"You could go into the Dennis Rodman stuff" - Memphis Grizzlies star opens up on the art of rebounding, gives the former Chicago Bulls man major credit
While the all-time leaders in rebounds per game are all big men, not very far down the list are two names who stand out: Dennis Rodman and Charles Barkley.
Barkley averaged 11.69 rebounds per game in his career (20th all-time), doing so while standing a mere 6 foot 5 inches. Rodman averaged a staggering 13.12 rpg (11th all-time) with a modest stature by NBA standards – 6-foot-7.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (11.18, 25th), Wilt Chamberlain (22.89, first) Bill Russell (22.45, second) and the like leveraged their size and strength over the rim. But someone like Rodman, because of his size, had to find other ways.
Isiah Thomas, Rodman's teammate in Detroit, spoke of how Rodman prepared:
“He knew the rotation of every person that shot on our team – if it spins sideways, where it would bounce, how often it would bounce left or right. He had rebounding down to a science. And I never heard anyone think or talk about rebounding and defense the way Dennis Rodman could break it down." (h/t) Viral Hoops
To that end, Memphis Grizzlies center Steven Adams, when asked to describe the "science of offensive rebounding," had this to say Saturday:
"Just stand on the opposite side that they're shooting. That's basic enough. ... You can go into the Dennis Rodman stuff, I reckon. ... He's major science. He's talking about, like, the rotations of the ball. He's wild, bro. That's a different level."
When asked if he partook in Rodman's science, Adams said:
"Nah, I'm too stupid for that, mate. Not enough brain cells for that one, brother. I just stand there, mate. You know what I mean?
Steven Adams on rebounding:
"You could go into the Dennis Rodman stuff. He had it down to a science, talking about the rotations of the ball and stuff. He’s wild, mate.
“I’m too stupid for that, mate. I don’t have enough brain cells for that one, brother. I just stand there.”
The Memphis Grizzlies blew past the Milwaukee Bucks 127-102 on Saturday, with Adams tied for the game high with 11 rebounds. He averages 10.0 rpg this season and 8.0 rpg in his career.
The legitimacy of Memphis' contention
The Memphis Grizzlies improved their second-best record in the league (52-23) as they blew past the Bucks on Saturday.
The Grizzlies are 17-2 without All-Star Ja Morant and 35-21 with him. The conversations around Memphis have often revolved around how loud the team has been and about how much heart the young squad plays the game.
Ja Morant had an epic quote about trash talking tonight:
“There ain't no running in the M, man. We climb up the chimney. We ain't ducking no smoke. We're gonna let everybody know we're here. We're gonna play hard, we're trying to get a win and if you don't like it? Oh well.”
Rarely has there been much talk of their contention despite having the league's second-best record. With the playoffs only a few weeks away, many believe the Grizzlies will have a first- or second-round exit.
With their lack of experience, something that carries a lot more weight in the playoffs, the odds for the Grizzlies to go to the Western Conference finals are fairly low.