Hollinger ranks Amare 5th in active big men

[SactownSunsFan]

It's an insider article, so I can't post it, but I will say it's an absolute travesty that he ranks a guy who's never played an NBA game (Oden) 2 spots ahead of a guy who's proven to be one of the best young big men in the game today.

 

[The Commish]

5. Amare Stoudemire, Suns

Nobody would have put him on this list at the start of the season, but Stoudemire's dramatic recovery from last season's knee problems has him poised to rank among the game's greatest big men. Few can match his combination of size and quickness, and he's one of the best finishers in basketball.

At just 24, the two-time All-Star still has room to grow, such as developing a jumper. Stoudemire will need to hone his defensive skills and keep dialing up the scoring to rank as an all timer, but it seems a lot more plausible today than it did a year ago.

 

[SactownSunsFan]

Oh yeah, and developing a jumper? Has Hollinger watched Amare play at all this year?

 

[The Commish]

Amare has a jumper, he just doesn't use it that much.

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

The list wasn't that great, considering that Greg Oden was number three.

 

[Chaplin]

Oh yeah, and developing a jumper? Has Hollinger watched Amare play at all this year?

But that's the point. Hollinger never actually watches the games, he only comments on the statistics.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

But that's the point. Hollinger never actually watches the games, he only comments on the statistics.

and proves he doesn't watch Amare very much. Amare has an unbelievably sweet stroke for a big man, and only seems to improve with his jump shooting. When healthy, Amare is the perfect storm, and with his development in the passing and defensive end of the game the sky is the limit. At this point I think he is better than he was at the end of 04, which is pretty high praise.

 

[cly2tw]

I think he was trying to project each player's potential career to determine whether they would likely crack the all-time top-10 list of centers, displacing Ewing there. It's not a simple judgment on their current level of play. That's why Milicic made this list too. Thus, Amare's injury certainly plays a role. Without the uncertainty how long his knees would hold, he should be there in top 3 with Yao and Howard at least, if not even the #1.

 

[scoutmasterdave]

Maybe John Hollinger doesn't actually watch many games, but I don't think any of you actually read his article, either. This thread takes his list totally out of context.

Here's my list of the 10 active big men with the best chance to break into the all-time top 10 centers club if we revisited the subject two decades from now.

That's totally different than saying Oden is better than Amare now, which is obviously ridiculous. FWIW, here is Hollinger's full list:

10. LaMarcus Aldridge
9. Jermaine O'Neal
8. Darko Milicic
7. Chris Bosh
6. Andrew Bynum
5. Esteban Batista (joke)
4. Amare Stoudemire
3. Greg Oden
2. Dwight Howard
1. Yao Ming

My list would look more like this:

465. Esteban Batista
9. LaMarcus Aldridge (haven't seen him play much...)
8. Darko Milicic (will be very good in a couple years)
7. Jermaine O'Neal (only 28, could get better, needs to dominate more)
6. Yao Ming (anybody notice how the Rockets play better without him?)
5. Chris Bosh (already great - needs to be more dominant)
4. Andrew Bynum (going to be great)
3. Greg Oden (too early to really tell, but he'll be at least All-Star caliber)
2. Amare Stoudemire (already great - redefining the position)
1. Dwight Howard (a jumper away from being an MVP candidate)

 

[Louis]

Where is Al Jefferson on that list? That guy has doubled his points, boards, and rebounds since last season and has had a handful of double doubles since getting regular PT.

 

[elindholm]

Jermaine O'Neal doesn't belong on the list at all. He's a good player, but what you see is what you get. The probability that he'll someday be seen as a top-ten center is zero. You might as well put an eight-year-old on the list, because at least he'd have "potential."

 

[elindholm]

Where is Al Jefferson on that list? That guy has doubled his points, boards, and rebounds since last season and has had a handful of double doubles since getting regular PT.

Al Jefferson is a PF, and not a terribly big one at that.

