Why is it necessary for Griffin to be a beg leader for the Rockets to improve 7 or 8 games? You don't think this improvement would solely be because of Griffin do you, or is it possible that this improvement could be attributed to the continued growth of Francis and Mobley, Taylor fitting into his role, and the emergence of Langhi, along with Griffins added rebounding and shot-blocking? ------------------ It was the time of the preacher, in the year of '01 Now the preachin' is over, and the lessons begun . . .
In case there is any doubt as to my stance on EG's contribution this year let me make it clear. I expect Eddie Griffin to make a major contribution this year! Maybe not in the form of points but certainly in low post defense, rebounding, shot blocking and fast breaks. He may be only 19 but his defensive and rebounding skills are light years ahead of his age. ------------------ Amen Crash 5179. You and I are going to be right about this. ------------------
I think you guys are forgetting how good Magic Johnson was. In he ROOKIE year he did no less than become the first rookie to win the finals MVP and along with Kareem won an NBA title. If a rookie did this now he would be labeled the second coming. Magic was 20. ------------------
Ok, here is the main point. Griffin at this point is not as good as these guys were at the same age... Magic, Isaiah, Garnett, Kobe, Shareef, Odom, Marbury, etc..etc.. Griffin will be a nice contributer, but from what I have seen of him at Seton Hall etc...he is FAR from a finished product. ------------------ How long do I have to endure this ?
How about comparing him to kenyon Martin. They both are about 6-9(EG might be alittle taller) and their weight are close to 230lbs. KM rookie year 12 points, 7.5 rebs, and 1.7 blocks in 33 mins. I think EG is just as good as KM in rebounding and maybe better in the shot blocking but KM is an overall better defender. Also I don't think EG would score as much as KM unless Dream leaves. IMO I would picture anywhere from 8 to 12 pts, 6 to 8 rebounds, 1.5 to 2.5 blocks a game for EG's rookie year(depending on if a certain player plays). Somewhere between Kenyon Martin and Darius Miles Rookie year outputs, that to me is great numbers for any rookie that would come to houston this year(we are pretty deep at SF and PF). Now the second year for EG is a whole different story... ------------------
Hold up. I am by no way trying to degrade Eddie Griffin's potential as a player. I was jumping for joy when we acquired Eddie. And I think every Rocket fan should be excited about this acquistion. But I want to put things in perspective. How ready is Eddie to contribute an overall package to the Rockets? Not very. In terms a weak side shotblocking, I think we can expect immediate dividends. In terms, of rebounding on both ends of the court, I think we can expect immediate dividends. In terms of occassionally stretching the defense with his outside shot, I expect the same. He'll also provide some garbage points around the bucket and occassional low post scoring. I think he can provide those immediate dividends, and if he does, the Rockets are a much improved team. But I don't want people to get the wrong expectations that he is going to be able to consistently give us more than what I outlined above for this coming season, because he is far from a finished product. Especially on the offensive end. He can't make an instant impact like Magic, because he's not the playmaker and ball handler that Magic is. He's never come close to playing in a game that could match Magic's big game experience on the collegiate level. And he doesn't have the polished skills that Magic brought immediately at the NBA level. Another crucial point is that Griffin is expected to make his mark on the interior as oppose to Magic. For an interior presence, it will always take more time to develop at the NBA level, than a perimeter player with relatively the same talent. Defensively, he still needs to work on his man-to-man defense. He's a terrific help defender, but he's an average man defender at this point. Needs to use better leverage to make up for his lack of strength in the low post. Defense is his strength, but he still has room for improvement. And that speaks volumes about his potential as a player. Eddie Griffin has enormous potential. I expect him to be a perennial all-star. He's got a decent shot at being a Superstar player and he's got an outside shot at being a Hall of Famer. But do I think he'll ever reach Hakeem's plateau? I think I can say safely, NO! He's a shorter than Hakeem at that age. He doesn't have nearly the explosive athleticism that made Hakeem so dangerous. I don't think he's got the mental makeup that Hakeem has to make him truly great. But can these things change? Yes. EG is still young enough that he can chart his own path. But there are a lot of young players who were his age that showed tremendous promise but went the wrong direction in terms of development. EG is still raw enough that there can be no guarantees that he will be an unquestioned success, as with any player in his situation. ------------------
The things you mentioned are the only things he's being asked to do his rookie season IMO. He can easily make up for Shandon's points(minimal/non-existent), on tips ins and putbacks alone. EVERYONE should be patient with his offensive game, but he can, and will imo, provide the defensive presence we were in dire need of last season. If he shows consistency with his set shot, then that's just icing on the cake. ------------------ Endtroduction..........
