04/20/24
August 08, 2007
Dalembert welcomed to Team Canada: Every new Canadian brings a set of skills with them when they gain citizenship, but it's not too often those skills revolve around shot blocking, rebounding, and the ability to run a basketball floor like a 7 foot gazelle.
posted by tommytrump to basketball at 08:23 PM - 9 comments
One take on this issue is that Dalembert had only been a Canadian for a couple of hours before he was officially on the team. It would have been like South Africa suddenly granting Randy Johnson citizenship just before the World Baseball Classic.
posted by grum@work at 11:15 PM on August 08, 2007
A 7 foot gazelle would really suck at basketball for innumerable reasons. A) They suck a free throws. B) Their jumpshots leave a lot to be desired. C) Whenever there's a cheetah nearby they panic and run off the court.
posted by Drood at 01:21 AM on August 09, 2007
They tend to crap a lot too, and leave hoof marks all over the court.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 04:36 AM on August 09, 2007
...it's not too often those skills revolve around...the ability to run a basketball floor like a 7 foot gazelle. I've never seen a 7' gazelle, let alone a 7' gazelle hurt (usually, wouldn't you shoot them?) but I have seen Samuel Dalembert limp off the court on a few occasions, not a pretty sight. I used to be a huge 76ers fan until that franchise traded their most valuable & only superstar to Denver (now I'm a Nuggets fan). I've seen Dalembert play in person on numerous occasions so let me just say this: At times, Dalembert looked downright dominant by blocking shots, grabbing offensive & defensive boards, making jumpers and also dunking with ferocity. On the flip side, most other times, the guy is just the complete opposite. He'll let guys shorter than him, box him out & crash the boards. His jumper looks flat and shots he's able to block, he just doesn't. The guy can be a beast but I just don't think that he has that killer instinct that'll take his game to that extra level that most superstars have (which he is not). He's a formidable big man but I just wouldn't get my hopes up seeing that he's going to be playing for Team Canada. His game is just too wishy-washy at best.
posted by BornIcon at 08:25 AM on August 09, 2007
used to be a huge 76ers fan until that franchise traded their most valuable & only superstar to Denver (now I'm a Nuggets fan). Then you weren't really a huge Sixers fan, were you? You're a huge A.I. fan. There's a subtle difference. Fans generally don't just give up on their teams for trading people away. If that were the case, no team would have any fans at all. Players get traded, even the superstars. It's the nature of the game.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 09:56 AM on August 09, 2007
Then you weren't really a huge Sixers fan, were you? You're a huge A.I. fan. Oh really?!!? To make it a little clearer for you, I can remember when Dr. J, Mo Cheeks, Moses Malone & Charles Barkley were playing for the Sixers and this is going back to when they played in the Spectrum BEFORE Allen Iverson was even playing for Georgetown let alone the Sixers at that time, so I can assure that yes, I was a huge Sixers fan. What bothers me most about any Philly organization is that they end up trading or releasing their most valuable assets for nothing (yup, Andre Miller is nothing, compared to A.I.) and we as fans are supposed to sit there and watch garbage? Not this fan. My point was talking about seeing Samuel Dalembert play on several occasions since that is what this post is about, Samuel Dalembert.
posted by BornIcon at 12:16 PM on August 09, 2007
I take your words at face value: I used to be a huge 76ers fan until that franchise traded their most valuable & only superstar to Denver (now I'm a Nuggets fan). That seemed pretty clear cut.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 03:49 PM on August 09, 2007
Canada can have him. It would have been like South Africa suddenly granting Randy Johnson citizenship just before the World Baseball Classic. No, it would have been like South Africa suddenly granting Shawn Chacon citizenship.
posted by SummersEve at 07:43 PM on August 09, 2007
Tommy - you are like THE proudest Canadian in these parts. But I can't see that the majority of SpoFites give a rat's ass that Dalembert can now play for team Canada. Mostly, because I'm a Canadian, and I can't say it's at the top of my list. Now Lanny McDonald getting shafted in the great Mustache Wars - that's an entirely different animal.