Based on their first couple of seasons. Shotblocking, physical talent, moodiness, slow learning, inconsistency, etc. This exercise might change your hopes or expectations for Griffin.
Is Griffin bi-polar, too? Deal is, Griffin is the golden child, and Cato got abused by the media. How can Griffin be a depressive, half-heart when he is considered a key piece to the future and always has, at every level.
Seriously, is anyone getting the feeling that the NBA power forwards are taunting him, that maybe Rudy should consider giving up using him as a power forward this early in his career. Webber took him to school for a quick 8 points again today. I mean, how long did Garnett play small forward before making the switch. Maybe the best thing for Griffin is to not make him play down low for a year or two, and let him grow into it. Then again as a SF, the question is will he then learn bad habits (for a power forward) and never be able to make the switch once settled into a Rashard Lewis role.
heypartner, The strange thing about Griff, is that I will never see him being a running SF, like a Pipp, Nachbar or Jefferson. He just doesn't seem to have the ball handing skills. Maybe he can prove me wrong, but he just has a awkward body for that type of play. He has good post moves, but he's just too skinny now. He does seem to have a game like Lewis, though; the mid-post game.
I know I have said this before but Eddie is not ready to be a starter as power forward. He is not strong enough and he he doesnt have any consistent inside game. He is predictable in the paint with that turnaround and can anyone tell me if they have ever seen him dribble the ball more than 3 times. I have looked through several game tapes and cannot find a situation where he has. I guess he is the anti-moochie. I can say one thing about Eddie and that is that he does rebound and provide great weakside help but he settles for that jumpshop too much and gets manhandled in the paint. I think he needs to come off the bench for the next couple of years and maybe even after Kenny. I still believe Mo T should be starting though.
HP, Players like Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace that did not necessary have the traditional PF mold or body coming in still shot a very high pct even in their rookie yrs. KG coming in as a highschooler shot 49% his rookie season. Kevin Garnett showed a lot of activity around the hoop even though he technically had to grow into the PF spot. He never was completely inept inside the arc like Griffin is. KG would always be active around the hoop and really showed the mindset to play the PF spot one day even as early as his rookie yr. Griffin already has one sub 40% shooting season under his belt and is on his way to another. Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O'Neal, Rasheed Wallace etc. were never anywhere near that type of ineptitude from the field. Im just not convinced that Eddie will ever be able to play the 4 spot effectively. There are a lot of optimistic folks holding out hope for him, but I am just not seeing it.
Can someone please tell me whats the point of running a high pick and roll with Eddie and Steve? This is the only play Eddie is ever required to run. IMO it is Rudy who is not using the guy correctly. Eddie is forced to shoot those three pointers because the opposing team leaves him open up there. A power forward should not be running a high pick and roll and standing around the three point line. Earlier in the season Eddie actually got some post up opportunities and now they have completely vanished. I didnt think he was performing that poorly when given the chance down low. How about actually setting a screen down low and getting Griffin (or even Ming for that matter) closer to the basket. Stop making out big guys go beyond 15 feet and expect them to hit jumpers.
To add another wrinkle to the situation : I thought for sure we'd see more of Griffin down low this year. Somehow someway. I saw him in the summer leagues display a little turnaround shot and a pseudo-jump hook. I saw him active inside. I saw him give the Amare Stoudemire's and Drew Gooden's of the world all they could handle and then some. Of course this was against inferior talent, but I actually thought we may design some plays for him inside. I still see him sitting outside as a Matt Bullard-type saftey valve, and he's getting absolutely destroyed by bigger PF's inside. I was hoping we'd at least get some blocked shots and stellar D from Griffin, and it started that way, but now those have disappeared, too. How useful is a PF that can't fake a jumper so that he can drive on the defender, and can't bang down low because he doesn't have the body? I've heard of hybrids, but he's like a SF that's as big as PF without the body of a PF that has the 3 pt stroke of some SF's but can't dribble like an SF. One thing Griffin has been doing well, when given the PT, is rebounding and blocking some shots, but his shooting % is pathetic. He's almost just another guy that doesn't need to be guarded inside the 3pt line because he's not going to hit the 2 and he sure as hell isn't going by you.
