Rockets Best Move:Back Up SG / Defensive Specialist

Actually, the Kings might have to drop him to sign Bibby, but we couldn't afford him. I think we should just keep Oscar because "defensive-minded" SG's are overrated anyways. NO ONE is going to stop Kobe in the fourth. Not Bowen, not Buckner, and not Ruben...

 

But C'mon, you got to admit it is fun watching Ruben trying to stop Kobe.

 

The Rox should work a trade for Corey Maggette. With Odom still there he isn't going to get major mins. and is up for an extension soon. Who knows, the Clipps might take a package of Morris and Collier and clear them for salary purposes next year.

 

Yes it was quite funny. I'm the Nanny Stopper...
Honestly, he did Kobe a little bit of trouble occasionally, but he wasn't a stopper, he was shooting himself in the foot by saying all that crap.

Glyde22--Wishful thinking, wishful thinking...

 

There are 96 mins in the guard rotation. If we can have Steve and Cat average about 35 - 38 mins per game, which I would like to do, then we can bring in Moochie for about 15 mins and Oscar for the remaining 5 - 11 mins. When needed, the starters can play more, and in blowouts they can get some rest.

 

What about Erik Strickland? He played that exact role in Dallas several years ago. Backup guard/Defensive stopper.

He was pretty successful in Boston last year too. I remember in Dallas he was a great spark plug off the bench. He provides some sound offence and great defence.

Is he a restricted free agent or unrestricted? He can't be expecting *that* much money.

--Drof

 

I don't remember Bowen being nearly that effective against Bryant. Do you have the box scores handy (serveral, not just Kobe's worst performance )? If so, we could compare how each did against the other... then drag up some old Rockets box scores where we can see how Cat did.

I'm concerned with point differential. I believe that a Mobley's scoring is always going to be more important than a Bowen's defense. The best, of course, would be an Eddie Jones-type player that can do both.

Perhaps you're right in one situation: those annoying times at the end of games, when coaches will call time-outs when possession changes to swap defensive players for offensive guys. Then, I can see subbing out every possession.

 

Christie is the best in that role. But I don't think the Kings would let him go for anyone we are willing to let go.

 

I believe the Rox need a defensive minded player at the guard position too.

But I also see the dilemma of the Kings at the end of game 7. Do you bring in Bobby Jackson for the O or stay with Christie for the D? Christie shot a wide open airball and the Kings were done.

Adelman has been fried for not bringing in Jackson when it was obvious that none of the Kings starters other than Bibby could make a basket at crunch time.

 

WARNING!!! WARNING!!! WARNING!!! THE PRECEDING IS NOT TRUE!!! THE PRECEDING IS NOT TRUE!!!


here's the stats:

regular season

february 19:

kobe: 28 points 11/25 shooting
bwen: out (injured)

march 20:

kobe: 20 points 9/16 shooting (only played 28 minutes!)
bwen: 4 points 2/4 shooting

march 31:

kobe: 31 points 11/24
bwen: 8 points 3/9

kobe's regular season average versus bruce bwen: 25.5 ppg 50% fg
kobe regular season average versus the nba: 25.5 ppg 47% fg

YEAH, BRUCE BWEN REALLY SHUT DOWN KOBE IN THE REGULAR SEASON.


PLAYOFFS:

game 1:

kobe: 20 points 8/18
bwen: 7 points 3/8

game 2:

kobe: 26 points 12/25
bwen: 13 points 5/12

game 3:

kobe: 31 points 15/31
bwen: 8 points 3/6

game 4:

kobe: 28 points 10/27
bwen: 8 points 3/6

game 5:

kobe: 26 points 10/20
bwen: 10 points 4/8


kobe's playoff average versus bwen: 26.2 points 45% fg 2 to's 1 st
kobe's average versus the nba (reg. sea.): 25.5 points 47%fg 2.79 to's 1.48 st


looks to me like kobe ELEVATED his game against bwen...and where is the 8 point knockoff in scoring or the 1-2 additional to's ??

 

I am telling you guys, Adrian Griffin is the man.

