Gary Payton is 6'4". They call him .....what was that....oh yeah..."the GLOVE!" Hakeem won the defensive player of the year as a 6'10" center.
I agree with what you are saying, and understand completely. It does make a lot of sense, now that I really think about the lineups. However, if that line up works, and we have a 60 win season. I would never want it to change. If it results in many losses then it has to change. Francis and Mobley, Rice, Taylor, and Cato may be the best players start on the team, but that is not the point. The point is, rather the question is " CAN THIS LINE UP GIVE US A CHAMPIONSHIP?" I do not know. I do know that it is more POSSILBLE for this line up to not reach a 50/50-win season, than to reach a championship. This is totally just an opinion! This is why it is important NOT to be closed minded to other possibilities. You can not fall in love with a particular line up, especially if it is not working, because if you do, at the end of the season you might notice that you have only won half your games.
Not to quibble, but Olajuwon is more like 6'10" and Russell was around 6'9" but played Wilt pretty even. And what about 6'7" Wes Unseld and 6'10" Willis Reed, both with rings? Or how about Joe Dumars, a 6'3" SG known for his D? Or 6'1" Maurice Cheeks? Or, to "prove" the reverse, what about 7'6" Shawn Bradley (no rings), 7'7" Manute Bol (no rings), 7'4" Mark Eaton (no rings), etc.?
Short on talent would be my guess. For the record, Jordan has said that DAMON STOUDAMIRE, of all people, was the hardest player for him to defend... nuff said.
Just to add, the players that I recall playing the best individual defense on Jordan were all smaller than him. They include Dumars (6'3"), Starks (6'5"), Mitch (6'5"), Vernon (6'3") and Payton (6'4"). Starks was probably the best against Jordan in his prime (at least int he playoffs), which may explain why Jordan was trying so hard to get in his head. Interstingly, some of the players Jordon more often posterized in the playoffs were as tall or taller than him (e.g., Ehlo, Drexler, Smith, Majerly, Russell). Granted it is just one against player (Jordan), but it looks to me like 1/4 step quickness is more important that 2-3 inches height when trying to match up with a killer guard. Mobley would see to have some pretty good defensive tools if he can learn to compete at that end like the first list of players. That said, Glen Rice is NOT going to play power forward.
Sorry to come to the conversation late... One of my friends at work is really close with Roderick Rhodes. He mentioned something about him playing abroad. I think RR supposedly had "issues." I'll go hit him up for info tomorrow at work and report back (if I remember...). Maybe he can explain if RT hated RR or not...
