The Beasts of the East

By Adonal Foyle

Playing in the Eastern Conference, I am now going up with some of the top big men in the league on a more regular basis. I've faced a number of these guys for several years. But now, I'll be seeing them a lot more often.

Here's how I view the East's top big men:

DWIGHT HOWARD: I'm really glad this guy's on my team now. Dwight is one of the most gifted athletes. He is amazingly athletic - freakishly athletic. He can go right or left with his jump hook. He can run the floor, he's starting to shoot his foul shot well. And he's hitting more jumpshots. I just think he is just a freak, athletically.

BEN WALLACE: Ben is one of the most dominant rebounders in the league. He blocks shots. He is limited offensively - his jumpshot isn't quite there - but he can hit a jump hook or grab offensive rebounds and finish inside. And he can go to the basket and finish with a monster dunk. He doesn't have a polished offensive game. But he can be pretty dominant when it comes to rebounding.

EMEKA OKAFOR: Emeka has been working on his jumpshot from the right side and he continues to improve offensively. He has a jump hook, he has hooks going right, hooks going left. He has a good up-and-under moves. He has a little bit of everything. His game has really improved. He is one of the best shot blockers in the league and he rebounds the ball well. He's going to be an outstanding player in the league.

CHRIS BOSH: Chris is a very polished offensive player. He's long, he can shoot from 15 feet or from the three if he has to. And he has the ability to put the ball on the floor and create not only for himself, but for his teammates. He's got a good game down the block - from hooks to fadeaways. He's not very strong defensively, but he can certainly block shots. With his size, he won't be able to guard Shaq or any of the bigger guys. But he certainly has good offensive skills - both inside and outside.

JERMAINE O'NEAL: Like Chris, Jermaine is very polished offensively. He has a great turnaround jumper, he has a good jump hook and he can shoot lefthanded. As a matter of fact, he spends have the time during games shooting from the left side. Then, he'll spend the next half coming at you from the right side. He's a pretty good foul shooter. He has good stuff going to the basket. Defensively, he can block shots and he can rebound. He just has the whole package.

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL: Shaq has been struggling with injuries this season. But what is there to say about him? When healthy, he's still dominating and has one of the biggest bodies in the league. If you give him a certain angle to the basket, he will score almost everytime. I always call him a movable island because he's so big. He always has light feet and is always ready for a jump hook. He can still do a lot of damage and continues to be one of the most difficult people to guard.

- Adonal