Bill Simmons' future bball perspective

[jesmu84]

Reading the sports guy's latest piece, one particular part jumped out at me:

"I like it for four reasons. First, I'm a big proponent of the "play your best five guys and don't worry about positions" theory. Second, teams would be so excited to post them up that it would knock them out of what they like to do. It's almost like reverse psychology. Come on, Boston. We know you have Paul Pierce and Rondo, but what if you posted up Kendrick Perkins? Durant is guarding him! Give him the ball! Third, you're flipping the dynamic and making teams play YOUR style, which is never a bad thing unless you're the Lakers and you're so loaded that you adapt to anything. And fourth, the league is heading in that direction anyway. What low-post players command a double-team right now? Howard, Gasol, Al Jefferson ... and we're done. This is where basketball might be going: great athletes who can play multiple positions, swarm the court, shoot 3s and get to the rim. Oklahoma City has the horses. Anyway, this tournament made me wonder about Durant's McAdoo-ian potential. Reason No. 400 why I loved it."

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/100913

When I read that, I was immediately reminded of our current lineup, as well as potential recruits.  I believe this is also exactly what Buzz is looking to put on the court. And, if I'm right, I'm a huge fan of having that recruit/coaching philosophy.  Any downside to pursuing this?

[TheRock]

Well the only downside I can think of is that he was saying this in the context that Kevin Durant is their tallest player and also happens to be their best shooter/scorer.  The other players that would be in the lineup inlcuded Jeff Green and James Harden.  His article really did remind of MU's playing style and lineup; however, If you're comparing MU's roster with Oklahoma City's, you're crazy. 

The difference between the NBA and college may make the comparison closer, but I don't see how his idea translates for MU.  Right now, our best scorers are DJO at 6'3, Butler at 6'6, and then probably Blue at 6'3, but we'll see about him. 

I like Simmons' idea here, but MU doesn't have the best scoring big guy that could guard other big guys if need be.  I mean, we'll see how Jae, Jamail, and JFB do against Fab Melo, but I just don't see the comparison with Durant and OKC.

[mu03eng]

I thought of the very same thing when I read his article.

I think this is a reflection of the fact that the aircraft carrier type centers aren't really out there, there are only like 6 in the NBA let alone college, and the way the rules are set-up it is becoming more of an offensive/fast paced game.  Basically, more athletic makes up for a couple of inches.

[HoopsMalone]

I think this is a reflection of the fact that the aircraft carrier type centers aren't really out there, there are only like 6 in the NBA

And the Lakers have two of them...

I think playing the best 5 players will make you competitive, but it will rarely put you over the top.  The Jordan/Pippen/Rodman/Kukoc/Harper group of hybrid, skilled, medium-sized players is the exception to the rule (and maybe the Bulls first three-peat is the other exception depending on if you classify Grant as an aircraft carrier-type of player).  I can't think of too many champions in college or the NBA without a big man who could score consistently inside and be a shot blocker.

The aircraft carrier sets you apart.  Landing or developing an aircraft carrier will very likely put MU (or many other teams) consistently in the top 10, rather than hanging out in the 15-35 rankings like MU usually is.

[GGGG]

And the Lakers have two of them...

I think playing the best 5 players will make you competitive, but it will rarely put you over the top.  The Jordan/Pippen/Rodman/Kukoc/Harper group of hybrid, skilled, medium-sized players is the exception to the rule

Didn't Luc Longley start on that team?  I think Kukoc was the sixth man.

[RJax55]

Didn't Luc Longley start on that team?  I think Kukoc was the sixth man.

Yes, Longley started, but in crunch time the line-up was:

Jordan/Pippen/Rodman/Kukoc/Kerr

Although Kerr by no means could be classified as medium-sized.

[Niv Berkowitz]

You realize that even if 324 out of 325 teams in DI adopted this level of play, there's still be 27 people on here who do nothing but complain Marquette can't land a prime-time big man.

[GGGG]

You realize that even if 324 out of 325 teams in DI adopted this level of play, there's still be 27 people on here who do nothing but complain Marquette can't land a prime-time big man.

And will try to pigeon hole players into the traditional 1-5 positions.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

And will try to pigeon hole players into the traditional 1-5 positions.

That's because in football and baseball positions are very rigid and assigned, so people try to do the same thing in basketball.

Our tiny brains find it hard to understand that "positions" don't matter as much as "being good at basketball".

[HoopsMalone]

Positions do not necessarily matter.  You should play the top players because they give you the best chance to win.  But the point is, teams without one of their top players being a good postman typically don't win the whole thing with having MJ on their team. 

Maybe the game is shifting towards speed and athleticism to the point where a guy like Greg Ostertag or Luc Longley would not see as many minutes, but I don't think post players making the difference in champions is going away.  Maybe that is what Simmons meant. 

But the typical roles on a basketball team are there for good reason.  Having a point guard with wings/swing men, and then strong interior players still makes a lot of sense.  Maybe it doesn't look like it used to based on player size, but those roles on the floor make sense. 

[GGGG]

Most offenses these days are run with a PG, a post (maybe...), and a bunch of interchangeable parts.  The parts that you put in there generally depend on how you want to match up defensively, or to counteract what another defense is throwing at you.  But you basically ask the same type of motion out of multiple players.

So I guess what I am saying Hoops is that you are right...it is good to have "diversity" in player types on the floor for match-up reasons, but not because those players generally play a specific position.

[reinko]

You realize that even if 324 out of 325 teams in DI adopted this level of play, there's still be 27 people on here who do nothing but complain Marquette can't land a prime-time big man.

cough <willie warrior> cough

[TheRock]

Simmons' is just making a guess about the future in his article because he is in love with Kevin Durant.

The Lakers have won the last 2 championships....they have TWO of the best 7-footers in the game and a 6'10 wing/forward who can play center as evidence by the World Championships.  I don't think basketball will be departing from the need for dominant big men anytime soon.

[CTWarrior]

To my way of thinking, the single most indespensible guy in the college game now is the true PG who can handle the ball against pressure consistently without turning it over and can initiate offense.  That's my biggest concern about the 2010-2011 MU squad.  I haven;t seen the guys who'll be playing the position yet, which is the cause for concern.

[jesmu84]

His article really did remind of MU's playing style and lineup; however, If you're comparing MU's roster with Oklahoma City's, you're crazy. 

I like Simmons' idea here, but MU doesn't have the best scoring big guy that could guard other big guys if need be.  I mean, we'll see how Jae, Jamail, and JFB do against Fab Melo, but I just don't see the comparison with Durant and OKC.

I wasn't comparing anyone on MU to Durant, or OKC's roster to MU's. I was simply pointing out that Buzz seems to be targeting the guys that Simmons was describing - athletic guys who can shoot and drive. As another poster farther up stated, a bunch of interchangeable guys with not so defined positions.