It's become a joke the way players in the NBA have become "specialists". Meaning they're great at a specific part of the game. Meaning they're great at one part, therefore it's acceptable if they absolutely stink in something else. Shoot the three, defend the 2-4 position, and you're good. Can't take a shot off the dribble? Can't create off the dribble drive? No worries, he's a specialist. Can make explosive dunks, block shots across the court, complete alley-oops anywhere near the rim, and pick and roll to the rim at abandon, and you're good as a center. Can't shoot outside the zone? Can't pass out off the double team? Can't score more than 60% of your free throws? It's all good, he's a specialist.
It's sad to see basic fundamentals ignored. Basic aspects of a game, like shooting, just ignored in this current era. It's why we don't see great centers anymore, they've become extinct due to the use of one dimensional specialists like Howard, Drummond, and DeAndre. And because they've become one dimensional, you can just as well use a 4, rather than a 5. And the benefit with a 4 is they can also cross match a lot easier defensively, meaning you don't need to switch as much. Maybe that's why teams can get away with playing small ball, there aren't enough centers with the basics.
Just in the early 90s we had Ewing, David, Hakeem, Daugherty, Smits, Alonzo, Divac, Sabonis, Seikaly, Mutumbo, and Shaq. And that's just off the top of my head, I nkow I've missed a couple. Of the lot, Mutumbo might have been the least polished center of the lot (offensively) but he still had an average of 68% on his free throws. Shaq was the only one that wasn't comfortable with shooting the ball, or taking turnaround shots, but it's Shaq we're talking about. He was so physically dominant and quick on his feet, he was more of a threat closer to the ring than he was along the zone. And even he average above 50% in free throws
Today, probably only Monroe plays the offensive game as a "pure" center. The rest are just specialists that stink up the court with free throw percentages as low as 39% (Drummond), 39.7% (DeAndre), and 41% Howard. Neither of them can shoot the ball from anywhere in the court. If it's not a dunk, ally-oop, or layup, it's not going in. And they're supposed to be the best in the business! You'd think with the vast amount of money they're getting paid, that they'd spend some time during the offseason perfecting their free throws.
It's another rant, but it's so damn frustrating to see the major technical flaws that players today can get away with.
