Re: Baker, Fortson, or just a good slap?

[Alex Wang <awang@mit.edu>]

Josh,

If you are going to support Fortson with rebounding statistics,
you shouldn't dismiss Baker too quickly. Remember that this guy,
as soft and fat as he is, was once the 6th best rebounder in 
the league, as well as a twenty point scorer and a fair shotblocker.
Just about any criticism you can make about Baker's teams not winning
(and he was on a 61 win Sonics team) you can make about Fortson more
strongly. Baker had a pathetic season but I think you'll see that many
athletes who had subpar seasons last year will perform more like 
their pre-lockout selves than what you saw.

Personally, I have a hard time believing that Baker is really such
a worthless, fat slob who just happens his way into 20 points and
ten rebounds season after season, though I haven't seen him play
much. Do people just come away with the impression after watching
him play that, "He got 20 points and 10 rebounds and shot a high 
percentage, but it was just in such a soft, fat way that it disgusted
me"? Does he give up a ton of points and rebounds to the guy he's
covering or something?

Alex


> Paul,
> 
> Will you explain to me how a career backup is the 4th
> best rebounder in the NBA?  I think it's amazing that
> people have so little regard for Fortson, after we've
> watched what Charles Barkeley has been doing to the
> league for so many years.  Obviously Fortson isn't the
> scorer Chucky is, but don't get so hung up on height. 
> Heart, not height, is what wins championships.  Baker
> is soft.  This "deal" isn't even rumored, anyway...and
> for good reason.  Anyway, you ought to bear in mind
> that Fortson is historically much better equipped to
> play uptempo than is Baker, who is quite as much a
> halfcourt fixture as, say, Juwan Howard.
>