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Message: [QUOTE="ConwayGmck, post: 3952084, member: 10442"] As with most everything, the truth is somewhere in the middle. I disagree that bigs like Boston and Cunane are "numbered". We can also talk about Lauren Cox and Teaira McCowan in recent years, or even Oregon's Ruthy Hebard, who was a 4 more than a 5 but averaged 16.0+ ppg and 9.0+ rpg and .650 FG% for her career, but never attempted a single 3-pt shot. And its origins are Chamberlain, Russell, and Abdul-Jabbar: they ALWAYS have been numbered. People talk about Jordan being the greatest NBA player ever. But Jordan could only DREAM of dominating his era the way Wilt did his, stat wise. Wilt only didn't win many titles, because Russell and the Celtics had their historic run during his era. But when they do pop up among us, they'll NEVER be square-pegged into round holes of being fast, skinny, face-the-basket jump-shooters. Those teams that are fortunate to get players of that rare kind will be.......fortunate to get players of that rare kind. The problems are for the "rest of us". In the past bigs who were not rare talents were still taught to try and play like them, and they got dominated. And they always will. In the past, the 3-pt. line was considered more of a novelty: like at the local town fair - hit the ducky on the pin wheel with the BB-gun, and win the stuffed teddy bear. It was used more as a last-second last gasp, or for sharpshooters who were really feeling it. It still is today, but now it's more of an actual strategy for offenses, while in the past it was never that. But days of dominant post players will still be with us, whenever they pop up from time to time. The defenses will get spread out to deal with the guards and wings shooting the threes, but the bigs won't have to go outside very much - the other bigs they defend won't be among the best of the shooters. If anything, the spreading of defenses will only HELP - not hurt - the truly special bigs to dominate even more, as long as the coaching staffs teach their smalls to pass to them. It should help generate more passing, more assists, more wide-open offense all around. Reduce the clogging of the paint defensively. This season everyone talked about Boston's dominance for South Carolina - also Cunane's impact for NC St. Last season Cox was a major topic here for Baylor, and how they played depending on her being available or not. The days of the TRULY big girls haven't descended with the sunset. Not yet. We're all still waiting for the next one to show..... [/QUOTE]

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