Why are the best NBA big men from the South?

[Sportspolymath]

I've coached in New York, Texas and California, and knew a long tome ago that if I needed a tough rebounder, that I wanted someone from Texas or Alabama, not Chicago or LA, so I did some research on it. Without question, the best rebounders, shot blockers and scorers down low are from the Southern section of the US.

http://sportspolymath.typepad.com/sportspolymath/2009/04/the-best-players-down-low-are-from-the-south.html

[Bob Lanier]

It's because the real workhorse black men know where their bread is buttered.

[timvp]

Are you going to make a new thread for everything you ever wrote?

[Sportspolymath]

I would like to continue to post articles as long as it's cool with you guys, let me know.

[JamStone]

My personal opinion is that you probably shouldn't start threads just yet. Start posting in threads and learn more about these boards and get a better feeling on what kinds of topics are worth posting. The threads you've started really just scream: "GO TO MY WEBSITE PLEASE!" Get to know the site and the posters before you start random threads. That's how I feel.

[duncan228]

You could put a link to your site in your signature, that way it shows in your posts and you're able to participate on the boards without it coming off as spamming.

[Sportspolymath]

Great advice, and you guys are right. Hopefully there are no hard feelings. I would like to post my full first round mock draft on June 1st as I had planned, but understand your concerns. What's been most impressive has been the hundreds of views I've had from this board. Don't mess with Texas! Good luck and good night!

[iggypop123]

yeah this is 10 times as worse than Dr. House and people wanted him banned for that. you should watch it

[SnakeBoy]

Blake Griffin is like a more athletic Tim Duncan?

[Rogue]

I would like to continue to post articles as long as it's cool with you guys, let me know.
Thanks for your articles we appreciate them all, but I cannot disagree more on this opinion that the best NBA big men are from South. Ohio is not located in the south but many big guys have come out from that state and grown into great centers, and it's easily expected Greg Oden will join the rang of them in a couple seasons. So I don't think it holds much water to claim the northern states are drought of decent big men. Plus LA is located in southern CA, so it's not very proper to consider it a northern city like Chicago.

[Drom John]

Keep posting. If we had to ban self-posters then all of timvp's game analysis would have to go, and timvp's game analysis is consistently the best stuff at spurstalk.

Your post is better than almost any link to a MSM column or blog. If I want to read Monroe or Hollinger, I'll go to the Express or ESPN sites.

I come to spurstalk for timvp and a few others to add quality. Thanks Sportspolymath for adding to the quality.

It's the name calling and non-germane sophomores that needs to be curtailed, not substantive posts.

[Sportspolymath]

There a lot of great rebounders from Ohio, unfortunately Greg Oden is not one of them. He was born in NY, and grew up Indiana. Love the picture, and must say, if I were writing a piece on what state produced the best big men. Ohio would be tough to beat. I did a lot of research on the subject and was very impressed with the players from Ohio. LA to me is Westcoast. I based the "South" on what was the Confederate states.

As far as Blake Griffin being more athletic than Tim Duncan. Yeah, he has some ultra-quick spin moves that are Olajuwon like, and gets off the floor real quick. His demeanor is what reminds me most of Tim.

As far as posting, I appreciate the support, but will respect the general concensus, and not spam. However, I do appreciate the kind words about the articles, as obviously I take them seriously.

[Indazone]

The best big men are from the South? HAHAHA give me a break. Oden is from Indy that's not the South. Yao is from China that's not the South. Scola is from Argentina, well arguably you could say that is South but it's not the USA south. Bynum is from New Jersey..does that sound South to you? Pryzbilla is from Minnesota..you fail

[ginobili's bald spot]

The two greatest centers of all time were from the north.

[ploto]

I hope it makes no one mad but I assumed from the title that the author had some research into decendants of slaves in the South- but I surely do not want to go all Dusty Baker on you.

[endrity]

Generally, most of the good athletes come from the south. Look at college football as well for more evidence.

[IronMexican]

Generally, most of the good athletes come from the south. Look at college football as well for more evidence.

California has a lot of great players also. Best states for Football athletes are Cali, Texas, and Florida.

[Baseline]

I grew up in North Carolina, and all I can say is that we live, eat, and breathe basketball. Because Dean Smith has had such an impact on the game, and has turned out so many different coaches, the Carolina system is pretty ingrained in our minds from an early age.

Our high school team visited Carolina practices every year, so our practices were designed exactly like theirs, even down to running the stairs if we missed a layup in warmups.

Back in the day I played pickup games with Jordan, Kenny Smith, Sam Perkins, Curtis Hunter, etc. They all play the same way -- backdoor cuts, overplaying the wings, fill the lanes, find your man and block out - put a body on somebody. Those guys went out together all the time, hung out day and night.

My argument would be that a lot of North Carolina kids grow up knowing how to play the game from a team standpoint moreso than the playground kids up north. It's just always team-team-team, not individual stuff. The individual stuff is more of a big city thing.

[endrity]

California has a lot of great players also. Best states for Football athletes are Cali, Texas, and Florida.

Very true.

they are a bit of an exeption, with Pensylvania as well. But it has to do a bit with the size of the state as well, with it having a huge population they are bound to have great athletes as well. I do think though, I might be wrong, that in average terms, the South still produces more athletes.

[Bob Lanier]

Very true.

they are a bit of an exeption, with Pensylvania as well. But it has to do a bit with the size of the state as well, with it having a huge population they are bound to have great athletes as well. I do think though, I might be wrong, that in average terms, the South still produces more athletes.
No wonder you people fought to protect slavery.

[Indazone]

California has a lot of great players also. Best states for Football athletes are Cali, Texas, and Florida.

Gee and coincidently those are our 3/4 of our most populous states. If you throw in the New York and Pennsylvania area you'll get a bunch of really great footballers too. :rolleyes

[IronMexican]

New York has good football players? I can't think of many from the state that are any good. Which is why Syracuse sucks ass at football.

[Indazone]

Endicrity going Jimmy the Greek on us.

“The black is a better athlete to begin with because he's been bred to be that way — because of his high thighs and big thighs that goes up into his back, and they can jump higher and run faster because of their bigger thighs. This goes back all the way to the Civil War when during the slave trading, the owner — the slave owner would breed his big black to his big woman so that he could have a big black kid.

[Indazone]

New York has good football players? I can't think of many from the state that are any good. Which is why Syracuse sucks ass at football.

If New York city and the surrounding area have some of the best athletes in the nation. That's due to population size. Some of the best Basketballers come from NYC.

[IronMexican]

That's cause all they do is ball out there. In some areas out here like Long Beach, all they do is play football. I know some of the best ballers from from New York.

A good athlete doesn't make you good at football.