Looks like PP may be the next to take the pilgrimage to Houston

[Ogaju]

to learn some post moves from Hakeem "the dream" Olajuwon. The pilgrimage to Hakeem started years ago with Kobe or was it Howard, I dont recall. Has this pilgrimage ever paid off for any of the pilgrims? Dream is an all time great, but when it comes to post moves dont we have the greatest of all times in Kevin Mchale?

[crimson_stallion]

Doen't look like it - from what I can see Dwight still has useless post moves outside of 'catch and dunk' and the occasional 'ugly hook'.

[action781]

Dream is an all time great, but when it comes to post moves dont we have the greatest of all times in Kevin Mchale?

At this risk of being accused a hater, I think dream has him.  His moves were just stunning.  He absolutely murdered people.

[Ogaju]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnIifSra3GA



Feel free to change your mind...

[Smutzy#9]

I miss the dominating presence of a low post offensive power house. Love seeing blokes getting faked out and seeing their faces, just have a shattered look in their eyes lol

[action781]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnIifSra3GA



Feel free to change your mind...

I only watched the first minute, but those moves were unbelievably boring and unimpressive compared to those of Hakeem.  His quickness and foot work for a 7 footer hasn't been seen since.  Maybe you need to watch...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7tPZ-KljR0

[ACF]

I'm with action781 here. Hakeem would almost be a lock for the C spot on any fantasy team I would pick (Russ would get a F spot instead). Sometimes when you were watching Olajuwon you forgot you were watching someone who is 7 feet tall because the Dream had it all, even a reliable jumper.

Ogaju, do you have a link to the story?

[Ogaju]

I agree with you guys Hakeem is the best....

I read it somewhere tonight, but I cannot remember if it was here or on Reds Army

[scaryjerry]

to learn some post moves from Hakeem "the dream" Olajuwon. The pilgrimage to Hakeem started years ago with Kobe or was it Howard, I dont recall. Has this pilgrimage ever paid off for any of the pilgrims? Dream is an all time great, but when it comes to post moves dont we have the greatest of all times in Kevin Mchale?

certainly paid off for lebron last season and Kobe in 2010 imo

[hwangjini_1]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnIifSra3GA



Feel free to change your mind...

I only watched the first minute, but those moves were unbelievably boring and unimpressive compared to those of Hakeem.  His quickness and foot work for a 7 footer hasn't been seen since.  Maybe you need to watch...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7tPZ-KljR0

well, i watched more than the first minute of each video and they showed me what i have seen many times about both players.

each are terrific and to denigrate one so as to elevate the other is plain silly.

advocating for a great player is not an automatic zero-sum situation. hakeen was clearly more athletic than mchale, i cant think of anyone who argues otherwise. but saying mchale had "unimpressive" moves under the basket is both inaccurate and unnecessary.

but the point being put forth by the first poster about mchale, i think, is that DOWN LOW, NEAR THE BASKET mchale has more moves and was better than hakeem. watching all of both videos shows that.

look at the majority of hakeem's shots. he was much better farther away from the basket than mchale and that was hakeem's game. no center could guard him there. he was terrific.

look at the majority of mchale's shots. he is consistently double teamed down low and splits/beats the double team so many different ways. he was impossible to stop close to the basket and was stronger battling there than hakeen.

each was great, but had a different type of game. what's the real debate here?

[Celtics4ever]

At this risk of being accused a hater, I think dream has him.  His moves were just stunning.  He absolutely murdered people.

Wrong.   McHale is the only big to ever shoot 60 from the floor and 80 from the line.

Watch the 86 series.   Houston had twin towers and so did we.  We won.

Hakeem was great though.  But I think McHale had some of the best footwork ever.   Hakeen wasn't able to help Yao Ming play that well either I might add.

[CFAN38]

Sometimes when you were watching Olajuwon you forgot you were watching someone who is 7 feet tall

agree


As good as Mchale's post game was it was predicated on using his superior length to score. Hakeem's was much more dependent on quickness. For a SF looking to add to his post game Hakeem is the better option to learn from.His face up out of the triple threat is amazing any basketball player can learn from watching him in the triple threat.

Side note.. Jeff Green should join Paul for the trip, with his size at the 3 improving his mid range face up / post skills could greatly improve his offense.

[Eja117]

We should probably see what Kurt Rambis thinks about this

[European NBA fan]

I think that McHale or Olajuwon is a matter of taste, Torture Chamber vs Dream. The thing about McHale was that he had so many moves and countermoves, relying on not only footwork, but head and shoulder fakes, arms etc. He had at least 20 go to moves, and you see nothing like that today. The Dream Shake is a thing of beauty, though.

I think, I would like Sullinger to get a master class with McHale. Pierce, Green and Melo would probably benefit more from Hakeem.

[jambr380]

At this risk of being accused a hater, I think dream has him.  His moves were just stunning.  He absolutely murdered people.

Wrong.   McHale is the only big to ever shoot 60 from the floor and 80 from the line.

Watch the 86 series.   Houston had twin towers and so did we.  We won.




Hakeem was great though.  But I think McHale had some of the best footwork ever.   Hakeen wasn't able to help Yao Ming play that well either I might add.

To be fair to Hakeem, he was only in his 2nd year in the league when he faced the Celtics in the finals, while McHale was in the prime of his career. He later carried the Rockets to two championships, so it's not like he never got better.

Also, saying that he shot 60 / 80 doesn't mean he is a better player. I loved watching McHale, but he was clearly the 2nd banana, while Hakeem was the clear leader of his team. If Hakeem were on our team all of those years, I don't think we would have faired worse.