First encounter with Malone awaits Griffin as Rockets visit Jazz By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle SALT LAKE CITY -- Eddie Griffin has struggled and shined. He has stolen the show against the Lakers and felt snubbed regarding the selection of the All-Star Weekend rookie teams. He has gone from cameos to starring roles, from the bench to the last seconds of tight games. Even for someone who rushed to the NBA by the time he was 19, things have moved quickly. But tonight, he joins the NBA. Eddie Griffin, meet Karl Malone. Now meet his elbows. "Wear a mouthpiece. Cover up. Be ready," teammate Steve Francis advised Griffin as the rookie prepared for his first game in Utah. Francis did not use the word dirty to describe the Jazz this season. There was even some respect mixed in with the usual disdain when the Rockets spoke of playing the league's Hall of Fame bound henchman. But of all the NBA rookie initiations, facing the Jazz and Malone in Utah -- where the Rockets have a nine-game losing streak -- might be the toughest. "Those guys are going to be playing hard," Francis said. "They're going to play aggressive. I'm not saying we don't play aggressive. But the way we play aggressive is completely different from the way they play. We don't have to go to their level as far as the way they play. We want to play our type of basketball and neutralize what they do." Asked to describe "what they do," Francis did not fill in every blank. But he left plenty to read between the lines. "Everybody knows," he said. "It's blatant to see how they play. You can't even think of that going into the game. You have to protect yourself going to the bucket, protect yourself when you're trying to take a charge." Rockets forward Maurice Taylor, out with a torn right Achilles' tendon, said facing Malone is one of the physically toughest assignments in the league but that Griffin can stand up to the demands. "I can't stand him (Malone) personally," Taylor said. "If he does something, you expect it. "Eddie, by his demeanor, you may think he's not a physical guy, not a guy that looks for contact. But his play on the court says otherwise. Last night (in the Rockets' 88-86 victory over the Knicks), he grabbed every rebound off the rim in the fourth quarter. I thought that was amazing. He was battling Marcus Camby and Othella Harrington and coming up with the big rebounds. That's toughness. "That Kenyon Martin stuff -- hitting guys over the head and grabbing them -- that's not toughness. That's fake toughness. Eddie goes inside with four or five guys and grabs every rebound. That's tough. He's 19 years old, and guys are stronger. He played like a vet." But Malone, the second-leading scorer in NBA history, is the ultimate veteran of power-forward combat. Kenny Thomas, the Rockets' starter against Malone, was on the receiving end of a rookie initiation after he hit Malone with a hard foul while going for a steal. But he said it is best not to spend too much time worrying about such experiences. "Karl Malone is very aggressive," Thomas said. "He goes to the hole real hard. You can't worry about stuff like that." If anything, Thomas sounded as if he had been stung more by the precision of the Jazz offense. "They catch you off guard," he said. "They run it, and the next thing you know, (John) Stockton or one of their guards slips to the bucket, and they get a layup. "My first year, I saw them get a lot of layups. They go with their strengths -- John Stockton, Karl Malone, the pick-and-roll. Somehow, some way, they always get layups." Before the Jazz tries its back-door cuts or other discreet moves, however, Malone will likely test Thomas and Griffin, especially the rookie. But Taylor said Griffin might be the right sort of defender to take on that challenge. "He (Malone) is always going to get the calls," Taylor said. "He's going to get that until he retires. But guys like Eddie and Kevin Garnett, tall guys like that, guys that are not power guys, can step back away from him and contest his shot. He has problems playing against guys like that. I think anybody can have problems the way Eddie can block shots. "He (Malone) will use a lot of pump fakes. There is some knowledge there. He knows a whole lot more about the game than Eddie does. As far as raw ability, Eddie can hold his own." Still, Griffin said he knows enough to avoid banging with Malone. "I know Karl Malone is a physical player," Griffin said. "I guess most of them are physical, so they're a physical team. I'm not going to get into a physical match with him. I know he's a lot stronger than me. I'm just going to go play my game." He might be a rookie, but Griffin knows that much. The trick, his teammates said, is for the Rockets to remember. "We have to put our hard hats on and go up and play, not look to the officials for anything," Francis said. "Just go out and play our type of basketball." http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/1205505 Gotta love the Steve advice
Of course, Mo T's saying all this while on IR. You know what I would love to see? Mo Taylor with another nasty dunk, not on Stickman Bradley, but on Big Bully Malone. Forget all those lame Kenyon Martin 'flagrant fouls' and what-not. I want to see Tough-Guy Malone get humiliated in the way that truly matters, if I have to wait until he's 50.
