the travel, it wears you down. You get irritable. This guy keeps an even keel all the time. I get strength from that." Tomjanovich is not alone. But Olajuwon will explain his attitude and priorities, so valuable to the Rockets now, were not devised to help influence teammates or game results. Since his first pilgrimage to Mecca, his faith has touched every part of his life, and, eventually, the Rockets.

"His religion," Drexler said, "dominates his life."

And it defines him even as a basketball player.

"I believe it is my duty to do my best and prepare my best," Olajuwon said. "That concept to stay humble and stay hungry is not because we won a championship or we are winning. We demonstrated professionalism, even when we were on top. And we are still humble. That is very important." Said Weinhauer, "He has an inner peace about him now. It changed his whole game."

Olajuwon's game has changed, subtly and dramatically, and has changed the Rockets into champions. He had become a willing passer years ago, but became a gifted one in the past two seasons.

The Rockets collected a variety of 3-point shooters to circle him, and Olajuwon has delivered passes that either led directly to the jump shots that give the Rockets a rotation of heroes or moved them one more pass to the wide-open looks that defines them almost as much as the presence of their center.

"You have to double-team him, and when people double team him, he can make them pay," Rockets assistant coach Carroll Dawson said. "He knows where guys are, and he finds them. He's improved so much on his passing. That's when we became a great ballclub."

It is difficult to say when Olajuwon became a great player, then crossed the line to the view that he is the game's best. While Jordan still will get support from those that expect him to return to his pre-baseball glory, Olajuwon is widely believed to be the game's best center, and, by many, its best all-around player at any position.

After a second consecutive NBA Finals MVP, a feat matched only by Jordan's three-year run, and last season's first-ever sweep of Defensive Player of the Year, regular season and Finals MVP, the case can be made.

The numbers also are convincing. Facing the Magic's 7-1, 303-pound Shaquille O'Neal, Olajuwon set a record for the most points scored (131) in a four-game NBA Finals series, breaking Rick Barry's 20-year-old record of 118, and for field goals in a four-game series (56), breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 1971 record of 46. He averaged 32.8 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists.

Against Robinson, the regular-season MVP, he owned the series as perhaps no player ever has against another great player, averaging 35.3 points, 12.5 rebounds, five assists and 4.2 blocks.

"Hakeem is right up there with the dominating players to ever play the game," Tomjanovich said.

Told he was now considered by many the game's best player, Olajuwon, contrary to the position taken by so many of the his peers, prefered only to be in the club.

"That's a big statement to say," Olajuwon said. "Look at how much talent there is in the league. That is saying a lot. It's difficult to accept that compliment. I'm honored to even be considered one of the best."

That's not the point, anyway, and the pursuit of such acclaim is not what brought Olajuwon and his team to this lofty point.

Olajuwon's entire professional life has been about improving, about testing himself and comparing himself not to Patrick Ewing or David Robinson, but to himself and what he could be.

Although he was the first pick of the 1984 NBA draft, few expected him to be the offensive player he has become, or have the shooting he showed against the Magic, the unstoppable moves he displayed against the Spurs or the passing touch he showed throughout.

But that, Olajuwon says, is what drives him to work and grow.

"To strive, to want to be the best you can be, doesn't mean you have to compete with others," he said. "There is always somebody better, somebody taller, somebody faster, somebody richer. You have to accept that premise. As long as you are maximizing your potential, your satisfaction is to work on the game, get better and enjoy it. That's why I don't compare myself with this year, or that player." And it is why the Rockets believe he can get even better.

"His one-on-one face-up moves are the next to be added to his arsenal," Dawson said. "He's getting better at 20 feet, facing up. At times, he looks like a small forward. That's probably what he'll be doing next, putting the ball on the floor and driving and shooting the outside shot. The inside moves, he's pretty well got down."

Those moves would seem to be enough. But Olajuwon said he will not be satisfied with being the league champion or its best player, not if there is a chance to become better.

"People said, "you will be satisfied' after last year," Olajuwon said. "I believe in maximizing my talent. And working.

