Hakeem Looks Great (Training Sessions w/Dwight Howard)

[Chris]

I know I'll get my tp's taken away but I like Howard and hope he keeps working hard on that post game.

I want to see him get better as well...although I would prefer he waits another season or two for the C's to run their course.  Seeing great players get better is always a good thing IMO, plus, with the team in Miami, we need someone like him to keep them honest. 

[stoyko]

I wonder if he'll ever run a Pete Newell Big Man camp or whether he prefers to work with select players one on one. TP for the highlights. I love the interview with David Robinson when after getting destroyed in the Finals by Hakeem he says "and I thought I was playing pretty good defense ...."

[thirstyboots18]

Oh, no! Hakeem (one of the very best) is going to turn Howard from a beast into a BEAST!  On a team basis, though, Celtics are still better and deeper.  Good find and post, OP, TP for you.

[Assassin70]

I wonder if he'll ever run a Pete Newell Big Man camp or whether he prefers to work with select players one on one. TP for the highlights. I love the interview with David Robinson when after getting destroyed in the Finals by Hakeem he says "and I thought I was playing pretty good defense ...."

TP!

Oh yes, I forgot all about that.  David was the MVP that year they gave him the trophy and Hakeem took exception, his response...total domination.  I miss the era of "great" Centers in the NBA.  Get sick of seeing these fancy guards or volume scorers give me a great big man any day.  They seem extinct these days.

[thirstyboots18]

I wonder if he'll ever run a Pete Newell Big Man camp or whether he prefers to work with select players one on one. TP for the highlights. I love the interview with David Robinson when after getting destroyed in the Finals by Hakeem he says "and I thought I was playing pretty good defense ...."

TP!

Oh yes, I forgot all about that.  David was the MVP that year they gave him the trophy and Hakeem took exception, his response...total domination.  I miss the era of "great" Centers in the NBA.  Get sick of seeing these fancy guards or volume scorers give me a great big man any day.  They seem extinct these days.

My two favorite positions, and IMO, the two most important positions on the floor are point guard and center.  Get a great combo of the two and you have something special, i.e. Cousy/Russel, Magic/Kareem...fun to watch.  I can't wait to see Rondo play with Shaq...(KG is close enough to playing center, so that counts as a fun show, too, as were Stockton and Malone.)

[Assassin70]

My two favorite positions, and IMO, the two most important positions on the floor are point guard and center.  Get a great combo of the two and you have something special, i.e. Cousy/Russel, Magic/Kareem...fun to watch.  I can't wait to see Rondo play with Shaq...(KG is close enough to playing center, so that counts as a fun show, too, as were Stockton and Malone.)

Could not agree more.

We just need some good big guys again.  Yao looks shaky now.  And Oden and Bynum are automatic DNP's.  Looks like we have a bunch of good to great PG in the NBA right now...so I guess we will have to take that.

[Timdawgg]

Thank you for posting this. The Dream was awesome back in the day and he still looks so smooth working out with Dwight. Nice to see.

[j804]

TP awesome vid Hakeem looks great

[Assassin70]

Uh Oh. 

Clips from the Magic game the other night.

Look in this video from 15-25sec mark.

Looks like Master Splinter's teachings are being applied. 

[thirstyboots18]

can you say BEAST?  TP for the video, Assassin!

[thirstyboots18]

Had to laugh last night when PP did that spin move!  Do you suppose he saw the video?  ha ha haha  Nice thing to have in your arsenal.

[scurvmeister]

Everyone must be watching it! Semih did the jump catch spin move yesterday too

[indeedproceed]

I miss Hakeem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW4uXlRGAF0

I dare anyone who has seen that video before, not to watch it again. Remember those amazing post moves, those fakes, that dominance, and just don't click play. I dare you. I'm watching it right now.

[thirstyboots18]

You don't have to miss him, IP, he keeps popping up.  And he looks like he could suit up today, too...he looks in great shape.

[TitleMaster]

Ok, here's the clip of the one-on-one sessions between Hakeem Olajuwon and Dwight Howard...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mArHU1ewSog

Earlier, Dwight was going to Ewing for his big man lectures but as I've stated, time and time again, Ewing is overrated and has got nothing to teach.

The following is my diatribe on why the 90s Riley coached Knicks w/ Hakeem, in place of Ewing, is a championship squad.

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=40546.msg822953#msg822953

The whole purpose of me coming up and making this pitch, time and time again, is that there are many who put Ewing at par with Hakeem and thus, denigrate the Houston titles as a fluke, due to His Majesty Airness Thy Michael Kingdom Come taking a snoozer, as oppose to the fact that Ewing was no alpha male scorer extraordinaire and thus, could never lead the all defensive squad to a title.

Notice in the Hakeem training that Howard has a rudimentary jump hook shot and doesn't even have the proper positioning to make that a killer shot, by itself. Then, Howard's release is slightly low, thus, even with a spin or fake, I don't think he can beat a good shot blocker ... at least, not yet.

All and all, I see Howard as a newbie and Olajuwon as the real deal. When Kobe did the same thing with Hakeem, last year, he was also moved by the detail of the footwork and coordination needed to pull off the dream shake.