Firstly, this is not a hating thread on Luther and it is not a knee jerk reaction from the detroit game okay ..here is the thing I distinctly remember Yao giving high praise to Luther Head regarding the HUGE improvement that he saw in him I dont really think Luther has improved much He is still a pretty reliable shooter still clutch still have problems at the PG position So my question is...how much do you think he has improved?
er...luther wasn't clutch or reliable last year.. he definitely improved his clutchness 3 pt shooting. His only weakness is defense imo. As for the PG thing, he's an SG all the way .
Somewhat but not extremely. He will improve further gradually over the season. Experience is what he needs. Also, as time goes by, he needs to add more lbs to his body. Right now he is getting pushed around too easily. His shooting is sweet though and as said, he is still a CLUTCH shooter. One of the few fearless players we have in that regard.
Luther has improved. Let's just leave it at that. Has no clue how to run a fast break...dude should give up the ball immediately and move to the wing...frustrating. But his defense positioning is improved, and so far his shot has, too. dude if freaking Clutch. Always has been through college and the nba, and always will be. That's big.
As per 82games' stats, Head's has improved, but not by much as far as his impact on the game is concerned. His +/- last year was +2.1, and this year, it's +2.3 That's a small leap, and can almost certainly be attributed to his improved shooting and comfort level within the offense, and to more catch-and-shoots opportunities having Tmac/Yao setting him up, rather than all the shot-creation he had to do last year. So take it for what you will. Also interesting is that McGrady actually has a negative +/- so far of -0.6...and his defensive, rebounding and fouls drawn stats so far stand out as the main culprit. But then again, stats are just stats, I've always advocated drawing conclusions about a player's worth and ability based on watching him play than on just stats anyway, so believe what you will.
His pros: He is a pretty good shooter But: He is a terrible defender He can not organize the offence at all He is not a good passer He can not penetrate So I can't see any kind of improvement!
Head is a good passer when he's not the main passing option. He's a terriffic shooter. He's shooting a blazing 47% from 3-pt range, 44% from the field, but only 70% from the line. His rebounding RATE is slightly better, and his defensive positioning has definitely improved. He's better with shot selection as well. Timing is everything. I can see some improvement in him at the PG spot, but it's most likely due to the infinitely better supporting cast around him. I think he's a terriffic option with T-Mac at the point when Rafer has to sit. He can then guard the PG, while T-Mac guards a swing man. It works, and he shoots really well to cover up for T-Mac's piss-poor 3-pt shooting.
I'd trade Alston before Luther, but Luther's still trade bait for me. I'm not a big fan of midget shooting guards - esp. those that have porous defense. Luther also doesn't seem to have a lot more upside to his game. I'm willing to wager that he'll be playing like this the rest of his career.
I still don't understand why he plays the 1. His not a 1 because he can't drive after controlling the ball, or shoot after controlling the ball. His a very good 2, and 3 pt shooter, or baseline driver, AFTER he receives the ball from T-Mac or someone else, but he can't yet create his own shots. I think he should remain a 2, and can be very good. Wouldn't mind seeing him shoot the 3 when we down by 2 with 10 secs to go.
He's not a good 2 at all. This guy gets manhandled when he tries to defend bigger 2's. (the whole league basically)
His a decent 2 on the offensive perimeter. Snyder is a decent 2 on the defensive ends. If only the 2 would combine into a better 2.
He should be the 10th man, someone who comes on in a pinch. His defense and horrible decision making should not warrant his position in the rotation. When Head and Alston hit the floor at the same time the other team's start to roll. DD
if he has improved at all from last year, i don't see it. we knew he was a smart, fearless player, with a great 3pt shot. i said before the offseason that i would like to see him work on his mid-range jumper so he can pump fake and then take one dribble and pull up. that would add a few ppg to his average. i also added that i would like to see him work on his dribble so he could use his speed and athleticism to get into the paint, maybe even play some pg. that would add a few more ppg and apg to his average. unfortunately he's the same player. still a good guy to have in the rotation but not any better than last season.
He's a much better shooter. At least from beyond the arc. His game hasn't improve much, if at all, inside the three point line. He really struggles with the PG role. Maybe I'm just paying more attention this season, but his defense seems to have actually regressed.
It's good to hear things like Yao is the first in the gym and the last out, but we've been hearing that for three years. If anyone needs to be working harder at training and practice it needs to be our young role players like Head, VS, Novak and hayes (absolutely love this guy) when he comes back. Just once I'd like to hear that one of these guys is the first in the gym and the last one out, I would like the effort to be contagious to at least show that they are trying to do better and are capable of improving.
