In 5 starts: Min:38.2 Fg%:48 3pt%:42.9 Blocks/game:2.4 Points:18.6 Rebounds:10.0 Asst:1.6 To:1.4 Not bad for an 18 year old rookie.... not bad for a rookie period. He really seems to thrive both with the minutes and when he starts. Note that of his recent string of good games, the only really bad shooting night was at GS, where despite getting the minutes (with 31) he came off the bench and went 1-7. The numbers seem to me to indicate that the guy deserves a chance to start and get the minutes, for a little stretch at least. They also seem to indicate that he probably won't have a great stretch in the forseable future unless he gets the minutes. Some guys just need to start to be in the flow. Granted 5 games is not a valid sample size, but if this were one of those medical studies where they suggest on limited data that fish tails make you more virile, they'd have 30 studies lined up to try and prove the data. I, for one, would like to see if there's any basis to what seems to me to be very suggestive findings. (The opponents were, btw, the Lakers twice, the Suns, the Blazers, and the Bucks. Quality competition?)
It is all about a players game time disposition. There is no question that some players do better when they start then they do coming off of the bench. Eddie is not a high-energy tempo changing type player that Cat and Moochie are. When Cat and Moochie come into a game they have the ability to instantly change the tempo of the game with their confidence and high energy. While Mooch seems to become more erratic as the game goes on Cat can sustain his play through out the game. Mooch is the perfect bench player but not a great starter while Cat is booth a great bench player and a great starter. I would also bet that both Cat and Mooch are two of the most vocal individuals on the team in the locker room as well as on the floor. Eddie needs time to adjust to the flow of the game and as a starter he has an opportunity to get his own game going while the game itself is developing its own natural flow. Eddie does not force anything instead he lets the game come to him. Because of this it may take several minutes before we really see Eddie start to assert himself. That type of start is not conducive to a great bench player since by the time you get your game going it is time to come back out of the game. Oscar Torres has a similar game disposition as Eddie. He likes to get a feel for the game before asserting himself. We have all seen the difference in Oscar’s game as a starter and a sub and there is no question that Oscar was many times more productive as a starter. It is no coincidence that Eddie began producing like an all star when he was allowed to start. Unlike Mooch and Cat I would bet that Eddie and Oscar are both much more quiet and reserved in the locker room much the way they are on the floor. As Eddie and Oscar’s skills continue to develop and they gain more and more confidence it is possible and even likely that they could become very good bench players but it is unlikely that they could ever be as productive with their minutes as subs as they would be as starters. Cat is one of those rare players that will always be just as productive with his minutes as a starter or a bench player. Mooch of course is much more effective coming off of the bench.
I couldn't agree more. I kind of relate it to the Daryl Ward deal with the Astro's. When he started he hit pretty close to .300, but as a pinch hitting situation he was like .230. Those energy guys like Miles,Moochie,Mobley to mention a few, they could come off the bench and force the issue. A guy like Eddie doesn't seem to have that kind of personality he kind of gets in the flow. As much as people talk about Anderson, he was one of those types that wouldn't force the issue. It would be some games where he would take 6 shots and would be content staying in the framework of the offense, whereas a guy like Cat would come off the bench and shoot 12-16 times good or bad. Some players have that personality and some don't. Clyde and Scottie were classic examples. Clyde would never go 3-9. Maybe 3-19 but he was going to take his shots.
While Eddie tends to be quiet, he often comes in and changes the tempo of the game...defensively. His offensive game, at least while he is building confidence this year, seems best in the flow of the game when he starts.
Crossfire, I was going to say the same thing. EG changes the game both as a starter and a bench player. I just cannot argue with the numbers and I believe the sample size is big enough.
Just for the record...Kenny Thomas stats in his last 4 games: PPG <b>20.3</b> FG% <b>52.4%</b> RB 8.8 So, Kenny is 20/9 and at 52%! Just like Eddie, his only bad game was 5-11 when he didn't start, and he fouled out. As great as Eddie is doing, Kenny continues to outplay him on the offensive end, and is showing up consistent on rebounds. Plus, he is a better defender against low block strength. Eddie and Kenny both deserve starter minutes. Kenny deserves the start and Eddie comes in the moment Cato screws up. I'd also consider Eddie starting another position. Eddie should play at crunch time, too. If Dallas can go without a center for big minutes, and Utah can, we can too.
Crispee, But KT does not bring the defensive precense that EG brings. Why not start them both, sit Cato's sorry a$$. DaDakota
Cato has one thread of worth right now. Take him out of the starting lineup=destroy ego and he is worthless. EG and KT are both playing 4 but are very different players. It comes down to matchups. Until one proves clearly better, Rudy will probably start the best matchup.
