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Message: [QUOTE="willtalk, post: 3242337, member: 1220"] I was one of those that were being critical of Anigwe in respect to her attitude and play for Cal. I also described her as the instigator and initial aggressor and cowardice for hitting and then running. I came to this perspective by constantly replaying the sequence of events. However, once I replayed and stop motioned the slow-mo replay multiple times when it became available, I had to do a 180. I am not now nor have I ever been a fan of Anigwe. Yet I see what I see. The key is Griners left arm which is hidden for a portion of the time by both bodies. In slow-mo stop action, we can clearly see it swing around and hit Anigwe on the side of her head as they separate. This was not a reaction to Anigwe's downward swing, but something already in progress. In fast motion and with the bodies hiding Griners arms we can not see what they are doing at a critical time when Anigwe swings downward. We do see she does this as she is moving backward as opposed to forward, clearly part of her attempt to get away. Whereas, Griners left arm motion that hits Anigwe in the head as she is separating is clearly an aggressive motion. Yes, Cliffspiffy, I have played basketball. It should not matter though because we are making a judgement based on what we see on the video. I would respond to you by asking how many times you reviewed the video using stop motion. I had to do that multiple times to get my present perspective, which by the way is 180 from what I previously thought. The major problem is that post positioning is a lost art. The days of the traditional center in the mens game has long gone and players like Griner were never really taught how to create space for themselves in the low post. Many non physical players like Griner do not like to play with contact, but if you play the low post that is what you will face, especially if you are very tall. I believe that is why many of the players who would in the past be stereotyped as traditional posts are expanding their games so as not to be forced into playing the low post. When you are tall and skinny with a high center of gravity you are at a real disadvantage. When you add the fact that they are not taught how to compensate ( expanding their stance and bending to lower their center of gravity) players like Griner become very frustrated. They end up using elbows and arm swings to create space to protect themselves. There is no reason that being much taller than your opposition should give license to using elbows and forearms to the heads and throats of shorter players. Griner's arms were elevated above her own shoulders when she hit Anigwe. When you box out properly your arms are not ever at your own shoulder level, let alone above them. The should be directed closer to the center of the oppositions of center of gravity. It physics common sense. Boxing out is all about angles and leverage. Women generally are not taught properly which is why there are so many ineffective posts in the WNBA. Probably because in the NBA and college mens ball the traditional center is a thing of the past so that skill is not commonly taught either. The reason Nneka is so effective even at her height is that she has the footwork down. Foot work and foot speed is all-important. [/QUOTE]

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