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| | Wednesday, March 22 | |||||
So who is the winner? Well, you decide. In the poll you voted for Charles Oakley, and unofficially, we'd say the people getting the most e-mails about them were Oakley, Jerome Williams and Bo Outlaw. Don't forget to vote in this week's Decision 2000 topic. Here is the poll and some of the better comments below.
I feel That Charles "Bo" Outlaw is the best "lunch-pail player" in the NBA by far! He does the little things that don't show up on the score sheets, but help his team win close games. He was in the top 10 in blocked shots recently and steals. That's saying a lot for a guy who is only 6-8 or 6-9. The only other guy that I see being better that "Bo" is Jerome Williams. Those two guys are the two best "lunch pail" players in the league!
P.J. Brown has got to be the best "lunch-pail player" in the league. He does whatever is asked of him. He rebounds, scores when
needed, and defends any frontcourt player. His defense is
especially important because many times he defends opposing
centers, keeping Alonzo Mourning out of foul trouble. Brown
also comes to play every night. He never misses a game and
you know exactly what he brings. Besides
Mourning, Brown is the only Miami Heat player that Pat Riley
described as "untouchable" in trade talks near the deadline.
Riley knows he needs this guy to win, and that's why other
teams wanted him. Every team that wants to win a championship
needs a player like this; he does the dirtiest of dirty work.
A.C. GREEN! What player at 36 is starting, never misses a game, hustles, takes his beatings, BUT humble with his glory, and has played with championship teammates, has seen the game of NBA basketball change with time, as far as style, rules, and attitude, seen Michael Jordan come and go, seen his team point guard go from starting to the upper management of the Lakers, and to top it all off -- he has the influence to rub off to society, take life with a positive attitude! The man is a real man. Try to imagine what it would be like in his shoes. I would love to be a man like him. It's A.C. Green without a doubt.
I think Jon Barry is without a doubt, the best "lunch-pail" player. Night in and night out he goes out there and gives it his all. He provides that spark off the bench that most of these other guys can't do. Even if he is not scoring, he'll still be pumping his fist, and diving on the floor. His energy and emotion definitely distinguish him from the other candidates.
I see that he's in second in the poll, but A.C. Green is the epitome of the lunch-pail player. He's the only one who plays every night (and I mean every night!). He plays harder than guys 15 years younger than he is. He hasn't missed a game in like 14 years and he bangs around with the strongest dude of the opposing team every night. This should be an annual award, like the sixth man award. When they create this award, it should be named after A.C. Green.
It's good to see that Jerome Williams is finally getting some love. Ten boards a game off the bench! Unlimited energy! What more could you ask for. If it weren't for him, the Pistons would have 10 less rebounds a game and a lot more losses as well. The Junkyard Dog is definitely the best on this list. He is basically the only guy who can rebound on a very short Pistons team. His quickness and energy make up for his lack of size. With him in the lineup, the Pistons are still a threat.
Even though I live in the hometown of Dan Majerle, I must cast my vote for the 'Junkyard Dog,' Jerome Williams. Jerome reminds me of Dennis Rodman before Dennis weirded out: intense, a hard worker, bangs the boards with the best, can score when called on to, is incredibly unselfish and appears to love playing basketball. Without him, Detroit would be at the bottom of their division and out of the playoffs.
Hold on, stop the presses!! How can you guys put together an All-Star Lunchbucket Team, and not include Oliver Miller? Have you guys seen any footage of him, lately? He's huge. What's that? It's the lunch-pail team, and not the Lunchbucket team. Oh....Uh, sorry about that. Great job!! Dale Davis is THE lunch-pail player. He just goes out there every night, contributes a lot of quality minutes, and loves doing the dirty work. It was great to see him recognized for all of his hard work, and invited to the All-Star team.Randy Deutscher Indianapolis, Ind. Charles Oakley has been doing the lunch-pail stuff for many, many years now, and deserves some credit for being one of the most underrated players of all-time. Most of the Knicks' success in the early-'90s and Toronto's success now is because of him. Jon Barry, and Dan Majerle are close seconds, because of the intensity at which they play and both can shut down any two guard that is playing, Anyone. Notice when Thunder Dan was injured, the Heat slumped, and now that he is back, they are flying high again. Barry simply is an outstanding hustler and defender, who was born with a very pretty jump shot, much like his father and brother.Christopher Boston, Mass.
