Wellat the risk of disrespecting a stand-up dude for the second time in the space of one columnlets ask David Robinson, against whom Sabonis held his own when the Soviet Union nearly knocked off Team USA in the gold-medal game of the 1986 FIBA World Championship, and when the USSR did defeat the Americans in the semifinals of the 1988 Summer Olympics (despite Sabonis playing shortly after recovering from his first Achilles rupture): Legendary big-man coach and talent evaluator Pete Newell told Sam Toperoff of The Atlantic Monthly in 1986 that he thought Sabonis could conceivably become the greatest player in the game and he would have taken the Lithuanian over Patrick Ewing in the 1985 draft if he had played for an American team. But dozens of injuries, most infamously a chronically broken bone in his left foot, robbed Walton of the storybook career that seemed sure to be his. They can control the basketball, they can do things with it. One of the benefits is his ability to corral and slam home lob passes that are high and might be off target. He didn't often hear the term wingspan, finally understanding how special his measurement is when he got to the NBA. In an ESPN feature published earlier this year about the evolution of NBA big men, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said that if his notorious envelope-pushing team had ONeal on the roster, I would give him the ball 1,000 times, is my guess. Once he got it, keeping him from getting to the rimand from putting his man inside itwould be an awfully tall order, and would likely result in even more trips to the line for someone who averaged nearly 10 attempts per 36 minutes for his career. The statistical record is just unfathomable: 37.6 points and 27 rebounds per game as a rookie; 50.4 points in 48.5 minutes per game in 1961-62, headlined by the 100-point performance that still stands as the highest-scoring game in history; the most 40- and 50-point games ever, as well as the longest streaks of 20-, 30-, 40-, and 50-point games; basically every major rebounding mark in existence; etc. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. Waltons satisfaction with capturing his second championship and winning the Sixth Man Award was immeasurable. Everything else is said for me or explained to me, right? Seems like our man Bill wouldve made for an interesting podcast guest! (Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Dallas Mavericks guard Dennis Smith Jr. (1) takes the ball to the hoop, as Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) defends, in NBA action between Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks in Salt Lake City, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. Paolo Banchero leads the way as the Kia Rookie of the Year chase begins to head for the finish line. That could work against ONeal, who famously struggled from the stripe, shooting just 52.7 percent for his career; but a half-decade after the institution of new rules aimed at reducing intentional fouling to improve game flow, it might not be quite as big an issue as you might think. Eight Questions Ahead of The Mandalorian Season 3, From Grogus Force prowess to Dins and Bo-Katans Darksaber designs to Gideons future, here are the key considerations ahead of Mandos long-awaited return, LeBrons Injury Ends the Lakers Surge Before It Could Even Begin, Just when it seemed like things were clicking into place for Los Angeles, LeBron James suffered a foot injury that will sideline him for the most important stretch of the Lakers season. The wingspan sure helps a lot of people, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said . He didnt often hear the term wingspan, finally understanding how special his measurement is when he got to the NBA. "It's nothing that I heard about until I got to the league, or right before I got into the league, they're like, 'We'd like to measure your wingspan.' Warriors 7-foot center JaVale McGee went through only a handful of pre-draft workouts for NBA teams, hardly a prized prospect after a career at Nevada. Given his love for the spotlight, his polarizing on- and off-court presence, and his sensitivity to blowback, how would a figure as towering as Wilt Chamberlain play in the social media era? Celtics faithful would have plenty more to cheer about during what would become a dream season for the Celtics and the aging Walton. Like all massive 5s, hed have to prove capable of defending in space and handling jitterbug guards on switches in the pick-and-roll. What if he played with the Boston Celtics earlier in his career? Raised in France, Gobert kept growing from ages 15-19. Whether he could stay nimble enough to meet that kind of challenge would go a long way toward determining how effective hed beand how much damage he could do on the other end. Then, in February,. Hakeem likely couldve become a passable 3-point shooter with enough commitment. This would still play: At 7-foot-1 with a reported 7-foot-8 wingspan and 9-foot-6 standing reach, having starred at both 250 pounds as a