Looking back at Grant Hill's injury-riddled prime

[Picklerick 2.0]

LMAO.

Nobody is saying Grant Hill is anywhere near either as a player.

The comparison is style.

And Bird is obviously much better than Hill.

But stylistically there is absolutely no comparison.

Only clown here is you for not understanding the topic.

The clown shit is you saying bird had YMCA skill athleticism. I understand the topic well, and said bird and LeBron are very comparable and gave several reasons why. You got all pissy. Your one claim is athleticism, if athleticism is the only thing you will allow in comparing two players than that's nonsense.

 

[tlance]

The clown shit is you saying bird had YMCA skill athleticism. I understand the topic well, and said bird and LeBron are very comparable and gave several reasons why. You got all pissy. Your one claim is athleticism, if athleticism is the only thing you will allow in comparing two players than that's nonsense.

Athleticism.

Yes.

He was one of the most skilled players ever. His athleticism was well below average.

Athleticism in basketball circles is completely separate from skill. It is how fast you can run, how high you can jump, how strong and agile you are. And Bird was well below average in that regard.

There is a lot more that goes into a player comp.

And please go back and read the posts and tell me who got pissy.

I just disagreed with a stupid opinion.

 

[thunderc]

Totally agree.

But comparing Bird to LeBron is just stupid. They are nothing alike as players.

It would be like trying to say Shaq and Jokic are similar because they were both centers and got a lot of points rebounds and assists.

I think a lot of it happens in part because after 5-8 years their numbers were so similar

 

[Picklerick 2.0]

Totally agree.

But comparing Bird to LeBron is just stupid. They are nothing alike as players.

It would be like trying to say Shaq and Jokic are similar because they were both centers and got a lot of points rebounds and assists.

Both were driver's and bruisers as well. You seem to think bird was a catch and shoot guy. He drove

Athleticism.

Yes.

He was one of the most skilled players ever. His athleticism was well below average.

Athleticism in basketball circles is completely separate from skill. It is how fast you can run, how high you can jump, how strong and agile you are. And Bird was well below average in that regard.

There is a lot more that goes into a player comp.

Strength and agility wise it is also very comparable. I think you have the misconception that bird was a catch and shoot guy with finesse. He was a physically powerful bruiser who was one of the few people who could out muscle Barkley on rebounds.

 

[tlance]

I think a lot of it happens in part because after 5-8 years their numbers were so similar

Here is the thing though.

This is a thread about Grant Hill. @CitySushi made the comparison to LeBron because there are a lot of similarities in style.

Both were point forward drive first, highly athletic stat stuffers and very versatile defenders. Oscar Robertson might be a decent comparison to either, but not Bird.

Bird was a supremely skilled, shoot first catch and attack guy who could face up or post. The offense ran through him, but he didn’t handle the ball in the same way that LeBron or Hill did.

Those 2 were more like point guards.

 

[tlance]

Both were driver's and bruisers as well. You seem to think bird was a catch and shoot guy. He drove

Strength and agility wise it is also very comparable. I think you have the misconception that bird was a catch and shoot guy with finesse. He was a physically powerful bruiser who was one of the few people who could out muscle Barkley on rebounds.

No, I think he is a power forward in today’s game. LeBron is a point guard.

I realize he isn’t just catch and shoot.

But, here is the biggest fundamental difference. Bird played a lot out of the post, LeBron very rarely does that. And defenses had to play Bird for the shot first while they sag off LeBron letting him shoot in fear of the drive.

The scouting reports on how to defend the two man are like opposite.

 

[trojanfan12]

The clown shit is you saying bird had YMCA skill athleticism.

He did. If Bird had to rely on his athleticism, he'd have never even seen the court in high school, let alone, been a Hall of Famer. He made up for his lack of athleticism by being one of the smartest, most skilled players to ever play. He never outran, outjumped or outquicked anyone...but he outsmarted and outskilled damn near everyone.