Height and Fortson

[Josh Ozersky <josh_ozersky@yahoo.com>]

--- Josh Ozersky <josh_ozersky@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 11:02:05 -0400 (EDT)
> From: Josh Ozersky <josh_ozersky@yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: Fortson
> To: RSMALL@clarku.edu, awang@mit.edu
> CC: CELTICS@igtc.com
> 
> This so true and remains my one indisputable proof
> of
> how stupid GMs and even professional scouts are. 
> They
> talk about one guy as being a "natural center"
> because
> he's seven feet tall, and another as being a power
> forward because he's 6 10, even if they have the
> same
> game and weight!  It's like seven feet is some kind
> of
> magic number.  There are still today, if you can
> believe it, sportswriters who say that Tim Duncan
> isn't a natural center!  Tim Duncan!  If anybody on
> that team isn't a natural center it's David
> Robinson,
> who prefers to play facing the basket.
> 
> BTW, has anyone even heard a whisper that this deal
> with Denver has any substance to it at all?  Or is
> it
> like the fraudulent Mercer-for-Steve Nash deal that
> some guy posted on the usenet list?  I love it, but
> it
> seems too good to be true.  Fortson is an equal or
> better talent than Mercer, and big with more
> impressive stats.  If we got him it would be quite a
> coup, and no one could gainsay Pitino.
> 
> 
> --- RSMALL@clarku.edu wrote:
> > >
> > >> It's the projected roster for next year.  It
> > includes a Ron Mercer trade.
> > >> I'm not sure if Fortson is tall enough (I think
> > only 6'7" for a PF) but is
> > >> he really that good.  Can he do well under
> > Pitino?
> > >
> > >I proposed a Fortson and Keon Clark for Mercer
> > trade a while back and
> > >got a similar response about Fortson being a
> > tweener. Does anyone actually
> > >have evidence that he gets abused on the
> defensive
> > end because he is
> > >short, i.e. has anyone actually seen him play?
> I'm
> > very suspicious of 
> > >the "measuring tape" method of player evaluation.
> > You can have two players, 
> > >one which measures 6'7" but has long arms and a
> > short neck, and one which 
> > >measures 6'9" but has short arms and a giraffe
> > neck. How does having that 
> > >long neck help in basketball? You don't grab
> > rebounds or block shots with 
> > >your head. Beyond all that, how about Charles
> > Barkley, who has been
> > >destroying taller power forwards for a long time.
> > >
> > 
> > All measurements should be taken with a grain of
> > salt.  The real and only 
> > question should be "Can he play?"  Basketball is
> > hung up on height the same 
> > way football gets caught up on 40 yard dash times.
> > 
> > Rich,,,
> > 
> > 
> 
>
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