Re: Dee

[Kim Malo <kmalo19@idt.net>]

At 08:11 AM 2/9/98 -0500, J. Mark Estepp wrote:
<snip>
>Dee could have been a very special player in the NBA, however, two things
>have always stood in his way.  He did not learn the point guard position
>(and I believe he has/had the skills to learn it), and after he blew out his
>knee, he quit slashing to the basket.  Dee is not a pure shooter, just a
>streak shooter.  Streak shooters have to be able to do something else when
>they aren't hitting from the outside.

Very good thumbnail sketch of Dee, to which I's like to add a couple things.
He will always be a better athlete than basketball player. This is true of a
lot of guys and is not really a knock. However, it's part of why he had so
much trouble at the point, which requires the most 'game sense'. I agree on
the skills, although his ballhandling is not fabulous. It's the mental part
that's the problem. Also, my theory has been that after the knee injury he
became somewhat afraid of/nervous about/inclined to avoid contact. He didn't
just stop the slashing drives, he stopped the incredible leaping blocks and
boards and hoops from leaping sky high out of a standing spot in the paint.
He didn't totally stop them the first year or so after the injury, so you
knew the hops were still there. And the injury itself had nothing to do with
contact. But he definitely seemed to go out of his way to avoid it, almost
as if the injury made him suddently conscious that he *could* be hurt -which
contact always increases the chances of. And the leaping, slashing, inside
game is much more about contact than outside shooting. Sad to watch him play
these years away from his best assets, though.

>The C's should trade him, to relieve them of his contract, and to give him a
>chance somewhere else.

Yup, best for all concerned. Especially to someplace where he has no history
with the fans and they won't get on him for it in a down streak. BTW, nice
to see someone else recognize that fundamental streakiness, as opposed to
the way people usually say he's totally wonderful or totally useless.

-Kim
Kim Malo
kmalo19@idt.net