Posted by misterearl:
Spooky Numbers That Confirm Neither Will Ever Be Confused With A High Flyer
In Willis Reed's sixth season he averaged 21.7 and 14 rebounds, shooting .509 from the field with 2 assists (161 total) per game and 0 blocked shots (was that stat even kept in 1969-70?)
and .756 in free throws
Zach, in his sixth season, averaged 23.6 and 10 rebounds, shot 47 from the field with 2.2 assists (147 total) and 15 blocked shots, total, and .819 in free throws.
Can Zach get any better or was last season his plateau?
ONe thing that factors into stats is the Pace of the game. Some teams like the Suns play at such a high pace that they will get more possessions in each game than other slower paced teams. This has an overall effect on the stats of each player. back in the day even with all this defense that people think was being played, you had more scoring. i've watched TONS of old games and the level of D that was played in the 90's was much tougher. The athletes overall are much better now and it's harder to score even tho it seems like guys don't play D now a days. You have to put things in perspective for each period.
You've got guys like KG, Dirk and Odom who at their height have such quickness and handle that they can do things that make no sense for a guy that size to do. In comparison a guy like Zach seems like a poor defender and I think part of that is the near freakish nature of many NBA players now. Even Curry shouldn't be able to move like he does. He's like those Bumble Bees that physics suggest shouldn't be able to fly
There's no crime in looking at Zach as a lowercase Reed. He's similar enough for comparison. I think people look for too much sometimes when comparing players to all time greats. No one would say that he's "just" like him in every way, but he certainly reminds you of Reed in many ways, tho not all.
10/15/2007 5:58 PM