This thread is about Eddie Griffin and only Eddie Griffin. Please do not derail it by comparing him to other players, offering trade proposals, etc. There are plenty of other threads to participate in that discuss all of those things. Now, for the topic at hand. As one of the many out of town posters I do not get to see that many Rockets games. As such, I have not had much exposure to Eddie Griffin outside of this forum. As such, all that I know about him is that he has a good three point shot and is a natural shotblocker. I have a couple of questions for some of the locals/league pass guys. 1) He showed a turn-around jumper from the baseline out to about ten or fifteen feet in the summer leagues. Has he been able to hit that shot on a consistant basis in the NBA. 2) Why are his rebounding numbers so low? Is he defending small forwards on the wing? Lost his nose for the ball? 3) Does his recent decline seem to be him hitting the "rookie wall", (ie does he seem fatigued, are other teams closing out faster on his threes, etc) or is it more of the losing atmosphere? 4) How is his chemistry with the other players? Do Steve and Cat do the big celebrations with him after a big play that they do with each other? Does he seem to know where people want the ball, or just throw it out to the perimeter when he is in trouble? 5) What position does he seem the most comfortable at? Could he be a center for us in the next couple of seasons? Have his handles developed enough to play on the wing and get by his man when they close out on him? Does he have the quickness to guard average small forwards like a Rick Fox or Ruben Patterson?
i'll tell you this much, the man has definitely shown strokes of brilliance. it (the level of his play) can't be so much effected by the teams overall morale, because the best games i've personally seen him amaze in have come at a time when the team was playing, indisputably, its crappiest basketball of the season. he has been criticized for his lack of emotion, i'm sure you've heard; but the hearsay in this case is very true. it doesn't seem that there's a lack of chemistry amongst him and his teammates, just that there's a void of celebration. nope, no high fives and running embraces from opposite sides of the court with cat or wink (or anybody) but then again, there's not that much to celebrate right now. he hasn't been able to develop much consistency in his game yet, just the aforementioned flashes of brilliance. so that turn around jumper shows up from time to time but only falls with that same amount of frequency. ditto on his rebounding. he seems to hold his greatest potential at the four despite his current lack of post up game, simply for the fact that his instinctual defense is best suitable for the lane. with a little weight training and some offseason offensive polishing, he WILL be a legitimate power forward this time next year.
here's my answers: 1) he can make the shot but he doesn't have the footwork yet to get it off over most people so it gets blocked more often than not. 2)he has a definite nose for the ball, like you mentioned it could be that he's not always in position because of who he guards or lack of strength. 3)he's probably fatigued but he's also now the 4th or 5th option. 4)i see our players giving him props all the time, and putting an arm around him. he says cuttino is like his big brother. 5)he's most comfortable at the 4, even in his own words. i don't know about center and i've already ruled out the 3 spot.
Just from the game descriptions in the chronicle, and the six games I've watched, it seems like Rudy is turning him into the next Robert Horry, which is what one posters says he doesn't want to see.
i'm a strong believer that rudy isn't turning eddie into anything. he's just playing to his strengths, which right now is spotting up and hitting 3's. eddie will develop when he develops not when rudy "lets" him.
Did anybody else see the Griffin smile? Not only did he have a solid game but also he saw the love the Dream has earned for a career of productive play. I hope that makes a lasting impression, but I don't think we really have to worry about that with this star-in-waiting. Great game, Eddie. A fond farewell, Dream.
I've never seen a player, especially a big man go from outside to inside. Maybe I could be wrong, but looking at the last few big players to come thru the league, how many started off shooting 23fters then eventually made their way in? I'm sure Duncan's release and stroke, he could shoot the 3, but that doesn't really help the team as much as him drawing fouls inside and making his pedestrian teammates gets better. I liken Griffin almost to Walker and a young Derrick Coleman. The exception is those to aren't not as good defensively as he is and he's not the ballhandler they are. I can see Griffin being one of those 42% shooting big man because of his reliance and Rudy't persistence on him shooting 3's. Hopefully he'll do a about face like Kenny Thomas and not shoot that shot as much in the future. I use to cringe seeing Thomas taking that shot, now he's in more of a comfortable scoring position ,thus his fg% is about were it should be for a 4 man.
leebigez- good post, i agree with it, but unlike with kenny, i don't cringe when eddie shoots the 3 because he hits it fairly consitently.
Answer to most important question - He's to damn skinny/not enough mass to come anywhere near playing C. He will need at least 25lbs of solid muscle, more likely 35lbs. He's got the ability to play that position, IMO, but he just flat lacks the bulk. He can play it for short stretches in a pinch, but... I'm not too confident he'll gain it, either. More likely he'll be a career light 4 or a solid 3. That's just what God gave his frame.
Has anybody checked on the Dream's playing weight as a 19-year-old at the University of Houston? Griffin will be a lot stronger and bigger but it will take two more years. Treeman, be patient.
Eddie is a teenager. All 6'10" teenagers are skinny. It's a lot easier for short people to bulk up than tall ones. That's especially true if they are as tall as Eddie. Keep in mind, he's still growing! He's grown a full inch since we drafted him! Wait until he is AT LEAST the age of a typical college graduate. He could be bulk up a lot by then. Wait 2 more years after that and he could be huge.
