Your take on Eddie!

I voted #2 from the top.

All I gotta say is that if Eddie thought he was ready to play in the NBA after 1 year of college, why should the rest of us think otherwise?

This is yet another example of why players should stay in college a minimum of 3 years.

 

"Feeling somewhat disappointed for him being behind schedule, but still confident about his future"

That's what I voted for. Even though Eddie had one year of college, I look at him in the same vein as Tyson Chandler, Kwame Brown, Eddy Curry etc. They ALL are struggling finding their game! We all look at Kobe, KG, Tracy and most recently Amare and wish that Eddie would come on right away but it is taking him some time to adjust and learn. Eddie is not a superstar like those guys. He is a complimentary role player. We hope he is a "good, not average" complimentary role player.

I still think Eddie can be a decent 15 and 10 guy later in his career. Troy Murphy of the Golden State Warriors is averaging 12pts (44%) and 10.5 rebound a game. Griffin can achieve this. Over the summer Murphy really worked hard on his game, bulked up and because of his hard work found himself in the starting lineup over Fortson this year. He improved his scoring from 8ppg to 12ppg and rebounding from 6.6 to 10.5. That's the kind of improvement I think we all would like to see from Eddie next year.

This will be an important summer for Eddie. He really needs get more comfortable handling the basketball and working in the post. Just because we have Yao does not mean that there is not enough room for two post guys on the floor at the same time. How nice would it be to have Eddie around 12 and 10 next year? I think his rebounding has improved but his offense is still flat. To get those 12 points he needs to work on his post game, handles and jumpshot.

I am hoping that this summer Eddie and Nachbar can make great strides in their games, taking their games to another level.

Chris

 

I have been very dissapointed with his growth but my greater concern is his "fit" with the team. The Rox do not need a 3 pt slinging PF. They need a guy that plays inside, rebounds, solid d and does the dirty work. I do not see ANY signs of Eddie evolving into this type of player.

 

Starting to?

 

If most of people think he will finally become a 15pts 10boards guy, then we have to admit that this is a bad pick cause we give up guys like Jefferson and Collins, anyone of them can give you this kind of number.

Although I was very disappointed EG's progress, I still think we better keep him. But no way he can start in the west.

Too bad right now a good PF is crucial for us to make the playoff, and EG is just far from it.

 

Eddie is still young...haven't we heard that b/f...

Eddie needs to step it up...

This summer, he needs to bulk up and become more aggressive...Take Steroids or something...

This will be his third year and if he doesn't break out, then consider this a failed pick...

 

While I am dissppointed, its not focused on his shooting, but on the coaching staff's or team's lack of discipline on getting EG inside more. During the offseason they talked about how (1) EG was getting bigger and (2) developing his post game. yet EG continues to set up at the top of the 3pt line, setting picks, and waiting for the pass back. This *has* to be by design.

What should be happening is having EG either set up in the block more or having him set the pick high then knifing into the key looking for the pass. It happens on occasion, it needs to hapen more in the off season (along with continuing efforts to bulk him up).

The positive in all this is he *is* young and will easily add weight to his frame. he also seems willing to learn, and there has never been question about his willingness to work.

And... he was seen as a defender/rebounder. And he does contribute in both of these areas, as a weakside defender and as a defensive rebounder. Once he gets bulked up a bit I believe his man-to-man defense will improve.

 

Yeah, I'm disappointed.

More than anything, EG DOES NOT HAVE GOOD INSTINCTS FOR THE GAME. And he doesn't bring the intensity needed on a consistent basis.

I think he develop his offensive game and become a solid 4 as he matures and bulks up. He is an excellent rebounder and shotblocker and those assets make him a keeper. And let's not forget that this year he would be a junior in college had he stayed in school.

Waaaay to soon to give up on EG.

D R

 

Pretty much sums it up.

I still think EG is young and will develop nicely in a year or 2. His FG% has actually improved this year almost 2.5% while getting more shots than last, which is pretty decent. His 3pt % has increased also. He's getting a little less time on the floor this year compared to last, thats why his points and blocks are a little down.

 

Why wasn't there a "I think he'll be good but not great and I wish the coaching staff would admit that he isn't a good fit alongside Yao and has no feel for the game and we need to package him for a more solid PF" etc etc?