Still not enough to bench Kenny on 20/9 on 52%. Just get Griffin 30+ minutes another way. very simple. Mark me down as a viewer who sees EG get pushed aside by strength too much for his great roaming defense to work all the time. I'm not here trying to sell my boy or something. I wish EG was stronger, but he is not, yet. The Horry blocks are great, but the dirty work must be done as well. KT and EG bring different defense. EG brings roaming defense, and KT brings deny-ball and deny-position defense. Don't get me wrong, I believe EG can be an anchor, but he is not one, yet. KT does the tough stuff like ball denial and not getting dislodged and not letting people muscle him to the rim. I'll take a Duncan 12 footer over a 3 foot bank shot any day.
For the record, he's 19. But, you are absolutely correct that, for that age, he is looking mighty promising.
I think something to note is that not only has Griffin recently been getting more minutes, but his number has been called more frequently, so he gets more touches & more opportunities. And I think that kinda thing is more scripted with this Rockets team vs. the Dream championship teams. In those days, it'd be Dream and then someone else from the team would step up and have a good game (at least, that's the way I'd like to remember 'em). With this team it seems more like Rudy T goes, "Oh, so we're playing Minnesota? Eddie, this is your game. We'll draw up this play and you take the shot." Yeah, I know, I exaggerate a bit, but I think you know what I'm trying to say. I'm wondering if it's because this team doesn't necessarily have that 1 guy who's the best at his position, but does have better all-around talent, and we all know Rudy likes to look for "mis-matches."
a little good press for the rooke after the same author doged him a few weeks ago. AND ONES: A few updates on my rookie report of two weeks ago (information that wasn't available before my deadline) -- Eddie Griffin wasn't getting any burn early because he had trouble picking up the Rockets' offense. Look for him to get more minutes as the season progresses and maybe even make a late charge at rookie of the year ... Celtics forward Kedrick Brown is finally getting run, too, having discovered that using his awesome hops to rebound, rather than jacking errant 3s, is what Boston needs ... Got lots of email on not having mentioned the Bulls' Trenton Hassell. The truth? I saw the receding hairline and took him for a free agent, not a rook. Ric Bucher covers the NBA for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at ric.bucher@espnmag.com. from http://espn.go.com/magazine/bucher_20020102.html
Hah, copout. He's just trying to cover himself after calling Griffin a dissapointment. Griffin then goes 16-11-3 over the next 6 games. Nice try, Ric.
I agree, start Griffen and Kenny! Griffen must always start for the rockets until he is jinxed, but until then, start him!
Starting Lineup C: Cato PF: KT SF: Griffin SG: Mobes PG: Franchise Even when Rice comes back...not only do we have our best scorers on the court, (even T-Rex can't always out score Cato) but we have our best defense "I don't see nothin wrong, with a little bump and grind"
While I agree that Griffin has done excellently, it can not be argued that five games is ever a large enough sample size in basketball. If that were true, Adrian Griffin would be starting for someone right now.
I emailed Bucher about the article, specifically questioning why he was telling his readers to remain optimistic about Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry and, yet, labled Griffin a disappointment. I pointed out that all three of them are the same age, all play for bad teams, and Chandler and Curry were picked AHEAD of Griffin. Ric's reponse (I'll at least give him credit for responding) was: "eddy and tyson aren't getting a chance under an inept coach. rudy t is a terrific big man coach and eddie was supposed to be one of the most ready-made players in the draft. hope that explains it for you. rmb" No, it didn't do much to explain anything to me. Granted, at the time that the article came out Griffin was doing jack squat, but I found it amusing that right after the article comes out, Griff goes off on the Lakers. Also, I like Rudy, but where has this "Rudy T is a terrific big man coach" reputation come from? Last I checked, Olajuwon was pretty terrific already before Rudy came along. Other than Hakeem, who would Rudy even get credit for coaching? I need not look any further than the Rockets current void in the middle (Kelvin Cato) to question said reputation. Griffin may have been slow in picking up the offense, but please, Rudy wasn't giving him the time. Every player understands a system to different degrees. So if Eddie wasn't picking up the system (hard to imagine in and of itself, seeing as how "Cuttino drives the lane, Cuttino drives the baseline, Cuttino bombs from 3 point line, Cuttino on isolation" doesn't seem that complicated to me), it shouldn't be that he gets 10 minutes a night (I actually have no idea what Griffin was averaging at the time). Whether Eddie starts or comes off the bench is not the most important issue. The important thing was that when the injuries hit (Taylor first, then Francis), Rudy was slow in playing Griffin. It'll be interesting to see how PT is spread out now...
