John Havlicek Talks about Dwight Howard

[Natesroom 197]

quote:

NBA.com: Dwight Howard could end up leading the league in rebounds, blocked shots, field goal percentage and double-doubles this season. Is he a modern version of Bill Russell?

 

JH: I imagine in today's game, because he's the only shot-blocker that there is. You could compare him, yeah, but the comparison falls short. Russell intimidated a lot of people to make them change their shot. At times, he wouldn't even think about blocking their shot. He wanted to make them aware of his presence. Then during the latter part of the game, he would strike. There are times when he would decoy people to think that they were able to get their shot off. He might let them get the shot off so that they weren't hesitant. Then at the end of the game, he would say, 'Oh, this time I'm gonna get him.' He waited for his chances. He was so smart. Guys today just go up and block a ball. Russell would fake a block sometimes and do other things that Dwight Howard doesn't do. Russell would run people down from behind, much like LeBron (James) does. LeBron's the only guy who runs people down from behind, it seems. He's made some incredible plays this year by doing that. Russell did that on more than one occasion almost every game. You don't see Dwight Howard running down a person from behind.

 

 

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/f...html?ls=iref:nbahpt1

[Natesroom 197]

quote:

NBA.com: Dwight Howard could end up leading the league in rebounds, blocked shots, field goal percentage and double-doubles this season. Is he a modern version of Bill Russell?

 

JH: I imagine in today's game, because he's the only shot-blocker that there is. You could compare him, yeah, but the comparison falls short. Russell intimidated a lot of people to make them change their shot. At times, he wouldn't even think about blocking their shot. He wanted to make them aware of his presence. Then during the latter part of the game, he would strike. There are times when he would decoy people to think that they were able to get their shot off. He might let them get the shot off so that they weren't hesitant. Then at the end of the game, he would say, 'Oh, this time I'm gonna get him.' He waited for his chances. He was so smart. Guys today just go up and block a ball. Russell would fake a block sometimes and do other things that Dwight Howard doesn't do. Russell would run people down from behind, much like LeBron (James) does. LeBron's the only guy who runs people down from behind, it seems. He's made some incredible plays this year by doing that. Russell did that on more than one occasion almost every game. You don't see Dwight Howard running down a person from behind.

 

 

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/f...html?ls=iref:nbahpt1

[Murphy13 185]

Bill Russell is one of the all time greats. But Havlicek's logic has some glaring holes in it. First of all, by his quote, is he suggesting that Russell intimidated people to such an extent that they altered their shots without him even trying to block their shot-suggesting that Dwight doesnt do the exact same thing?

 

Secondly, its hard to run down and block someone from behind when you are the first one up the court every time-and are blocking them from the front...

 

And last, Didnt Bill Russell play against a bunch of mid 5-foot tall, unathletic players in his prime years? Nowadays the athleticism is on a much different scale.

[Penny Hardaway's Ghost 260]

insert LeBron/Kobe/Wade/VC/T-Mac type players into the 1960's, something tells me BPG is a whole new animal...but hey, Russell is an undisputed GOAT, comparisons are stupid to me anyway, live and let be...

[PNuT1423 0]

lol yeah i think i've seen dwight run quite a few people down from their blind side, and i've seen lebron goal tend to get it called a block as well: see courtney lee in last year's ecf. as is life of a magic fan.

[Skywise316 211]

Havlicek is right about everything that was quoted.. EXCEPT about Dwight never running people down from behind.

 

The point is players protect their eras, and Havlicek was mostly doing that with Russell, as far as his motivation.

 

But the fact that Dwight Howard is even in the same conversations with Bill Russell & Wilt Chamberlain is honor enough in itself.

[Kramer 0]

Lebron lead the league last season with like 23 of those blocked shots Havlicek talks about last season. Dwight probably had at least a few so what I'm wondering is how an additional .2 or so blocks per game in a fast break situation really helps our defense at all.

[optics 0]

Dwight is a smile first center .. he can never be the GOAT

[AddiFB 429]

I really am not a fan of player comparisons from era to era. We are talking 40-50 year difference. Do you guys realize what the difference is? I am talking atleticism, average height, talent, RULES, number of teams, amount of games...

 

Bill Russell and Wilt were gods, but there is also unfairness of players of modern NBA being compared to players from that time. Mostly because of alot stricter rules today.

 

Bill Russell was Russell, there won't be another Russell like there won't be another Jordan. Jordan was Jordan. Bird was Bird, Magic was Magic, Wilt was Wilt.

 

Let Dwight be Dwight.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

i pretty much agree with his statement. Russell played a lot more cerebral than dwight. All he's saying is Dwight plays differently.

[PNuT1423 0]

quote:

Originally posted by Lewis4thewin:

i pretty much agree with his statement. Russell played a lot more cerebral than dwight. All he's saying is Dwight plays differently.

 

they have to play differently, dwight is blocking some serious talent out there, i mean do you know what it takes to block a guy like melo, lebron, rondo.... in all fairness, if we're opening up a can of worms here i don't think two people from this forum could block lebron if we were given two brooms.. and you know, not supposed to hit him and stuff. (c ;

 

it's a perfectly good reason not to compare, russel did his, 'hey i'm going to trick this guy into thinking he can get that shot off' routine on a bunch of shorter guys with 20 inch verticles... not on today's talent.

 

and i'm not bashing russel, i'm just sayin, different times, havlicek can stop trying to compare right there.

[TampaTony 0]

Dwight doesn't sleep on guys and then block them later on in the game, thats the only thing that's different, as far as what he says in his qoute.

 

Everything else, dwight does. Guys change their shots with out him blocking them. Guys don't even go in the paint or go in and then dribble out because of him. Chase guys down from behind? Dwight isn't playing against a bunch of slow white guys so i don't see this happening much but he does get down the court and cause problems.

 

From what Havlicek said it seems like there's not much difference outside of his ignorance for dwight's game.