I was one of the few last yr who didn't like the thought of him heaving up 3's whether he was hitting them or not. I've said on numerous times, sometimes its good to be limited. Had Griffin been limited to 10 or 12 feet learning how to score inside over bigger stronger forwards, by now his inside game would be further devloped. I've said a million times that I've never seen a big player become a good inside player after starting out as a outside threat. I repeat never ever. Most good big players are limited in their range, become real good inside then move their game out. Griffin and to certain degree Antoine Walker have been outside in big guys. The difference is that Walker handles the ball like a small forward , but his shooting percentage is horrible. This corruption started last yr and until Rudy sits him and explains to him to play inside, Griffin will be like Robert Horry which isn't to good considering he was number 7. Maybe he'll do a 360 like Donyell Marshall and learn what good shot selection is. It took Marshall from 94 till 2000(when he played for the Jazz) to have a good fg %. Will we wait 6 yrs? Only time will tell
It is way too unfair to give up on Eddie Griffin. The guy has only been an NBA player for 98 games. Keep in mind, he is only 20 years old as well. Griffin right now reminds me of Jermaine O'neal of the Portland days. I think it took O'Neal a little longer than expected to develop, but now ONeal is a terrific player. I think Griffin and the Rockets are still trying to figure out how Eddie best fits the offense. Right now Eddie has no confidence right now. All Eddie needs is playing time. Maybe not starting, but a lot of minutes because he can bring a alot to the table defensively. Shot blocking is a valuable commodity. Also right now. Griffen seems completely lost everytime the Rockets are on offense, and decides to camp behind the 3 point arc. What happen to all the pick and fades he used to do with Francis, which usually resulted in wide open 3 PT looks for Eddie?? Again though, I think Eddie should post up more than he does, despite his thin stature. He has a nice turnaround jumpshot with a lot of touch. Eddie would be more comfortable in post if he got more touched there. But KT is taking Griffin's much needed minutes.
Did you even read what you wrote JBII Rockets??? All he needs is playing time??? I'd expect these comments about Yao, but not Griffin. Rudy brought him up slowly last year, worked him all summer long as the summer league star, and started him for a good portion of this season. And now he's experimenting with benching him, because frankly, that's all he seems to be worth right now. He gets destroyed battling it out with other PF's down low, and he's been shooting terribly in the mid and long range for the entire season. I used to be a staunch believer, but now I'm starting to regret not trading him for Rashard Lewis earlier this year.
There may be one thing people do overlook in all this, and I know I'm guilty of this, too. Eddie is only 20 years old. He's younger than Ming and has far less experience. Maybe in the next 2 years he can learn to dribble or put on about 20 pounds.
I've had my struggles with Bi-polar and social anxiety and it really affects ur style of play....when i was on the basketball team in last year in 11th grade....i saw a lot of myself in Eddie right now. I bet u a million that he has either B-P or social anxiety...cuz i used to be like that too. It's very difficult to live with but i've learned to manage with some medication. Does he even know that he has it if he does? Because it is a serious issue to consider.
GotGame15, I was completely making that up that bipolar stuff, in reference to Will comparing him to Cato. Many of us think Cato is diagnosable. Griffin, I don't know. He could simply be one of those players afraid of the low post in the NBA, and does not want to mix it up, because he knows he can't. DoD, I agree that even his defense has disappeared. Makes you wonder if word is out around the league, that Griffin will just give up ground all the way to the rim and try to rescue himself with a block. When word gets out like that, big guys will abuse you and taunt you....and they will learn not to get blocked when that close to the rim. This is why we desparately need Maurice to get his jumper back, because it's looking like Griffin might be taking a development step back in learning Leebigez, I don't subscribe to theories that learning is always an upward curve. Making players sink or swim can backfire, especially on the frontline. Tossing Griffin down low to be abused over and over on defense and trying to make him fight for low post position on offense that he too easily gets knocked away from can just hurt his confidence. Your point about "give him low post plays" is somewhat a chicken or the egg argument. That is, does Griffin suck in the low post because Rudy doesn't run plays to him; or does Rudy not run plays to him, because he sucks in the low post in practice, as well. It takes a certain fighter mentality to survive as a starting PF, very similar to how a consistent aggressiveness gave us back our Cato. It takes the confidence and size of Maurice and the fire and cockiness of Kenny to take on big power forwards....and it takes shear strength, too.
Cato-plays well when his job is on the line Griffin-plays well during preseason the looses confidence and doesn't play as much.
In my opinion, the Rockets should be playing a 2-3 zone. The purpose of that type of defensive set is to allow a team with a height disadvantage to defend inside. While the Rockets don't have a height disadvantage, they do have a "size" disadvantage. Griffin - Skinny Taylor - Soft Thomas - Short Playing this sort of defensive set would allow Griffin to play the 3 on offense, and on defense he could be the help-out defender that he seems to be so good at! This would save Eddie the embarrasment of having to guard faster small forwards man-to-man. I think right now we should play to Griffin's strengths (outside shooting and help-out defense) and as he gains confidence he can slowly ease his way into playing the post, both offensively and defensively. But, to just throw him in and try to force him to do something he's not capable of right now, might just send him into a funk he'll never be able to get out of. I'm still lobbying for a line up that includes both Griffin and Taylor at the same time, and I think playing a 2-3 zone would make that lineup work!
