RealGM

I've been seeing more and more of Robert Parish's game in Perk this season. I used to think Perk could just be a serviceable center but I'm starting to believe that he could be a top tier center.

Not even close to a good comparison for Perk.

I disagree. He makes a lot of the backside defensive plays that Parish would make. He has become so much better at rolling/cutting to the hoop and catching and finishing in one motion the way Parish did. A year ago Perk was bringing the ball down to his waste or even putting it on the floor. His post moves are getting better all the time too. He doesn't have much mid-range game but I don't remember a young Parish. I don't know when his mid-range game developed.

Game and body type and athletic ability are all wrong for this comparsion. Parish was a tall elegant athlete, more of the Garnett mode without the uber-intensity.

Perk is right now among the 12 best centers in the league. He has a shot at getting all-defense team recognition. He has come a long way. Until this year when Perk got the ball in the low-post for his obligatory mechanical shot attempt, it was like when the Beatles let Ringo sing one song on every album. You just hoped it would not be a calamity until John and Paul (KG and Paul) took the mike (ball) back. Perk has surpassed Ringo at this point, and is approaching George Harrison (though he has a long way to go, I say as a Harrison fan).

When Perk adds a 12-15 foot "jump" shot to his game -- and I do not think that is far-fetched -- he can possibly become a borderline all-star player. You don't want him taking that shot very often, but a couple times per game it would be nice if he could drill it. It will open up his inside game a good deal too. As McHale once said, the key to being a great low post scorer is having the ability to hit the short jump shot. Perk just needs a summer or two to work on this part of his game. And the one thing we know about Perk, and why we can speak with some confidence, is that he is a worker.

He has some Al Jefferson in him recently, just going up with the ball as opposed to bringing it down to his knees will get him an extra 6-8 pts per game.

They're both starting centers on championship teams who wear the best-looking uniforms in the league.

Otherwise I don't see a particularly close comparison.

Parish was easy with the basketball, while Perk fights it. His baseline shots were fluid. His dunks were fluid. He wasn't Larry Bird leading the break, but he also wasn't a bear trying to dance.

It's easy to forget that, because he has the face and demeanor of a hulking savage. But Parish was actually a very graceful athlete.

Yeah, Parish used to turn on the jets and get down the court in his early years, not so with Perk. Plus, Parish probably could've been a 25ppg scorer had he have been the featured player on a team. He had some range on his shot and was a very capable post player. Additionally, he was a vocal leader on the defensive end and we all know who has that role for these current Celtics.

I think you're confusing one game where Perk went 12-15 with 25pts for a 21-year HOF career that earned Parish a spot on the 50-greatest players of all-time list.

Godmoney wrote:
I think you're confusing one game where Perk went 12-15 with 25pts for a 21-year HOF career that earned Parish a spot on the 50-greatest players of all-time list.

Sorry, I'm not confusing anything. I'm not saying Perk is Parish. I'm not even saying Perk has the propensity to be Parish. I'm just saying he does thing from time to time that remind me of Parish.

I always liked Perkins and never doubted they could win the title last year with him at center, but I never thought he'd be as good as he's become. To make yourself less mechanical on offense is a rare feat.

Parish had a surprisingly quick first step on the block. That's something Perk will probably never have but you can definitely see the overall improvement in his offensive game. If he can keep putting back those follows without bring the ball that's gonna be huge. If he can come back next season with a little consistency on an 8-10 ft jumper he could add 6-7 ppg to his numbers if he puts it all together.

Godmoney wrote:Yeah, Parish used to turn on the jets and get down the court in his early years, not so with Perk. Plus, Parish probably could've been a 25ppg scorer had he have been the featured player on a team. He had some range on his shot and was a very capable post player. Additionally, he was a vocal leader on the defensive end and we all know who has that role for these current Celtics.

I think you're confusing one game where Perk went 12-15 with 25pts for a 21-year HOF career that earned Parish a spot on the 50-greatest players of all-time list.

We (rightfully) mock Lakers fans who took a 17-game sample for Bynum and extrapolated him into the next Jabbar/Wilt, yet we're going to take a good week for Perk and call him Parish? Nope...