Re: Fortson

["Gregg Allen" <gr_allen@conknet.com>]

Your post brings to mind Dave Cowens.  At 6' 8", Cowens played against some
of the best big men and held his own.  We're talking Jabbar, Lanier, Willis
Reed, Elvin Hayes, Walton.  Size is important, but it is not the only thing.
There are more than a few 7 footers that are barely hangin' on to their
roster spots, including a couple on the Celtics (if they haven't already
lost them).  A larger number get invited to camps for a look see solely on
the basis of their height, but can't make the grade.


-----Original Message-----
From: Josh Ozersky <josh_ozersky@yahoo.com>
To: RSMALL@clarku.edu <RSMALL@clarku.edu>; awang@mit.edu <awang@mit.edu>
Cc: CELTICS@igtc.com <CELTICS@igtc.com>
Date: Thursday, July 22, 1999 11:08 AM
Subject: Re: Fortson


>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,,,
>>
>>
>
>_________________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
>
>