In the scheme of things, it really wasn’t that long ago, but when New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach Kevin Hanson learned to play basketball, 6-foot-10 centers like him were usually instructed to go directly to the paint – and stay there. Big men weren’t encouraged by coaches to dribble much, fire perimeter shots or even spend much time practicing those abilities. Frontcourt players were supposed to be anchors on defense and confined to rigid roles on offense, leaving the flashy aspects of the game to the guards.
Oh, how things have changed. On All-Star Saturday in Toronto, the NBA will hold its first-ever skills event for big men, featuring a four-man competition between New Orleans power forward Anthony Davis, Sacramento center DeMarcus Cousins, Golden State power forward Draymond Green and Minnesota center Karl-Anthony Towns.