1) Eddie is not faster that Horry was when he was about the same age...If anything, Horry was a better all around athlete. People are forgetting what he was like when he first came here. WHat stood out was his sheer athleticism, not his shot, or his clutch play, etc... 2) Eddie is actually more skilled than Horry was...He already has more diversity. Horry's career is one of those weird ones, like Dan Marlje...He came in a pure athlete, became an all-arounded for a little while, then evolved into the NBA's version of Claude Lemieux...( For those of you who don't know hockey, Claude Lemieux was an extremeley skilled player who coasted most of the time, putting up mediocre numbers and generally being a known underachiever...However, if it was in the last minute of a close game, or it was the playoffs, Claude Lemieux would become one of the best players in hockey..just like a light going on......and he did this for years and years..) Horry's development can be attributed in part with his escribed role on the team, but as to his lack of low-post and handle, I would say that was atrophy, rather than not having them...People forget that Horry played CENTER in college, and when he 1st came in his primary skill was driving to the net...But Horry only ever put the whole package together for brief flurries...Eddie has already shown more consistency... 3) In terms of Griffin and Jefferson, I would suggest age, role, playing time, and playing with the best passing point guard in the game versus the best scoring point guard in the game might all be factors...
where do you get that eddie is more skilled? eddie cannot pass, he has terrible footwork, its like a black hole when the ball goes into him, he has no inside game...these are skills that you develop. eddie may have more talent than horry, but more skilled?? i dont think so.
After last season and the first few games of this season I was terrified RudyT was turning him into Horry but the last few games EG has been getting shots around the paint and less standing around the perimeter. EG is 2 years younger than Yao Ming so gotta keep that in perspective.
I beg to differ - Griffing hit 90 3's last year Any man that can hit 90 3 pointers in a season will find a place in the NBA for his shooting. The fact that he is shooting over 40% from 3 point land at the current time makes it even more likely that he could find a place in the NBA for his shooting. I don't dispute his other skills - nor that his rebounding and shot-blocking are incredibly valuable - but I wonder how you claim that Robert Horry is a better offensive player? In what regard? And how is a man who hits more than a 3-pointer per game not giong to find a place for his shooting skills?
Whereas Horry has a well-developed post game and superb footwork At least Eddie gets the ball passed to him in order to score...
How many times did us Rocket fans scream at Robert saying please don't dribble the ball full well knowing if he did quicker players always come in and steal it. Robert doesn't have handles--and it took him a few years to learn this. I also disagree with DD--I think Horry became a much more effective player when he worked hard to become conscious of his limits on the basketball court and to focus on on the things he can do well. He doesn't have a lot of natural bb ability in the sense of court instincts, a good first step, quick reactions, or a coordinated dribble. Horry makes a fine role player on a team that has a great low post threat and other guys to handle the ball and make decisions with the ball. Because then he can focus on getting in his spot which is is deadly at and playing solid defense. EG seems to have a much better knack around the rim and in the mid range than Horry--much more natural basketball skill IMO. If he shows Horry's work ethic and conscientiousness to learn what Eddie does great, what he does OK, and what he doesn't do so well--we are talking about a much better and more dynamic player than Robert Horry.
Eddie's shotblocking alone sets him apart from Horry. Horry was a decent weakside shot blocker, made much more effective by Olajuwon's mere presence, and to a lesser extent that of Otis Thorpe. Eddie is a pure shot blocker, and already one of the better ones in the game. We've already seen that when teamed with a motivated Cato, or Ming this Rockets team can approach the 10 blocked shot mark. However, I would argue that it was Griffin's 3 point shooting more than his shot blocking that got him minutes. I think at best for Horry, the offensive skills could be called a wash, and Eddie will easily make a bigger defensive impact than Horry. Eddie is only 20, and is already getting ~12 ppg in this young season. If Eddie continues working, his inside game will far eclipse anything Horry could've dreamed of. I expect it to happen. Coming into his rookie season based off my views of Griffin in college, I didn't expect him to shoot many 3 pointers because I thought it was out of his range. He worked on it all summer (he had said earlier on that outside shooting was one of his goals), and became respectable. Last year, he needed to gain weight and he's put on 17 pounds- a huge improvement, though he still plans on adding more. Eddie IMO has shown dedication to improvements of his game and I think limiting a guy with that kind of dedication combined with the type of talent that made him considered by some the #1 overall of his class would be a huge mistake.
Sorry but I would take Horry over Griffin simply because Horry is a proven clutch performer. In big games, you can count on Horry. In clutch situations you can count on Horry. Horry is one of the smartest help defenders in game. He helps out in taking charges, blocks, steals. Just finished watching Suns vs. Rockets. Who else thinks that if it had been Horry instead of Griffin shooting that 3 pointer, outcome would have been different?
Not I. Robert Horry doesn't give a **** about the regular season. He's also one of the biggest wastes of talent in the last decade or so - with his athleticism, and his cold-blooded nature, he could've been a monster. Instead he coasts, becoming famous for half-assing it through the season, then turning it on the last 5 minutes of a playoff game. If he was in the game on that last shot, I doubt very much he would've made it.
You lost your credibility with that last sentence. Horry is clutch and makes those shots. In fact, as I type, he is making big shots in overtime against GS.
Robert Horry is a NBA top 10 playoffs CLUTCH player. did Eddie Griff ever play in one playoff game?? nah...NO comparison here man...
I want horry back, not at the price of EG but defiitely KT, I don't think the Lakers would be dumb enough to go for it though.
I haven't seen too many recent Rockets games, but I keep hearing mixed things about Griffin. During that span last season when he was getting big PT because of other injuries, he was getting RAVE reviews, and obviously he really performed in college to be so highly regarded in the draft. In other games for the Rockets, sometimes I hear about him mainly being a perimeter guy, sometimes I hear about him playing very aggressively inside and posting, sometimes both... so he's coming off to me as just a very diverse power forward who just needs to develop his inside game (mainly by bulking up), or are people just losing hope entirely in him developing an inside game? Any clarification on his game would be nice.
No way Eddie is another Robert Horry. Eddie has a much greater up side than Horry, and will become much more of a “go to guy” as he gets older. The only thing Horry did / does well is to park his tall #@$!@#$ out on the perimeter and wait for master to throw him a bone. Now, when you have a fantastic center in the middle like Hakeem, this will work. Horry’s been living off table scraps for years; Eddie’s baking cookies in mommas oven.
I'm not exactly big fans of 'clutch' players. You usually must suck normally in order for your playoff/last-minute contributions to be a lot better than your normal contributions.
