McHale is possibly the most talented post player I've ever seen. His "go-to" moves weren't as good as, say, Hakeem's... but he could score, and had incredible court vision from the post. He could take over games. He had some range, could rebound, play defense... whatever was asked. Very complete player. In many games, he was option #1. He was the 2nd best player on the great Celtic teams of the 80's. Malone was 1A on a team not nearly as good as those Celtic teams. In many cases, the supporting cast (Pippen!) rides the coattails of the best palyer ot the HoF. W/the Celtics, some players will probably never get the credit they deserve because Bird was "the man."
Well said haven. jmwilliamson, if you can, watch some videos of McHale. The moves he did were crazy! Almost Bird-like. Finger rolls in the post off-glass while falling down. Crazy! It was not luck, either. Pump-fakes, up and unders, then dish off to a cutting Robert Parish for a dunk. If he got you 5 feet inside, he it was a score. It was masterful skill, not brute force.
The 1986-87 season was McHale's best, as he averaged 26.1 ppg and set career highs in rebounding (9.9 rpg) and assists (2.6 apg). He captured the first of two consecutive field-goal percentage titles and became the first player ever to shoot better than .600 from the floor (.604) and .800 from the free throw line (.836) in the same season. At season's end, he was named to the All-NBA First Team for the only time in his career. Tim DeFrisco/Allsport "He became the most difficult low-post player to defend -- once he made the catch -- in the history of the league," contended former NBA coach Hubie Brown in the Boston Globe . "He was totally unstoppable because of his quickness, diversification of moves and the long arms that gave him an angle to release the ball over a taller man or more explosive jumper."
