Greatest Peaks Series: Larry Bird

[dankok8]

What impresses me so much about Bird was that he was savant that could see plays develop that no one else in history could see. People look at 6 assists a game and can't comprehend what he did. He averaged this many assists with so little time on the ball, so little time in possession. In his peak years which is what this video highlights he was the third ball handler after DJ and Ainge. Bird was such a quick decision maker it was just insane. He'd be receiving a pass and just instantly tap it to someone else. He saw another open man as his passer so him. It's uncanny. He also knew how to move without the ball to get open or to attract defensive attention to get someone else open. This video is one of the greatest I've ever seen because he shows some of these plays that don't show up on the stat sheet but you just won't see any player except Bird do this with any regularity. And of course with the ball the passes he could make were out of this world.

[Round Mound]

What impresses me so much about Bird was that he was savant that could see plays develop that no one else in history could see. People look at 6 assists a game and can't comprehend what he did. He averaged this many assists with so little time on the ball, so little time in possession. In his peak years which is what this video highlights he was the third ball handler after DJ and Ainge. Bird was such a quick decision maker it was just insane. He'd be receiving a pass and just instantly tap it to someone else. He saw another open man as his passer so him. It's uncanny. He also knew how to move without the ball to get open or to attract defensive attention to get someone else open. This video is one of the greatest I've ever seen because he shows some of these plays that don't show up on the stat sheet but you just won't see any player except Bird do this with any regularity. And of course with the ball the passes he could make were out of this world.

Smartest Player Ever!

[bizil]

From a stationary position or off a single dribble or two, Bird is the BEST OFFENSIVE PLAYER EVER! By that I mean who combined scoring and passing the best. I say that because he's a top 5 shooter of all time. From there, the greatest passing forward of all time along with Bron. BUT he did most of his damage from a stationary position or off two dribbles max. So when u look at it like that, he's best passer EVER under those circumstances. Plus he was alpha as ****. Before MJ hit the league, Bird was ACTUALLY the best scorer on the planet. But since he played on those deep Boston teams, he didn't have to score 35 PPG! He settled for his 25-28 PPG on 50-40-90 type efficiency! LOL So IN OTHER WORDS among the perimeter players, Bird could dominate games OFFENSIVELY easier than everybody else! FROM ALL AREAS OF THE COURT!!!

[mr4speed]

What impresses me so much about Bird was that he was savant that could see plays develop that no one else in history could see. People look at 6 assists a game and can't comprehend what he did. He averaged this many assists with so little time on the ball, so little time in possession. In his peak years which is what this video highlights he was the third ball handler after DJ and Ainge. Bird was such a quick decision maker it was just insane. He'd be receiving a pass and just instantly tap it to someone else. He saw another open man as his passer so him. It's uncanny. He also knew how to move without the ball to get open or to attract defensive attention to get someone else open. This video is one of the greatest I've ever seen because he shows some of these plays that don't show up on the stat sheet but you just won't see any player except Bird do this with any regularity. And of course with the ball the passes he could make were out of this world.

I totally agree. I used to watch Bird play with the hope that maybe somehow some of his skill would rub off on me. His passing at times was shocking in the sense of "how did that happen?" Bird seemed to fit the ball through incredibly tight windows and he recognized those small spaces so quickly and easily. The bounce passes between players legs was almost comical - of course Jack Sikma, but also, Michael Cooper, Hakeem, Uwe Blap, Ron Seikely , there may be a few more... Watching a game on TV or from an elevated position in the stands gives a much easier view of the court. Playing at ground level on the court while amongst the other 9 players and the traffic, is so different and I would marvel at how good a player must be to see the geometry and those openings! The other thing I saw was how Bird would "shave off" his defender using picks and curling so tight around his own players or the opposing team players to get open. It was almost like watching a downhill skier slalom around the sticks so tight, they actually make contact. And just when an opponent thought they had Bird figured out, Bird would change direction and you could see the frustration on the player trying to cover him. Given his lack of blinding speed, Bird was my favorite player to watch because I felt he wanted not only to compete but to win, and his desire to do this overcame the limitations he may have had.