Whoever started this thread, I have to agree... at least after watching yesterday's Heat game. EG has major potential. What did they eat in Miami yesterday? He's not normally this aggressive on either end of the court. Anyways, I used to think KT was the better guy for the PF job. After last nite's performance, and hopefully more like it, my vote is starting to move toward EG. theSAGE
I was particularly impressed with EG on the defensive end. I guess young legs really DO make a difference. But seriously though, I can see why RudyT loves this guy and wants to play him more. If EG can keep up the aggressive driving and rebounding, then I don't see how you lose too much going with EG over KT late in games. Just an opinion. theSAGE
I think Eddie is a great raw talent. He needs to work on his post up game more bc he has tremendous potential. With his athletism he can easily get separation from his defender to get shot off and once he learns to do this in the post, he'll be unstoppable. I can see him developing into a Rasheed Wallace type player because of his athletism and length minus the volatile attitude. I still like KT and would like to find a place for him bc right now, he is the smarter player and has much better footwork than Eddie. His defense is technically better too bc he knows how to use his superior footwork to stay in front of his defender. He gave Gasol a hard time in Memphis. Eddie cheats sometimes by relying too much on his superior athletism and length. No denying it though, sky's the limit for Eddie if he's willing to work as hard as Kenny.
One thing to keep in mind about EG's performance last night is the fact that Miami is very weak at the 4 spot and Allen and Ellis arent big offensive threats (so EG's D isnt as important). This is my gut feeling as to why EG got big minutes ahead of KT, in conjuntion with the fact that he played well. I think EG can indeed excel against below average fours. It will be interesting to see how much PT he gets tomorrow night againt Jermaine O'Neal.
codell... doesn't Jermaine O'Neal technically play center and would match up with Yao? My hunch is that EG will be matched against Harrington or Bender. Both have a height advantage over EG but perhaps not a jumping advantage. It'll be interesting to see who gets more minutes against these two.
yeah eddie takes about 2 seconds to make a descision like shoot or pass. kenny takes about 5-6 seconds i already get ready to roll my eyes when kenny gets the basketball.
Sage, O'Neal plays PF and Brad Miller plays the 5 for the Packers. O'Neal averages around 38 mins a game if im not mistaken. EG's defense and rebounding will dictate how much playing time he gets tomorrow night. If he does a poor job in those categories, I would venture to guess that we will see alot of KT.
eddie needs to strat and finish games while kenny gets the middle minutes. if kenny wasnt so selfish and ball hogging he could get my respect but till then he doesnt have it. ok he had what 1 good night this season? eddie does key things. defense wins championship, offense wins games. eddie has offense and defense.
plus, eddie is better sized, and with that i mean he can score on the inside and outside along with his defensive skills. a complete basketball player, but still needs work but he has the complete skills.
Good Insights JoeRocket. I noticed some similar things... but is it really the footwork? Is EG really that much slower a player than KT? Personally, I think he "jumps the gun" by overcommitting/overextending himself on D, which makes him liable to getting beat off the dribble. A guy that tall with that kind of athleticism, if anything he should be quicker, no? I'm writing it off as "mental" errors b/c of youth. He bites on "fakes" and the "shakes." But again, even if that were the case, how come his athelticism isn't making up for it?
also remember eddie was 19 last year at this time..am i correct on that info? well anyways as far as i know eddie is only 20 years old. he cant even drink yet! give him time to mature he is a solid all around player with lots of potentiol. he is a role player on this team. if he was on another team he would prolly be a starter for all games getting close to putting up allstar caliber number. for example if he was on the nuggets starting he'd be one of the main go to guys.
Actually, I don't think EG did a good job on Brand in the Clippers game. We did miss KT's defense that night. The two players just bring different things to the table. Defense: KT is a better man defender, EG is a better blocker. Rebounding: KT is a better defensive rebounder, EG a better offensive rebounder. Offense: KT is a better post up scorer, has a more consistent jump shot, but not a fast decision maker. EG is a better passer, has better range, but not very consistent with his shot, fg% too low. If Griffin can consistently make his shots, I'd go for him as the full-time starter. Otherwise, go for the hot hand or the matchup.
Oh! Now I understand... EG is UNDERAGE. No wonder he's still inconsistent... there's no legal booze waiting for him at home!
Hey Easy, How can you be a good offensive rebounder but NOT a good defensive rebounder? Btw the two, I would imagine that offensive rebounds are harder to come by. If EG is such a good offensive rebounder, then shouldn't he just be an awesome rebounder, period? That's what I don't understand about EG. The guy has springs for legs but somehow comes up a little short on the defensive end.
lol yeah thats the real reason. lol well the poitn is that he hasnt even matured yet and he is already good was my point by that!.....maybe its cuz he cant get any booz is why he isnt starting... i dont know!
Thx Yao1134. Everything's so clear now. And no wonder RudyT loves 'em... once EG reaches 21 and RudyT shares some of his magic elixir with EG (and i'm not talking that weak Tsing Tsao stuff either!), we're talking Pabst Blue Ribbon. Once EG gets hooked on the stuff, we'll have a superstar PF on our hands... you just wait and see. One more year, BABY!!!!!
Offensive rebounding is very different from defensive rebounding. Defensive rebounding requires good positioning, more fundamental stuff like boxing out. You want to put your body on your man. Offensive rebounding, on the other hand, requires more athleticism and quickness. You want to get away from your man and rush to the ball at the right moment. Getting defensive rebounds is like playing offensive line in football. Getting offensive rebounds is like playing defensive line in football. Those are very different kinds of players. Confusing?
To further support my case, let's look at some other beverages of choice... Dirk Nowitski.... takes pause for a Heineken and an occasional Beck's. Prior to that he was drinking St. Pauli's Girl (which resulted in his blonde hair). The new program elevated his game from above average to superstar level. Stevie Franchise... clearly a Coor's Light drinker. The guy's light as a feather when he gets in the air. Yao Ming...clearly a Pabst Blue Ribbon Drinker b/c that's the number one selling beer in China (NO JOKE! they love American beer over there). Glen Rice... prefers good ol' SAKE, as if you guys didn't know, Sake's made from fermented rice. Moochie...likes Johnny Walkers b/c you gotta be sleeping over 12 hours a day to have such crazy hair. Eddie Griffin?... I'm guessing Pabst Blue Ribbon to initiate him into the "starters" club but only RudyT can decide that. drunkSAGE
thanks for the rockets drinking lesson. moochie already looks drunk on the court have u seen his red eyes and dead face. he looks like a reincarnation of sleepy floyd. by the way eddie should always start