Surprising comment from Mo considering how nice he seems. I respect the honesty. Steve also does a good job of getting his point across without putting himself in fine danger. Griff will do fine. Let's just hope the failman doesn't piss him off.
After Mo's comments it would be nice to see him go against Kenyon next week and test out the toughness!!!!
You know, if EG could manage to block Malone 2 or 3 times, even if he gets largely man-handled every other time tomorrow (which I have a bad feeling is highly likely), he will forever have a huge place deep in my heart. Never again could this 19 year old wonder fall out of my good graces. At no point could he have more respect from me. Just don't get kicked in the nuts from one of Karla's jump kicking karate jump shots.
I hope after a heavy elbow by Malone... Griffin punches him right across the nose!!!... oh wait a sec... then Griff will get suspended. I hope after a heavy elbow by Malone... Cato punches him right across the nose!!!...
I wish Eddie played like Karl. If I had one player to tell eddie to watch it would be him. I was looking at the 86 league and Karl Malone took 860ft's! Can you imagine a guy going to the line 860 times in a season? Thats like 10 a game. Now thats being physical. Yes, he shoots jumpers now, but when he used to roll to the hole, it was contact all the time. Thats why he's 2nd all time scorer in history, not by being a jump shooter.
Very good point Lee but Karl has the body to give and take the pounding. MoT certainly is under no illusions about EG. I was very impressed with his comments about EG, which is still consistent with what he said when we drafted EG. The things now it is actually evident that it will affect MoT in one way or another. The impressive thing is that there is a comfort level in MoT's tone which suggests he believes he will be fine. That favorable outlook is consistent with what some of us have been saying on the board; that we will be fine with all these PF's. The only thing left is to hear his thoughts about KT!
I was going to do a Quote of the Year on this Is it just me, or does Mo *not* make those quotes unless he's wearing a suit on the bench, and watching The Kid do his work for him. SHUT UP, Maurice. You are going to get the kid hurt with your retaliation fueling quotes. We can be guaranteed either Kenny or Eddie is taking an elbow for Mo' tonight. And Kenyon, later...phew...I don't want to even that about it.
your on drugs right Miggidy????? Crispee said it right that is a suit comment, hope Kenyon saves it for next season he will pummel our 6-10 SG Mo!!
The title should read - Eddie awaits Karla Eddie's go to come out of this game with some bruises, and he's probably going to be sore tomarrow, but I can't wait to see him swat Malone a few times...if only Eddie would learn how to do a cold stare after every block, now that would be great.
I hope Eddie blocks the stuffing out of Karla. That'll make my day. I wouldn't worry about Kenyon. I'm willing to bet Eddie will pull all the stops out to play Jersey.
I think Eddie is gonna play either mostly against Marshall, or Collins tonight. KT is better suited to play Karla. Maybe Willis even. You know, I keep hoping and hoping that the Jazz die. But it seems, they're always gonna be there. They're young players are doing quite well, and they could stay in the playoffs if they trade Malone for a good package. They already have next year's team almost in place. Collins Marshall Kirilenko Stevenson Player x Malone and Russell for Penny, Rogers and Gugliotta? But you know what? If we manage to pick up Yao Ming in this next draft, somehow, then I have no doubt we're championship calibre VERY soon. We have some good trade bait: Kenny Thomas, Moochie Norris, Oscar Torres(if he plays consistently off the bench the rest of the season), and our draft pick, which is likely top 10 due to our tremendous losing skid. The top 2 players next year are Jason Williams and Yao Ming. Chicago won't be interested in any since they want to finally play Jamaal Crawford, and he's backed up by recently signed Kevin Ollie. At C, they have Miller, Curry, and Chandler at times. Maybe our number one next year, and another future first rounder, and Moochie Norris in exchange for Ollie and their pick? Imagine this lineup next year: Cato/Ming(it will take 3 years for him to learn the NBA game) Griffin/Mo T Rice/(mainly)Mo T Mobley Francis
