Are we just going to ignore the play of Garrison Mathews?

My feed was the NOP stream.... their announcers were pretty funny most of the game... and pretty even in their calls IIRC

 

What? Both Rip and Reggie had higher career peaks than Harden, FWIW. Hamilton won a championship as the best pure scorer on his team, and Miller lost to an all time great Bulls team in the Finals.

 

I think he has another level to his game that he hasn't unlocked and shown yet. Not saying he's an all-star in the making but he's doing what is expected of him and what is also keeping him on the floor--hitting 3s and creating some much needed spacing. But the kid can do more than hit 3s if given the opportunity. His 44-piece in college:



Most of his points came off of 3s but there were a few plays where he drove to the basket, slipped past a screen or two underneath, etc.

 

I’ve already been impressed with his toughness and finishing ability. He is no Steve Novak. This guy can play.

 

He def has that "not scared to take the big shot" gene and looks like he'll have a place in the league for awhile. Nice diamond in the rough.

 

The real question is how did this guy slip through the cracks? Guys who play this hard, this smart AND hit shots are not a dime a dozen.

DD

 

The issue is that you are not counting for major variables with your argument.

True, Miller nearly beat an all time Bulls team. But during the history of the NBA, there are very few seasons without a team with historic amount of talent. Which means in creating a contender, you have to assume that you need get past some team of that quality.

Also teams without the arguable "best player in the world at the moment" led by Miller and Hamilton typically exploit some assumption in the league or vulnerability that teams are overlooking.

Miller was arguable the first great volume 3-pt shooter in the NBA. At the time, most great players didn't shoot that many of them. He did have other very good aspects of his game, but his ability to blast teams from deep was a game changer well before the NBA realized it. and made he is other talents harder to defend.

Many players have tried to imitate that and none managed win a title as the alpha until Steph. And he only did it because he can imitate Miller from nearly half court which was a new "cheat code".

Rip was definitely a very good player, but he was definitely not the best player on that team. Rasheed was probably as good offensively, Chauncey was very good two ways, and Ben Wallace was the centerpiece of that defense (and very underrated by todays fans). Larry Brown took the 90's defensive strategies to the brink and mastered them in that team because they had a well rounded personnel to do so. That team cannot exist today after the hand check rule was instituted, and when 3-pts and PnR to isolated weaknesses are being spammed across the league.

Morey was trying to do with the Harden/Paul Rockets with the 3pt and isolations and it almost worked. But again a "historic team" beat them, and the rest of the league started to catch up and realize the inefficacies exploited by the Rockets.

 

LOL world is full of Silasses!

 

I love this guy. But at the back of my mind, I am earnestly hoping that this is not some kind of Linsanity flash in the pan kind of thing. It's a mystery why he was let go by two teams in two years. A guy who plays hard on defense, has a decent handle and can shoot 3 at 40% in volume should be valued in this league.

 

Miller lost to Bulls in EC Finals.

Didnt Harden lose to the greatest team ever assembled in the WC Finals too?

Twice.

 

Could just be a matter of getting lost in the shuffle. On a rebuilding team and one that has no clear cut alpha dog like the Rockets it's a bit easier to get into the game and try to play your game because nearly everyone on the team is auditioning for a future role. When you play the same position on a team with Bradly Beal and Westbrook (e.g. guards) it's harder to break through .

 

NBA relies to much on pedigree.

Lipscomb is not a storied enough program.

Some guys just need an opportunity, fortunate confluence of events (Green's injury) and organization willing to commit to them.

 

Teams will play their picks over guys that might be better simply because they need to show that their guy is a good player, also maybe other systems didn't fit him.

Guys that can be "THE MAN" and also "The Role Player" are rare rare rare....

DD

 

Could be our next Garrison Mathews.

Keep an eye on Queen, another skilled 2 way wing.

 

Watching it in full, actually a pretty decent college game too.

 

world is full of silasses and senguns

now imagine also that more than half cf would like to trade wood for picks that most probably never gona become another wood caliber player and this is kinda most valued kind of player in the league right now

 

See think about that, they want to TRADE Wood who is still developing and is already really good - for a maybe as good.....

Right now, outside of Sengun, none of our picks this year have shown they are on a track to be better than Wood - now they are only rookies but that doesn't mean a thing.....more fail than make it.

DD

 

You guys are confusing the point here. THE POINT IS NOT THAT HE'S A CATCH AND SHOOT PLAYER THE POINT IS THAT HE IS A CATCH AND SHOOT ROLE PLAYER. You guys are skipping over the entire role player point there. You dont build around role players. I notice on this board people ignore what youre saying even after you clarify several times lol You cant build around him because he is not a franchise type player just a role player

he is a role player
he is a role player
he is a role player
he is a role player
he is a role player
he is a role player
he is a role player LOL

 

For me, it doesn't matter that he's a role player. Yes, you don't build around a role player. But he can be an important piece to a championship team. Just let him stick around. He's doing more than enough than his current salary. There are other players that should be cut from the team. They received a lot but is just contented sitting down. I will gladly pay him to be in the team.