OT: Ladies and gentlemen, Earl Monroe

[LionJim]

From Simmons' book: "He owned such an unconventional offensive game based on spins and herky-jerky hesitation moves that nobody has replicated it since."

Before his knees went, he was spectacular. The first four minutes of this link show him at his best, during his pre-Knick days. Extraordinary.

Maravich was the same way, bad wheels crippled his game. Elgin Baylor too, I understand. (When watching Baylor while growing up, I had never been impressed with him, couldn't understand what was the big deal was. Simmons made it clear: I was watching him after his knees went.)

 

[bxle]

Great player for sure. Was fun to watch.

 

[Ian]

Was there ever a cooler, smoother, more hip backcourt than Pearl and Clyde??? Nope.

The invented the term dude.

 

[Nittany Ziggy]

Ahhhh...., Back when the NBA was "watchable". Nice memory, thanks!

 

[LionJim]

Was there ever a cooler, smoother, more hip backcourt than Pearl and Clyde??? Nope.

The invented the term dude.

Yeah, as soon as I started watching the video I said to myself, "The guy was always cool."

 

[NittanyAmerica]

Back in Philly, Earl "The Pearl" was so good on the spin he could dodge raindrops.

N i t t a n y A m e r i c a

 

[LionLen]

Was there ever a cooler, smoother, more hip backcourt than Pearl and Clyde??? Nope.

The invented the term dude.

+1

 

[Ian]

Short nets, short shorts and shake and bake, baby! Fill it up.

 

[john4psu]

Those Knicks teams were my first NBA team I liked growing up. Willis, Clyde, Earl the Pearl, Dave D, the Senator Bill Bradley, Phil Jackson, Barnett under Holtzman. Thanks for the memories.

 

[robbrunskill]

Those Knicks teams were my first NBA team I liked growing up. Willis, Clyde, Earl the Pearl, Dave D, the Senator Bill Bradley, Phil Jackson, Barnett under Holtzman. Thanks for the memories.

Lacking in overall height and physical prowess but those teams had an overabundance of basketball intelligence and teamwork. A reflection of their superb coach. They mastered concealing the zone defense and using the sixth man (Jackson).

 

[PSU65]

Funny story about Earl. When I was (I think) a senior in H.S. (over 50 years ago), I got a summer job in an overnight camp. Worked there for 2 summers. The first summer I worked as a waiter/busboy and the second as a counselor. Our camp had some sort of a league where we would play the other camps in basketball. Usually the counselors would be playing but the team was open to any employee of the camp. Well, the first year, our kitchen staff was made up of the varsity basketball team from Overbrook High. My second year, the kitchen staff was made up of the varsity team from Bartram, which included Earl (truth is, he wasn't the best guy on the team but I don't think the others went to college).. I got to know him pretty well--a really nice guy. It was funny--before the game, all the counselors would come out and warm up. But then, right before the game started, our kitchen staff would come out and actually play the game. In the 2 years I was there we never lost a game--or even had a close one. The one exception was the time Guy Rodgers came to our camp with his semi-pro team and played us--we lost that one.

 

[Mister Magoo]

Loved Marv Albert announcing on a Monroe bucket. Monroe with the facial! Yes!! And, it counts!! When fouled and a 3 pt play.

 

[drunkandproud]

In his Bullet clips, he was abusing Frazier in a lot of the highlights. Considering Clyde was probably the best defensive guard in the league, that was pretty cool.

Also, WTF is a councilor?

 

[LionJim]

In his Bullet clips, he was abusing Frazier in a lot of the highlights. Considering Clyde was probably the best defensive guard in the league, that was pretty cool.

Also, WTF is a councilor?

You probably also noticed that they showed Monroe abusing Oscar, Pistol, West, and Frazier in rapid succession. It's very well put together.

 

[drunkandproud]

You probably also noticed that they showed Monroe abusing Oscar, Pistol, West, and Frazier in rapid succession. It's very well put together.

Yes, I did but Pistol was about as poor a D player as you could be and West generally was not very good. Oscar had the body but did not have great foot speed so he was very vulnerable to someone like Pearl. But Clyde was always viewed as the best D guard in the league and he looks lost.

 

[LionJim]

Yes, I did but Pistol was about as poor a D player as you could be and West generally was not very good. Oscar had the body but did not have great foot speed so he was very vulnerable to someone like Pearl. But Clyde was always viewed as the best D guard in the league and he looks lost.

Frazier was better than West, but West was a very good defender. I was just making the point that the video showed Monroe excelling against the best players in the world.

 

[drunkandproud]

Frazier was better than West, but West was a very good defender. I was just making the point that the video showed Monroe excelling against the best players in the world.

Got ya, we will agree to disagree on Zeke from Cabin Creek. I don't remember him being an especially strong D player but we are talking a lot of years now. For my money, the two most under-rated D players from the Golden Era at the guard position - Norm Van Leir and Jerry Sloan. Now they played each other a ton so he had to have his moments against Clyde but Clyde looks lost.

 

[psuro]

Black Jesus.

 

[LionJim]

At the age of 36 West had 81 steals in 31 games in 1974, the first year they kept track of steals; he blew out his knee that year. He had an 81-inch wingspan. The man could play defense.

 

[NittanyAmerica]

Jerry West was a better defender then that over rated slob Michael Jordan.

N i t t a n y A m e r i c a

 

[LionJim]

Jerry West was a better defender then that over rated slob Michael Jordan.

N i t t a n y A m e r i c a

LOL, now I feel better about your post trashing Cormac McCarthy.

 

[drunkandproud]

O, went back and saw that West was a 5 time all NBA D team selection. So, I apologize and defer to those with better memories than mine. I can't say I remember him playing all tha well defensively but he obviously had the goods.

 

[LionJim]

O, went back and saw that West was a 5 time all NBA D team selection. So, I apologize and defer to those with better memories than mine. I can't say I remember him playing all tha well defensively but he obviously had the goods.

Don't think that I recall any more than you do, I go by what Simmons says. For all his faults, Simmons really loves the game and its history. It's really a fascinating read if you're willing to keep an open mind and have your BS detector on high. I really didn't consider West to be an notable defender before I read Simmons, so you and I probably have similar memories of the good old days.

 

[Mister Magoo]

Jerry West was a better defender then that over rated slob Michael Jordan.

N i t t a n y A m e r i c a

LOL