TPL, I know that is all he is asked to do, as you point it out every time I talk about EG. I have a good feel about what the Rockets expect out of him, and I think my own expectations are in line with theirs'. If he did all that I outlined in my previous post, I would consider that a successful 1st campaign. But I do not want expectations of fellow posters to get out of hand expecting an immediate impact on the level of Lamar Odom, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, or Magic Johnson. I do not want to spend my entire 2002 summer trying to explain on this board that EG was not a bust because he didn't have the aforementioned players' "stats". I wasted too much time in front of my computer trying to tell posters time and time again that Tracey McGrady was not a bust and that he was a better player than Mobley. I spent too much time justifying how Antwan Jamison wasn't another classic examples of a stud college "tweener" who couldn't cut it in the NBA. I don't want to do the same for EG. ------------------
Da Man, I agree with what you've said, in that Griffin is not nearly as offensively polished as Rahim was coming out of Cal or as versatile as Odom. I won't bother you about Griffin anymore since I see you're just trying to smack some sense into posters with unrealistic expectations. The thing about Griffin, is that there's not really a player you could compare him to in terms of size/skill at that age. The Odom/Marbury/Kemp references are worthless. The closest thing to a comparison I see, is Horry. ------------------ Endtroduction..........
Yeah, because the fact that he's not yet 20 means that he couldn't possibly be a good basketball player yet. What the heck does that have to do with anything? The guy averaged 17ppg 10 rpg and 4.5 bpg in college last season - oh yeah, that was in his first year in that league. It's madness to suggest that this guy isn't going to be ready to be a starter because he's 19 - he's already shown that he can adapt quickly! ------------------
I like the comparison - if EG brought that to the court next year I'd be thrilled Although I think he'll be streets ahead of Martin one day, he's already got a better outside shot/ scoring game and is a better shot-blocker than the grand Kenyon.... BTW Bah, Joe Smith was also 19 in his rookie year - if I remember correctly he did pretty well then.... ------------------
Kenyon had 4 years of college before turning pro. So he's not the best example of what we should expect from Griff. And do we really want him to have a Joe Smith career? Mo Malone, BTW, played in the ABA to start out. S-A-R to me is still the best example of a 19 year old rookie star. The only downside is that he did it for an absolutely terrible team. ------------------ I'm so amazingly cool you could keep a side of meat in me for a month. I am so hip that I have difficulty seeing over my pelvis.
Crash, Amen...how soon we forget, once the expectations relate to our team. Da Man, Agree with what you see EG contributing next year. All, Why do we continue to speculate what averages EG will contribute to the ROX. Oh, I know because we're fans and stats are supreme. BS, let's let EG's game do the talking. Someone mentioned how EG should do well blending in with a good team. I agree. He doesn't have to be "Da Man." That's good, with Stevie and Mobes taking the pressure, EG has the op to do the dirty work kind of role that we need a big man to do...def rebs, shot blocking, off reb put backs, defense, and knocking down the open 20ft jumpers. Let's stop comparing him to... Key Mar was a semi-bust...first pick...average numbers and broken leg...remember Sam Bowie! Odom and Magic...different type of players all together Shar...more developed offense threat and not really the defense talent EG will be Why compare EG? Let's let him be his own man...develop his own game...be his own player. Comparisons do two things: - Place expectations on a player that he might not meet (e.g. Harold Miner being the next MJ) or may exceed. - Limit our imagination and thus shape our, the media's, the team's, and the player's expectations How many of you liked being compared to an older/younger brother/sister? Parents do you compare your children against one another or relatives/friends? When the comparison's are positive you probably didn't mind it much, but if they are negative or different from what you think you're capable of... I know, I'm getting way to philisophical for this thread, but we need to give EG a chance to be himself...not make him the Big E II or lil Dunc or KG Jr. OK, I feel better now. Thanks!!! ------------------
