OT - What kind of player are you?

[Hemingway]

Haven't seen anything like this posted in a long while. I'm not sure how many people here play ball at a competitive level but I thought it might prove to be an interesting topic when there is not a lot left to talk about.

I guess the questions can be: What position do you like to play?, what shots do you like to take? What are you good/bad at? Where do you typically play?


I still play maybe 3 or 4 times a week either atthe courts near my house or the gym at NCSU. I like to play the 3 but in the right games play about any position. On offense I like to shoot. I usually try to hit a few 3s early on so my defender has to play out far on me and I can go by him easier. Other shots I like are the reverse layup, It's suprising how many times going around the rim lets you get the shot off. I also take a side hook if I catch the ball foul line or closer. I'm a big fan of that shot as it usually takes people by suprise and I can hit it over 50% of the time. I would say I have good shooting, fundamentals and D my weakness is ball handling. I'm 6'2" now so as a kid I was taller than most and always had to play center and never developed a great handle.

[Lewis35]

I play every Tuesday. I guess you could compare my game to Wally Szczerbiak's. I mostly take outside shots, around 10-18 feet. If I am close to the hoop I will take a hook shot or a one handed shot to avoid getting blocked because I cannot jump.

Relatively speaking of course I can play better defense and I can actually move side to side unlike Szczerbiak. I am an OK passer, not a great dribbler or driver.

I did suffer my first major injury in March I tore my calf muscle and was on crutches for 5 or 6 weeks. It really did not affect my game much as I just went from slow to slower lol.

[GuyClinch]

I am pretty tall but not that athletic - i like to shoot from the outside and have a decent J. I have a baby hook as my only real post move. My handle is bad, my left hand is bad, and my footwork isn't really great either. My rebounding and shot blocking are well below par for someone my size. I don't play that often anymore - in HS and first two years of college I would play every day..

I play alot more tennis now and lift some... Maybe I will pick up golf too in like ten years. i don't think hoops is a sport for life. Though I always had the feeling if I had some proper coaching in grade school I would have been a better player. I just played pickup ball when I was a little kid.

Pete

[Tenbomber]

I'm the kind of player who plays "horse" with his 6 year old grandson....(that kinda goes with being a week shy of age 60)

My playing days have long since past...

But I played at perhaps an intermural level while in highschool back in the 60's.... and with my kids when they were young....

I figured it was time to quit about the time I sprained my wrist falling down on the cement while posting up on my son in a pick up game one summer afternoon....

My son stepped aside about the time I leaned on him a bit trying to box out for a rebound... was probably something I pointed out to him as we watched the college and pro players play?

Dam kids!... they learn so fast!

But anyway, back in the day, I was an undersized power forward...so there's a place in my heart for guys like Big Baby Davis, Eric Williams and Malik Rose.

[eitanr]

Eddie House type guy right here.

Back in High School I was 6th man every year and averaged 6ppg and shot 44% from 3. I just get in the game and love to chuck up some threes...hell yeah!

[SeizeCoup]

I play in a league on Wednesday. It's co-ed, one girl on each team, but most of the girls have played (at least) division three so they definitely hold their own. (this past season the girl on our team was our third leading scorer and averaged more points than me). We have jerseys and refs and playoffs and we make up new teams every season. There's also an A and B league (men only) but the premier league is made up of guys who all played college ball, and the B league actually has less talent than the co-Ed league.

I am 6 feet tall 200 pounds, very strong for my size, with a decent handle (I can bring the ball up court against pressure) so I can play most positions on the court, even some spot minutes as a 5 because (like baby) I can hold position, but I'm not a big threat to block shots. I am a good to very good passer, almost an "over-passer" which is sort of a point of contention amongst my teammates who'd wish I shot more. I think some of it is that I've played soccer all my life so I sort of have the mindset to share the ball. I've never averaged more than ten points a game, but I'm usually flirting with a tripple double due to my aggressive rebounding and passing (I love getting a rebound and then tossing the ball up court for a streaking teammate for a layup).

Hustle and defense and being a team player are my main calling cards. But when I play pickup o am way more aggressive looking for my shot.

[ParticleMan]

haha nice thread.

i play every week at least once or twice. i used to be better when i had a pain-free back, a healthy knee, and didn't have a 15-lb spare tire. getting old is a bitch. but basically i'm a tall guy (6-1 w/o shoes, so i'd be like 6-6 in the nba lol) who can hit from anywhere on the court and has pretty decent handle. i'm a good defender and "long" in katz parlance but lack the athleticism to be a plus rebounder. my first step is weak and i don't finish well inside, so i prefer to pull up in space. but i'm a damn good passer if i do say so myself. i get so frustrated seeing kids these days who can't make a good entry pass or hit a guy coming off a screen right in his shooting motion. seriously, it's like a lost art these days. i like to think of myself as a guy who does a lot of little things on the court to win despite being slow and unathletic, sort of like an immeasurably suckier version of Larry lol.

