If it's that easy, how come Chuck, Juwan, Stro, etc. didn't manage to score as efficiently as Landry has? Sure, having Yao helps A LOT, but it still takes talent to take advantage of the opportunties.
Well, if teams start double teaming Landry, means more mismatches for even more good shots. He has solid post moves, and will be good for PnP with T-Mac. I could envision Landry hitting 16 footers all day like Howard did last year.
Right, Howard only seemed to get the Pick n Pop shots or the top of the key Js that Scola has been getting. Hayes only gets the slashing finishes around the basket. Stro only got the slashing finishes around the basket. Landry gives you both the inside and the outside.
First, I didnt say Landry has no talents. He certainly does. But to compare Landry to Shaq, Mourning, etc, by using some garbage stats is just ridiculous. The "Chuck" question, it's a good one. Buc actually you should ask Chuck. WTF can Chuck blow those open/uncontested layups? For Juwan and Stro: Juwan still benefited from the open mid-range jumpers which he hit at a high clip. But both Juwan and Stro didnt benefit so much layup opportunities under JVG because JVG has no ideas wtf to do in offense. As Mark Jackson scorned JVG on his face on national TV: "You're putrid in offense".
No man can be the "man" anymore in the NBA because of the rule changes. Shaq, Kobe, Yao, Wade, Lebron, Nowitzki.....they all gotta have help to be able to be efficient and win games and they're only as dangerous as the guys they have around them. Robinson, Sabonis, Shaq, and Mourning all played in an era with no zones, where you could isolate your man and dominate him. So, I don't really care if he can't be "the man". Dude is putting up some outrageous numbers and a lot of those minutes have been when he has been on the floor without one of either Yao or McGrady and sometimes both! He's been tough for teams to deal with. I am ready to see him get more minutes.
I would edit this by saying "No BIG man can be the 'man' anymore." The league has never been more friendly to "perimeter" players who dive into the lane and attack the basket. Ask Wade.
I have to ask if many of the guys comparing Landry to Mourning and ESPECIALLY David Robinson actually got to watch those guys play in their prime. David Robinson was considered to be THE BEST center in the league until Hakeem took his offense to the next level in 92-93. The guy is one of the top 10 Centers of all time and was a hell of an offensive and defensive player until his back injury.
Landry is no Shaq, but being able to take advantage of open opportunities and hit at a very high clip shows that, on offense, he has a great chance to be better than the average bird. Say what you will about the guys who played next to Yao, even guys who played PF next to Shaq back when he was significantly better than Yao generally don't put up such efficient numbers, as far as I can remember.
Landry is damn good cuz he found the right team, Adelman's motion offense fits him perfectly as he is always moving and cutting. On top of that he has a team with 2 stars, so he will be open alot of the time. Either way quite the 2nd round steal.
I don't see Landry as an elite PF and I certainly don't see him as a Shaq, Robinson or whomever. However, I do see a PF that can do what no other one seemed to be able to do while Yao & T-Mac have been here, and that's convert wide open looks..get to the right spot to take advantage of the double, whatever. If his jumper is legit then he will be a nice weapon because he can certainly go to the hole strong, and it's not like he will ever receive heavy defensive attention as long as the two stars are playing.
Even though i love Landry and his play at PF why is he considered a PF ? Did he play the number 4 spot in college because he's most certainly not. He doesn't have the strength or the length. He's more a Robert Horry type player with more rebounding skills and pounding whereas Horry was more of a shot blocker and shooter but both hard workers who love to dunk. So that being said, why not use him at the number 3 spot behind Battier. We don't have a good man behind Battier, which is mostly Wells, and even though McGrady can play it he's not being used at SF so why not try it. He can be on the court with Brooks, Head, Mutombo & Hayes as the 2nd unit (this would be my 2nd unit). What do you think ?
The argument that Landry is only producing because Yao is next to him is bogus. 82games updated their player pairs data up through 1/31: http://82games.com/0708/0708HOUP.HTM Landry only played 29 minutes alongside Yao before the Pacer's game, and 116 minutes without him. Overall, per 40 minute numbers he gave us 21.5 pts, 14.9 reb, on 67% shooting from the field. Without Yao (most of the minutes), it was 21.4 pts, 13.5 reb, and 74% shooting from the field. And that's including his 1 for 6 against Utah. Yao should help him, no doubt. But he's been producing without Yao as well.
No one compared to Landry to any of those guys. If a rookie happens to score 50 points in a game, and we look back and see that only all-time great players have ever done this ... that does not mean we're comparing him to those all-time greats. Actually, it's the opposite -- we're comparing him to thousands of typical, average rookies that have come through the league and have not achieved that feat. It indicates that he could be special, a cut above your typical, average rookie. Not that he's destined for all-time status.
Landry is looks pretty good so far, I believe he will end up being an all-star at some point without injuries. I believe he has alot of upside to his game for just being a rookie. And he doesn't have to improve right away, because we already have superstars. Houston is great place for him to develop his game, as well as Scola and Brooks. All 3 can be serious all-star candidates with the next 3 or 4 years
In the three Ohio State games (Oden and him matched up all game cause Landry was Purdue's center) and the Florida tourny game Landry averaged 17.75 and 6 rebounds. To those wondering about his dribble drive and post moves. He's got good dribble drive for a power. Against most 4's he can go right by but he's not great at it. What he is very good at his post moves. That's what he did 90% of the time for Purdue. The Boilers would bring the ball up and toss it to him in the paint just like we do for Yao. He would catch the ball and just power his way to the hoop. He rarely dunked in college (no one dunks in Big Ten they head hunt for you if you do) but he would back down and then turn and either sky hook in from 5 or 6 feet away or do a fadaway jumper from the paint. I had plenty of IU friends go crazy watching Purdue games because he would do the same thing over and over again and no one could stop it from happening.
Face it, the man has skills! He can play! He has incredible will, determination and drive! yeah, he's for real and for those who have already forgotten. I made a thread two weeks ago that it was Scola and Landry time! Yeah, we finally got some real talent to mesh with our stars and amazingly the more they play, the better this team gets!
sorry ,my English is poor ,who is Babel Fish ? the Chinese character for YOF is simple : 姚蜜 i have been on the '姚蜜'hat for long ,i like the hat and be very pride .
No I don't. It's so worthless to throw out these Shaq numbers. If you just want to say he's a better rookie, just put an average rookie number at his position, playing about same minutes etc, there. A Divid West number would be sufficient. The way stats is cited, it's disingenuous and counterproductive to the discussion.
