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Allan Houston Article - Hoopsworld
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Caseloads
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8/8/2002  11:04 AM
Knickknacks(or: In Defense of Houston)
by Duck Shoe
HOOPSWORLD.com
Aug 8, 2002, 8:29am
http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_793.shtml

Allan Houston is a damn fine basketball player. There, I said it. I haven't heard anyone say it for a long time, and it needs to be said. Most of us look at his salary, see that he's overpaid and write him off. I know because I do it. I usually look at Houston's numbers, then his salary, and get inspired to just do enough to get by next time I'm at work. Hey, if it worked for him...

Actually, after much deliberation, I've decided that Houston is not such a bad player. Sure, I would like to see him enter the lane more than 3 times per game. I'd like to see him take more free throws than treys in a season. I'd like to see him bust his tail and dive for loose balls. Then again, I'd also like to see myself be able to write decent columns for Hoopsworld. Does the fact that I am not exactly what is expected make me entirely bad? Of course not. Does the fact that Houston does not show the fire that he should make him a poor player?

The answer, obviously, is an emphatic, "NO!" This answer can also be accompanied by a smack upside the head, because apparently those who feel Houston is worthless have been sleeping. Houston is not flashy. Houston is not fiery. Houston is not marketable or fun to watch. He doesn't really draw your attention the way Latrell Sprewell does. What Houston is, for those of you who haven't been watching, is the most fundamentally sound shooting guard this side of Michael Jordan. The Jordan comparison may raise a few eyebrows, but keep in mind that I did not say Houston is almost as good as Jordan; I merely said he has the same fundamentally sound style of play(though without the will and fire that MJ had)

Watch Houston carefully. To be more specific, watch his feet and his shoulders. His footwork is flawless every time he touches the ball, and no matter how off-balance he is when he jumps, his shoulders are always square to the rim when he releases the ball. To see the best example of Houston's footwork, watch some footage of him against Dan Majerle and Bruce Bowen, two great perimeter defenders. Houston used flawless footwork to get open looks over both of them with minimal effort, and he got the jumper regardless of how much his defender tried to crowd him. He creates space with his pivot and some physical(and entirely legal) upper body contact, relying on smarts instead of quickness. Everything about the guy is flawless; textbook cuts, picture perfect form, pump-fakes that are a gift from God(no wonder he wears those bracelets), little crafty tricks that only a student of the game would know. So what's the problem?

The problem is that he plays for New York. A team is not just a group of players, it is an identity. Larry Johnson was definitely New York. Latrell Sprewell is definitely New York. Chris Childs was New York. Marcus Camby was New York. Patrick Ewing was New York. It's a general attitude. It means being willing to do absolutely anything to pull off that win, whether it's guard players 7 inches taller than you(LJ) or 75 pounds heavier than you(Cotton Camby). It means taunting a group of opposing fans after defeating their beloved Heat yet again(Spree). It means making alot of gutsy and risky plays(Childs). It means refusing to sit out while injured because you want to be the man to lead your team to victory; it also means being aloof when you know you're better than someone(Ewing). That said, Houston does not fit in. Houston is a family man. He is a God-fearing man. He is a quiet, humble man with good morals who is always on his best behavior. He belongs in San Antonio, not New York. To be loved in New York, he should go to the firing range with Jayson Williams, Allen Iverson and Glenn Robinson, go see Cherokee Parks tattoo artist(maybe check out his sisters band as well), dip into Lamar Odom's stash and start listening to Chino XL instead of BeBe and CeCe Winans. Houston is simply too nice for the New York Knicks.

The solution? Well, we could all get off his back. Houston is never going to be flashy. He is never going to aggressive. He is never going to be paid the amount that he is actually worth. He is never going to attack the rim consistently. He is never going to crash the boards. He is going to do what he does, which is play fundamental basketball, and he'll keep doing it better than anyone else.

A few sidenotes: First, a mystery prize to anyone who can tell me what band is obscurely referenced in the title(monetary value of the prize? $0). Second, to those who have written me recently, I will get back to you, life is just hectic. I haven't had time to respond to reader feedback, but it doesn't mean I've forgotten all three of my readers. Third, if we combine Travis Knight and Michael Doleac, we may have one good center; ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: Travael Doleknight? Layden, if this is your big move to supplement the McDyess move...you, sir, are a moron (Case Note: did the author mean MORMON). That's all, folks...
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Allan Houston Article - Hoopsworld

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