[BRUNiNHO91]

I play Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, with some friends...not really an league type ****. So no positions.. But I handle the ball most times, so you can say I'm PG....I'm not that flashy type player..not that fast either...but I got Bball smarts. Nice shooting, and I'm most proud, of my defense..I dribble like Tony Allen though..you know..when he starts trying to cross people over..so I try and avoid that...lol...=]..I'm better than Scal though..that's for sure..haha...

[Cyclical]

Good thread.

Haven't played ball in nearly two years... I used to play a lot in my 20's and early 30's as an untalented wing with no left hand. Right now I just watch, learn, criticize, drink, get angry, get happy and fall asleep.

[Double-Overtime]

i was just told my game likens to jon barry... which i'm not mad at. I do shoot more than drive. i play about 4-6 days a week in the rugged streets of brooklyn. basketball is purifying. can;'t live without it.
watchin pros, playin in the hood, fantasy...you name it i play it.

[da_truth34]

i try to play every saturday (drinkin kinda messes up my schedule) but for the most part i hold my own. I want to play PG or SG/SF but cuz im 6'3" everyone wants me to post up and play PF/C. Its kinda fun tho cuz once someone bites on a upfake i get an easy dunk.

[wigglestrue]

An overweight 6'0" Antoine Walker, without the confidence.

[PanamaCeltic]

I love to play basketball, but now i'm 38 and always have back pain, but i will play basketball until death. Now i'm in two leagues, but when i'm not, i used to play every monday and wednesday wiht friends. I'm 6'3" 215 pounds, good rebounder, good defense, decent passer and poor ofense. Unathletic, rude guy.

I got a twin brother, he plays basketball too and we like to play together.

In Panama we have decent basketball. Come on to some street games.

[Bad-Thoma]

Good thread.

Haven't played ball in nearly two years... I used to play a lot in my 20's and early 30's as an untalented wing with no left hand. Right now I just watch, learn, criticize, drink, get angry, get happy and fall asleep.

this.

[Dogen]

I'm Robert Horry--- you don't want me to have the ball when the game is on the line, and I'll bump you little Steve Nash types into the stands when necessary.

[Celtics_85]

I hang out at the grocery store, woops, wrong type player. Anyway I play when I can.

[vct33]

I haven't played in anything but some pickup games and church leagues in almost 10 years. However, for the 10 years before that I was the commissioner/director of a competitive men's league. I always played PG. I'm only 5'7" and my playing weight at that time was around 135 lbs. I made a few All-Star teams, led the league in 3-pt shooting many times, was a really good FT shooter and won the only 3-pt shootout that we ever had. Sadly, I was never a league champion. I lost in four championship games including a double-over time game that should have been over in regulation. My teammate got fouled shooting a 3-pointer at the buzzer in a tied game and he missed all 3 FTs.

[Zin5]

Back in middle school I was 6'1", 180 pounds, so I always played like a center since I was just flat out bigger than anyone my age. I also forced myself to develop a mid-range game after hearing how underrated it was for big men to have on ESPN once, so I ended up with a consistent shot anywhere within 12-18 feet, depending on the day. Never had any real interest in developing any range past that because I wanted to be at least 6'10" and play center.

Then my body got completely derailed by injuries. Broke my growth plate, which stunted my growth (now 6'0"), screwed up my knees playing baseball (catcher), my back's shot, and I threw out my right arm so it's difficult to keep my release consistent.

I'm 21 and haven't played consistently in about five years due to all of that. Hell, I had more raw athleticism (though having less stamina) when I was at my max weight (215) than my weight now (165). I can at least get up to about the rim again now. I still like to shoot around or play in pick up games if any of my friends are in it, but that's really rare at this point. I still at least have pretty good instincts around the rim and some range on a good day, but at my size and with my never developed handle, it's kind of pointless now. I still at least work my ass off on D.

All that work towards the post was misguided anyways, since I was delusional about my height. If I didn't break through my growth plate I probably would've been lucky to hit 6'4", so it's not like I'm missing much. If I ever have a son, I'll teach him how to play point guard instead.

[jrbremer]

i'm on varsity bball right now, i'm the designated 3 point shooter. i'm pretty average at everything except for long distance shooting, so i just chill in the corner and hit a few open shots. i also pride myself on my post defense, even though i'm a guard (5'11 150.. asl?)

i made the team last year as basically the 12th man and worked myself into the rotation, so now my ego is off the CHARTS

[Alan Ogg]

I'm a 5'11" Kevin McHale....haha

I've got all the low-post spins, fakes, slippery eels, all that stuff. Shame I can't use it on bigger players.

I'm an annoying, if slow, defender, and a dead-eye free throw shooter. In school, when we would have free-throw contests, I usually was in the finals.