Dwight Howard turned into Wilt in Taiwan

[UcanUwill]

Well. This thread is an adventure.

Anyway, gives you a read on how good NBA players really are. We sit here and ask "why doesn't x player bring out x skill in games?" It's because the defenders are **** good.

I had a friend who worked his way from community college programme to D2 to D1 basketball and he said basketball is the same at every level but the time and space to do anything keeps getting shorter and smaller as you work your way up in competition level. I thought that was an apt description from someone who's made that progress.

same to some other sports. Nowadays I have become a regular Premier league soccer fan, and you often see guys who are new and came from lesser level, and when they get the ball, they are so used to have a second to think, and in Premier league thats aint flying, just a small fraction of hesitation and play breaks down or someone tackles you and thats it.

In basketball, sometimes NBA fans complain that guys don't improve at all. But often I believe they do improve a lot, it just doesn't translate to NBA level. I say this, because I saw this in Euro guys who seemed to stagnate in the NBA, but then came back to old continent, and they were completely different players than when they left. De Colo is obvious example, but the best one for this discussion I think was Viktor Khryapa.
When Viktor left Europe he was just a guy, he was nothing special, and not surprisingly he never really stuck around in the NBA, he played a few seasons in Chicago. But after that experience, when he came back to Russia, it was crazy how obviously Euro game slowed down to him. He became so good on team defense, he could just read every offense, and offensively himself, he became such a good passer. After NBA, Euroleague seriously became easy for him, at a time he was seriously a tinier version of Marc Gasol, thats how I called him, just a big who can shoot, but also genius defensively and passing wise. And it was all because euro level game was slower, at least for him.

[Slava]

Well. This thread is an adventure.

Anyway, gives you a read on how good NBA players really are. We sit here and ask "why doesn't x player bring out x skill in games?" It's because the defenders are **** good.

I had a friend who worked his way from community college programme to D2 to D1 basketball and he said basketball is the same at every level but the time and space to do anything keeps getting shorter and smaller as you work your way up in competition level. I thought that was an apt description from someone who's made that progress.

same to some other sports. Nowadays I have become a regular Premier league soccer fan, and you often see guys who are new and came from lesser level, and when they get the ball, they are so used to have a second to think, and in Premier league thats aint flying, just a small fraction of hesitation and play breaks down or someone tackles you and thats it.

In basketball, sometimes NBA fans complain that guys don't improve at all. But often I believe they do improve a lot, it just doesn't translate to NBA level. I say this, because I saw this in Euro guys who seemed to stagnate in the NBA, but then came back to old continent, and they were completely different players than when they left. De Colo is obvious example, but the best one for this discussion I think was Viktor Khryapa.
When Viktor left Europe he was just a guy, he was nothing special, and not surprisingly he never really stuck around in the NBA, he played a few seasons in Chicago. But after that experience, when he came back to Russia, it was crazy how obviously Euro game slowed down to him. He became so good on team defense, he could just read every offense, and offensively himself, he became such a good passer. After NBA, Euroleague seriously became easy for him, at a time he was seriously a tinier version of Marc Gasol, thats how I called him, just a big who can shoot, but also genius defensively and passing wise. And it was all because euro level game was slower, at least for him.

You could see it in the eyes, especially for some rookies who have a "deer in the headlights look" after getting pulled within a couple of minutes when they get their first taste of the league. You're never ready for it until you see it firsthand. JJ Redick talks a lot about pattern recognition and how team defense in the NBA is like chess, where you memorize certain patterns as soon as you see them.

There's also the size difference. Its one thing threading the needle at a lower level and making the same pass with the same weight in the NBA leads to a turnover as these are dudes that are built like PFs in a lesser league, moving around with the reflex of a PG.

[Clyde Frazier]

I saw the highlights from the last game. His jumper is so awkward looking but it kinda works? Like it's not terrible hitch, he just kinda flings it up there, especially those bank shots. As long as the fans are enjoying it keep it up!

Edit - agh he got hurt already?? hopefully it isn't serious

[Liam_Gallagher]

To be fair he was 15/40 from three in the last 2 NBA seasons, not bad, not bad.

[GSWFan1994]

He look pretty happy in Taiwan

[mediocrityrules]

He look pretty happy in Taiwan

impressive photos

[dolphinatik]

not surprised. What else do you expect from a former number 1 pick that is a supreme athlete. Ppl forget how talented these NBA guys are compared to mere mortals. Its not like he got better, just what its always been.

[D.Brasco]

He look pretty happy in Taiwan

impressive photos

[nikster]

I had a friend who worked his way from community college programme to D2 to D1 basketball and he said basketball is the same at every level but the time and space to do anything keeps getting shorter and smaller as you work your way up in competition level. I thought that was an apt description from someone who's made that progress.

same to some other sports. Nowadays I have become a regular Premier league soccer fan, and you often see guys who are new and came from lesser level, and when they get the ball, they are so used to have a second to think, and in Premier league thats aint flying, just a small fraction of hesitation and play breaks down or someone tackles you and thats it.

