From: jmd@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (joseph.m.dakes)
Subject: Re: Olympic jerk
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 12:55:16 GMT
Summary: NBA Superstar

In article <jjonsson.43@alexandria.lib.utah.edu>, jjonsson@alexandria.lib.utah.edu writes:
> Oh, and Barkley's type of open court move is to rumble down the floor, 
> intimidating everyone into getting out of his way for a two handed jam. Big 
> man like him's bound to get tired doing that a lot. . .

That is your perception of Barkley's open court game based on seeing him
play in the Olympics.  Why should he do anything different?  Nobody can
stop him so he's going to take it to the hoop.  Exactly what you are
supposed to do on the break.  What do you want him to do?  Pull up and
fire a three?  Then you'd be faulting him for that.

What you don't know, probably because you haven't seen Charles play often
enough, is that he can find the open man on the break like a guard.  His
ball handling and passing skills are excellent.

> Charles Barkley showing leadership?!?!? You've got to be f-ing kidding! Do 
> you think his teammates on the DT see him as a floor leader? I think right 
> about now they're seeing him as more of an annoyance than anything.

Everybody on the DT is a leader in their own right, including Charles.
And I doubt the team sees him as an annoyance, I'd say more of a blessing.
The media is focusing more on Charles giving the others a breather from
the circus.

> The 
> managemnent in Philly didn't destroy that team, Charles did; with his 
> constant griping, and bad-mouthing the other players, he drove any sense of 
> team unity right out the door. Do you think his teammates in Philly liked 
> the fact that he told them they were no-talent losers? Do you think the 
> management was happy that Charles was such a malcontent?

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.  As a long time
Sixers fan, I'm telling you the Sixers management ruined the team.  They
traded top draft picks for quick fixes and traded away the nucleus of the
'89-90 Atlantic Division Championship team.  Barkley was playing with a
European team, at best.  And even if the talent wasn't there, the effort
from the other players should have been.  But it wasn't.  Barkley plays
high on emotion and gives 110% every night.  You do that over an 82-game
season surrounded by NBA stiffs that go through the motions and you would
not have many good things to say about your team either.  What do you
want him to say, "well, we gave it our best for awhile, but we couldn't
get over the hump, we'll get 'em next time."  Yeah, give us the ole song
and dance routine just like everybody else.  Bullshit!  The team gave up
when the going got rough.  That makes them losers.  And being that they
were also stiffs, that made them no-talent losers.  Barkey, to borrow a
phrase from Howard Cosell,  tells it like it is.

> The leaders of the 
> Phoenix team right now are KJ and Dan Majerle, and I don't see that 
> changing. Barkley may score 20 ppg, and grab 12 rbs, but don't be surprised 
> when the LOUD mound of rebound begins to cause trouble in Phoenix too.

KJ and Majerle can continue to be leaders, too.  That's what Charles
needs.  A team in which he isn't expected to be everything and do
everything.  Phoenix and Charles are perfect for each other.  Wait and
see.


Joe Dakes
AT&T Microelectronics
555 Union Boulevard
Allentown, PA  18103
alux2!jmd

Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro