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  1. #1
    College superstar
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    Default Tell me about Kevin McHale's post moves

    When discussing Kevin McHale's greatness people will occasionally reference some nicknames for his post moves: "Worm & Squirm," "the White Salamander," and "the Slippery Eel."

    Educate me please. The internet tubes fail me. All I've seen of him are highlight videos and maybe a game or two where I wasn't paying much attention to him specifically and I have no clue what these mean (although someday I plan on buying a boatload of NBA Finals DVDs to fix that). He appears to have a great up and under move and an ability to confuse the hell out of his defender which I'm guessing is either the eel or worm move. But what the hell is the white salamander?

  2. #2
    Hardwood Hero Showtime's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tell me about Kevin McHale's post moves

    nvm.............

  3. #3
    NBA Legend tontoz's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tell me about Kevin McHale's post moves

    I don't know about all those knicknames but McHale was basically unguardable by one guy. He has very long arms and had so many moves that whatever you tried to do defensively he had an answer for it.

    Horace Grant was quoted one time as saying that there is just no way to play him.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Tell me about Kevin McHale's post moves

    Yep. He was the "torture chamber." Barkley talks about him every once in awhile as being the best player he ever went up against. You can find lots of quotes from various players saying how tough it was to guard him.

    But...white salamander?

  5. #5
    Future NBA G.O.A.T inclinerator's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tell me about Kevin McHale's post moves

    i heard he could have average 45.3 points if he wanted to also he went on that show the moment of truth the 2nd guy to appear

  6. #6
    SONICS FAN SINCE '10 Remix's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tell me about Kevin McHale's post moves

    Quote Originally Posted by inclinerator
    i heard he could have average 45.3 points if he wanted to also he went on that show the moment of truth the 2nd guy to appear
    how can you average 45 points a game by just wanting to?

  7. #7
    I usually hit open layups
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    Default Re: Tell me about Kevin McHale's post moves

    Well i was watchin the 1985 and 1987 finals the other day and the commentators were talkin about how before his knee injury wery many were talkin about Mchale as the league MVP.
    He was THAT good!
    He had knee and back problems that hindered him in the later part of his career but he was wery wery long with long arms and on offence you could not guard him when he was healthy he had some range but his back to the basket post game was awesome his footwork was amazing.

    In the games i have seen he basically scored every way mind possible hooking,fade away, 2-3-4 pump fakes and up and under shots... etc etc etc he was just really skilled basketball player.
    As a Laker fan i didnt like him at ALL but today him like Bird i appreciate greatness on the basketball floor.

    Another player people routinely underrate and forget that is James Worthy!
    He also was just amazing, DEFINATLY a player who on any other team was a 25-30 point scorer but on those Lakers teams he didnt need to score as much but he was the second option on offence behind Kareem, when the Lakers needed a bucket he was the man just give him the ball and move out of the way and let Big Game James go to work

  8. #8
    Very good NBA starter
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    Default Re: Tell me about Kevin McHale's post moves

    Quote Originally Posted by inclinerator
    i heard he could have average 45.3 points if he wanted to also he went on that show the moment of truth the 2nd guy to appear
    How do you decide to want to average 45.3 points a game? As if 45 isn't enough, having .3 extra would make a huge statement!

  9. #9
    Good Golly! PK3434's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tell me about Kevin McHale's post moves

    I am too young to remember McHale's game but I hear all the time how hard he was to guard. Charles Barkley recently called him the best player he ever played against.

  10. #10
    I don't get picked last at the park anymore GreatLakes's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tell me about Kevin McHale's post moves

    Don't know about white salamander. In fact I don't really remember any nicknames for McHale. But as far as post moves go, best ever!

  11. #11
    Local High School Star IBLEEDGREEN20's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tell me about Kevin McHale's post moves

    his post moves were insane, and barkley recently said he was the best he ever went up against.. even though everybodys said that in this thread, i figured i would say it one more time

  12. #12
    Local High School Star
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    Default Re: Tell me about Kevin McHale's post moves

    garnett used to do the slippery eel all the time. it's the baseline move with a bunch of fakes and a spin to a fadeaway.

  13. #13
    Mars Blackmon Lives!
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    Default Re: Tell me about Kevin McHale's post moves

    don't know the nicknames of gumby's moves, but here's his scoring base that literally no one player could ever stop:

    it all started with his ability to hit a turnaround fadeaway over either shoulder. mchale was 6' 10" with very long arms and very high shoulders, and he shot with that old school behind the head release that dirk uses. basically it was a shot that you had to leap and leap early for because he got it off really high and he got it off quick (think rasheed's fade). once he had that in place the rest was footwork. he taught garnett his footwork, so use that as a base, but picture it closer to the rim and with a more physical drop step to the baseline.

    if you overplayed the turnaround, he could answer with a quick hook from either hand (think duncan here, quick wrist flick with a lot of touch, not the set up swing moves by shaq).

    what made him truly uncoverable was his fakes on the fades and hooks that he paired with up and under countermoves. he would get guys out of position and just lean around and finish with finger rolls and touch shots (again, garnett and duncan are the only modern equivalents i can think of though neither is quite as good at scoring with the twisting off balance flip shots mchale used).

    add to all that the fact that (before his foot and ankle injuries) he moved very well without the ball (his pick and roll with bird was insane) and really knew how to get position and you see that he was always a threat. he also cut really well and had great hands and awarenss (as you'll see in a lot of bird highights where he's the recipient of insane passes). he'd crash the offensive boards too, so no defensive set against him was ever finished until the rebound was secured. oh, and he could hit the j with decent range if you tried to pack the lane or the team went really big with him, chief and walton up front together (they'd play larry at the 2 with this lineup sometimes).

    there's a reason he's the only player in nba history to ever shoot 60% from the field and 80% from the line.

  14. #14
    HeartHustleHope
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    Default Re: Tell me about Kevin McHale's post moves

    This video is great and it breaks down the moves you mentioned. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJCZT...eature=related

  15. #15
    Bol'd over
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    Default Re: Tell me about Kevin McHale's post moves

    He just had so many post moves, but if you stopped one, he had a counter, and a counter to his counter and a counter to that cou..... you get the point.

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