lithe rookie and a muscular 300-plus pounds during his latter years with the Lakers, Chamberlain had more than enough size, length, and strength to challenge even the burliest modern bigs. Its possible that version of Sabonis wouldnt be a generational sensation in the modern game. I was born tall, he said. You guessed it: The one who turned the 1984 draft into prom night. Some of the best players Kerr faced had incredible reach. I think its something that makes a big difference, especially defensively, he said. Position: Center. Off the floor I worried. Look at John Stocktons arms or Avery Johnsons arms and theyre very long, and their hands are very big. Portland fell to the bottom of the Pacific Division in 1975-76, though Walton started to come into his own, scoring 16.1 ppg, pulling down 13.4 rpg and demonstrating excellent passing skills from the low- or high-post in 51 contests. Warriors 7-foot center JaVale McGee went through only a handful of pre-draft workouts for NBA teams, hardly a prized prospect after a career at Nevada. Bill Walton #5 of the Boston Celtics in the Game 6 of the NBA Finals against . He was a very athletic player. Neither knew their wingspans then, and they still dont. Coaches marvel at players with long arms, figuring they will more easily grab rebounds, block shots, steal passes and shoot over defenders. One of the benefits is his ability to corral and slam home lob passes that are high and might be off target. Which Chicago mayoral candidate received the most votes in your ward? According to The Sporting News, during one game Coach Ramsay said to Walton as he was coming off the court, Great job. Walton shot back, Great job yourself.. Walton is a 3 time All-America College Player and winner of the Sullivan Award for the United States Best Amateur Athlete of 1973. In his first and only All-Star Game appearance (he was selected in 1977 but could not play because of injury), Walton recorded 15 points and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes of play. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Tuesday night's 10 game slate. Today, the tallest of the Deadheads, the man whose wingspan could be seen towering over most others . Weirdly, though, I can see the older Vlade nestling snugly into the ecosystems of good present-day teams that emphasize passing and defend smartlyoffering, say, a rough approximation of what Marc Gasol gave the Raptors last season? But Waltons history of injury didnt keep the Portland Trail Blazers from making the gangly ex-Bruin the No. Im not as fast laterally, Im not as athletic, Im not as quick as guys up and down but I think I make up for it with my length, said Durant, a defensive player of the year candidate. In recent seasons, Warriors high-scoring All-Star Kevin Durant has become more determined to use his 7-5 wingspan to make more of an impact on defense. Bill Walton was one of the best-passing big men in NBA history, able to facilitate championship-caliber offense. Its no coincidence that Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who stands 7-1 and led the NBA in blocks last season, has the longest wingspan in the league at 7 feet, 9 inches. Olajuwon had an excellent midrange game, with incredible touch on those turnarounds and fadeaways out of the block, and shot a crisp 50 percent between 16 feet and the arc during the 1998-99 season, his final healthy run before the wheels started to come off. During his 13 years in the league, he played in only 44 percent of regular-season contests and left the game with a modest 13.3 scoring average. He could score, too, but you could run your whole offense through him, and his basketball IQ was off the charts for a 7-footer., Maybe the most exciting thing about the idea of bringing a young Sabonis to the present day is that wed get to see what he wouldve looked like playing against elite opposition every night. He was right then; he blocked four or more shots four times in his first six NBA games, led the league in blocks three times, and still tops the all-time leaderboard in swats nearly 20 years after his retirement. In The Breaks of the Gamean all-time great sports book not about the triumphs of the 1976-77 Trail Blazers team that Walton led to a championship, but rather about how things fell apart, for Walton and for the organizationthe great David Halberstam described a truly great basketball player as not necessarily someone who scored a lot of points; a truly great basketball player is someone of exceptional talent and self-discipline who could make his teammates better. In one game he scored 20 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in just 26 minutes. Now, Im not saying that, if you plopped him into todays NBA, Memo would suddenly become the sort of 7-foot Steph you could build an offense around. Theres a lot of guys, Draymond (Green) is the same way, small, undersized power forward but can guard plenty of guys because of his length. He wanted to be loved more than anything else, and yet he was convinced that nobody loves Goliath.. You