I said Stoudamire is one of the best open floor handlers....watch him, and it is easy to see. I said nothing about his shot selection, (and what does that have to do with his handling ability anyway) but man can he push the ball up the floor and dribble past defenders with ease. READ my post before you type a response. And as far as the "new age" crossover, (what is a new age crossover, and as opposed to what?) I think Tim Hardaway paved the way by breaking many an ankle with his. ------------------ There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness." [This message has been edited by HOOP-T (edited February 08, 2001).]
I really don't have that big a problem his crossover always leading to a jumper. He's a good scorer/shooter from the games I've watched him play. If the crossover leaves you open for an 18-20 footer that you can consistently pop, then why worry about driving? Sure you can say that his penetration could lead to others being left open as they collapse on him, but I'd still take a wide open shot with your nearest defender crawling on the ground looking to recover his manhood. He doesn't... he relies on his strength and first step to get an open jumper. His threat-of-drive compliments his threat-of-jumpshot and vice versa. It's the same thing with CUT tino. It's what makes them one of the most unguardable backcourt combos since... hmmm... ------------------ "what if my aunt had balls?" -- in one fell swoop, bbs member verse expresses his dislike of "what if" scenarios and shows he has far too much idle time on his hands.
No kidding. You beat me to it. There are very few crossovers nowadays that shouldn't be called a travel. Iverson's is the absolute worst and he gets away with murder. I've seen the ball at shoulder-level when Iverson does his, after which he freakin' pauses the ball in mid-crossover to fake out the defender. One crossover that was legit from when I used to watch him play was Tim Hardaway's... now that was a crossover. ------------------ "what if my aunt had balls?" -- in one fell swoop, bbs member verse expresses his dislike of "what if" scenarios and shows he has far too much idle time on his hands.
I rarely get to watch any Rockets games, but the memory of what Steve did to Troy still gets me laughing. Hell, I think I'll go watch it again 'cause work is dull... If you haven't seen it before, get a laugh guys, here you go (it's #7 on the list). If you watch the action closely, you'll see Carlos Rogers getting faked out at least twice by Steve's move(s). He didn't know whether to crash the boards or go back on defense after a jumper. : http://www.nba.com/theater/courtside/2000week21.html#top ------------------ "what if my aunt had balls?" -- in one fell swoop, bbs member verse expresses his dislike of "what if" scenarios and shows he has far too much idle time on his hands.
Actually DoD, you can dribble the ball at shoulder level, as long as your hand is on top of the ball, and you are not cradling it in your forearm. But I do agree, more often than not, Iverson is a palming violation waiting to be called, but so are a lot of the other guards in the league. ------------------ There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
I bet Jordan wished they would have called traveling when Iverson put it on him. That was sick. ------------------ President of the Steve Francis, Jamal Crawford,Larry Hughes, and Charles Woodson fan club.
I'm not talking about the fact his dribble goes that high, but the fact that there's that pause that should be called palming or a carry or something. Hell, if I saw the ball that high and frozen, I wouldn't really know which way to go either. ------------------ "what if my aunt had balls?" -- in one fell swoop, bbs member verse expresses his dislike of "what if" scenarios and shows he has far too much idle time on his hands.
Mooch also has a little "herky-jerky" hitch action, a la Sam I Am, that makes it hard to anticipate where he's going. He's crafty also, and is a deceptive athlete with good speed. I have two theories as to why Steve, at times, doesn't get past his man as easily as Cuttino: 1. Defenders play off Steve more than they do Cuttino in fear of the drive and finish. Steve, and Cat, have responded well to this tactic, with Steve taking the mid-range J and Cat taking the drive. 2. Cuttino's has a longer build than Steve. Looking at him, Cat's gangly, with his arms and legs being longer than normal. That explains why he so good at finishing over taller players and can matchup with some SFs on occasion. So not only does Cat have a quick first step but a LONG quick first step. That's a lethal combination. Take notice next game. By the time Cat's taken that first step, his shoulders are already even with the defender. GAME OVER. ------------------ Who's better: Kelvin Cato or Joe Barry Caroll? Take your time!
The crossover he put on George Lynch was close to the one he put on Greg Anthony his rookie season. But it wasn't even close to the one he put on Troy Hudson. Did anyone see the play late in the fourth quarter when Francis had 3 defenders on him (Lynch,Sanchez,McCallough) and he crossed all 3 of them? LOL he did this move that I can't explain. ------------------ President of the Steve Francis, Jamal Crawford,Larry Hughes, and Charles Woodson fan club.
