RealGM

Who was it?

Maybe I'm too young, but I'll go with Jordan. When he got older, he put his butt in the post and controlled the game there by posting up little defenders instead of hanging out on the perimeter. I believe post play is a key component in winning games that goes overlooked sometimes.

I dont know why other players who are gifted physically (ie Lebron and others) do not post up their defender in the lane and get easy scores. It slows the game down and allows good offensive players to pick a part the defense based on how they play you. Can anyone imagine lebron in the triangle offense playing in the post?

Who do you think is the best 'non big man' to play in the post?


Penbeast, please excuse for not clarifying, i consider non big like no pfs, or centers, basically pg, sg, sf

Is a non-big a wing player or PG . . . if so, It's clearly Adrian Dantley offensively . . . maybe Bill Hanslick on defense? (was a g/f but guarded centers for Doug Moe)

It it is players under, say, 6-7, then (a) LeBron doesn't count and (b) it's probably Barkley offensively and Unseld defensively.

If it's a combination of offense and defense, I'd say Jordan, but I don't claim to be an expert. He could definitely post up and he could kind of help out on defense inside, which few small players could claim.

If it's just offense, I agree with Dantley.

On offense it's Dantley by a country mile. On defense I gotta go with Artest. Too big, too strong, too quick.

Don't really remember Jordan guarding the post very much. The Bulls liked to use him as the help defender because he was phenomenal at stealing the ball. In fact, I only remember Jordan guarding two players in the post... Magic and Payton. I remember him getting tourched by Magic but that's too be expected since Magic was basically a PF on offense.

Not sure what Payton was thinking trying to post up Jordan. Obviously it got him no where LOL!

Yes, he is. He had the most varied offensive post game, could pass exceptionally out of the post, and read defenses very well.

Phil Jackson called him the best post up player of his generation back in '96 and reiterated that claim recently when he said in an interview that Jordan was without peer in history in the post.

I think that MJ is up there by a fair margin. The only guy I could add for a HM is Gary Payton.

1. Kobe Bryant
2. Michael Jordan

*Cough* You're on roids! *Cough*

Jordan >>> Bryant all day, everyday.

Morten Jensen wrote:*Cough* You're on roids! *Cough*

Jordan >>> Bryant all day, everyday.

I think he's probably just baiting JB. Every thread that mentions Jordan gets filled with bait so we can reread the same posts that have been copied and pasted.

depends how you define big.

Oscar is only 6'5, but back then, their wasn't too many 7 footers in the lane. but Oscar did make a living rebounding and getting his points in the post.

Gary Payton man. Absolute beast in the post.

Yes Jordan was the best in the post. He didn't have a post up player on the team thus he became that option and that is the reason the Bulls could win titles without a dominant big man because Jordan was that post up man as well.

How come no one has mentioned Charles Barkley. He's by far the best 'non-big' post player.

aura wrote:How come no one has mentioned Charles Barkley. He's by far the best 'non-big' post player.

If you read the replies, it becomes implicit that only PF and Cs are not considered in the discussion. Chuck might have been short for a "big", but he played PF (not to mention that he packed some considerable weight onto his 6'6" frame).

Charles Barkley was still a PF. And I know this may sound funny but I remember Mark Jackson posting up all day since every PG was a twig then. I just wanted to share that because in no way was Mark at the top of that list.

aura wrote:How come no one has mentioned Charles Barkley. He's by far the best 'non-big' post player.

Offensively, in terms of raw numbers, yes (though it should be noted that his offensive post game wasn't nearly as varied as Jordan's and he got a lot of his points on offensive putbacks). But he wasn't nearly the passer or decision maker that Jordan was in the post. He couldn't manage an entire game from the post the way Jordan could.