It seems like Van Gundy is truly a high-school coach, and I mean that as a compliment. Van Gundy cares so much for effort and desire, perhaps over talent and skill. Look at how he's complimented some of the bench players. He acknowledges their many mistakes, but adds that their supreme effort makes up for that, further adding that even if you're not talented, if you show unceasing heart and desire, you can accomplish almost as much as the gifted. Case in point: Patrick Ewing. The man had no natural talent--unlike Hakeem--but rose up to be one of the greatest centers ever (one of the 50 best players ever) because he simply tried so hard. He hustled and did the dirty work and never quit. Look at the Knicks teams Van Gundy coached. Ask any ESPN analyst, and they'll say that the Knicks under VG didn't have that much athletic talent, natural skill, ect, but because VG was such a good coach--and stressed sheer determination and heart--they were of the best defensive teams in the league and made the playoffs EVERY SINGLE YEAR under Van Gundy.. Good teams show good teamwork, and good teamwork doesn't come from talent or skill but heart and desire. Look at all the players with non-garaunteed contracts. They're hustling their butts off to stay on the team, and some of them, sadly, have been cut. Now, here comes Eddie Griffen, who HAS the talent, and HAS a decent contract, and then BLOWS it away by not showing up for practice and missing games and not training over the summer and saying that he doesn't want to play basketball anymore. That, my friends, is a slap in the face to all the guys who ARE trying hard and are getting cut, or worse, haven't been able to make it to this level. Even if Eddie Griffen was putting up Kobe Bryant numbers, I, personally, would cut him with that attitude. I'd rather have an average player who busts his butt and gives 200 percent than five Eddie Griffens who miss games and practices and throws out the excuse that he has "too many personal problems" going on right now. The NBA isn't high-school basketball, nor is it college basketball. It's a professional league, and these people are supposed to be professionals. They are adults. They get married and they have kids and they're getting paid so much money that they have to quickly garner a business mentality. Eddie Griffen's lack of desire is costing millions of dollars, and in any company that pays employees as much as the NBA pays their players, he would have been fired. Look at Yao. He had SO MUCH going on outside the court last year, and did he complain? Did he not show up to practice? Did he not show up to games? Did he slack off on the court and rationalized that there was too much going on? No, of course not. He rose up and put in the numbers and made the all-star team and almost got the Rookie of the Year award. I hate to reference the following, but look at Kobe Bryant, who shouldn't even be thinking of playing this is, but is still trying to find a way to attend his court hearings and play in games this season. Look at Karl Malone, who recently lost his mother, and just this past week almost scored a triple double. Look at Ben Wallace, who also lost his mother last year, and still secured the Defensive Player of the Year award. Look at (I can't remember his name) the player from the Grizzlies who lost his 11 month year old daughter and still came back and played hard. Even Eddie Griffen is having that hard of a time, to the point where he doesn't want to play, then he should quit. All that money he's receiving would be better spent on a player who certainly does want to play. Look at Michael Jordan. When his father was killed, he didn't make excuses. He was perfectly honest and said that he didn't want to play basketball anymore--and he did just that. He quit, instead of opting to play with distractions he knew he couldn't handle. As a result, he was able to come back and complete the second half of his legacy. You don't even need to look at the NBA. Look at offices and companies all over the world. Everyday, people have problems and yet they show up for work and do their job and fufill their responsibilities. Why? Because that's life, and that's being a responsible adult. If you're getting paid to do something, then do it. If you can't do what you're paid to do, then take a leave of absence. Eddie isn't the only one with problems, and he may indeed have "grown up" problems going on, but he's not handling them as an adult. He's not playing for a prep-squad, or varsity basketball team. He's playing for a business, and the business has every right to trade him if they feel their millions of dollars could be better spent on someone else. Eddie's contract extension is coming up this month. If the ROckets decide to extend his contract (which would be during his suspension), then what kind of message are they sending Eddie Griffen and to the team. That it's okay to skip practices and games, and the worst you'll get is a measly slap on the wrist? Regardless of whether he'll actualize his potential or not, the Rockets have done their part. At this point, whatever effort and money they put into maturing Eddie on the court and off will cost the rest of their team, deprive them of team morale, and undermine the authority of the coach. Let another team deal with it. If Eddie goes on to become an All-Star, so be it, but at this point, he's not even THAT central of a player to debate such a possibility. If this was Steve Francis or Yao, then I could see why the Rockets wouldn't want to let him go despite the no-shows and lack of heart. But he's a role player. Role players are expendable, and role players are tradeable. And right now, he's not filling in his role, so it doesn't take too much logic to figure that he IS a liability, an expensive one. Do we want another Kwarme Brown who says, "It's because of this" or "It's because of that" when people ask him why he isn't producing? We said this last year about Eddie, that he was going to get better. We said this the year