Bob Cousy: Hassan Whiteside is the first big man I've seen since my retirement who reminds me of Russell defensively

Rupert Murdoch · Post #1 » by **Rupert Murdoch** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 1:00 am

This may seem like heresy to some, but Bob Cousy thinks he has finally found an NBA center who reminds him of his former Celtics teammate, the legendary Bill Russell.

And you won't believe who it is: Miami's 25-year-old big man Hassan Whiteside. The 7-footer has blossomed with the Heat this season, averaging 11.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in just 22.6 minutes, after bouncing around the NBDL, Lebanon and China the previous four years.

Cousy lives in Worcester during the summer, but he winters in Florida so he watches his share of Heat games on television and he was impressed when Whiteside came off the bench to record a triple-double on Jan. 25 against the Bulls with 14 points, 13 rebounds and a franchise-record 12 blocks.

"I have never said this in the 40 years since I retired," Cousy said in a recent telephone interview, "but he is the first big guy, not (Patrick) Ewing, (Hakeem) Olajuwon, Shaq (O'Neal), who reminds me defensively and on the boards of Russell. He runs the floor well, he has excellent timing, he blocks shots and keeps them in play the way Russell did."

http://www.telegram.com/article/20150325/NEWS/303269899/1009/sports

teerfour+40LG · Post #2 » by **teerfour+40LG** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 1:05 am

How old is Bob Cousy?

laploutocratie · Post #3 » by **laploutocratie** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 1:05 am

teerfour+40LG wrote:How old is Bob Cousy?

86. lol

Hector_Reyes_8 · Post #4 » by **Hector_Reyes_8** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 1:06 am

Goatside is starting to not sound as ridiculous now as it did before....

Dr Spaceman · Post #5 » by **Dr Spaceman** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 1:18 am

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSPEqphXbvA&spfreload=10[/youtube]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8KMh_1RmMg&spfreload=10[/youtube]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqYwdua01_I&spfreload=10[/youtube]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGJg2HQGgoM&spfreload=10[/youtube]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y1wnxgkT4s&spfreload=10[/youtube]

I guess Bob Cousy never saw David Robinson play.

MrBigShot · Post #6 » by **MrBigShot** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 1:20 am

Ben Wallace is the closest to Russell in recent memory, not sure if Cousy saw him play or not. Both 6'9 centers who made up for their height with tremendous timing, awareness and instincts defensively. Whiteside is pretty great defensively though, no doubt about that.

Cmon_Son-_- · Post #7 » by **Cmon_Son-_-** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 1:56 am

MrBigShot wrote:Ben Wallace is the closest to Russell in recent memory, not sure if Cousy saw him play or not. Both 6'9 centers who made up for their height with tremendous timing, awareness and instincts defensively. Whiteside is pretty great defensively though, no doubt about that.

Ben Wallace was an Animal and he was actually like 6'7 or 6'8. 4 defensive player of the year awards as a severely undersized center.

Post #8 » by **tsherkin** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 2:06 am

D-Rob, Wallace, some elements of KG's D, Hakeem... even Ewing a little, but more D-Rob and Hakeem.

Cousy's old and played on Russell's team, but there have been some guys who have resembled Russell stylistically as far as defense is concerned. Yeah, Eaton and Mutombo and Zo and Shaq, those guys weren't nearly as mobile as was Russell, but yeah... this comment seems a bit off-base.

RSCD3_ · Post #9 » by **RSCD3_** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 2:27 am

tsherkin wrote:D-Rob, Wallace, some elements of KG's D, Hakeem... even Ewing a little, but more D-Rob and Hakeem.

Cousy's old and played on Russell's team, but there have been some guys who have resembled Russell stylistically as far as defense is concerned. Yeah, Eaton and Mutombo and Zo and Shaq, those guys weren't nearly as mobile as was Russell, but yeah... this comment seems a bit off-base.

Cousy bball IQ is apparently overrated

Gonna have to evaluate his game a bit

kodo · Post #10 » by **kodo** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 2:30 am

Well if he only watches Miami games that would probably be accurate.

Cousy lives in Worcester during the summer, but he winters in Florida so he watches his share of Heat games on television

Kevin Johnson · Post #11 » by **Kevin Johnson** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 2:31 am

Guy is '86. People say all kinds of crazy **** when they get around that age

Rip It · Post #12 » by **Rip It** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 2:54 am

Time to get his old, senile ass into a nursing home before he harms himself, others, or both.

Post #13 » by **tsherkin** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 2:55 am

RSCD3_ wrote:
Cousy bball IQ is apparently overrated

Gonna have to evaluate his game a bit

Well, he was an inefficient gunner who was known more for flash than substance. That said, he was also in the league starting in the 50s; basketball IQ is relative. He did much of what was taught at the time, and I suspect he wouldn't play quite the same way today, because coaches would hate it. He wasn't an innovator in efficiency like some guys who would come at the end of his career and shortly after, sure, but I wouldn't necessarily rip on Cousy for bball IQ given what was common knowledge (and available data) at the time.

Yeah, if you dropped him in the thick of things now, he'd be terrible, but I imagine he'd adjust some if he was born into the modern era.

Takingbaconback · Post #14 » by **Takingbaconback** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 3:00 am

Wonder what he thinks about Wiley Cauley-Stein's defense.

Notanoob · Post #15 » by **Notanoob** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 5:09 am

MrBigShot wrote:Ben Wallace is the closest to Russell in recent memory, not sure if Cousy saw him play or not. Both 6'9 centers who made up for their height with tremendous timing, awareness and instincts defensively. Whiteside is pretty great defensively though, no doubt about that.

Russell would be listed at 6'11" in shoes if he played today, he wasn't actually short for an NBA center at all. They didn't list guys by their height in shoes back in the day. He's taller than Dwight.

MaxRider · Post #16 » by **MaxRider** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 5:15 am

either he didn't watch many basketball or he don't think russell is good in defense
how can you rate today whiteside defense over peak howard, hakeem, big ben???

majortom71 · Post #17 » by **majortom71** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 5:27 am

Evading the language filter

MaxRider · Post #18 » by **MaxRider** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 5:51 am

majortom71 · Post #19 » by **majortom71** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 6:00 am

MaxRider wrote:

Heat3 · Post #20 » by **Heat3** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 6:16 am

MaxRider wrote:either he didn't watch many basketball or he don't think russell is good in defense
how can you rate today whiteside defense over peak howard, hakeem, big ben???

he didn't watch many basketball games? lol

he's not saying whiteside is better than those other guys, he's just saying his style of play reminds him of Russell the most.