What happened to big men?

I agree Jae, Playing C is just boring. But i think one aspect you failed to mention is that the games are way too fast now! Ball goes to C to start a play>>kick the ball out>>shoot!

There are a lot of C who can play! Who have Very good, better then Yao post games. They just are not allowed to play. Have you ever seen Ben Wallce take his man inside? I watched as he TERORISED K-mart, just hby taking him in. He scould't make the shot, cos he doesnt play ascoring too much. Of course for Det its works out fine.

But teams such as Kings, Raptors, Bulls, Utah. All ther teams are complaing that we dont have a big man. Yet all you have to do is give him the ball!

And that HS 7'1 kid!!! All big men who r in the NBA now and play 7 or 8th men have very simular if not better reports!
I bet that scout wasnt scouting for the NBA or D1Collage. Maybe just for other HS.

I now that thing - when you're the tallest (6-7, 6-8 in my case) in the team and you're forced to play in the paint, but you think that you're way to talented . A certain cliche was created - that big men are always the least talented, the least intelligent guys on the court. Today's 7 footers are insulted when they are told to play the 5. And this cliche killed the quality. Centers are bulking up, 'cause they think that muscles will make them a good player. Not tehnique, nor shooting, but muscles. I was talking with my friends about this years finals and one of them said: "I just hate that big fat Shaq. He can't do anything, he can't even shoot." And this the Stereotype with the capital S. "If I can shoot 3 pointers, I won't have to play in the paint." That is what every 17 yo 7 footer is thinking. Like Darko. "He wants to be like Toni Kukoc, but we want him to be Wilt Chamberlain" said Larry Brown.

And the statement about how playing in the paint is boring - I don't agree. When I got rid of that cliche I actually liked playing in the paint. The Game got completly new dimensions for me.

Playing in the paint is boring depending on your style of play. I've always been a penetration kind of player, or I'll settle for an outside shot. I'm not interested in doing turnaround jumpers from 6 ft out. But that's just me.

Most centers in the league now just don't have the fundamentals and the footwork, and they don't really have anyone to teach it all to them now that they're in the league.

imo if it wasn't ewing teaching yao, it would be someone else. this teaching gets more attention because of ewing being a former great player.

as i mentioned before, i think this mentoring by former players is overrated. sure there's going to be that knee jerk reaction of someone mentioning ewing or whichever nba player brings in game experience and all that good stuff.

but how much more do they bring to the table then, say, an assistant coach who watches infinite more game film and has tons of experience worked with countless amount players (some being a great play like ewing)?

i think most teams have someone in the coaching staff helping out their young, big men. whether it would be spending extra time before/after practice or whatever.

hard work will only take you so far. as gloveguy said, a lot big men coming into the league just don't have what it takes.

a lot big men coming into the league just don't have what it takes.

That's because they get into the league purely because they're big men.