In basketball, sometimes NBA fans complain that guys don't improve at all. But often I believe they do improve a lot, it just doesn't translate to NBA level. I say this, because I saw this in Euro guys who seemed to stagnate in the NBA, but then came back to old continent, and they were completely different players than when they left. De Colo is obvious example, but the best one for this discussion I think was Viktor Khryapa.
When Viktor left Europe he was just a guy, he was nothing special, and not surprisingly he never really stuck around in the NBA, he played a few seasons in Chicago. But after that experience, when he came back to Russia, it was crazy how obviously Euro game slowed down to him. He became so good on team defense, he could just read every offense, and offensively himself, he became such a good passer. After NBA, Euroleague seriously became easy for him, at a time he was seriously a tinier version of Marc Gasol, thats how I called him, just a big who can shoot, but also genius defensively and passing wise. And it was all because euro level game was slower, at least for him.

You could see it in the eyes, especially for some rookies who have a "deer in the headlights look" after getting pulled within a couple of minutes when they get their first taste of the league. You're never ready for it until you see it firsthand. JJ Redick talks a lot about pattern recognition and how team defense in the NBA is like chess, where you memorize certain patterns as soon as you see them.

There's also the size difference. Its one thing threading the needle at a lower level and making the same pass with the same weight in the NBA leads to a turnover as these are dudes that are built like PFs in a lesser league, moving around with the reflex of a PG.

Yea the pattern recognition makes sense. A player like Jokic can see a help defender just lean the wrong way and he can instantly whip a pass to a shooter in the corner, there's just no way of processing info that quickly without pattern recognition.

Then your patterns both speed up in the NBA and get distorted as some patterns just don't play bout the same way in that level. The margin of error just gets so small it's insane.

I watched Chris Boucher stand in help with one foot in the paint, and when his man gets the ball at the corner still blocks the 3 point shot at the peak of the release probably 10 feet in the air. It makes me wonder how much of a gap an average Joe would need just to get the shot off against someone like him. He'd probably have to be at the opposite corner

[picc]

Well. This thread is an adventure.

Anyway, gives you a read on how good NBA players really are. We sit here and ask "why doesn't x player bring out x skill in games?" It's because the defenders are **** good.

I had a friend who worked his way from community college programme to D2 to D1 basketball and he said basketball is the same at every level but the time and space to do anything keeps getting shorter and smaller as you work your way up in competition level. I thought that was an apt description from someone who's made that progress.

same to some other sports. Nowadays I have become a regular Premier league soccer fan, and you often see guys who are new and came from lesser level, and when they get the ball, they are so used to have a second to think, and in Premier league thats aint flying, just a small fraction of hesitation and play breaks down or someone tackles you and thats it.

In basketball, sometimes NBA fans complain that guys don't improve at all. But often I believe they do improve a lot, it just doesn't translate to NBA level. I say this, because I saw this in Euro guys who seemed to stagnate in the NBA, but then came back to old continent, and they were completely different players than when they left. De Colo is obvious example, but the best one for this discussion I think was Viktor Khryapa.
When Viktor left Europe he was just a guy, he was nothing special, and not surprisingly he never really stuck around in the NBA, he played a few seasons in Chicago. But after that experience, when he came back to Russia, it was crazy how obviously Euro game slowed down to him. He became so good on team defense, he could just read every offense, and offensively himself, he became such a good passer. After NBA, Euroleague seriously became easy for him, at a time he was seriously a tinier version of Marc Gasol, thats how I called him, just a big who can shoot, but also genius defensively and passing wise. And it was all because euro level game was slower, at least for him.

American football players say the same thing when they're asked what the biggest difference between the NFL and college was. It's always how much faster the pro game is.

Same in my line of work, when I reached the professional level the biggest adjustment was how much faster everything moved. Its really jarring for a new person, for every profession I would imagine. You blink and everything has already happened. Takes a while to adjust, if you ever do.

Would be interesting to hear more from pro athletes on this.

[speedfiend]

Take this with a grain a salt because it's still not yet 100% confirmed, but the latest news is Kaohsiung Aquas just signed Demarcus Cousins.
Looks like Taiwan is becoming a hot landing spot for ex-NBA centers.

[kuclas]

This is what I can never get about Ben Simmons. If Dwight Howard can learn to shoot the ball. Than any one can learn. Howard had no touch in his first 10 years plus in the nba. But somehow his form looks pretty good.

[cam24thomas]

This is what I can never get about Ben Simmons. If Dwight Howard can learn to shoot the ball. Than any one can learn. Howard had no touch in his first 10 years plus in the nba. But somehow his form looks pretty good.

But Ben is shooting with his non-preferred hand.

[phanman]

This is what I can never get about Ben Simmons. If Dwight Howard can learn to shoot the ball. Than any one can learn. Howard had no touch in his first 10 years plus in the nba. But somehow his form looks pretty good.

But Ben is shooting with his non-preferred hand.

Cuz Ben is a moron and this reveals a even bigger problem than his inability to shoot period.

[BlackThought]

Watch on YouTube

Dwight made a response to Shaq


Here is what Shaq said originally.

Watch on YouTube

[Priest24]

He look pretty happy in Taiwan

Exposing himself lawsuit incoming..........

from me

[dlts20]

He look pretty happy in Taiwan

Exposing himself lawsuit incoming..........

from me

impressive photos

Hilarious