In the basketball world, defense and rebounding are essentially "free." By that I mean that a player does not have to be exceptionally athletically-gifted in order to do them well. Certainly it helps to be taller in order to rebound, but Charles Barkley and Wes Unseld made a good living as under-sized rebounders because they knew how to use their strength and how to position themselves. Yes, it helps to be quick in playing defense, but to a great extent a player who is not can overcome that by anticipation, positioning, and smart play.
So defense and rebounding are free. Delaware State can do them just as surely as Duke can, even if not quite to such an elevated degree. All they "cost" is desire and effort and discipline. The question then is, Why not do it? Why mess around? Pick the low-hanging fruit. Does anyone think Virginia is Top Ten in the country in athleticism? Of course not! But they definitely are Top Ten in defense.
No comments:
Post a Comment