According to The Sporting News, during one game Coach Ramsay said to Walton as he was coming off the court, Great job. Walton shot back, Great job yourself.. We should have carried out a plan in the early 1980s to kidnap him and bring him back right then., Or, even better: popped him into a tricked-out DeLorean, sent him to 2020, and found out what it might look like if Kristaps Porzingis passed like White Chocolate, or if you pressed fast-forward on Nikola Jokic. it's like your wingspan . Even so, the collection of skills at that size, with that flair, and with the athleticism to play like a point guard at 7-foot-3 would be intoxicating to watch nowa perfect fit for where the center position is, and where it could go from here. I also think Steve Kerr wouldve done horrible, unspeakable things to get someone like Vlade operating in that Andrew Bogut/Anderson Varejao/David West playmaking pivot role as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson run all those split actions, flinging passes all over the place: I dont know. Portland fell to the bottom of the Pacific Division in 1975-76, though Walton started to come into his own, scoring 16.1 ppg, pulling down 13.4 rpg and demonstrating excellent passing skills from the low- or high-post in 51 contests. He claimed to be around the 6ft 11 mark, and on his twitter in 2015 still saying "I am 6'11"" .. "I love it now.it took me a while to get used to standing out in the crowd, looking awkward, feeling uncomfortable. Id like to see him in the NBA, just to see how great hed be if he were pushed to the limit all the time.. Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is nicknamed the Greek Freak in part because he stands 6-11 with a 7-3 wingspan and giant hands. At age 32 and with his comeback drawing to an inevitable end, Walton wanted more than just to be playing. Most of us have the same wingspan as our height. Most of us have the same wingspan as our height. Bill Walton. That's kind of a rule of thumb. FantasyPros considers the best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS. He acquired Walton by sending popular forward Cedric Maxwell to the Clippers along with a first-round draft pick. Free) fumed to the San Diego Union at the time. What Are the Characteristics of a Great NBA Sixth Man of the Year? Woodens Bruins, which also included future NBA star Keith Wilkes (later Jamaal Wilkes), posted an 86-4 record and won two national titles during Waltons years on the team. Those are my five, but theres always room for more time travelers, so lets hit a few honorable mentions: Vlade Divac (1989-2005): Bigs who can pass, forever and ever, amen. Praise came quickly. Walton had a bulging medical file before he even reached collegehe suffered multiple lower leg fractures and underwent knee surgery while still in high schooland struggled through broken bones in his spine and knee tendinitis at UCLA, resulting in another knee surgery before he joined the Blazers. Theres a lot of guys, Draymond (Green) is the same way, small, undersized power forward but can guard plenty of guys because of his length. Walton is in the Hall of Fame, but he never had his arms measured end to end. The statistical record is just unfathomable: 37.6 points and 27 rebounds per game as a rookie; 50.4 points in 48.5 minutes per game in 1961-62, headlined by the 100-point performance that still stands as the highest-scoring game in history; the most 40- and 50-point games ever, as well as the longest streaks of 20-, 30-, 40-, and 50-point games; basically every major rebounding mark in existence; etc. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our, Man fatally injured when SUV falls on top of him near Gages Lake, Antioch officials want to focus on plans rather than gender-identity debate; This is a distraction from getting these projects completed. Neither knew their wingspans then, and they still dont. What if he stayed healthy? Before he got to the NBA, McGee wasnt even aware of his wingspan. The former West Coast radical in lumberjack clothing found a home in the land of turtlenecks and penny loafers. Position: Center. Waltons career-long struggle with injury and pain began even before he achieved fame at UCLA. His arms are long and he can block shots. Whats legacy, anyway? The wingspan sure helps a lot of people, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said . Every asset that a player has might make up for something else. I had no problem with him during the season, Wooden told the Los Angeles Times. Before playing a single minute in the NBA, Walton knew the pains on injuries. In recent seasons, Warriors high-scoring All-Star Kevin Durant has become more determined to use his 7-5 wingspan to make more of an impact on defense. "There's a lot of guys, Draymond (Green) is the same way, small, undersized power forward but can guard plenty of guys because of his length. Thats kind of a rule of thumb. He was disruptive as hell, registering a block on more than 5 percent of his opponents 2-point tries and logging a steal on more than 2 percent of their offensive possessions; only six other players who have played at least 5,000 career minutes have done both. Raised in France, Gobert kept growing from ages 15-19. In 1976-77, with Walton peaking, Blazermania hit Portland like a flash flood. He acted as a half-court offensive hub from the elbows and out of the post; as the last line of defense on the other end, he was an ace shot-blocker and defensive rebounder who looked for every opportunity to trigger a fast break and an easy bucket within the flow of the game. If youre wondering what it might look like, the Big Baryshnikov has a comp handy. His foot deadened by a painkilling injection, Walton attempted a comeback in the playoffs against the Seattle SuperSonics. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. When Bill Walton dominated at UCLA in the 1970s, no one ever measured his wingspan from fingertips to fingertips and arms outstretched. Its not how big you are, its how big you play. Weight, Net Worth, Age, Parents, Wife & More. His old national teammate Sarunas Marciulionis emphasized in Basketball: A Love Story that Sabonis hadnt yet fully developed his face-up game, his 3-point shot, or his court vision before playing in Spain following the 88 Olympics, so a younger model wouldnt necessarily have resembled a more explosive version of the finished product. But a modern Wilt would profile, at minimum, as a mammoth rim protector and interior deterrent; think a thicker Rudy Gobert (a close analogue in terms of measurables) with a collegiate high jumpers hops. Then, in February, after a 113-92 trouncing of Philadelphia, Walton was forced to the sideline with an injured left foot. When Bill Walton dominated at UCLA in the 1970s, no one ever measured his wingspan from fingertips to fingertips and arms outstretched. But todays players arent the only ones with the right skills to tick those boxes; plenty of their predecessors could, too. You look at size of hands, wingspans. For one: Decades before Shut up and dribble became a sociopolitical flashpoint, Walton was telling The New York Times In this society, they dont expect an athlete to speak for himself or to be able to lead his own life. Waltons combative relationship with the press further sullied his image. He could score, too, but you could run your whole offense through him, and his basketball IQ was off the charts for a 7-footer., Maybe the most exciting thing about the idea of bringing a young Sabonis to the present day is that wed get to see what he wouldve looked like playing against elite opposition every night. When Bill Walton dominated at UCLA in the 1970s, no one ever measured his wingspan from fingertips to fingertips and arms outstretched. Jones keyed several championship runs in Boston, both as one of its players and later as its coach. Some of the best players Kerr faced had incredible reach. Yeah, I found that out once I bought my first suit, the 6-foot-5 McMillan, a 12-year pro now coaching the Pacers, said with a chuckle, realizing his arms stretched more than 3 feet each. The high arch believed to have made his foot bones susceptible to breaking was lowered. Its nothing that I heard about until I got to the league, or right before I got into the league, theyre like, Wed like to measure your wingspan. They dont really bring it up to us about that in college or high school.. Maybe I just kind of miss perennial playoff performers who looked like theyd just smoked half a pack of Camel Wides before the start of the third. Newell told The Atlantic that the one knock on Sabonis was that, because the opposition Sabonis meets inside Russia is not challenging to him, he sometimes gets lazy. As a collegian, he suffered tendinitis in his knees and injured his back. Did the Utah Legislature do enough to save the Great Salt Lake? Wingspan is one detail Warriors coach Steve Kerr takes seriously and might consider when deciding on lineups and rotations for the defending champions. The outspoken Free, among other San Diego teammates, accused Walton of being a malingerer. Most of us have the same wingspan as our height. Career (468 games, 1974-87): 13.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 blocks per game, 52.1% FG, 66.0% FT. Walton signed a then-record seven-year, $7 million contract to play with the Clippers, who had played just over .500 ball the year before. In his 58 regular-season appearances, Walton averaged 18.9 ppg, 13.2 rpg, 5.0 apg and 2.52 bpg. Its nothing that I heard about until I got to the league, or right before I got into the league, theyre like, Wed like to measure your wingspan. They dont really bring it up to us about that in college or high school.. I'm not as fast laterally, I'm not as athletic, I'm not as quick as guys up and down but I think I make up for it with my length," said Durant, a defensive player of the year candidate. Weve gone position by position over the past few weeks, aiming to pass some of our seemingly endless downtime by remembering some kick-ass players in a fun thought experiment. Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is nicknamed the Greek Freak in part because he stands 6-11 with a 7-3 wingspan and giant hands. In 49 playoff games he averaged 10.8 points and 9.1 rebounds. Theres a lot of guys, Draymond (Green) is the same way, small, undersized power forward but can guard plenty of guys because of his length. Weirdly, though, I can see the older Vlade nestling snugly into the ecosystems of good present-day teams that emphasize passing and defend smartlyoffering, say, a rough approximation of what Marc Gasol gave the Raptors last season? But the damage was done: Hed only play 169 games between 1979 and 1985. 3x NCAA All-Region. The former MVP has adapted and evolved to become an excellent conductor of Phillys offense. This would still play: At 7-foot-1 with a reported 7-foot-8 wingspan and 9-foot-6 standing reach, having starred at both 250 pounds as a lithe rookie and a muscular 300-plus pounds during his latter years with the Lakers, Chamberlain had more than enough size, length, and strength to challenge even the burliest modern bigs. But Waltons history of injury didnt keep the Portland Trail Blazers from making the gangly ex-Bruin the No. Walton first appeared on the national stage as a lanky college kid who exhibited a winning attitude on the court and an anti-establishment attitude off it. The Celtics' legendary playmaker is the only person in NBA history to win MVP, Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year in a career. Walton appeared in 80 games in 1985-86, 13 more than his previous career high. And theyre able to get their hands on balls or shots or loose balls. Bill Walton, byname of William Theodore Walton III, (born November 5, 1952, La Mesa, California, U.S.), American collegiate and professional basketball player who is considered one of the best all-around post players in the sport's history. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. I think its something that makes a big difference, especially defensively, he said. That would be pretty rad, because Orlando Shaq could fuckin move, man: Maintaining that staggering combination of power and quickness would be critical for a modern-day ONeal. You look at size of hands, wingspans. Bill Russell was a great shotblocker. In 2012, he became a college basketball analyst for Pac-12 games on ESPN. Center Bill Walton played 10 seasons for 3 teams. Inspired by rule changes that allowed for zone defenses, easier double-teams, and more effective swarms of players holding the ball in the post, the game has moved away from just dumping the ball down to your big man on the block and letting him cook. How much better could he have been before the injuries? Wellat the risk of disrespecting a stand-up dude for the second time in the space of one columnlets ask David Robinson, against whom Sabonis held his own when the Soviet Union nearly knocked off Team USA in the gold-medal game of the 1986 FIBA World Championship, and when the USSR did defeat the Americans in the semifinals of the 1988 Summer Olympics (despite Sabonis playing shortly after recovering from his first Achilles rupture): Legendary big-man coach and talent evaluator Pete Newell told Sam Toperoff of The Atlantic Monthly in 1986 that he thought Sabonis could conceivably become the greatest player in the game and he would have taken the Lithuanian over Patrick Ewing in the 1985 draft if he had played for an American team. Portland rose from fifth to second place in the Pacific Division and stunned the league by gliding past the talent-rich Denver Nuggets in six games, and sweeping the Abdul-Jabbar-led Los Angeles Lakers to reach the Finals. Its no coincidence that Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who stands 7-1 and led the NBA in blocks last season, has the longest wingspan in the league at 7 feet, 9 inches. Though remembered by many for a career plagued by injuries and a personal life spiced by controversy, Bill Walton won high praise from players and coaches alike during his checkered career. Its legit. Sam Perkins (1984-2001): Heres that protostretch-5 you ordered: Big Smooth could shoot from deep in the first part of his careerjust ask the Bullsbut he rarely did, attempting only 352 triples during his first eight seasons and barely making a quarter of them. At issue, of course, is how rarely he was healthy. it maybe is Bill a little closer and gaining more height, there's other shots they look closer in team photos, or just general photos. Celtics faithful would have plenty more to cheer about during what would become a dream season for the Celtics and the aging Walton. Im a big believer in that., More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball, This March 25, 2018, photo shows Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert in action during an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors in Oakland, Calif. From executives and scouts to coaches and analytics types, teams are paying closer attention to wingspan when considering players _ especially with what long arms can mean making a defensive impact. The operation worked. He has been going with a center by committee based on matchups. He led the league in both rebounding and blocked shots, averaging 14.4 and 3.25, respectively. Given his love for the spotlight, his polarizing on- and off-court presence, and his sensitivity to blowback, how would a figure as towering as Wilt Chamberlain play in the social media era?
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