The Best Post-Move In the League Today
KGIn February 2007, we sat down with Dwight Howard for the Special Vegas Edition of Dime. In that interview, we asked him how he’d approach getting a bucket depending on a number of different situations. And pretty much every answer was the same: dunk.
Though there was some mention in there of a jump hook, it was obvious that this completely dominant force is able to destroy a number of different NBA front lines without really having a post move. Clearly not everyone has the luxury of being able to put up ridiculous stats simply by beasting the guys in their way.
So who in the League has the best post move, and what is it?
* Kevin Garnett’s shoulder shimmy: This is the closest thing that we have to the Dream Shake in the League today. KG always seems to fake one more time than his man expects.
* Elton Brand’s turnaround J: It’s Brand’s bread-and-butter, but it isn’t that “sexy”. He basically just elevates and arcs a fadeaway high over his man’s outstretched hand.
* Carlos Boozer’s “baby” up-and-under: Booz doesn’t fully extend his arms on the up-and-under like Kevin McHale did. He opens up as if he’s going to try a lefty hook, and then steps through for a righty bank shot.
* Yao’s soft hook: He ends up getting pushed off the blocked every time he attempts this shot. But it does go in.
* Zach Randolph’s face-up jab step: This move is the biggest reason that Zach is known as a black hole. He holds the ball forever, but is pretty effective at getting his man off balance.
* Tim Duncan’s spin-to-off-the-glass J: It’s incredibly tough to pick just one of TD’s moves. If you go back to his early days when he had Greg Ostertag’s soul in a jar on his nightstand, Duncan dunked off of this move, but now he goes glass after using a spin to create separation. His footwork is still immaculate.
* Amare’s drop step: Amare is kind of like Dwight in that he doesn’t really have a back-to-the-basket move that he likes to use. But against smaller defenders, STAT likes to use a two-handed power dribble to create contact en route to a dunk.
* Al Jefferson’s baby hook: Jefferson makes his living on this, even if his man knows it’s coming.
* Chris Bosh’s pump fake: Bosh uses the up-fake as well as anyone in the League on the block.
Who in the League has the best post move, and what is it?
November 14th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
rban says:
Rasheed Wallace’s turn around jumper is one of the best post moves in the game, he just doesnt do it enough.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
MSkittle says:
I am going with Al Jefferson. He has sick post game
November 14th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Sam I Am says:
Al Jefferson for me too
Go Wolves
November 14th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
GEE...always smell it and look at it first! says:
Yao also has a 1 hand look like he is going to hook get man in the air and spin of man to put in move.
Duncan’s is the truth though, and he can say glass cause he knows how he is shooting it and it’s going in.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
fallinup says:
5 words.
The Reggie Evans Crotch Grab
hiyo!
November 14th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Kudabeen says:
The Man in the pic. Who’s blocking his fade? That double fake into the fade is nasty and it falls regularly…
Outside of that Kobe’s MJ adopted post pivot moves are sick as well. He pivots into a fade, up and under, or sometimes layups/dunks…
Al Jefferson do have more moves than anyone in the league right now…
November 14th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
vinny says:
Duncan 1 and Jefferson 1a
November 14th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
nick says:
gotta go with sheed. sheed’s fadeway jumper is impossible to block. he shoots it from such a high position.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
P_Dizzle says:
Duncan has the best
Boozer is sick down low. He can use either hand.
Al Jefferson is probably 3rd.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Jah says:
Rasheed Wallace’s 3-pointer.
Hah.
LAUGH B*TCH!
November 14th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Jim says:
Duncan reverse pivot no doubt. Any other argument just outs you as a homer or bring your knowledge into question.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Prof. TX says:
Duncan’s short range bank shots are a good bet for two quick points.
But nobody these days has a weapon to outshine the Sky Hook or Dream Shake.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
srb says:
Boykins
November 14th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Ross says:
Duncan. No one else can do that shot.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
karizmatic says:
I like the Carlos Boozer up and under and then Duncan spin to off the glass
November 14th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
the rocket cat says:
I don’t like Kobe and I think he’s overrated, but…
Kobe doesn’t post up that often, but when he does, he uses this beautiful move that’s sort of an up-and-under, but he doesn’t really go up, he just spins really quickly and smoothly and sort of sneaks around and under his defender for a layup. It’s very pretty, and it’s definitely a skill move as opposed to a power move.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
loganlight says:
Are we just going with Post players? Cause Kobe has a pretty nice fade away that you can’t touch when he’s on.
But if it’s just post players, then I gotta go with the Big Fundamental. I’m not a fan of the Spurs, but when my kid wants to learn how to play the post, he’ll get videos of Timmy doing his thing.
