Disagree big time. Post don't change especialy the fundementals. There is a reason the best post players are zach,jefferson, and those 6'9 guys. Why? They've been on the blocks they're entire life and they know what they're doing. If you don't get a 3 secs call on offense,you're not posting up properly. Shaq made a killing running down the middle of the floor and pinning his man. Also getting low and sitting on guys knees limits how a guy can defend you. I will also say mchale nor his teammates do a good job of getting him touches before they hoist up shots. I remember when malone couldn't shoot past 8ft. You know how sloan got malone the ball close? That same flex play. Stockton at the tok,the center at ft line,mlone on the opposite block. Stockton would rub off and if he didn't get a pass,he would set a cross screen and malone would roll to the front of the rim. Those are basic plays that can get him easy points and draw fouls.
Dwight Howards main problem is his mental focus. His free throws, his moves are all a product of his focus and or lack of it. This is why his moves are repetitive, it doesn't go with the flow. His approach is too mechanical i guess in that his moves are a bit numbered.
Dwight's defensive prescense is unreal. Sad that we have a big baby playing behind him who won't give his all.
Deep post position is an absolute must for Howard. Unlike the true greats, he has no face up jumper so the defender can play him softly, therefore his first step is always easier to deal with. You can't just go through people,Shaq was an aberration because the league allowed him to simply dislodge his defender.
Guy needs to stop paying attention to what people like Chuck and Shaq say and just play his game. He's not a true post up offensive player, but you have to go to him cause he still commands a double team which opens up your offense. Just play your game. Just as Lebron isn't Jordan or Kobe, Howard isn't Dream or Shaq. He's Dwight, and he's been a dominant force in the league doing what he does best for years before last year. He looks healthy and motivated enough to still do those things that he did before last year. Just do that, and stop trying to live up to the greats offensively.
That's the point of this post and that is Dwight DOESN'T command a double team anymore! Which is why we're getting killed by terrible teams. In fact, Howard has been so irrelevant of late on the offense that the guy guarding him can be just some scrubby white guy (Hawes, Bargniani) and still own him. I used to think he was a one-dimensional offensive player like the old Blake Griffin, all dunks and put backs. But now, I think he's just awful. Basically we've got a overpaid Ben Wallace type of player.
Bur those quick runs to the basket I wouldn't really call post ups... I mean imagine Shaq backing down Barganii (or however you spell his name) he would of gotten called for charges all day long, Dwight can dominate guys by backing down to the basket then dunking right over them but unfortunately guys flop once he touches them.
Exactly! If Dwight manhandled guys like Shaq did (which he can do) he would get an instant foul everytime.
Dwight just isn't a post up big man. He just isn't. He can't fix this at this point. He's been in the league for 10 years. He's a PNR finisher. That's it. DON'T RUN THE OFFENSE THROUGH HOWARD.
Watching Barkley and Shaq demo how to play the post compare to what Dream does is comical. Dream has kept himself in great shape in order to teach by example.
The Rockets don't need offense from Dwight to win basketball games. The Suns did need defense from Barkley to win (that never happened).
Really... have you only been watching since last night? (understandable given the CSN situation). Dwight has been doubled every single game on almost every single possession he touches the ball. Philly double him, but Brown made sure the helper came late to try and alter his shot. It was a good strategy... but technically it was still a double team. NYK had to play him straight up because their defense on the perimeter is so bad Harden/Lin would have dropped 80 on them alone. Not sure what the deal was with Bargnani but he really bothered Dwight for some reason. Same with Hawes. Yes... Dwight in the post has been ugly to watch, and yes he did get handled defensively by Andrea last night. However that doesn't change the fact that he has been getting doubled regardless and has proven he can pass very well out of the post for 3 point shots. That's a play you run all day every day if you are getting clear open looks. Now that the Rockets have done away with the TT, the offense should open up alot to allow for the Harden/Howard P&R. Keep in mind that this is only game 1 without the TT, and Harden being back. They aren't going to keep going to Howard in the post if it isn't working, and more teams learn how to guard him one-on-one. The Rockets are stupid.
I think he waits too long to make his move once he receives the ball allowing the defense to get set. Get it and go.
Something that Barkley and Shaq have and Dwight does not: a huge ass. It is not easy to be a back to the basket when you don't have enough back. Howard is muscular and quick but is relatively a light weight and has a high center of gravity.
Great advices from Barkley/Shaq. I think DWH has more power/phisicality than Dream and more agility/speed than Shaq. He should take it all in and develop his own style. Dream/Shaq didn't just copy moves from older legends.
D12 will never be the offensive threat like Barkley and Shaq, but he is better defensively. Its just his build, nothing he can do about it.
A big problem I see is him not being able to get the ball where and when he wants it once he sustains his positioning. I remember we had the same problem with Yao at times. For him it would be a little easier than with Dwight as he had a lot more touch and power from his lower body. We can't lob it to him off the PnR we can't pass it to him on the block efficiently so how the hell is he supposed to get the ball at a position to score besides garbage dunks or offensive put backs. This will for sure be a work in progress but I definitely do not put it all on Dwight.
Love this topic. I was just talking on the phone with an old college roommate about this last night. He was on the practice squad @ Texas State and eventually transferred to a smaller school so that he could actually play. But anyway... We were talking about DH's post game and I pointed out that he just doesn't take advantage of quick post ups, and when he does, he's too far away from the basket and waits entirely too long to go into his move. By the time he puts the ball on the floor the double team is right on top of him, or his defender is perfectly squared up and in position to draw an offensive foul as soon as he uses his strength to finish. My old roommate co-signed that and added that DH simply doesn't know how to post up. I laughed and dismissed it at first, but he was actually spot on. And someone hinted at this a few posts back. DH tries to win position in the post with his arms. He doesn't use his lower body and because of that he’s off balance, out of control, and rarely wins the position battle down low. He also said that it was likely because DH has depended on his athleticism for so long that he’s never really had focus on something so rudimentary and fundamental. Until now, that is. And it’s painfully obvious. There was one point in last night’s game where DH had a HUGE mismatch in his favour against J.R. Smith down in the paint. I literally went nuts yelling at the TV because DH would not or could pin him and demand the ball. That should have been an easy two points plus the foul. I don’t remember how the play eventually ended, but I’m 90% positive that it didn’t result in points. That type of stuff just can’t happen. That’s the type of easy points that make an offense elite and demoralizes your opponent. Even Yao, with all his athletic shortcomings, was a master at taking advantage of those “mouse in the house” type scenarios. As long as he wasn't being fronted. I honestly believe DH can and will develop an above average post game. I’m betting that it’ll be the focus of the entire team this coming offseason. But until DH commits to beating his man down low, and the team commits to getting him the ball on time and when he wins position; we just won’t see this team develop into what it could truly be. I’m extremely optimistic about his game developing, just hoping that it’s sooner rather than later.