 

If you look carefully on Eddie's shooting form, you will know why he's not a good shooter. He has no arch in his shot and looks like he's just throwing the shot up. No arch = less angle on the ball to the basket = no soft touch in case of getting a lucky bounce on the rim.

 

Obviously he has to change his shot/form.

With that said, that's something you do in the offseason. How old is he? Work on his shot, dribbling, and bulking up. He's not that far off.

IMHO he is going to be perfect for us once he bulks up and can physically stay with other PFs.

 

I feel when people talking about EG need bulk up himself, it is like put on a clothing or something.

However it is not that easy for people to build their body at the same time improve their skills.

Look at EG's skinny body, I doubt one summer will be enough make a big difference. Dont forget he will have to improve his post and shooting skills at the same time.

It is reasonable that in 2-3 years we may see the result though. So how to handle these 2-3 years without a good PF?

 

Sorry, I totally disagree. Collins is a back up center at BEST. No WAY he can average 15 and 10. Jefferson is one of the more "overrated" players in the NBA today in my opinion. His game is masked by Kidd making plays for him. Take Jefferson off New Jersey or away from Kidd and his game is nowhere near as good as it is now. And no way will Jefferson average around 15 and 10.

I think the trade was a good trade. We will ultimately see in a few years but I think from what I can see now the trade was a good one. We needed a PF and the Nets needed depth.

Chris

 

In my opinion, the Rockets should not give-up on Eddie. If they trade him now I believe that WE will all regret it in a few years. As far as development, he is far ahead of where Jermaine O’Neal was when he was in his second year in the league. If Portland had not given-up on him they could have had him and Rasheed in their frontcourt (that is a scary thought). There was point that he was behind Rasheed, Grant, and maybe Cato. Now, Portland would PROBABLY trade all three for him.

In a few years we could have two of the top rebounding and shot-blocking low post players in the league, both of which can spread the court because both have decent range. For the moment both are raw and unrefined in different facets of their own respective games. But make no mistake, with time, playing time, patience, mentoring and hard work, EDDIE GRIFFIN and Yao Ming will both be a force in the league for many years.

 

Eddie's defense is what bothers me most. I'm not so much concerned when other 4's push him around because he's simply not strong enough to keep them from bullying him. Not really much he can do except hit the weights and wait for his body to mature.

What does bother me is when he lets the player he's guarding just blow by him like he's not even there. Eddie may not be the fastest guy around, but these are not lightning quick guards he's dealing with. They're big power forwards. He should be able to keep up with them. It looks like sometimes he will just flat out step aside so his man has an open lane to the hoop. This will usually leave Yao vulnerable because he's the one who has to help out, which leave his man open, and lately they've all been hitting their shots against Yao.

 

Chandler has shown sparks lately. Curry even is doing okay. Both Chandler and Eddie have the same amount of playing time on court. But Chandler takes less shots than Eddie yet has similar stats as Eddie's. The reason? Eddie's shooting percentage is low compared with Chandlers.

Eddie took too many 3-pointers. He averages 9 shots a game, close to what Yao takes!!! Yet he does not get much FTs, and his shooting percentage is below .400. He should drive to the basket or shoot the mid-range jumpers! If people say Yao is not aggressive, well, Eddie is even worse! He should take shots close to the basket and get as many FTs as possible.

 

He is a kid that is contributing. I just don't think he is ready to be a starter. I miss KT.

 

Kenny Thomas and TMo took a lot of 3pters early in their careers with the Rockets to little success. This of course was because that was the role of the SF on the Rockets offense. Kenny soon figured out that 3pt shooting wasn't his game and he moved it inside which in turn helped his FG%. This year it seems TMo isn't taking as many 3pters but more mid range jumpers and his FG% has improved it seems.

I think Eddie should follow the same route. If Eddie is wide open and wants to shot 2 3pters a game then so be it but that is it. He shouldn't be camped out behind the 3pt line. We have Francis, Mobley and Rice to shoot the 3ptrs. We don't need a 4th guy to do it. Eddie's points should be on rebound put backs, some mid range jumpers and post moves/slashes to the basket. The SOONER his game is adjusted to this the sooner his FG% will increase.

I blame the coachs for not developing a game plan that will get Eddie high percentage shots. Part of that is Eddie's limited offensive ability (which we hope improves over the summer) but part of that is the coachs deceision of putting him behind the 3pt line instead of having him slash to the basket or go after offensive rebound put backs.

Enough is enough. Eddie needs to be an inside player.

Chris