Jordan/West

[Josh Ozersky <josh_ozersky@yahoo.com>]

I really respect the great players of the past, and I
realize that there is a tendency to overrate today's
players.  But Jerry West, on the best day of his life,
had he been playing today, couldn't stop Jordan or
score easily on him.  Passing was probably a wash, but
Jordan, amazingly, has as many career assists avg. as
Bird (6).  Guys like West could still be great
players, a la Jeff Hornacek or Reggie Miller.  But
there is no comparing him with Jordan. Period.  Elgin
Baylor could be compared to Michael as a player.  I
have no problem with that.  But this Jerry West
"debate" cannot stand.  You know it as well as I do. 
Give Michael his due.  He may not be the best player
of all time, but he is certainly the best shooting
guard that will ever play, at the very least.

--- Dan Forant <dforant1@nycap.rr.com> wrote:
> It's a bit difficult comparing athletes from
> different era's. Mainly
> because of development. 
> 
> At 12:15 PM 1/1/00 -0800, you wrote:
> >It's not that West wasn't great; but Jordan at that
> >position is an open and shut case, as everybody
> knows.
> > Jordan was six inches taller, forty pounds
> stronger,
> >and three times as fast.  West couldn't have
> covered
> >him without a net, and Jordan would have made
> West's
> >life miserable when West had the ball.
> >
> >--- Cecil Wright <cecil@hfx.eastlink.ca> wrote:
> >> Not looking to start anything here (who me?) but
> >> Jerry West did not earn the
> >> nickname "Mr. Clutch" for nothing.  He was a
> great
> >> player at both ends of
> >> the court, though he may not have been the most
> >> athletic in terms of
> >> vertical leap, etc.  Some others would argue that
> >> omitting Kareem is also
> >> crazy.
> >> 
> >> Cecil
> >> 
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: Josh Ozersky <josh_ozersky@yahoo.com>
> >> To: <Georgek27@aol.com>; <celtics@igtc.com>
> >> Sent: Friday, December 31, 1999 4:53 PM
> >> Subject: Re: Finally Some Coaching
> >> 
> >> 
> >> > How can anyone actually say that Jerry West is
> >> better
> >> > than Michael Jordan?  And how about leaving
> Larry
> >> Bird
> >> > off the list?  Tommy is nuts.
> >> >
> >> > --- Georgek27@aol.com wrote:
> >> > > In a message dated 12/31/99 8:36:47 AM
> Eastern
> >> > > Standard Time,
> >> > > dforant1@nycap.rr.com writes:
> >> > >
> >> > > << Heinsohn's Century team: West, Cous,
> Petit,
> >> > > Baylor and Russell. What do you
> >> > >  think?  >>
> >> > > I thought it was both funny & amazing that he
> >> left
> >> > > Jordan (and Robertson) off
> >> > > the list but I wasn't surprised that he chose
> >> his
> >> > > contemporaries.
> >> > >
> >> > > George
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> >
> >> >
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> >> 
> >
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> 
> 

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