Breaking Down Gibbs

I'll make sure he gets this.

Power forward, power forward, power forward. Though you does have a pretty good history guarding centers.

Good things:

• Through the years, you have learned to take those areas of the game which are most effective (not necessarily the flashiest) and work them to your best advantage. Your game is really built on your strengths, rather than wasting time on that which you don't do well (unless it all goes out the window-see challenges, below).
• The anti-Mixdorf. You realize the shots fall better when you're closer to the basket, and you're not afraid of working to get the ball in closer, even if there's not much working room. You're not afraid of contact; in fact, meeting a little resistance can fire you up. You have a powerful upper body and you use it, to re-use a word, effectively (though see challenges, below).
• Kind of related-you definitely have a "game-face." You're all about business. You'd rather not chit-chat; you're not on the court to make friends, but to win ball games. It makes you really focused.
• You're hands are amazing on defense. Lightning quick, you are able to wreak havoc on ball-handlers-even guys much smaller than yourself.
• While maybe not to Cory's level, you have a bit of the ability to "smell blood" and take advantage of situations.
• For someone we wouldn't necessarily classify as quick-footed, you'd developed a remarkably quick spin move right next to the basket. Couple that with your penchant for a little contact in there, and it's a pretty tough move to stop.
• Generally-really good stamina. A big part of this is just that you play with a lot of guts (e.g. you're willing to endure a lot of pain).
• On the contact thing, you're really good at bodying up on big men. For big men that don't love contact, it can completely take them out of their game. I've seen you absolutely shut these "gentle giants" down.
• Little turnaround fadaway that, if it's falling-can be very tough to stop.
• I think when a big man is good at catching passes and not bobbling them away, you say their hands are "soft." You have "soft hands."

Challenges (to my recollection):

• Like all of us, you can be streaky. Unlike most of us, you sometimes seem completely unaware when you are on a downturn. As in, continuing to ride a particular shot into the ground as your consecutive misses mount 8, 9, 10, 11...
• Related-when you get down, you tend to think that only the long shot can get you back in the game. Usually, that's the beginning of the end.
• In your intensity and willingness to initiate contact, you will sometimes repeatedly enter a gray area that is probably but not definitely an offensive foul. You create space with your shoulder or elbow right next to the basket. Whether it is actually a charge every time you do it I cannot absolutely say for sure. What I can say is that can make playing basketball with you at those times about as much fun as getting your dick caught in a zipper.
• Those lightning-quick hands sometimes slap. Not a detriment to your game, since we don't foul out, but not all that fun for being on the receiving end.
• You KNOW the pick and roll well. In fact, I've played with you when you've used it. But it seems that very often (especially in 2 on 2) the team concept sort of goes out the window. Not even in being selfish or anything, but in sort of spacing out being active when your teammate has the ball. Kind of just standing around at the top watching, while they get doubleteammed down in the paint. Being more continually active on offense without the ball is something I think you could work on.
• While you protect the ball well, your ballhandling skills seem to be pretty limited. You have no left, I know for sure.
• Your vertical is not very high at all. You can hardly be faulted for that, but it's a challenge. And it results in you not really using much of a jump shot in games. I think that hurts because, in order to not get blocked, almost any shot inside the free throw line has to be a turnaround and/or fadeaway.