"I believe in getting better, not better than other players, but better than myself. I compare myself to myself."

That's just as well. Comparisons to all others already seem to have been made, and there is only one viable conclusion.

No others compare.
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RV6 · Mar 20, 2011

if amar'e couldn't do it, how can Pat?

JayGoogle · Mar 20, 2011

Blurr#7 said: ↑

Here you need to read this article. Intimidation and presence is what you get when you constantly swat shot's and control the boards. There is no need for an "attitude" or this "Swagger" crap. Our most beloved Rocket has the right attitude and Patrick is doing just fine with his demeanor.
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Truth.

Andre Johnson certainly has the right mindset. He'll even smack a CB if it needs to happen.

Patterson seems like a guy that wants to get better every single day. I'm not sure about that from Amar'e. Amar'e is extremely gifted like Tmac...but I'm not sure he wants to get better, if he loves to work hard, and if he'd be willing to come off the bench if it meant winning.

That's PPat's attitude and I'd rather have that attitude in a player rather than the "I'm good enough already..." superstar diva thing.

RV6 · Mar 20, 2011

my mistake^^, i thought the OP said Amare's current attitude, not his rookie year.

I still dont think he can. Different situation. Amar'e was the guy, but PP has to hold back and fit where he can.

josephnicks · Mar 20, 2011

RedRedemption said: ↑

Stop staying swagger. Please.
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why?

swag·ger
1. ( intr ) to walk or behave in an arrogant manner
2. to brag loudly

Origin:
1580–90

Apps · Mar 20, 2011

josephnicks said: ↑

Origin:
1580–90
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People in the late 16th century were so slick they had to invent a new word for that ish. Laying it down late-Renaissance style, b****es.

mvpcrossxover · Mar 20, 2011

patterson is horrible
no post up game
can't shoot 3s
he's soft too

johnnyonthespot · Mar 20, 2011

josephnicks said: ↑

why?

swag·ger
1. ( intr ) to walk or behave in an arrogant manner
2. to brag loudly

Origin:
1580–90
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Thank you. I'm not sure why someone feels the need to taboo a word that is being used for its intended purpose. Way to drop some knowledge on these fools.

highlander3128 · Mar 20, 2011

johnnyonthespot said: ↑

Thank you. I'm not sure why someone feels the need to taboo a word that is being used for its intended purpose. Way to drop some knowledge on these fools.
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I actually like the word "swagger". It makes me think of Deke just saying.....

roslolian · Mar 21, 2011

johnnyonthespot said: ↑

I think some of you are missing the OP's point. He is not saying he want PatPat to play like Amare, he is saying he want PatPat to possess the same attitude that Amare possess. Amare has a swagger that I think would definitely benefit PatPat's game. Give him a bad*ss attitude and his game could take another leap.
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Amare has a swagger but he also has a sense of entitlement and a prima donna attitude. When he was in the Suns he loved playing center because he was quicker than 99% of his opponents, but when he got called out on his D and rebounding he used his position as an excuse. Even now Pre-Melo when he was taking on a leadership role, he still sucked at D and was just average at rebounding.

So basically I don't want PP to get Amare's attitude at all, especially when he starts adding apostrophes to his name (P'P) and starts calling himself SPAT (Stat with a P). I'd rather he continue his attitude, or if he wants to go over the top, adopt Perkins' baby eating grimace or even KG's crazy intensity.

REEKO_HTOWN · Mar 21, 2011

Amare-esque attitude? I hope not.

Amare is mentally soft late in games. Shooting contested 3 pointers late. DO NOT WANT.

wikiwiki · Mar 21, 2011

Blurr#7 said: ↑

Here you need to read this article. Intimidation and presence is what you get when you constantly swat shot's and control the boards. There is no need for an "attitude" or this "Swagger" crap. Our most beloved Rocket has the right attitude and Patrick is doing just fine with his demeanor.

[/B]
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So, basically, we need to ship PPat to mecca in the offseason?

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