Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'Denver Nuggets'.
-
The Pre Curry A recent tweet by Phil Jackson compared Mahmoud Abdul Rauf (previously known as Chris Jackson) to Steph Curry. The comment brought up a good bit of ridicule, but it could be that Jackson was recalling the results of a game he coached in the 95-96 season during which the Bulls were playing at a remarkable level and set a record going 72-10 regular season, then cruised through the playoffs. A middling to poor Denver team beat the Bulls in February that year. Denver actually crushed the mighty Bulls in the first half, withstood a monumental comeback and won the game. The guy who made it all possible was Mahmoud Abdul Rauf, simply one of the quickest guards(players) in the NBA, a remarkable outside shooter (one of the great free throw shooters of all time), and a guy who with his accuracy and quicks could get off an outside shot or whip past a defender with equal skill. Of course his style is different than Curry's, but his strengths of quickness, elusiveness and outside shooting emulate Curry's strengths. Abdul Rauf befuddled the Bulls, shredded their defense, scored points and assists, and most amazingly couldn't be stopped by the great Michael Jordan; too quick, too elusive, too basketball clever. At one point in the game Steve Kerr tries to guard Abdul Rauf and is simply outclassed. This of course brings to mind how helpless Kerr would be if there was a competition between today's Warriors and that '96 Bulls team. Kerr, as he acknowledges, would be a hopeless defensive liability. In any case the proof is in the viewing...a sort of precursor to Curry....uttterly crushing the best team in the league and possibly the best team ever in the NBA.
- 4 replies
-
- Mississippi
- Gulfport
- (and 12 more)
-
I don't recall seeing McGinnis in the ABA. Clearly he was a superstar. And he was a physical stud. Very well built, sort of a Lebron or a Karl Malone type--much thicker and stronger than other players on the court. But when he got to Philadelphia and later teamed with Dr J, something was off. They didn't mesh well and Dr J was better. In fact they had a lot of similar basketball attributes, even as they were so physically different. They didn't team well and they didn't complement one another. Overall in that '77 NBA championship he was outplayed by Maurice Lucas who covered McGinnis. Philly traded him and he simply wasn't dominating as he did in the ABA, and I recall him sort of like a ball hog... His skills and achievements diminished in the NBA. I suspect it was age. McGinnis would clearly have great highlights as he was a physical stud...and it wasn't that the NBA was that much (or even marginally better) but his skills diminished and/or he simply team well. OTOH I bet he is a big basketball hero in Indianapolis. Its where his earlier career flourished.
-
- Indiana
- Indianapolis
- (and 10 more)