Next up...

[Trond E Jacobsen <trond@gladstone.uoregon.edu>]

Great, exciting win last night!  

Previous losses on western swing were 2nd of B2B...Dallas is after 2
nights.  

Dare we imagine a win?  

Yes, though I fear 1) Dirk consumes Walker/Battie/Vitaly as he shifts
between 4 and 5 spot, ends up with 38 pts + 18 boards, and 2) Nash
will dominate Kenny, etc. for 24 pts + 11 assists.  

I am a Walker fan, in terms of the divide on this list.  That said, I
strongly anticipate another 7/29, 1/9 on threes, 6 boards, 4 assist
"down" game.  If this occurs, how do we still win?

The 2 keys to victory, I think, are 1) Pierce/Finley must not be even
close to a wash...PP must have 15+ more points (remember, Finley
scores almost 20ppg and plays a game which may drive PP to the bench
with fouls), and 2) more than 20 points and 12 boards from VP +
Battie.

If Battie takes 10 shots, makes seven, and gets at least 8 boards, I
think we win this game.  

RUSSELL
Now, how would Russell fare today?  

He would be the dominant winning center in the game today, no
question.

1) He is FAR more athletic than any other center in the game today. 
Much faster- is there a center today that races down the court to seal
the game 7 overtime victory in 1957?).  By all accounts, Russell had
the speed of a QUICK guard...on a 6'9" frame.  

He also had an estimated 48" vertical.  No center today can match
that.  I say he averages 17-19 RPG in 2002, and 2-3 MEANINGFUL bpg
that end up in his, or a teammate's, hands, rather than in the nose
bleed seats.

2) Shuts down slashing guards...because of athleticism and
anticipation, he allows PP and PG du jour to overplay on slashers,
confident Russell saves their bacon and either blocks the shot, forces
a poor shot or, more likely, the "footsteps" effect has even Baron
Davis chucking up threes and staying out of the paint.  He
simultaneously guards- effectively- anybody and everybody in the
paint.

3) His basketball intelligence would produce victories.  Do you think
another player, let alone center, in the game today analyzes the
geometry of shooting and angles the way Russ did?  No.  Sometimes the
player he would guard would score a lot...but in ways which put his
other teammates out of the game, just as he did to Chamberlain.  

Unless there is anyone out there who thinks the game today has centers
who are better than Chamberlain (though, admittedly, most are less
selfish), why would things be different today?  

4) Obviously Russell would need to play with other great players to
win championships.  My goodness were his teams ever loaded with
talent.  But one reason they were that good was Russell.  From the
center position, he made all his teammates much, much better, as did
Magic, say, though, admittedly, in different ways.  While no Vlade,
Russell was an far above average passer out of the 5 spot, for
example.

Russell's presence would give a more substantial "talent bump" to his
teammates than any other player in the game today because of his
abilities and his leadership and his example.

5) Russell vs. Shaq.  Russell's team win (other things being equal)
because I think only a center with range to 15 feet could deal with
Russell at all.  Shaq's "meet my shoulder" crap would not work well on
Russell, who would consistently work the charge call, deny the entry
pass, or block enough inside non-dunk shots.  Shaq's problem would be
that barrelling Russell over would not pass muster with refs aware of
Russell's smarts regarding assuming position to take charge, and
trying to "go around" with a shot (inside) would produce blocks and
awkward shots.  Shaq has too little game at 8-15 feet out.  I do not
know anything about Shaq's human intelligence, but his BB smarts is
preschool level compared to Russell's PhD.

I do think Duncan would match up reasonably well (assume he played
center or, more likely, that Russell would end up guarding him when
shooting because Walker would be somewhere else).  Smart, controlled
game - Russell would be unlikely to get inside his head.  Plus, he has
shooting range, a credible hook from some distance (not blockable),
and knows how to play backboard, also opening up scoring opportunites
against Russell.  Russell's team still wins though :)

6) Though only marginally related to the game itself, I cannot think
of any player today with the range of interests, committment to
principle, quality of insight into the human condition, and abilities
to articulate as No. 6.  Read Up for Glory and, especially, Second
Wind, to see what I mean.  Shaq wears gold and pretends to act and
rap, while Russell ponders the deeper questions of human justice.

Question for you folks.  Were playoffs held today, we would face
Raptors.  Assume healthy Vince.  

How do you see this matchup playing out over five (potential) games?

Keep it rolling green...
Trond Jacobsen