 

[SactownSunsFan]

This thread does not take his list out of context. I find it ridiculous that he'd put Oden, who hasn't played a lick or proven anything in the NBA and is putting up only average numbers in college thus far, on this list above Amare who's very much proven that he's likely going to go down in history as one of the all-time greats. Who's to say Oden won't bust? Does Olowokandi ring a bell?

And we've also established that Hollinger doesn't know jack about Amare with his "needs to develop a jumper" comment.

 

[scoutmasterdave]

Jermaine O'Neal doesn't belong on the list at all. He's a good player, but what you see is what you get. The probability that he'll someday be seen as a top-ten center is zero. You might as well put an eight-year-old on the list, because at least he'd have "potential."

If he stays in Indiana, I agree. But if he is traded to a better situation (could happen this summer), it could wake him up. He's still young enough to improve.

 

[Gaddabout]

If the Suns end up with the Hawks pick and it's later than expected, they could end up with someone like Hasheem Thabeet, and Amare won't even be considered a center anymore.

 

[cly2tw]

If the Suns end up with the Hawks pick and it's later than expected, they could end up with someone like Hasheem Thabeet, and Amare won't even be considered a center anymore.

Exacto! that's another risk factor that he won't make the all-time CENTER's list.

 

[Covert Rain]

Maybe John Hollinger doesn't actually watch many games, but I don't think any of you actually read his article, either. This thread takes his list totally out of context.



That's totally different than saying Oden is better than Amare now, which is obviously ridiculous. FWIW, here is Hollinger's full list:

10. LaMarcus Aldridge
9. Jermaine O'Neal
8. Darko Milicic
7. Chris Bosh
6. Andrew Bynum
5. Esteban Batista (joke)
4. Amare Stoudemire
3. Greg Oden
2. Dwight Howard
1. Yao Ming

My list would look more like this:

465. Esteban Batista
9. LaMarcus Aldridge (haven't seen him play much...)
8. Darko Milicic (will be very good in a couple years)
7. Jermaine O'Neal (only 28, could get better, needs to dominate more)
6. Yao Ming (anybody notice how the Rockets play better without him?)
5. Chris Bosh (already great - needs to be more dominant)
4. Andrew Bynum (going to be great)
3. Greg Oden (too early to really tell, but he'll be at least All-Star caliber)
2. Amare Stoudemire (already great - redefining the position)
1. Dwight Howard (a jumper away from being an MVP candidate)

I don't see Dwight Howard every leap frogging Amare. However, I think he will be right up there though.

 

[azirish]

I cannot figure out this list at all. What criteria are you using that includes Oden (someday may be great. but...) and not Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett?

 

[Covert Rain]

I cannot figure out this list at all. What criteria are you using that includes Oden (someday may be great. but...) and not Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett?

The article states :

Here's my list of the 10 active big men with the best chance to break into the all-time top 10 centers club if we revisited the subject two decades from now.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

The article states :

Here's my list of the 10 active big men with the best chance to break into the all-time top 10 centers club if we revisited the subject two decades from now.

And Tim Duncan still isn't on that list?

 

[Covert Rain]

And Tim Duncan still isn't on that list?

Well Tim Duncan would already be in it by then. This is a list of guys who could potentially break into two decades from now. It's now about who would break into it between now and then.

 

[scoutmasterdave]

And Tim Duncan still isn't on that list?

Tim Duncan has played power forward his entire career, until this year.

 

[azirish]

Well Tim Duncan would already be in it by then. This is a list of guys who could potentially break into two decades from now. It's now about who would break into it between now and then.

This is just non-sense. KG is already one of the greatest big men of all time. What does waiting 20 years have to do with it? Are these 10 ALL going to be better than KG?

 

[scoutmasterdave]

This is just non-sense. KG is one of the greatest big men of all time. What does waiting 20 years have to do with it?

He doesn't play center either...

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Tim Duncan has played power forward his entire career, until this year.

Not according to those who create the all star ballot

Duncan is traditionally considered a PF/C.