Originally Posted by
Kedsy
Are you calling Brian Zoubek a reasonable facsimile of an elite big man? That's certainly not what people thought at the time. And despite Z's incredible defense, screen-setting, and offensive rebounding in 2010, I'd argue Mason last year was more of an "elite big man" than Z ever was.
If you're not talking about Zoubek, then I don't understand your statement. We had Carlos Boozer in 2002 and Shelden Williams from 2003 to 2006, plus Josh McRoberts in 2007-2008, who coming out of high school was considered at least as elite as Julius Randle is now.
EDIT: I see you clarified in your latest post. Still, I disagree. Zoubek played great down the stretch in 2010. That didn't make him an "elite big man" in the sense we're talking about now. Also, the ballyhooed Brand-Boozer-Landlord trio played 9 seasons for us and won one championship (although they did make 3 Final Fours). And in that one championship, Boozer was the 3rd or maybe even 4th option on offense (and wasn't that great a defender, either).
In what way is Barnes's playing style like Bird's? Larry Bird was an incredible passer and great defender who made his teammates better and could score any way he pleased. His best attributes were his court vision and uncanny understanding of the game. So far, at least, Barnes is basically a good shooter. I'd argue people don't make that comparison because the players are nothing alike.