 
|
  |  
Whither the four-year player, the Fab Five's legacy, the purity of positions 1 through 5? Who cares. Because where others see chaos in this changing hoops universe, we see order -- a new order of innovative players and innovative thinking.
It's simple, really: Those who adapt, flourish. Those who stand still, decay. Survival of the fittest, baby.
To stay ahead of the pack, teams are experimenting with new sets, new plays, new philosophies. Three guards, two forwards? Works for Kansas. A kitchen-sink offense? Works for Florida. Let your players play? Works for Duke.
"Environments change," Coach K says. "You can't spend most of your time saying, 'Well, in the good old days ... ' How do you make these the good old days?"
In the constant search for The Edge, the best ballers are diversifying their games too. As Kent State's do-everything forward Antonio Gates puts it: "It's all about matchups. Who has the advantage? That's basketball."
So is this: 6'9" Nick Collison outracing guards; 6'2" Ryan Sidney outmuscling forwards; Diana Taurasi playing every position; Luke Walton playing in ways his daddy never dreamed of.
When did the evolution begin? When Magic played Bird? When Kevin Garnett shot from prep star to pop star? When Dirk Nowitzki proved he's no Eurotrash?
Where will it end? Seven-foot point guards? Five-guard offenses? Triple towers?
Maybe there's no discernible starting or ending point. But it's easy to see it before us now. Redraw the boundaries. Rewrite the playbook. Rethink the game plan. Or get lost.
This article will appear in the November 25 issue of ESPN The Magazine. |
 |
Son King
Heir to a hoops legend and a ...  The Bounce The Big Easy? Getting to ... In The Crosshairs: Chris Duhon A supporting actor last year, ... Heavy D You won't find a shred of ... ESPNMAG.com Who's on the cover today? SportsCenter with staples Subscribe to ESPN The Magazine for just ...
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||