LL
November 14th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
doc says:
1.Anything Timmy does down low to score. 2.Sheed fadeaway is unguardable.3.Al Jeff-his post game is crazy good.4.Shaq-All he gotta do is turn around and lay it in.5.KG-He always trhow like 1 or 2 extra shoulder shimmies but it must mess the defenders up because when he releases its like they stuck in quicksand.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Amar says:
keon clark when being defended by felton spencer in the playoffs . . . everything else is below that.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
iannyb says:
Dunca has his bread and butter shot off the glass.The best footwork used to be Garnett’s own.Haven’t really seen much of Timberwolves games only highlights on Sportscenter so I can’t really say.Billups can bully his defenders on the block.Kobe is good too
November 14th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
AY says:
tim duncan and kobe. kobe’s post move has gotten so much better than just the turn and fade: he used to only have the up and under as variation, but now that he plays the up with the baseline spin so much better that he’d get a layup from it. This is probably the most complete post-move of anyone at this point. Duncan has the sick reverse pivot against quicker players and the up fake against bigger guys, but he rarely goes to those now because no one can stop the first spin hook off the glass; same for the “yao shake” and al jefferson’s hook, they don’t go with the variation because they don’t have to. I’d still go with duncan because he’s shown so many different ways to get the ball into the hoop in the post, but kobe has definitely gotten himself up there.
November 14th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
GEE...always smell it and look at it first! says:
Hope the Link works, but uhhhh Shaq is giving some classic stuff. Best Lakers 1,2 punch ever? Hmmm well I will say the most entertaining. Check it out, it’s interesting if nothing else.
http://www.fannation.com/si_blogs/nba_tracker/posts/23463
November 14th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Chaos says:
Tim duncan has the best post moves because no one can stop them. Al is next because he aint that athletic but racks up buckets on the block. Rasheed has the most unblockable fadeaway because he is not only athletic but he is long as hell. KG has the closest thing to the dream shake, and i havent seen anyone really stop bosh’s face up pump fake except KG. he even gets howard with it
Shaq and Dwight just give you two good bumps and you’re so off balance that they can just turn and dunk. Shaq did develop a soft touch when around the basket tho
November 14th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
dukesman2000 says:
KG has a crazy turn around fade away jump shot that is literally impossible to guard against.
November 14th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
GEE...always smell it and look at it first! says:
It’s crazy but I will say Barkley, Dream and McHale (sp)(especially McHale) still got better post move than most if not all these dudes.
Only one I say is close to them overall would be Duncan.
Crazy.
November 14th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
yoda says:
its been ages since he did that, but i’ve been amazed every time when shaq spins around his defender and dunks. i couldn’t believe how come someone that big and heavy can spin so fast.
November 14th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
JCARR says:
Kg its almost a guaranteed 2 points then al jefferson he proved it against the spurs even though they lost in OT. Al is gonna be good…
November 14th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Drink the Haterade (KB24 Chip 09) says:
John Salley used to call Shaq a freak of nature and naturally so, the guy’s 7′1 360 and can break dance GTFOH
November 14th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
eddy says:
witout a doubt….sam cassell, best guard when it come to the post game…
he will post, and hit the defender wit a fake than that beautiful stepback j…
November 14th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
GEE...always smell it and look at it first! says:
eddy totally agree. A couple of Yao’s moves look like he got them from Sam.
November 14th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
SayItAintSo says:
Can I get a Shaq-Hook?
November 14th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
tim says:
I have to agree with the Rasheed comments. His turnaround fadeway baseline is the prettiest think ever…PLUS it is so good THAT IT’S HIS LOGO ON HIS SHOES…i think that’s all you need to know right there.
November 15th, 2008 at 12:18 am
Ian says:
duncan then al for me
gee im with you on the with some of the guys u mentioned
duncan and mchale are the 2 best ever
November 15th, 2008 at 12:20 am
Ian says:
kgs
move is kinda overrated yeah he does it but it isnt a guaranteed 2 pts he missed it alot
the rocket cat
loved that opening line
November 15th, 2008 at 2:33 am
james says:
i respect al jeff and tha wolves
KG all day
best move turnaround j
November 15th, 2008 at 11:52 am
QQ says:
Duncan no doubt.
But Al Jefferson is learning fast though. Pretty impressive for such a young kid.
November 15th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
CJ says:
outside of duncan, none of these cats can compare to the post players from the 80’s and early 90’s. too many bigs today are trying to play like guards. worthy’s spin moves, mchale’s up and unders, and there’s no way kg’s shimmy is anywhere close to hakeem’s dream shake. dream would hit you with 4 or 5 different options. i’m also suprised you didn’t mention shaq’s drop step. sure, he doesn’t have the explosiveness he once did, but if he get’s the step, it’s 2 points.
November 17th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
cdog says:
HAKEEM HAD THE BEST POST MOVE EVA DREAM SHAKE SEE DAVID ROBINSON SHAQ EWING ETC
November 26th, 2008 at 4:15 am
John in Tokyo says:
What about David West? I never saw him play much before last year’s playoffs but he is an artist in the post. Not as big as Duncan or KG, but dazzling footwork and a silky touch. Did you see him destroy Amare the first week of the season? Broke him down so many times that it eventually effected Amare’s offense too - broke him down. You could see Amare thinking ‘I’m bigger, stronger and more athletic than this guy…so why can’t I *%&#in’ stop him?!!’ The only way to slow West down is to put a 7-footer on him and keep him outside, though he’s not bad there either - great mi-range jumper.
Special mention to Luis Scola. He’s not an All Star or marquis player - but he’s a guy you can watch and learn from. You can’t learn anything from Dwight Howard because only Dwight Howard can do that stuff. Same for most of the guys at that level, more or less. But Scola is not a super physical specimen, but he’s crafty in the post.