And stunningly, most of it is positive! http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/printstory.hts/sports/bk/bkn/955712 Daring move comes with lots of upside By FRAN BLINEBURY Copyright 2001 Houston Chronicle What the Rockets wanted from the NBA draft was a player who could provide some punch. In Eddie Griffin they got a guy who already has delivered at least two. Once in high school and once in college. On his own team. Who knows if Griffin's inability to get along with his playmates was a major reason for his dropping all the way to the No. 7 spot to the New Jersey Nets, which then precipitated the stunning 3-for-1 trade to the Rockets? Maybe Griffin doesn't like sharing his cookies and milk. Or runs with scissors in his hands. Or talks during nap time. For better or worse, these are all considerations in the 21st-century version of the draft, where three of the first four choices are fresh out of high school and any year now scouts are going to be evaluating kindergarten finger-painting efforts as if they were Rorschach inkblot tests. If it appears Griffin still has a lot of growing up to do to match his 6-9, 222-pound stature, that's because he does. His 19th birthday was less than a month ago. He is just a kid and kids, well, do the darnedest things. Including sometimes punching out a buddy's lights. Which is not to say Griffin is incorrigible and unworthy of the Rockets taking the chance. In terms of a gamble, the Rockets might well have drawn to a royal flush. If Griffin can build on what he's shown at Roman Catholic High in Philadelphia and one year in Division I at Seton Hall, this could be one of those draft-night moves that is talked about in years to come with reverence in some corners and embarrassment for letting him go by in others. The whole package In Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins and Brandon Armstrong -- the three players New Jersey selected with the Rockets' No. 13, 18 and 23 picks -- what you get are a good athlete with a better-than-average outside shot, a big-bodied banger and a nice point guard. In Griffin, what the Rockets potentially come away with is the steal of the draft, a potential star. As recently as last week, there were projections Michael Jordan was going to make Griffin the No. 1 overall pick. As of late Wednesday night after the flesh market opened for business, there was no reason to think he would fall far enough to make Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson's pre-draft talks with New Jersey pay off in this big a way. Give Dawson tremendous credit. In two of the last three years, he has reeled in the No. 2 overall pick in Steve Francis and No. 7 in Griffin and the Rockets have not had to suffer nearly through the lean times of other former champs such as Boston, Detroit and Chicago. Griffin, strictly on basketball talent, is as complete a package as there was in the draft and that includes Duke All-American Shane Battier, who had four years to refine his ability. "Usually you've got to go through a lot more pain to get a guy like this, be down there winning 20 games a year," said coach Rudy Tomjanovich. "I'm still sorta in shock." Good references This is a player who ranked second in the nation in blocked shots, averaged more than 10 rebounds per game, has a good outside shooting touch and shows deft offensive moves on the inside. That the package comes inside a 19-year-old who has shown a low flash point does not mean the Rockets have necessarily dropped their standards. "We talked to his college coach (Tommy Amaker), and the word that we got is that the incidents were the kind of things that happen," Tomjanovich said. "We talked to as many people as we could, and the research didn't turn up anything that said, `Stay away.' " Maybe what it says is something about how much the draft and the Rockets have changed in recent years. Remember back just three years ago when the Rockets, again holding three first-round choices, wouldn't risk one of them on Rashard Lewis out of Alief Elsik High and have lived to regret it. "I think that one year of college ball makes me feel a lot better," Tomjanovich said. "He played in a good conference (Big East) against good competition and he excelled." Much the way Francis did in his one year at the University of Maryland before the Rockets nearly moved heaven and earth to free him from the bonds of playing in Vancouver. The Rockets were opportunists then, ready to pounce, and Francis started them on their road to rebuilding. Now with Griffin to add to a lineup of Cuttino Mobley and likely Maurice Taylor, that road could be an express lane toward contender status in a few years. It's a team, you could say, that packs a punch. ------------------ The Mo Taylor Fan Site "Basketball players win basketball games. Athletes win track meets."-- Shane Battier Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more! Cat's Mock Draft [This message has been edited by The Cat (edited June 28, 2001).] [This message has been edited by The Cat (edited June 28, 2001).]
POW! ------------------ Rarely is the question asked: Guns kill squirrels than REDRUM to fools across the nation?
I WANT TO SEE TRACY MAC Throw a ball at Griffin like he did Bobby Johnson!!1 Maybe Griffin is the ENFORCER we need Rocket River ------------------
I WANT TO SEE TRACY MAC Throw a ball at Griffin like he did Bobby Johnson!!1 Maybe Griffin is the ENFORCER we need Rocket River ------------------
What a dumb***!!!! If Jefferson has a great jump shot, he would have gone Top 10 for sure. That's the biggest thing missing from his game. Way to go Blinebury!!! ------------------ President of the Eddie Griffin fan club. [This message has been edited by Greg#3 (edited June 28, 2001).]