before. We're saying it now, and I would have less of a problem saying it if Eddie was busting his butt to become a better player. The Rockets have been extremely generous with his lack of progress, and for Eddie to skip practices and games is an insult to that generosity, and to the other new players that have been acquired. Eric Piatkowski, for instance, was a starter for the Clippers, and gave that up to add depth to the Rockets' bench. Jim Jackson left the Kings, a title contender, to be with the Rockets (well, he didn't volunatarily leave, but he still is with the Rockets instead of them and not whining incessantly about it). Adrian Griffen left Dallas, another great great team, to be with the Rockets. Players and coaches have been fired and replaced for the Rockets to be even better this season, in order for change to ensue--and if Eddie Griffen still insists on moping around like a vicitmized adolescent, then let him go. Everyone else has done the work, and made the sacrifices, to hop on the train and get to the playoffs. If he doesn't want to join them, then let's not make him. Let's just let him go, and get someone who does. No one makes people stay in the NBA. Eddie isn't in prison or the army. If he wants to stay just so he can keep his million dollar salary, then he isn't a player. He's someone who wants the pay and lifestyle of the NBA without putting in the sufficient and necessary work to be an NBA player. Yes, RIchard Jefferson looks better with Jason Kidd, but he probably would have looked good with the likes of Francis and Yao by his side, perhaps even better. But that's besides the point. Richard Jefferson TRIES hard. He TRIES hard. What he lacks in Jordan-esque skill, he makes up for with ferocity and heart--and that's why he's putting up the numbers he is today. If Eddie Griffen was on the NEts, do you think he would have complimented Jason Kidd the way Jefferson has? I don't think so. Eddie Griffen isn't a child, and the ROckets aren't his parents. THE ROCKETS ARE NOT HIS PARENTS. They are his boss and they've done more than enough to let him grow and he isn't growing. The Rockets are about to be a play-off team, and in the long run, a title contender. Let a player like Eddie Griffen go to the Clippers or the Wizards, if he wants to get paid millions of dollars to have babies and not show up to practices and games and say that he really doesn't want to play basketball anymore.
I have tired of discussing Eggie's faults and disappointments at this point..I italisized the above sentences to highlight a point. The point is, those statements have not been confirmed by ANY source other than "Griffin confidant" This is no better in my eyes than reading it in the National Enquirer. LEts not heap more criticism onthe kid until we find out for sure that these statements were in fact made by him. Remember folks...just because someone say it in a article does not necessarily make it true. Just like with the "5 years" statement...dont allow something to become established fact until we know all the facts or the context in which it was uttered.
My apologies for the double post....edit edit edit...argh. You make good points for the most part..except for one other exception. You say trade him? Just who exactly do you think will want him? Ill answer that for you....NO ONE We are stuck with him until he either decides to ship up or quit. If he truely wishes to quit, then fine...we are not responsible for his remaining money if he breaks the contract. If we cut him (like many have advocated) we are STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MONEY. that is not an option imo... and since we cant trade him, we are stuck with him for good or bad.
I am only going to say this once and I will not respond again. First of all you sound young and someone who is trying to go a different road, albeit a bit idealistic. I Did not throw a wrong idea out there. You simply did not understand (and still don't) my statement. I simply said that helping him find peace is one thing and protecting your asset is another. And to put them together in the same statement (as the poster did) as if they are the same thing was wrong. I never said we shouldn't help Eddie. I never even thought that. In fact I wish that we would do everything we can to help Eddie the person. I think if all pro teams, hell all everyone thought helping their fellow man gain peace was important this world would be a beeter place. (sounds like a song) But that is not the reality of it. Leagues draft players like cattle and trade them are drop them similarly. If they could get away with it they would breed them like livestock and sell thier stud services. There is not much humanity going on in this league. And god knows they could use some. It would make this world a better place. Give peace and Eddie a chance. Peace Bro
I am young, 22, and I pride myself on that different road, less traveled. I've gotten that ambitious line before but hey, the world could use more of my kind of ambition... I actually completely agree with your last post. I gotta keep reminding myself that I like this game because of the players, comrodery, competition, and skill, in spite of league owners and officials forcing their product to profit.
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Who cares if Eddie finds peace or not? I mean, come ON. I'm not his brother. I'm a basketball fan. I want him out on the floor contributing to the team. Otherwise, I want him traded for someone that WILL contribute. Other than that, I could give a rat's a
dearrock , i can see your point, but i went to highschool with eddie, and i can honestly tell you that he has had problems like this before.
Could Eddie possibly go the way of the Scottie and become a "Quittin'?" Scottie Quittin' and now Eddie Quittin'? Say it ain't so... Well, at least Eddie may have a real reason to be a "Quittin'." This stinks.
I hope he has a real good reason. I don't want to see him on the court until he does, if not, he doesn't deserve to play.
