hippesthippo wrote:SinceGatlingWasARookie wrote:turnaroundJ wrote:Could never find official measurements but he has some of the longest arms I’ve ever seen on a player. Post play is inefficient yes, for MOST players. But he was some of the best of the best.
I have seen unofficial wing span measurements and standing reach measurements that are very long but nonbelievers say those measurements can’t be true.
@Gatling: This response isn't towards you in particular, but it's applicable to your comment and seems like a good place to jump in.
I never payed too much mention attention to how he was actually scoring. Usually, when I go back to that era of Boston, it's to focus on Bird.
Those two videos are obviously highlight videos --he's in decent position with a good seal and accurate entry pass in almost every clip-- but they are damn impressive. Particularly, his dominance through the [late] doubles that were allowed in his era. McHale never even hesitates; he knows exactly what to do immediately. His arms are so long and so quick, his up and under move to slice through double teams is impossible to guard because his arm fully extends right back up to the basket before anybody else can even think to react.
Also, good call on the TS% OP. That is ridiculously high. I had no idea how many FT attempts the dude was taking [and making].
No comment on his defense. I haven't seen much video of it and I definitely wasn't paying attention to defense that closely when I was a child. I've read from many reputable sources of the time that his ability to guard 3-5 was a huge part of Boston's defense and that their big lineup wouldn't have worked without his ability to guard SF's. [Ok, I'll add just a little comment]: It probably helped that he had two great help defenders in Parish and Bird to funnel his man towards so that he could confidently guard from behind with his length.
One thing is for sure:
those are some of the longest and quickest arms I've seen on a player. At least, as far as guys that actually know how to take advantage of them on offense.
They are highlight videos but they are single game highlight videos and I think they include every McHale score thereby giving a good sample of how McHale scores in his higher scoring games. How is a defender supposed to guard McHale. The defenders did not do anything wrong. I think McHale could have scored more if given more touches. McHale was not using the element of surprise. Everything McHale did was predictable but still not defendable.
McHale’s unpredictable shot releases were normal for McHale. Maxwell and Hakeem also had unpredictable shot releases. McHale came to the NBA with a predictable but undefendable short range fall away jumper but then he seemed to have blended his fall away jumper with Maxwell’s herky jerky unpredictable contortionist releases.
The 1984 Celtics offensive rebounded their way to a championship.
The 1984 Celtics had 3 of the best 5 power forwards in the NBA.
Cedric Maxwell, the best Celtic before Bird arrived had to learn how to defend players like Dr J and Dominique Wilkins and even Johny Newman who used to give the Celtics problems because Bird could not guard small forwards with a good drive. Bird was a power forward on defense. Maxwell, the most underrated 1980s Celtic was also a power forward. McHale was a power forward.
Bird’s foot speed was faster than McHale’s but not fast enough to defend small forwards with a good drive. Bird was a great inside scorer, Bird was the toughest player I ever saw and he would scratch and claw and rip your heart out for a rebound. So why did people think this blatant power forward Bird was a small forward? Neither Maxwell nor McHale shot outside shots therefore Bird is the small forward; stupid logic but humans are stupid.
Who guarded the power forwards? Bird did.
Go look at random video and figure out who Bird guard guards. Magic Johnson fans bashed Bird’s defense because their was a rivalry over wether Bird or Magic was the GOAT. The claim was that the Celtics put Bird on the weakest offensive player and to some degree this was true. When a team had a player who was useless on offense Bird would guard that man. Bird was a fantastic free safety. As a roamer doing what he wants playing zone but defending his own man just enough to avoid the illegal defense call Bird was a great defender. Coaches put Bird on all defensive teams. Coaches appreciated Bird’s roamer free safety defense.
Magic fans complain thar Bird does not belong on the all defensive team because he can not defend Dr J or Dominique Wilkins or even Johny Newman who looked like a star when he played the Celtics. What power forward can defend those guys?
Maxwell and McHale are the Power forwards who can defend elite small forwards.
Every step McHale takes is perfect. Then McHale’s long arms do the rest. McHale’s perfect steps put his hand in position to block from behind. Hands are faster than feet but are limited because the hand can not be where the feet did not bring the hands.
With every defender but McHale Erving and Dominique know that if they have blown past the defender’s feet they can just rise up for an open shot or dunk. Every single time if they blew pas the defender’s feet they have beaten the defender unless that defender is McHale.
They know they have beaten McHale’s feet and then their brain get’s scrambled because McHale’s hand is still blocking their shot from behind. McHale’s crazy long arms allow McHale’s hands to be in places that Dominique and Dr J never expect McHale’s hands to be based on all their past experience of what happens when they blow past the defender’s feet.
