Ok maybe so, but what I'm saying is I think there are some people that aren't in the NBA but could have had a good chance if they would have gotten a big break or really put theirs minds to it. Did you know that Game (the rapper) had a chance to play D-1 ball there were plenty colleges that wanted him to play for them till he got caught with a drug case. He also used to play with B. Davis, Tyson Chandler,and Tayshaun Prince.
The Game isn't posting threads on CFs about beating pro players 1-on-1. The vast majority of people here are average joes that happen to like the Rockets. There are probably only a few posters that legitimately played ball at a high level.
That's true, but that would also be an incredibly small number of people. Think Larry Bird still working the garbage truck in French Lick. The vast, vast majority of people (including the vast, vast majority who think they could) could never legitimately compete with an NBA player.
Back in the day I think I could have taken Pace Mannion or Billy "The Whopper" Paultz. I really do. Now I think each player is a little more athletic. Except for Brandon Rush -- I could totally burn him, simply fired from my infinite well of resentment.
I'm trying to understand how numerous people have mentioned Chuck Hayes in this thread as being a player they could beat 1 on 1. He might be the best individual defender in basketball, certainly top 5. NBA All-Star caliber power forwards can't score on him - how would an amateur have a chance? And he has enough size/strength to back someone down on offense. I can't believe this is a serious discussion.
Well I'm not talking about people on here I mean people in general. And my point is I believe there are some people out there that can beat some of the worse players in the NBA.
I might've been the only person to mention Chuck Hayes. He's definitely a good 1 on 1 defender, but most of the players he neutralizes are trying to back him down in the post. I think if you can hit a jumper and force him to come out and guard you on the perimieter, you'd be able to use your quickness and speed and drive by him. On D, you can just lay off of Chuck since he has no game outside of 1 or 2 feet away from the basket. You're right, he back you down, but it's not as if he's automatic from point blank range either. Like I said, it would be a close game. I also think Ryan Bowen is somebody that can be beat as well.
Kenny Smith was not a terrific ball handler and he was soft (could be taken out of game by being physical with him and he did not like to drive to the basket) but he was not a slow player. He was quick. You cant be slow and have the nickname "The Jet".
It would not be close. You're looking at his role on an NBA team and assuming that is the sum of his skills. If he's quick enough to stop Paul in the lane and still get back to cover the alley-oop to Chandler, if he's quick enough to switch on high screens, I guarantee he's quick enough to guard you anywhere on the court. No matter where you started, you would not drive on Chuck. Also, playing against you instead of people like Dwight Howard, I'm guessing his shooting percentage would probably go up slightly. He could probably hit mid-range jumpers all day against you. You would lose dramatically.
If you can hit a couple of outiside jumpers, the lane opens up a little. While he may be able to recover after coming out to challenge a potential outside shot, you would get a decent look driving to the basket. I'm not as confident as you are in his ability to hit mid-range jumpers. Only one way to settle this, Chuck get at me!
If Boozer couldn't score on Chuck 1 on 1 most of the time, what makes you think you take him. Chuck is going to strip you and have a cup of coffee before you realize.
I could take any of those whities from the 1950s league. People were only like 4 feet tall back then.
He has no offensive game against NBA players. He score on you like you are not even there. He probably won't shoot jumper over you, but what's your plan to stop him from bulldozing over you and lay it in right under the basket?
I could probably beat Yao if I hit all my threes. Then again, anyone could say that. Just trade his twos with my threes and I win.
When I'm reading this thread, I'm thinking of just what kind of NBA player/Regular Joe combination can result in the Joe coming out on top. My only answer is that the NBA player is someone INCREDIBLY slow(likely 7 foot center). And the Joe has to have great 3 point shooting with incredible quickness. Basically trying to trade baskets with the NBA player. I doubt anyone on the board can actually prevent an NBA player from scoring. But I think it's possible to score on them if you have enough range in your shot. And you make a couple of 3s, that would allow you to win.
Compared to other point guards, he was definitely not considered quick. He never had the nickname "The Jet" while he was in the NBA. Nobody called him that. In fact, he was given that nickname because a reported watched him play a high school game and how he would "jet" down the court during fast breaks. While he was with TNT, after his NBA career, that nickname made a comeback. He wasnt a quick player in the NBA...or at least, not one of the quickest.
Not only that, but you would need to have some height and strength. You'd need some height because otherwise you'd be shooting rainbow jumpers over the outstretched arm of the 7-footer. Or if you were quick enough to get by them, there is a pretty good chance they could block you from behind because of their wingspan. Just think how hard it would really be to get around a 7-footer with their wingspan when they broke down into a defensive stance in front of you. Their arms would go 3+ feet in each direction and one lateral slide of theirs would be worth like 2 of your regular dribbles. They could also play off you a few feet because if you weren't particularly tall, they could still easily affect your shot while playing off you. You'd also need some strength to go along with that height, or good luck stopping them on defense. They'd just back you down and lay it in or dunk on you every time. It would be pretty tough to beat a guy when they are scoring on basically every possession. Even most of the scrubs in the NBA are incredibly quick and strong. Think about it: these guys either practice or play a game (against the best competition in the world I may add) basically every day, and they are also in the weight room almost every day. How many of us can say we get that much conditioning or practice?
First you say, and I quote you, "Kenny Smith was a slow NBA player." Then you say he wasn't one of the quickest. That's a huge shift. Yeah he wasn't as quick as Kevin Johnson (Interestingly Smith was taken at #7 I believe in the NBA draft, one spot ahead of KJ) but he was quick. And no his nickname "the Jet" did not pop up after he went to TNT. He was referred as the jet on numerous occasions while on the Rockets. He was one of the reasons the Rockets were good on fast break. The Rockets were a very good fast break team because Kenny Smith sped up on the open court using his speed and he had Thorpe, Horry, and Maxwell filling the lanes. A slow NBA player would have been a major handicap to that kind of offense. And no, he wasnt just fast in high school. To give you an idea of how quick and athletic he was, take a look at him while he was in UNC. Does the guy below look slow to you???? <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZIBdp4DrwDw&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZIBdp4DrwDw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
