This week’s One Game To Win is going to be a little extended, but before we get into that, let’s go over the results for last week.
In what was a quieter vote than week one, Shane Battier edged out LeBron James as the winner to question, Who would you want covering Kobe Bryant with the game on the line.
Personally I’d rather have LeBron on him for just one possession, but Battier’s defensive acumen must have been enough to sway the voters.
Now onto this weeks edition.
****************************
For this week I wanted to go in a slightly different direction. While sticking to theme ‘One Game to Win’ I decided to switch up the crop of people to choose from, going from real to fictional. That’s right this week’s group is going to be taken from the silver screen. This week I give you, movie edition.
First let’s set the scenario.
For this week’s edition we are going to keep it simple. Tie game, your team has the ball in its final offensive possession. Who are you putting the ball in the hands of?
What’s going to make it interesting is who you have to choose from. For this week we’re going with fictional characters only.
The rules being that the person has to be fictional. So the fictional movies bases on real people like Rebound based on Earl Manigault, or the movie on Pistol Pete doesn’t count. If its a real life person or player playing a fictional character, its the fictional character’s skills who you are basing your decision on, not the real life (I understand that line can be fuzzy, but bear with it.) For example, you’re deciding on Jesus Shuttlesworth and not Ray Allen.
Now these are obviously not all the fictional characters ever portrayed in basketball movies and you aren’t limited to these choices, just figured I’d throw some out there and give some commentary on them.
Here are some of the choices:
Luis Scott (Celtic Pride)– The Allen Iverson of the big screen. Scott can score in bunches and is unfazed by being the focal point of an offense. We’ve seen how Scott has done in a similar situation – In the end of Celtic Pride Scott executed a pick and roll beautifully and unselfishly fed Lurch for the game’s winning bucket. He’d be a viable choice here.
Sidney Deane (White Men Can’t Jump) – Sidney Deane! “I don’t mean to brag, but I’m the greatest!” Quote directly from the mouth of Mr. Deane. Sidney certainly may be someone to consider handing the ball over too. He certainly has a flair for the dramatic though there may be a concern he may try to put a little extra mustard on whatever play he attempts to make and fail. Remember, he’d rather look good and lose, than look bad and win.
Billy Hoyle (White Men Can’t Jump) – Wondering where that great quote about winning and losing came from? Well by none other than Billy Hoyle. Billy Ho may just be the perfect person to have the ball in this situation. Run him in a pick and roll scenario and he’s a little bit like Steve Nash – Can pass, score and shoot if the defense goes under. Hoyle also may be willing to do what it takes to get the job done.
Jimmy Chitwood (Hoosiers)– Well Chitwood has had this exact situation play out in the end of Hoosiers and we all know how that went. Chitwood is a streaky shooter, but when he runs hot look out. He may be small and undersized but with his confidence and quiet competitiveness he may just be the man for the job.
Jesus Shuttlesworth (He Got Game)– Maybe the best player of the bunch. A fictional “LeBron James” if you will, but his exploits only came during high school. Can his skills translate against better competition? That’s the question you’d have to consider.
Jake Shuttlesworth (He Got Game) – The father that made Jesus into the player that he is. Definitely has game as he proved in the final game against his son, also you have to figure in the fact that his life sentence would give him some perspective and not allow him to be scared of the moment.
Saleh (The Air Up There)– Think Dikembe Mutombo but with offense. Again you’d have to question the competition Saleh was playing against, but he could potentially have the athletic advantage over anyone he’s playing.
Neon Bodeaux (Blue Chips) – Physically dominant over just about anyone. He could be a good option but just like his real life counterpart he could be a detriment if the opposition elects to foul.
Butch McRae (Blue Chips)– Well when Coach Pete Bell was posed with this similar situation, last offensive possession, he had a host of All-American (the best players money could buy) players to turn to and he elected to put the ball in the hands of flashy guard Butch McRae. Again McRae is a good decision maker and at 6-7 has the size to see over most of the defense and make the right play, ala Magic Johnson.
So there you go, game on the line, Who are you giving the ball to?? Again feel free to offer up a suggestion to someone who hasn’t been represented in this list. Let’s really pump out the votes on this one.