"The Next Larry Bird"

LarryBrdismyDad · Post #21 » by **LarryBrdismyDad** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:07 pm

Anyone see Joe Alexander score 34 pts and 7 rebs today vs UConn? He single handedly beat that team today. He is a very efficient player and is a good shooter. He also has some athleticism and surprised the **** out of me today when he dunked on Stanley Robinson (a freaky athlete) at the end of the game.

The one thing that won't make him a great player on the next level is his lack of ballhandling. He has gotten better over the years but its still sub par. He also lacks lateral quickness. I would compare him to a Wally or Matt Harpring.

jfs1000d · Post #22 » by **jfs1000d** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 11:31 am

Larry :Legend and Alexander?

Alexander has a nice shot, and is white. That's about it.

Bird would be the best player in the NBA right now if he was playing. Alexander may not even make it in the league.

DynastyInTheMaking · Post #23 » by **DynastyInTheMaking** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:34 pm

jfs1000d wrote:Larry :Legend and Alexander?

Alexander has a nice shot, and is white. That's about it.

Bird would be the best player in the NBA right now if he was playing. Alexander may not even make it in the league.

34 and 7 wasn't enough?

I guess he will have to keep it going against Georgetown tonight and then in the tournament.

Post #24 » by **sully00** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 6:01 pm

Joe Alexander is damn athletic and has a nose for the ball I just don't see a lot of Larry Bird. Were is the passing skills, ball handling, and shooting? I guess they both play basketball.

To me the next Larry Bird or at least most comparable player has already come and he wears a PHX Suns jersey now he just had career ravaged by injuries.

GuyClinch · Post #25 » by **GuyClinch** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:17 pm

The Tom Chambers comparison seems more fitting.

Duiz · Post #26 » by **Duiz** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:21 pm

White man that can shoot? Nowitkzi and Okur are pretty tgood at that.

Jellybeans8 · Post #27 » by **Jellybeans8** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 9:21 pm

Coby Karl.

captain_cheapseats · Post #28 » by **captain_cheapseats** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 9:40 pm

Bleeding Green wrote:Except I don't think anyone does it with any sort of sincerity. Was there really anyone out there who legitimately thought Adam Morrison was the "next Larry Bird"?

Sadly there were a lot as I recall, like maybe 50% of those on RealGM, and 90% of fans generally. It was pathetic.

I really wish it was easy to search back old posts, because some were priceless. I remember one particular thread on the draft board where a few people were pointing out that Morrison in no way resembled Bird whatsoever as a player, and like 20 posters responded with some crap about how he had the "heart of a champion" and there was "no quit in him" and he was a "natural leader," so that's why he was just like Bird.

wigglestrue · Post #29 » by **wigglestrue** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 9:49 pm

GuyClinch wrote:PP is alot closer to LB then people want to admit..

Granted not quite "identical" and Bird was better (passing, rebounding) at some aspects..but you can see plenty of similarity in this "old" version of Paul. I once read some statistical analysis that pegged them as similiar as well.

Bird naturally gets mythologized around here. I remember grousing that he should let McHale shoot more and could be a bit of a ball hog.

On the flip side of that - people really underplay his athleticism. Yes he wasn't a Jordan but it's not like Magic was really superior athletically, IMHO. Magic was fairly earth bound. Bird could move pretty well in his youth.

I think the young crowd remembers the "old" Bird who hurt his back and forgets the young Bird who once dunked in a preseason game and hung on the rim. Don't get me wrong Pierce is the better athlete - but the comparison isn't that crazy..

Pete

Not that crazy? It's monumentally crazy. Certifiable.