I would have to go with Jon Barry. He may not have the best numbers of all the players listed, but I have seen the Kings play a few times and when he gets going, he plays with so much enthusiasm that I think it changes the entire team's attitude. He also is good at getting the crowd excited, especially when playing at home. He seems to have all the hustle plays that the stat sheet doesn't recognize.
Jamie Feick played his high school ball in this area and was a joy to watch. He continues to work his tail off and get results. He has traveled a long and rugged road to get where he is, and nobody deserves the "lunch-pail" title more then him.
P.J. Brown does not get enough credit for the job that he does on the court. The Heat, whether the guards like it or not, are a team that relies on frontcourt strength. But the only "star" in the frontcourt is Alonzo Mourning. P.J. brings his lunch pail every game, but rarely takes a break from the game to eat from it. He's too busy covering a dominating power forward, blocking shots, and grabbing tough rebounds to worry about being a scoring threat. And don't even bother using the words All-Star in the same paragraph as Brown, cause he doesn't have enough tattoos and felonies to be on that team.
Based on my following the Toronto Raptors, I would make a strong argument for Charles Oakley. For years, he took a backseat to Patrick Ewing, meanwhile he was a key cog in their wheel. Grabbing the key boards and playing "in your face" defense. He was so essential to the Knicks that they blamed their playoff loss on the lack of an Oakley-type player. With the Raptors he continues his style of play. While a little older now, he uses it to his advantage. He still plays defense hard and is solid. He grabs huge boards for the Raptors, and not to mention provides huge leadership for Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady,and especially the other young Raptor forwards like John Thomas. Finally, it always seems as though he makes that 15-20 footer in clutch situations and always throws in at least one "behind the back" pass a game. Without a doubt, Charles Oakley has my vote for lunch-pail player.
George Lynch is my pick. He comes to play and gives it his best every game. George leaves it on the court every night, maintains a quiet confidence and seemingly is focused on the qualities of teamwork and sportsmanship that are missing too often from today's NBA players.
I think Jamie Feick should win this award because of what you had stated earlier. He seems to get more out of his ability than any other player in the league. Therefore, he seems to act as an overachiever, which is something that you do not see from a lot of players in the league today.
George Lynch is the No. 1 lunch-pail player in the league. I have seen every basketball game, college or pro that has been televised. I am a huge fan of the Sixers. Watching Lynch play with the Sixers is great. He is the backbone of the Sixers. He is a spectacular defender and can bang the shots in the crucial moments of the game. As a team, the Sixers have the most heart and play the hardest of any team in the league. Guys like Lynch and other Sixers play with more heart then any group of players in the league. Thank you for your time.
Thunder Dan Majerle is quite possibly the most prolific defender of
the modern era. Even when injured during the first game of
the 1997-98 Eastern Conference playoffs while enduring a bad
back, pulled groin and hernia which required surgery at the
end of the season, he worked Allan Houston defensively. One of
the toughest most resilient individuals the NBA has ever
seen.
George Lynch is definitely the best "lunch-pail player" in the NBA. The difference between George and all the other players you have listed is that Lynch comes out every night and shuts down not only players like Grant Hill but also guys like Tim Duncan. It is not uncommon for Larry Brown to put Lynch on opposing All-Star centers. This is why I think he is by far the best lunch-pail player in the NBA.
My choice is Charles Oakley. He has and continues to be a constant factor on the court as well as in the huddle for the Toronto Raptors. Sure you have two young and electrifying stars in Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, but I'm sure that the Oak keeps these young guys in order. In my opinion, to call him a lunch-pail player may be a bit degrading. He's just a hard worker!
| ALSO SEE NBA Decision 2000: Lunch-pail player NBA Decision 2000 Results NBA Decision 2000: Defenders NBA Decision 2000 Results: It's Shaq | |||||
