I'm all for supporting rather than tearing down players on the team I support, but comparing yourself to Tim Duncan only brings out the critics. I don't mind the lack of primal screaming, I just think that he doesn't do the things you need a big man to do to be a successful team.
On offense, he's a black hole. He has some scoring ability, but he completely disrupts the flow of the offense, making his teammates less effective. His stats come at the expense of the team's rhythm. Did anyone notice how fluid the offense was vs. VT? Coincidence?
Defensively, he is vastly overrated. People tend make the mistake of equating blocked shots with defensive prowess. The truth is, being a good defender is about hustle, positioning and awareness. For every blocked shot Ralph gets, there are five times when he's standing flat-footed 10 feet away from his man as he shoots a wide open jumper. Don't even get me started on his rebounding.
It's nice to have a big man with skills, but that's a bonus. Being a solid defender and rebounder are the baseline for being a solid big man. Tim Duncan is excellent in those categories. Ralph, to this point, has not been. I hope he can turn this around, but it's going to take an attitude adjustment from entitlement to desire.
