Ranking the title teams

[sagegrouse]

This is one of the reasons why I can't get on board with a lot of the Elton praise that goes on around here. He had a great year in '99, but IMO he's not the player that many make him out to be... ranking him in their top five Duke players above Laettner, Banks, Ferry, etc.

He was double teamed during a lot of that game though. Still, he wasn't dealing with LJ or Webber.

I'm not picking a dog in this fight, but one championship game seems like weak evidence. After all, Laettner himself played a shockingly terrible game in the 1992 championship.

From the "cheap seats" in St. Pete that weekend, it looked to me that UConn was double and triple-teaming Elton, and he failed to pass to open players.

Laettner's "shockingly terrible" game in the 1992 finals resulted in 19 points (6-13, 2-4, 5-6) plus seven rebounds. Laettner had some problems against Indiana in the semis, scoring only eight points (2-8, 0-1, 4-7) but with 10 rebounds. Bobby, fortunately, had the hot hand in the semis with 26 points. Grant scored 14 against IU and 18 in the finals against the Fab whatever.

[vick]

From the "cheap seats" in St. Pete that weekend, it looked to me that UConn was double and triple-teaming Elton, and he failed to pass to open players.

Laettner's "shockingly terrible" game in the 1992 finals resulted in 19 points (6-13, 2-4, 5-6) plus seven rebounds. Laettner had some problems against Indiana in the semis, scoring only eight points (2-8, 0-1, 4-7) but with 10 rebounds. Bobby, fortunately, had the hot hand in the semis with 26 points. Grant scored 14 against IU and 18 in the finals against the Fab whatever.

Plus seven turnovers in one half. I stand by my statement that that is a poor performance (though he was much better in the second half).

Really not trying to disparage the man, who deserves all the accolades he gets and more, but try to imagine the howls here if Okafor had a five-point, seven-turnover half against Wisconsin. My point is that even the best--Laettner, Brand, anyone--have weak games.

[Edouble]

Plus seven turnovers in one half. I stand by my statement that that is a poor performance (though he was much better in the second half).

Really not trying to disparage the man, who deserves all the accolades he gets and more, but try to imagine the howls here if Okafor had a five-point, seven-turnover half against Wisconsin. My point is that even the best--Laettner, Brand, anyone--have weak games.

It's an excellent point. Again, it's among the reasons why I don't see Elton on the same level as some of the other players that I mentioned. You're right, everyone is entitled to a poor game. As Laettner noted himself though, "Winning cures all". For me, you get a pass if you push through and get the W. We put Michigan away by 20?, so Christian's first half is more easily forgotten.