I've said it once, I'll say it again. THE GUY IS A BUST! Rockets really f*cked up in trading away RJ. EDIT: Oh yeah, and all you guys out there that think I will be eating my words in 2 or 3 years, save this post and bring it back out when I'm wrong.
That is an amazing stat about his 3pt % which isn't that bad. But lets look at his overall FG%. Amoung PFs - there are only 3 PF with a worse FG% than EG. They are - Brian Cardinal, Brian Scalabrine and Ruben Wolkowyski - all Eastern Conference scrubs. Therefore EG is number <b>#1</b> on the list of <b>worst</b> Western Conference FG% for <b>all</b> PF. And looking at his shot - he's going to hold that title for a while. Should I lower my bar to the expectation I have for those 3? Unfortunately, that may be more realistic.
I hate it when he calls for the ball down low. He shouldnt be allowed to call for the ball. If he starts, his role should be limited to dive to the basket when Yao got the ball ,and be prepared to tip back in or rebound. I dont want to see him standing along the 3pt line or tries to create shot ever. He is hopless. The same goes for Cato, I mean offensively.
Griffin needs a full time basketball-experienced personal trainer for the next 2 years of his life. Right now, I think we'd be much better off playing him 20 minuts off the bench, and make him hit the weights like crazy. Yes, it will affect his game, but when he's done, he'll adjust. Hit the weights like a mad man.
The dude is just emotionless. I cant stand to watch him play because he never gets mean or smiles or anything. At least the other players get a little nasty every once in a while.... Time for EG to sack up and start playing NBA ball. Otherwise I would suggest going back to college, putting on some weight, learn the game of basketball, and get a freaking degree..... He is going to need it later on in life.....
His demeanor on the court was a known when we drafted him. Scouting reports likened EG to Duncan in that neither gets really excited or emotional, they just play. I agree that EG might need to be pulled out for a while and I definitely agree on the personal trainer thing. He is just a boy among men right now, but what are you going to do? Jefferson has peaked and all the props he gets he owes to JKidd. This trade was a gamble and sometimes they dont pay out, we didn't wager a whole lot and EG might turn out to be awesome in a couple of seasons.
I haven't given up on Eddie just yet, but its so frustrating when you see him fade away on just about every shot in the paint instead of attacking the basket.
I asked a friend today a question, and I'll ask the members of this board the same,"Would Eddie Griffin be a better player if the Rockets had not drafted Yao Ming?" His answer was yes. And I agree, because I believe that Eddie would have been coached better since he would have most likely been the only low-post threat that the Rockets would have. I know that CD and Larry Smith work with the big men, but where is the coaching influence on Griffin? Maybe they need to bring in another coach, or send Eddie to Pete Newell's camp. I haven't given up on Eddie, he showed great flashes last season, and I think he can get back to that and improve. Does eveyone remember how happy everyone was when we traded those picks for Eddie? And how amazed we were when Eddie was the first rookie since Olajuwon to lead the Rockets in blocks? If I'm not mistaken, many people considered Eddie to be a franchise cornerstone along with Francis (before winning the draft lottery). And now how the tide has turned. I think this offseason will determine whether Eddie lives up to his potential, or enters the bust category. Eddie is still maturing and getting used to the NBA life. I think he knows his weaknesses, and Rudy is just he coach to help him keep his confidence up. Rudy wouldn't just throw him out there if he wasn't doing good in practice. Give Eddie some time . I find it funny that everyone is so down on the team right now, when very few people even thought that the Rockets would make the playoffs because we thought Yao would take a season or two to develop. So why is it so hard to give Eddie two or three seasons? Hopefully my dream will come true---that Yao and Eddie meet up with Ralph Sampson and Moses Malone and work out this summer at Fonde Rec Center, Westside, or a slab of concrete with a hoop next to it and hone their skills. Remember that patience is a virtue.
Great post! He is simply playing out of his role right now. But I do not necessarily blame him. I blame the coaching and the GM. Rudy should tell the guy that if he shoots another long ass jumper, he will never play again! Our GM should have realized that Eddie is too unpolished to be a starter and traded for a better role playing PF (bruiser, rebounder, defender, screen setter, hustler etc.).
FRUSTRATED Out-dated I really wanna be Overrated Well I'm a finder And I'm a keeper I'm not a loser And I AIN'T NO WEEPER
The question is wrong in the first place. It should be "Would Eddie Griffin live up to his hype/expectation/cost if the Rockets had not drafted Yao Ming?" It's reasonable to hope Eddie will play better and contribute more as he grows. But it's an illusion to believe Eddie will be a stud in the near future as many people said so before. He may be very good at 4 when he is 30, if that's the kind of patience you want. Today, the cold facts are: Eddie can't shoot, can't pass and can't dribble; Eddie plays poor defense; Eddie doesn't have desire and pride that a hyped project should have. The kid is completely lost in the jungle.
The question isn't wrong, it was stated correctly. In my estimation Eddie would be the second or third option if Yao was not on the team. Eddie would be the first option as a low-post presence, which I believe that he would have flourished at by now. That is where Eddie needs to put alot of his work, in the post. If he can hit an occasional three, thats fine, but I don't want to see him become Robert Horry. Simply stated. Eddie needs to be taught, athleticism can only get you so far, and Eddie has gotten by with his athleticism on defense (albeit not lately). Your "cold hard facts" have merit, but the disclaimer on them should be that Eddie has been put on the backburner, and its simple to see that either Eddie is just not learning, or he needs better coaching. I'm not asking for 10 years of patience, I'm asking for another season. Since I've watched basketball, I have always given rookies three seasons to get acclimated. Yao could go 0 for 350 of his next shots and I still wouldn't bad mouth him. Next season will be Eddie's third, and if he is still making the same bonehead mistakes, and he still can't dribble, shoot, and pass, then I'll jump aboard the bandwagon your on, until then he has my patience. As for being lost in the jungle, remember that everyone needs a little light to find their way.
I don't believe that our coaches only worked with Yao and never worked with Griffin. Why would he suddenly flourish as the 1st option in the post? Fact is that he still doesn't have post moves. It's not like he's never in the post during games this season. In the occasions when he's in the post, he didn't show any the post skills that warranted more touches for him. It's not a guarantee that if you're given more shots, your points would definitely skyrocket, you still need to have the skills to make them. I mean EG only made 39% of his shots this season with quite a lot of shots being open shots. Imagine what his % would be if he's double teamed regularly like Yao. I am willing to give young players time but let's not make excuse for them when it's not there. Young players need to show improvement from time to time.
