OT: Ewing...how versatile was he?

[wwtsm]

I just watched the MSG special on Ewing, and I was surprised to see a lot of things about his game. I was too young to see him in his prime. I saw a few clips of him running fast breaks and taking shots from the outside, and I didnt know he was that versatile a player. Wish we had guys like that now.

[King of Canada]

He had a great midrange shot, and wasn't full of holes like a lot of guys today. He was a pretty straight forward center (big, pretty slow, etc...) but did everything that mattered at the position. He was a warrior for sure.

[CDAZ]

I just watched the MSG special on Ewing, and I was surprised to see a lot of things about his game. I was too young to see him in his prime. I saw a few clips of him running fast breaks and taking shots from the outside, and I didnt know he was that versatile a player. Wish we had guys like that now.

Big pat was dominate when he came into the league. I only wish his knees could've been as strong as his heart

[king_k4life]

He should have played like he did in College.

Outlet passes fast break running the floor.

Grind It Out Was not his Natural game.

[riter]

He had a great midrange shot, and wasn't full of holes like a lot of guys today. He was a pretty straight forward center (big, pretty slow, etc...) but did everything that mattered at the position. He was a warrior for sure.

pretty slow!!!!! wow, Pat Ewing's claim to fame was his speed, agility, and skills---he was a complete player--but his IQ was huge--he was able to change his game over the years b/c age and injury really started slowing him down. he wasn't slow until later on in his career, but much like alot of great players and smart players--he was able to stay dominant by changing his game--so maybe the injuries affected his stats, but he remaind dominant till the end(check what happened to knicks once he was traded).

[Capn'O]

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Big pat was dominate when he came into the league. I only wish his knees could've been as strong as his heart

No joke... you see him in those Pitino years trapping guards in the backcourt. He was always there a step quicker.

I was watching footage of him in '94 against the Pacers recently and was still amazed at how quickly he would go from doubling a guard to the paint against Smits. He anchored us on both ends of the floor and every player followed his lead.

It was also too bad that he had hooves for hands (compared with the other great bigs). How many times did he get stripped because he couldn't hold his dribble? I think if his hands had been like Shaq's we would have seen a lot more of him in the paint... though he probably wouldn't have had that touch.

[duetta]

Patrick Ewing had one major drawback - small hands. It kept him from being a better rebounder. He was also a trifle mechanical as an athlete in comparison to Hakeem - which is nothing to be ashamed of.

[MikeyMike]

I remember Pat used to always hold the ball with two hands real low to the ground while facing the basket....he would then try to entice the guy guarding him to touch the ball so he could get his dribble back and charge to the hoop.

Ewing was truly great. He did it all. Rebounding, shotblocking, defense, post play, midrange game.

I truly feel blessed to have watched him when he was with the Knicks. He was the heart and soul of all those teams.

[makeitstop]

Patrick Ewing had one major drawback - small hands. It kept him from being a better rebounder. He was also a trifle mechanical as an athlete in comparison to Hakeem - which is nothing to be ashamed of.

The '94 Finals vs. Houston was, in my mind, the last great battle of the Big Men - I believe that an overall record was set by Ewing in that series for blocks (IIRC, 30 blocks in the series), and Patrick tied a Finals single game record for blocks as well (8 in Game 5).

Hakeem and Ewing went at each other so hard in that series. We'll probably never see another NBA Finals that highlighted two great centers like that one did.

Sorry, I drifted off-topic. But the mention of Ewing and Dream took me back.

That trophy should have had Ewing's name on it. Shoulda been two ticker tape parades in NY that year. Now I'm bumming myself out.

(On edit) - Almost forgot. Ewing could do just about everything. Could D up, quick to the hole, could step outside and drain the J, his drop-step was just about unstoppable. Warrior is the word for Ewing.

[richardhutnik]

I just watched the MSG special on Ewing, and I was surprised to see a lot of things about his game. I was too young to see him in his prime. I saw a few clips of him running fast breaks and taking shots from the outside, and I didnt know he was that versatile a player. Wish we had guys like that now.

He was known as the "Hoya Destroya" (however it was spelled), because he was supposed to be a top defender with a decent offensive game in college. When he came into the NBA he was forced to develop an offensive game, which included getting a mid-range jumper.

Too bad he only got a supporting crew around him at the tail end of his career. Knicks were lucky to find Mason and Starks in the CBA.

- Rich

[StutterStep]

And to think one can conceivably make the case that Ewing was the 4th best Center of his era:

Hakeem
Shaq
David Robinson
Ewing

[mjhp911]

The '94 Finals vs. Houston was, in my mind, the last great battle of the Big Men

Uhm, the next year's Finals featured Shaq and Hakeem.