December 5

Adrian Griffin - 11/19 23 pts
Kobe Bryant - 9/23 19pts I think


February 3

Adrian Griffin - 2/8 4 pts
Kobe Bryant - 11/25 24 pts

March 17

Adrian Griffin - 2/5 6 pts
Kobe Bryant - 5/14 14pts

March 19

Adrian Griffin - 3/7 9 pts
Kobe Bryant - 4/18 12 pts

Yup guys, look at those numbers

Kobe Bryant regular season averages - 25.5 ppg, 47%
Kobe Bryant against Griffin - 17.3 ppg , 36%

Great Numbers, probably some of the best numbers in the league against Kobe.

 

Based on those numbers, it's too bad that Adrian Griffin isn't a free agent, and since he plays for the Mavs, I don't think we'll be able to make a trade for him. I'd still like to see if we could sign Bryon Russell for either part or all of the MCE. Also, would anyone like to see the Rockets sign a guy like Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje to battle Collier for third string center duties? Anyone think we could trade Collier for a future number 1, or even two second rounders, like Bryce Drew?

 

You guys have a logjam at the four and if the Mavs get lucky and get Lewis Griffin might be expendable. The mavs would trade Griffin if they believed they could get someone with an inside presence from you guys.

 

The Mavs let Buckner go (their other "defensive stopper") because they are keeping Griffin. They were basically the same player, except Griffin had a little more consistent offense and was injured slightly less. Both guys are injury proned.

We are not going to get Griffin from Dallas. That's why I mentioned Erik Strickland. He *is* available. I just don't know what his contract demands are.


--Drof

 

I think there is more to this than that.

1st game Shaq = 46 points
Griffin and Kobe play same minutes

2nd game Kobe played 16 minutes more than Griffin

3rd game Kobe played 30 minutes more than Griffin

4th game Kobe played 15 minutes more than Griffin

3 losses and 1 win. It looks like Shaq killed you the 1st game, and you decided not to play Griffin much after that. If Kobe is doubling someone's minutes, maybe you shouldn't attribute everything to the man.

 

You are absolutely right that it wasn't only Griffin. However, a lot of it was. In the minutes that Griffin logged against Kobe, he did a good job of frustrating him. He did the same thing with Peja and Jordan.

I still believe that Griffin could be expendable if the Mavs get Lewis. The Mavs SG options would be:

Finley/Lewis/NVE/Wahad

and the SF options would be:

Dirk/Lewis/Wahad/Najera

If we traded for a good pf or center, I am sure Nellie could work it where we wouldn't even miss Griffin too much.

 

Haven is right. Perimeter defenders are overrated. Granted, our perimeter defense is horrible. But all in all, there are some nights where it doesn't matter who you have guarding guys like T-Mac, Kobe, Pierce, etc. as they will go off on anybody.

 

I've been saying this all along. Bowen didn't do anything to Kobe. Actually, Kobe had his worse shooting games against Portland and his best against Mr.Kobe stopper in s.a.

 

I don't know.

Does anyone have Kobe's stats against us?

It REALLY seemed like Bowen frustrated the hell out of Kobe in that series. He never got into a groove.

But against us, it seems hes doing whatever he wants. Controlling the game.

Do you guys really think that we'd rather have KT as the 3rd PF, and the 3rd SF MAYBE, than a Defensive-minded tough SG/SF?

I'm not too sure.

About Kobe's numbers vs. the Mavs, I'm almost positive they're because of Finley mostly.

Still, I'd like to do a KT for Griffin and cash trade.

 

How about Antonio Daniels? The Spurs have been trying to trade him for weeks now. He's a decent player(not worthy of lottery pick he was)but certainly worthy of the role we're looking for. He's mostly a 2 but can play some 1 and for the limited minutes we're talking about he'd be fine. He's good enough offensively and defensively for what we need.

The question is what would the Spurs take off the Rockets for him? The story here is they almost have/had a trade with Cleveland. The Spurs want Mihm(to replace DRob)but the Cavs want to ship Murray instead.

Daniels anyone?