I'm on the Moreland band wagon. Are you?
- Thread starter VF21
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It's certainly possible that if he weighed 15-20 more, that he wouldn't get off the floor as quickly and/or as high. To this point, even Rudy Gay who didn't look "big" or "bulky" at all last season, mentioned in his summer league interview that he was trying to get his weight back down to where it used to be. He said he felt like he didn't move with the same efficiency after trying to put on mass going into last year
You're using pre-05 Garnett and Stoudemire as examples of guys who were not toothpicks? 
Yao and Ilgauskas has basically no career during the period that Clark was relevant: Ilgauskas because he was always injured, and Yao because, by the time he came into his own, Clark was done.
Yao and Ilgauskas has basically no career during the period that Clark was relevant: Ilgauskas because he was always injured, and Yao because, by the time he came into his own, Clark was done.
Clark basically played from 1999-2003. That's at most 15 years ago. Here's a partial list of "toothpicks" he had to go up against (all of whom played at least 6000 minutes and grabbed at least 1600 rebounds over that span):
Duncan, Ben Wallace, Shaq, Mutombo, Brand, Webber, Malone, David Robinson, Dale Davis, Divac, Anthony Mason, Brian Grant, Weatherspoon, Juwon Howard, Olowokandi, LaFrentz, Ervin Johnson, Brad Miller, Kenny Thomas, Glenn Robinson, Othella Harrington, Coleman, Kemp, Ostertag, Foyle, Nesterovic, Mashburn, Aaron Williams, Malik Rose.
That's 29 guys, not a toothpick among them, and this is only the guys playing big minutes for four years. Dip a bit lower and you get McDyess, Baker, Battie, Pollard, Kenyon Martin, Mourning, Magloire, Ewing, Fortson, Potapenko, Dampier, Foster, Sabonis, Ilgauskas, and Olajuwon all over 1000 rebounds in that span.
We're not talking a league of pansywaists here. A different era? Maybe a bit, but it looks to me like things haven't changed that much. You're trying to sell us on a "uphill, both ways, in the snow" story here.
Duncan, Ben Wallace, Shaq, Mutombo, Brand, Webber, Malone, David Robinson, Dale Davis, Divac, Anthony Mason, Brian Grant, Weatherspoon, Juwon Howard, Olowokandi, LaFrentz, Ervin Johnson, Brad Miller, Kenny Thomas, Glenn Robinson, Othella Harrington, Coleman, Kemp, Ostertag, Foyle, Nesterovic, Mashburn, Aaron Williams, Malik Rose.
That's 29 guys, not a toothpick among them, and this is only the guys playing big minutes for four years. Dip a bit lower and you get McDyess, Baker, Battie, Pollard, Kenyon Martin, Mourning, Magloire, Ewing, Fortson, Potapenko, Dampier, Foster, Sabonis, Ilgauskas, and Olajuwon all over 1000 rebounds in that span.
We're not talking a league of pansywaists here. A different era? Maybe a bit, but it looks to me like things haven't changed that much. You're trying to sell us on a "uphill, both ways, in the snow" story here.
Per 36
6.6 PPG
16.5 RPG
5.0 BPG
136 APG
0.9 SPG
2.6 TO per game
5.7 PF per game
He also shot 44% from the field and 50% from the free throw line. Both numbers are a bit concerning but then he only took 3 shots from the field per game and 10 free throws in six games. And up until his 0-4 shooting night against Houston he was shooting 57% from the field.
EDIT: Did my math TOO fast. Corrected numbers now up.
6.6 PPG
16.5 RPG
5.0 BPG
136 APG
0.9 SPG
2.6 TO per game
5.7 PF per game
He also shot 44% from the field and 50% from the free throw line. Both numbers are a bit concerning but then he only took 3 shots from the field per game and 10 free throws in six games. And up until his 0-4 shooting night against Houston he was shooting 57% from the field.
EDIT: Did my math TOO fast. Corrected numbers now up.
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They are. Per 36 Moreland averaged 5.0 blocks to Noels' 4.32 and 16.5 rebounds to Noel's 8.2
Things that have to be considered though are that (1) Noel played in two summer league games to Moreland's six, so it's a small sample size
(2) Noel was likely being more cautious coming off a major injury as a lottery pick than Moreland was as an undrafted rookie fighting to make a team
(3) Noel had double the assists and more importantly, nearly 20 points per 36 (19.7) to Moreland's 6.6 meaning he was a bigger cog on the team and had more responsibilities than just rebounding and blocking shots.
All that considered, Moreland still clearly stacks up well, at least on the defensive side of the ball.
Things that have to be considered though are that (1) Noel played in two summer league games to Moreland's six, so it's a small sample size
(2) Noel was likely being more cautious coming off a major injury as a lottery pick than Moreland was as an undrafted rookie fighting to make a team
(3) Noel had double the assists and more importantly, nearly 20 points per 36 (19.7) to Moreland's 6.6 meaning he was a bigger cog on the team and had more responsibilities than just rebounding and blocking shots.
All that considered, Moreland still clearly stacks up well, at least on the defensive side of the ball.
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I made a correction (I had the wrong multiplier for per 36 making every per game stat higher by a bit) but they still are eye popping numbers.
I doubt that Moreland could average 8.8 rebounds and 3 blocks in 20 minutes per game on the NBA level, but he could certainly make an impact protecting the rim and attacking the glass.
Summer league stats can be fool's gold, ESPECIALLY when it comes to scorers. But rebounding and shot blocking? Those things generally transfer. Especially because as a shot blocker he's not just getting them as a result of being long and near the basket as often happens in college. Moreland has good instincts, good timing and good technique to go along with a great wingspan and quick jump ability.
I doubt that Moreland could average 8.8 rebounds and 3 blocks in 20 minutes per game on the NBA level, but he could certainly make an impact protecting the rim and attacking the glass.
Summer league stats can be fool's gold, ESPECIALLY when it comes to scorers. But rebounding and shot blocking? Those things generally transfer. Especially because as a shot blocker he's not just getting them as a result of being long and near the basket as often happens in college. Moreland has good instincts, good timing and good technique to go along with a great wingspan and quick jump ability.
Whoa, quickly win a starting job? Do you mean those are his own thoughts of grandeur? I could definitely imagine him being a rotational player fairly quickly. He really had a big impact in those summer league games, not just with his blocks, but with his presence in the lane that forced a number of opponents to try to be more creative with their shots, for pure fear of getting their s&*t thrown, and shooting percentages were down as a result. Shot blockers alter games. period. It's been so long since the kings had this dimension to their team, that we've forgotten what that privilege looks like, and what it can do. Now, it's not going to change the fortunes of a crappy defensive team, but it can help make an average defensive team a decent to good one, not to mention the confidence and enthusiasm that accompanies knowing that opponents who gets by their man into the late aren't going to have an automatic two or three points, as has been the case for as long as I can remember. And blocks tend to inspire, as well, lending more confidence and focus to team defense.