[Capn'O]

And to think one can conceivably make the case that Ewing was the 4th best Center of his era:

Hakeem
Shaq
David Robinson
Ewing

I put him in a tie for third with Robinson in the extent that he was able to elevate his team. Robinson has it all over him in terms of individual stats though.

[makeitstop]

The '94 Finals vs. Houston was, in my mind, the last great battle of the Big Men

Uhm, the next year's Finals featured Shaq and Hakeem.

True, but Shaq hadn't hit his stride yet and Hakeem flat outplayed him. Orlando got swept.

Hakeem-Shaq was nowhere near as intense as Hakeem-Ewing. Shaq at that point wasn't crafty enough to hang with Hakeem.

[StutterStep]

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I put him in a tie for third with Robinson in the extent that he was able to elevate his team. Robinson has it all over him in terms of individual stats though.

True. I can also make the case for him being second in a tie with Shaq because Ewing never played with prime-time Penny, Kobe, Wade or Duncan...

[riter]

And to think one can conceivably make the case that Ewing was the 4th best Center of his era:

Hakeem
Shaq
David Robinson
Ewing

StutterStep I know you don't mean to offend--but you have.

David Robinson is not even in the argument. He had agility and skill and great stats--but so does Vince Carter. the Admiral had no ego and no killer instinct. He was never going to win a championship---now this line is obviously arguable--however I point to one major indicator. Duncan.

Can you imagine any other great player stepping aside and giving their team up to a Rookie?
that's one of the biggest drawbacks of great players--Ewing went through a very difficult time after injuries and age forced him to give up being the main focus--he would have never done this in his prime.

B/c of this attribute--David Robinson doesn't make it into most top 10 lists including mine.

[StutterStep]

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StutterStep I know you don't mean to offend--but you have.

David Robinson is not even in the argument. He had agility and skill and great stats--but so does Vince Carter. the Admiral had no ego and no killer instinct. He was never going to win a championship---now this line is obviously arguable--however I point to one major indicator. Duncan.

Can you imagine any other great player stepping aside and giving their team up to a Rookie?
that's one of the biggest drawbacks of great players--Ewing went through a very difficult time after injuries and age forced him to give up being the main focus--he would have never done this in his prime.

B/c of this attribute--David Robinson doesn't make it into most top 10 lists including mine.

Oh, my follow-up post clarified the rankings, and I never said I would rank them that way... I said "one can make the case..."

But as far as DRob stepping aside, that's actually the reason I started to dislike Pat... I could not believe he wanted to take more shots than Houston, then later on -- more than Houston and Spree.... That was the last straw for fans.

As far as great players stepping aside -- that's not true Kareem (Magic), The Big O (Kareem), Shaq (Wade)... there are more instances but you get the point.

Ewing should have started stepping aside around the time Don Nelson tried to develop Anthony Mason into our Point Forward. Nellie wanted to augment our game but Ewing balked.

[teamny1]

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StutterStep I know you don't mean to offend--but you have.

David Robinson is not even in the argument. He had agility and skill and great stats--but so does Vince Carter. the Admiral had no ego and no killer instinct. He was never going to win a championship---now this line is obviously arguable--however I point to one major indicator. Duncan.

Can you imagine any other great player stepping aside and giving their team up to a Rookie?
that's one of the biggest drawbacks of great players--Ewing went through a very difficult time after injuries and age forced him to give up being the main focus--he would have never done this in his prime.

B/c of this attribute--David Robinson doesn't make it into most top 10 lists including mine.

Robinson, the year before Duncan got drafted, suffered a really bad back injury that affected him the rest of his career and I believe broke his foot the same year too and he wasn't as effective after that (like Ewing after his injury). Duncan got drafted but Robinson was still pretty good that year IIRC and Duncan really started taking over the team around 98 to 99. I agree the Admiral had no killer instinct but I don't agree he didn't have an ego. Just because he's a nice guy, like Duncan is or Yao is, doesn't mean they don't have a "this is my court" type of attitude; it just manifests itself in other ways.

Hakeem, Shaq, Robinson, Ewing is my list. If you mix the heart and defensive intensity of Ewing into the body and offensive ability of Robinson then you'd have the best center of the generation.

Then again if you mix the body and laziness on defense of Shaq and the lack of heart from Robinson you'd have Eddy Curry.

[Knox]

Umm get it right youngsters

Hakeem
Ewing
Shaq (Didnt have a spin around hook yet)
Robinson( SOft was his best friend. Frye was his descendant) Class act

That was the proper order

[teamny1]

Shaq was getting the better of Ewing ever since he came into the league. I don't know what games you were watching. Out of Robinson, Shaq, and Hakeem, Ewing always matched up the best against Robinson, but overall didn't do as well as far as statistics. Then again that time was more than 10 years ago so the Robinson/Ewing matchup could have been more even, but I'm almost sure about what I said.