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From: fredrickson@celica.DEC
Newsgroups: net.sport.hoops
Subject: Re: Parish a superstar?
Message-ID: <1564@decwrl.DEC.COM>
Date: Fri, 7-Mar-86 10:31:27 EST
Article-I.D.: decwrl.1564
Posted: Fri Mar  7 10:31:27 1986
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>>     ..............Nobody expected Parish and Mchale to be 
>>     superstars,
>> 
>>     Tom Gross

>Does anybody really think that Parish is a superstar ?  I for 
>one am never impressed by him.  Especially this year, every time 
>I've watched the Celtics, they seem to make their big run with 
>Walton subbing.  
 
>Walter Nielsen

The use of the word "superstar" is subjective. If you think the 
top 20 or 25 players in the NBA are superstars, then Parish can 
probably be included. I define superstar as someone who has been 
a truly dominant performer, able to heavily influence the outcome 
of a game and a season, over a period of at least a few years.

NBA superstars: Bird, Jabbar, Magic, Erving, Malone, Thomas, 
Moncrief, Bernard King, Gervin. (Erving and Gervin in their 
primes.)

Almost but not quite: McHale, Worthy, Wilkins, English, 
Cheeks, Vandeweghe, Nance, Sampson, Buck Williams, Sikma, Dennis 
Johnson, Walter Davis.

Give them time and they will be: Olajuwon, Barkley, Ewing, 
Jordan, Blackman, Robertson, (?)McDaniel, (?)Tisdale. 

I'm sure I missed a few, but that's my interpretation of 
superstar. Bill Walton would have been if health had allowed him 
3-5 straight years of dominance. Michael Ray Richardson would 
have been if he hadn't destroyed himself. Other young guys could 
emerge.

As for Parish, I believe he is an underrated, not overrated, 
player. Even here in Boston, I would bet he'd only come in fourth 
or fifth as the fans' favorite player. He seems a little moody 
and has his occasional no-shows. When he is off he looks like a 
real stiff. But when he is rested (thank God for Walton) and 
motivated, Parish is a force: a very good defensive center who 
gives you quickness, shot-blocking and rebounding; an exceptional 
offensive center who runs the floor as fast as any big man in the 
league and possesses a deadly turnaround rainbow from about 12 
feet in.

I would include Parish in my list of "almost but not quite" 
superstars if he were more consistent. When he is at his best he 
is the fourth-best center in the league (Malone, Jabbar, 
Olajuwon). He also gives Malone fits.

Mark Fredrickson