Perk claims AD is the most skilled 4 ever.

[Kblaze8855]

https://www.hostpic.org/images/2212081656540324.jpeg

[Kblaze8855]

I can see why he might be in the mix but….

Bird played too much power forward.

And AD isn’t as good a ball handler or passer as even Lamar Odom. And he’s a 30 percent shooter from 3.

He’s nice obviously but he doesn’t strike me as the type who could be as good as Dirk with similar athleticism.

You think no knees AD would be better than Philly Webber who was washed but had all his tricks?

It’s hard to say with people so athletic. I’m not sure AD would be as good as Houston Barkley if he could only move like Houston Barkley.

It’s a stupid conversation really because in a physical sport you can’t fairly expect people to be great without athletic ability or judge them for having it. It’s almost like asking if Bolt would be the best sprinter if he were 5’7”. Of course not but…so what? He isn’t.

But these are the talks you have to have when people wanna make it a skills only contest and…I just can’t see AD with Bird or even late 90s Malone or post Nash Dirk mobility being as good.

That said…we all have Kobe high on the skills list and when his knees and legs were shot that last season he was still more physically gifted than like prime Jeff Hornacek(who could not dunk) but a lot worse at basketball. Doesn’t take him off the skilled list.

Hard to judge it the same way across the board but…still.

AD with Dirks body….considerably worse isn’t he?

[Akeem34TheDream]

I feel like for a lot people how skilled you are means how good you are overall. They include athleticism too. Like being able to switch to guards or rim protection. And tbh its hard to seperate skills from athleticism.

[ralph_i_el]

Maybe he has an argument based on defensive IQ and positioning being a skill.

Otherwise, there are a good amount of 4's who were clearly better ball-handlers, shooters, and passers.

More skilled than KG, Dirk, Barkley, Malone, Gasol? Webber?

Heck, is AD more skilled than Prime Kevin Love? Give Love 7 more inches of wingspan and he's a different player.

[Real Men Wear Green]

I don't normally analyze the game in this level but Perk may be partially talkingabout things like post footwork and/or irrelevant Rasheed Wallace type skills like jump shots with the off hand that I think I was disparaging just last week.

[Kblaze8855]

I feel like for a lot people how skilled you are means how good you are overall. They include athleticism too. Like being able to switch to guards or rim protection. And tbh it’s hard to seperate skills from athleticism.

If he just means best, regardless of accolades, that’s another discussion entirely, of course, but I wish she would just say that if so.

[tontoz]

McHale says hi.

A lot of AD's effectiveness is due to size and athleticism, not skill.

[Wally450]

The best ability is availability, so AD can't be up there imo.

[FultzNationRISE]

AD is a decently skilled guy (when Lebron elevates him) but I dont see him as “whoa, look at those skills” level.

He can be a great player (when Lebron elevates him) but I think it’s more about the things he does well are just hard to stop. Not that he’s extraordinarily skilled or versatile.

If we dont count athleticism as a skill, I’m not sure what skills he has that Zach Randolph didnt have.

Perk just fluffin up a fellow Klutchnik tbh.

[hiphopanonymous]

What does that even mean? Once you obtain more skill you typically just drift to different positions in today's game anyways and the position title people apply to players almost doesn't mean anything anymore. The 4 throughout history was traditionally just a position where 'all around skill' wasn't necessarily the most important ingredient... rim protecting boxing out and rebounding becomes a higher priority the higher the ladder you climb in positions which naturally has many players playing the 4 playing a sacrificial role as far as 'all around' ability opportunities goes.

Most 4's are actually swing players anyways, such as a 7 footer that is basically a center but for whatever reason doesn't want to be stuck with that label (a trend now a days IE guys like Davis, and Tim Duncan). In the past the opposite trend would happen because center carried a greater reputation so a long time ago natural 4's like Willis Reed and Dave Cowens took it upon themselves to become their teams 'center' with pride even though they had forward-like face-up skills, better ball handling abilities, and were a bit shorter than many of their opposing centers.

Then you've got the guys closer to small forwards that either could swing in and really play great at PF and/or just did the PF job despite being way more capable ball handlers. This would be guys like Elgin Baylor who could rebound like a center and score in the post like a PF, or Charles Barkley who really just strictly played PF despite being short enough to handle the ball almost as well as a shooting guard.

If we put everyone into the mixes like that, I think it's weird to call AD the most skilled PF of all time... can he handle the ball like Barkley? I don't think so, and there's a pretty broad range of skills that go into dribbling. Is he more skilled than those times players like Baylor slid to the 4? Definitely not. How about LeBron? Doesn't he play the 4 whenever the need arises? Isn't he a GOAT all-around player candidate? Davis is just a very versatile big. Most skilled ever is a stretch but he is really skilled no doubt.

[iamgine]

Perk is just ruffling feathers as per his job description. There is no need to take him too literally.

[bladefd]

I can see why he might be in the mix but….

Bird played too much power forward.

And AD isn’t as good a ball handler or passer as even Lamar Odom. And he’s a 30 percent shooter from 3.

He’s nice obviously but he doesn’t strike me as the type who could be as good as Dirk with similar athleticism.

You think no knees AD would be better than Philly Webber who was washed but had all his tricks?

It’s hard to say with people so athletic. I’m not sure AD would be as good as Houston Barkley if he could only move like Houston Barkley.

It’s a stupid conversation really because in a physical sport you can’t fairly expect people to be great without athletic ability or judge them for having it. It’s almost like asking if Bolt would be the best sprinter if he were 5’7”. Of course not but…so what? He isn’t.

But these are the talks you have to have when people wanna make it a skills only contest and…I just can’t see AD with Bird or even late 90s Malone or post Nash Dirk mobility being as good.

That said…we all have Kobe high on the skills list and when his knees and legs were shot that last season he was still more physically gifted than like prime Jeff Hornacek(who could not dunk) but a lot worse at basketball. Doesn’t take him off the skilled list.

Hard to judge it the same way across the board but…still.

AD with Dirks body….considerably worse isn’t he?

Do we consider defense as part of skills? Ad is a much better defensive player than every person you named.

[Im Still Ballin]

Probably Garnett. Can do everything on defense; only lacks paint scoring and 3pt shooting on offense.

[ImKobe]

Probably Garnett. Can do everything on defense; only lacks paint scoring and 3pt shooting on offense.

Yeah I was going to say this... KG could pretty much do everything AD does but he moved like a guard on offense as well, could run the offense and was a more consistent shooter.

I will say that AD is much better in the paint, he's an automatic bucket or guaranteed 2 FTs, almost to the level of early 2000s Shaq. His athletic ability is ATG.

[Axe]

McHale says hi.

A lot of AD's effectiveness is due to size and athleticism, not skill.
Oh for sure AD is simply more than that, uncle. Well, at least based on what thurston tpots (on 5 months hiatus already) had seen during the 2020 disney bubble. :oldlol:

[ArbitraryWater]

Maybe he has an argument based on defensive IQ and positioning being a skill.

Otherwise, there are a good amount of 4's who were clearly better ball-handlers, shooters, and passers.

More skilled than KG, Dirk, Barkley, Malone, Gasol? Webber?

Heck, is AD more skilled than Prime Kevin Love? Give Love 7 more inches of wingspan and he's a different player.

Love is a ****ing hack compared to AD.

That put-shot lmao.