look at size of hands, wingspans. At age 32 and with his comeback drawing to an inevitable end, Walton wanted more than just to be playing. Bill Walton, byname of William Theodore Walton III, (born November 5, 1952, La Mesa, California, U.S.), American collegiate and professional basketball player who is considered one of the best all-around post players in the sport's history. TV Schedule Home Bio Walton Gallery Wooden News Speaking Grateful Dead Duane Roth Best of Recently Book List Latest News TV Schedule PDF If youre wondering what it might look like, the Big Baryshnikov has a comp handy. He claimed to be around the 6ft 11 mark, and on his twitter in 2015 still saying "I am 6'11"" .. "I love it now.it took me a while to get used to standing out in the crowd, looking awkward, feeling uncomfortable. Walton received a minute-long standing ovation from the Boston Garden crowd after walking onto the parquet floor at his first exhibition game. Walton is in the Hall of Fame, but he never had his arms measured end to end. He didnt often hear the term wingspan, finally understanding how special his measurement is when he got to the NBA. After his arrest as a junior, Walton issued a statement that read: Your generation has screwed up the world. Theres a lot of guys, Draymond (Green) is the same way, small, undersized power forward but can guard plenty of guys because of his length. Weve seen him block guys at the rim and also get his hands on some basketballs off the dribble.. Offense 91. Something went wrong. It seems more likely that ONeal would still need to do the lions share of his damage within arms reach rather than suddenly developing a feathery touch from 23 feet. A wingspan always helps people, whether its blocking shots or deflections on defense.. He had the skills of Larry Bird and Pete Maravich. Walton inducted himself. How Far Can This Version of James Harden Take the Sixers? The NBA playoffs begin Saturday, and an extra inch of reach can lead to a blocked shot or steal that might alter a series or a season. How come that shot isnt blocked? he recalled. "You make up a lot of ground. A fan of the Grateful Dead, the young Walton was a vegetarian, wore flannel shirts and multicolored headbands and toted his gym clothes in an onion bag. FantasyPros considers the best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS. In 33 games for the Clippers, Walton averaged 14.1 points, the fourth-highest total of his career, while shooting .528 from the field, a career high at the time. All You Touch and All You See: Dark Side of the Moon at 50. But when I think about the prospect of Shaq playing nowwith more long and skilled big men to line up against, and fewer fellow kaiju roaming the painted area to batter him every time he catches the ballI wonder whether a Shaq who came along in 2020 might have been better served staying down around the 290 pounds of his salad days for a little longer. A pioneering sixth man, Kevin McHale won three titles with the Celtics in the 1980s. Give It the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar. He wanted to be winning. Neither knew their wingspans then, and they still don't. That is not the case for young players. As Bill Waltonwho knew a thing or two about how big men could dominate while still playing a team-first game (and whom well get to in a second! Neither knew their wingspans then, and they still dont. It was Burleson's tremendous wingspan clearing out underneath the basket that allowed Monte Towe and David Thompson to work their magic. Walton was awarded the NBA Finals MVP. Those are my five, but theres always room for more time travelers, so lets hit a few honorable mentions: Vlade Divac (1989-2005): Bigs who can pass, forever and ever, amen. Id never had a player say anything like that to me before. But he had never coached Bill Walton. He played more than 70 games only once in 14 seasonsin the 1985-86 season, when he made 80 appearances as a reserve for the Celtics, winning Sixth Man of the Year on one of the greatest teams of all time. Its legit. You look at size of hands, wingspans. Its like you went through MyCareer in NBA 2K and decided to never let any teammates rack up a single box score statisticonly it actually happened in real life, and it went on for about a decade and a half. But the biggest question about Harden remainsand it wont be answered until the playoffs. Assuming an unfamiliar supporting role, the 33-year-old Walton was playing with the excitement of a college kid. So, before you say, Shaq cant play in this era today, Im already playing. Warriors 7-foot center JaVale McGee went through only a handful of pre-draft workouts for NBA teams, hardly a prized prospect after a career at Nevada. It's no coincidence that Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who. In his best yearthe 2006-07 campaign, when he earned his first and only All-Star nodOkur averaged 18 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, shooting 38.4 percent from 3-point range on 4.2 attempts per game. Beginning with college