First let me say, I know the guy is 20, and this is only his second year in the NBA. With that said, I was curious if anyone else has noticed how "scared" he seems to have the ball in his hands. For example, whenever he grabs a loose ball he wants to get rid of it in such a hurry, and he's looking lost. I've noticed that this has lead to a number of turnovers in previous games. It's like he thinks if he doesn't get rid of it, the ball is going to be stolen from him. If you don't know what I'm talking about, just watch him in the Phoenix game, I notice him doing it sometimes when he gets rebounds as well. You can argue that he does this to get the ball up the court faster, and into more reliable hands, but seeing it happen is a different story. Eddie simply looks lost out there, sometimes I think that is why he is too afraid to do his pump fake, and take it to the hole rather than settling for a 15 footer. Anybody else see him get blocked last night by Horry on that move? I find myself saying over and over that Eddie will never be anything special if he doesn't get the 3 B's, Brains, Bravery, and Bulk! Bulk, and maybe even Bravery will come over time (or as he gets the Bulk), but it seems to me like the Brains will never be there. Bottom Line: Just watch Eddie when he has the ball and he isn't shooting, he wants that thing out of his hands ASAP! Pugs
Last night solidified my opinion of Eddie being a bust.... Okay, okay, hear me out before you go on bashing me. The guy just doesnt have it. I know he's 20 years old, but so is Amare Stoudemire. Difference between the two of them? Eddie doesnt show any emotion, no fire. The only way he will develop into a star is if he actually plays the game with some heart. Last night he made a lazy pass to Yao, Derek Fisher picked it off, and Eddie attempted to run after him, but he stopped after half a step...WTF is that? The guy throws a f*cking lazy pass, then doesnt run down the floor to stop the guy? Bottom line...Eddie never gives 100%
You. guys. back. off. I. once. showed. emotion. when. I. punched. a. teammate. in. the. face. I. was. angry. at. that. time. So. now. I. have. proven. that. I. can. show. "fire." as. you. say.
Did anyone else notice that when we got the ball back after the Fisher layup, we immediatetly ran the same play and he nearly threw it away again! Pugs
When is EG Madsen? Showing Hustle? Heart? Willingness to sacrifice your body for the team? *slaps self in face* this is Madsen we're talking about. Pugs
Imagine if Eddie played like Madsen. I think we all can agree that Madsen has absolutely no basketball talent. But he plays within himself. Eddie should do the following like Madsen: -set screens -get loose balls -be active. always cut to the rim instead of camping out at the 3 pt area. madsen got a few easy buckets this way -ONLY SHOOT LAYUPS or 8 footers. -play d
EG appeared tentative every time he had the ball on offense. He's like the Lion in the Wizard of Oz, when we need someone like Samuel L Jackson in Pulp Fiction.
Eddie's problem is two fold. Confiedence & Ball Handling. He still doesn't have the confidence in his shot or his moves. And he doesn't have confidence or the ball handling skills to make him comfortable with the ball. I would love to see Eddie be able to put the ball on the floor and make a move to the basket for a jump hook or something. Or how about a runner? He just seems to only have a jump shot. The more comfortable he is in the POST and dribbling the ball the more dynamic an offensive threat he will be. There is no way he will reach his potential if he is just a shot blocker that can hit a jump shot every now and again. He needs to be a post threat the way Mo Taylor displayed his post moves last night. If we could mesh Mo Taylor's offense with Eddie Griffin we would be getting somewhere. As I have said before, this will be an absolutely HUGE summer for Eddie Griffin. The guy has to put on another 10 pounds (currently 232 or so). He needs to work on post moves and footwork. Work on a jump hook and work on his handles. Those are the major weaknesses in his game and if he could substantially imporve in this area he will be a huge cog in this team's success. Chris
No sh*t... Last night, I thought I heard Larry Brown and the Olympic Committee were thinking about having Madsen on the squad with Kobe after last nights performance...
remember: saying Eddie is lost, a bust, scared, or not a top 15 PF in our conference is just an excuse for Rudy, Francis, and Mobley. We should be able to win 50 games with a 20yr old lost, hot-potato-throwing starting PF.
And one more thing. Just because Eddie is a silent seemingly emotionless guy does not mean that is a bad thing. Perhaps being not TOO emotional is a good thing. Look at Duncan and Yao Ming. They are pretty even keel guys. Just because they are that way does not mean they don't care or are fired up inside. It is just the way they are. Eddie just needs to improve his game. I think he is a pretty live body out there and does a lot things, he just needs a much more improved offensive game. Chris
True, but I'm having trouble seeing how this guy was supposed to be such a stud at Seton Hall, but is playing like a scared turtle after 2 years in the pros.
I think that EG is probably just a bit confused. The kid's always been the #1 option and now he's #4 if even that. I think he looks awkward because he's in a role he's not used to and thus is quite tentative. I think the kid's got talent and I really think he just needs more confidence. I think Kwame Brown is in a similiar situation.
IWhat really let me know that at the best on the offensive end Eddie was playing timid, when he had an open drive to the lane under 15 ft away and he stopped when he saw a laker coming at him and thew up an ugly shot
And really showing no sign of improvement..... What happened to the monster we drafted out of Seton Hall?
Eddie is one of the leading candidates for the poster-child role testifying as to why kids should stay in college.
Duncan and Yao are fundamentally sound players who know how to play the game. They give it their all everytime they are on the floor. They make others around them better. Eddie doesnt do any of those...he IS NOT fired up inside. If he cared, he would be constantly getting better, game to game. Yao learned from his mistakes. He is playing on a completely different level from the first couple games. HE'S A ROOKIE! This is Eddie's second year in the league. You would think the guy attempted to improve his game over the summer....Have you seen Eddie play different at all this season? Occasionally he plays in the post. But other than those few games, he spots up and takes jumpers, and blocks a few shots. Who wants to see their PF taking 3 pointers?