games, with his outspoken nature fully blossomed, he became one of the best in the NBA. Decades before Shaquille ONeal ripped mics with Fu-Schnickens, the Dipper was out here crooning, dog. But whats the legacy of the blockbuster album? Youre able to deflect the pass or block shots.. The NBA's Noches ne B A celebration starts in March, where teams will commemorate fans and players across Latin American and U.S. Hispanic communities. At 7-foot-3, the pre-injury Sabonis had the springs to tip-dunk all over The Admiral and swat shots from the weak side with reckless abandon, plus the touch to step out on the floor and drain NBA 3-pointers. Most of us have the same wingspan as our height. The Trail Blazers lost the series in six games and the services of Walton forever. In addition to the brawn he used to bulldoze his way to the basket, Chamberlain also flashed a soft touch on non-flush finishes, and was an early adopter of the fadeaway jumper that would become part of the repertoire of so many great low-post scorers in future generations: And while theres some dispute about just how valuable his passing was to his teams offensive performance, Chamberlain could facilitate with his back to the basket, finishing second in the league in assists in the 1967-68 season and turning in what remain the two highest assist-per-game averages of any center in league history: Context matters in a players development. Despite the late-season injury, Walton earned the NBA MVP award. He would need to stay trim and explosive enough to cover a ton of ground, because you can bet that every modern offense would make it Job No. He spoke only to reporters he knew would present him favorably, while shunning the others, who were mostly Portland locals. But when he was right man, was he right: At his peakthe 1976-77 season in which the Blazers won the title, and the 1977-78 campaign in which Portland was 50-10 when Walton broke his foot (he won MVP that year despite missing the final 22 games)Walton averaged 24.9 points, 18.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 3.8 blocks per 100 possessions. At 7-foot-1 with a reported 7-foot-8 wingspan and 9-foot-6 standing reach, having starred at both 250 pounds as a lithe rookie and a muscular 300-plus pounds during his latter years with the. Im a big believer in that., Donate to the newsroom now. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Waltons combative relationship with the press further sullied his image. Weve seen him block guys at the rim and also get his hands on some basketballs off the dribble.. For one: Decades before Shut up and dribble became a sociopolitical flashpoint, Walton was telling The New York Times In this society, they dont expect an athlete to speak for himself or to be able to lead his own life. Plus, a Salt Lake City Recap. The 76ers had a chance to pull out Game 6, but both Julius Erving and George McGinnis missed medium-range shots that would have sent the game into overtime. He is also one of the greatest college . Its nothing that I heard about until I got to the league, or right before I got into the league, theyre like, Wed like to measure your wingspan. They dont really bring it up to us about that in college or high school.. I think its something that makes a big difference, especially defensively, he said. Theres a lot of guys, Draymond (Green) is the same way, small, undersized power forward but can guard plenty of guys because of his length. 2x NCAA Champion. Thats kind of a rule of thumb. Raised in France, Gobert kept growing from ages 15-19. A half-century ago, Pink Floyd unleashed a classic that still lingers on the Billboard charts and in college dorms to this day. Something about Hakeems game always seemed to bridge eras; sure, he was a rim-rocking dunker and an aggressive shot-swatter, like centers of the past, but damn, since when did 7-foot, 250-pounders move and shake like that? West only stood 6'2 which would make his wingspan 9.5% greater than his height. Weve already covered point guard, shooting guard, small forward, and power forward. When Bill Walton dominated at UCLA in the 1970s, no one ever measured his wingspan from fingertips to fingertips and arms outstretched. Most of us have the same wingspan as our height. In recent seasons, Warriors high-scoring All-Star Kevin Durant has become more determined to use his 7-5 wingspan to make more of an impact on defence. He was such a force down low that the NBA literally changed the rules, and the width of the lane, to mitigate his influence. maybe one of the few cases of someone being around that 7ft mark and just saying 6ft 11. Wingspan is one detail Warriors coach Steve Kerr takes seriously and might consider when deciding on lineups and rotations for the defending champions. At one time, they were long enough, and I can still put my own shoes and socks on, he quipped. The explosive Russell Westbrook is 6-3, with a wingspan of 6-8, which helps him be one of the best rebounding guards in history. 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