- He's the 4th or 5th option for a reason. He doesn't have many offensive moves and he couldn't make shots (39% for the season) especially compared to Yao, Francis and Mobley. - Every pro player should have confidence in himself in the 1st place. - Yes, he's once considered to be good but he failed to improve his game from last year to this year. As for saying all he needed was a post-up game and muscle, you could say this about every player in the NBA including every scrub and it still applied. - No, I don't believe this. I don't believe that if he himself had a decent low-post game and has other offensive moves, we wouldn't use them. We didn't ask our other power forward (Mo Taylor) to hang around the 3 pt line, did we?
Jefferson will be an average player in this league. He plays in the lowly east right now so thats not saying alot. And when you have a veteran guy like kidd who can make those around him better, the result is a few 20+ games. But mark my word... (all you EG haters listen up) This kid is gonna be a star for the Rox and if we all shut the hell up and just give the kid (cause he is only a kid) a few more years he's gonna bust out just like Jermanine O'neal and T-Mac! Nuff' said.............................................
1) And because he is the fourth and sometimes fifth option is why he only has a FG% of 39. If you take a shot thats out of your range, are you going to hit it with consistency? 2) Every pro player should have confidence? I'd like to say he's just a kid, but we happen to be the same age. If I was on the court with some of the greatest assembled talent on the planet night in and night out, I'd feel a little intimidated. Eddie is 21, why should he stick his chest out and beat it. If you do well your confidence grows, when you feel like you're out of the loop and not contributing, guess what...your confidence suffers. 3)Once considered to be good? He is only in his second year! What are you expecting leaps and bounds? This team is completely different from last year's injury depleted team. The Rockets have a future dominant center who is now the low-post option. If Yao was not here, EG would probably be the first, maybe second low-post option. In the limited time he has had a few low-post touches he has done well. As for the honing of his low-post game and adding muscle, use the search function (if its still working) and look back at what posters were saying about EG. 4) Its about practice and coaching. Eddie was in college for one season in which he was more of a defensive presence than he was on the offensive end. If the "big man coach" on this team was working with him and he actually got a chance to showcase his skills, it might help. Its funny how everyone wants EG to do his own thing, there are such things as playcalling for a reason. Like you said if he has a decent low-post game, it would be used, buthow can he do that if he doesn't get the help to make himn a better player. EG's weaknesses are his own, but the lack of progression also has to do alot with the lack of coaching he is receiving. A lot of fans were spoiled this year in thinking that we were playoff bound. At the beginning of the season, everyone was saying that it was going to take Yao at least two or three season to get acclimated to the NBA game. It took him fifteen twenty games? Now many people are trying to gauge Eddie's lack of progression to Yao's progression and thats unfair. Yao was already considered a pro player and had played international ball since he was sixteen. Yao was the #1 option on the Shanghai Sharks. Yao was and is light-years ahead of EG. That doesn't necessarily mean that EG is a bust, a bad player, scrub, etc. It takes some players time to find their niche', and how can he do that when this team hasn't found their own niche'. Lay off of EG, and worry more about why other players on this team are also not contributing. Next year will be different essentially because the Rockets know who are their options, and what players will have what roles. Hopefully EG's role will show his strengths and show everyone who bad-mouthed him.
EG has improved his post game... he still has a ways to go, but the people who say that he has not made any improvement are just wrong. You have to watch a lot of the games to pick up on the improvement, but it is there. I admit Griffin has played below my expectation level for him this season, but that's probably because I just set the bar too high for him. Evaluation comes in the next 2 years for Griffin, and even then he'll only be 22 or 23.
- I figure role players should have higher shooting % because the opposing teams don't design their game plans to stop you. Teams usually leave EG open (BTW, there is a reason teams leave him open, they know he can't shoot), and he still only shoots 39%? Not good enough. As for taking shots out of his range, nobody asks him to take those low % 3 pointers. - Youth is not a good excuse. He's the starter on this team and has enough playing time and touches. The team showed confidence in him and moved another player to free up chances for him. He's not buried on the bench ala Jermaine O'Neal at Portland or yelled for every mistake ala Kwame Brown. How could he have low confidence? - Tell me which game this season you came away feeling that EG should have had more touches in the post. - How could you blame the player's lack of progression just on lack of coaching? If the player has actual skills but the coach misuses him, then yes it's about coaching. But which game his game you felt that EG's misused? There's a reason Joe Smith (once a great prospect) became Joe Smith but Kevin Garnett became Kevin Garnett, it had nothing to do with coaching. Finally, I am not hating Eddie Griffin. But what flashes of potential/greatness convinced you guys that he will definitely be good? Just because he's young now, he will be definitely good? Please convince me if you have seen something I didn't see. Haven't you guys thought about this, what if he doesn't turn out to be good? There is every possibility of that happening, then the whole future of our franchise is screwed. I personally would have traded him for Rashard Lewis last summer. Everyone fears that Griffin will turn out to be another Jermaine O'Neal. But we are not in a deal like Portland's. A Jermaine O'Neal for a 23-year-old Rashard Lewis would be as bad as Jermaine O'Neal for a 32-year-old Dale Davis. And there is a high chance IMO that Griffin will actually never be as good as O'Neal.
Patience. As long as the Rockets aren't a contenders for the championship, all they have to do is develop in to one. And Griffin is a big part of the Rockets future, so stop hating on him, and let him play. Do you think all the hating is going to make it any better I really believe in him, and I see tons of potential, and tons of room to develop. But the only way he is going to develop in to a good PF. is to continue playing him. He is only a kid, so give him time. And in three years he will be a great player for the Rox. And in four years the Rockets have another championship. Just wait and see.
Can those who "see a lot of potential in EG" specify what special "potential" he has to me apart from the magic reason "he's only young"? I for one only saw 3 things: 1. He can block shots well. 2. He can rebound okay. 3. He can shoot 3s (although shooting 3s is quite unneccessary for a true big man IMO). Well not exactly a great discription of a potential great PF for me. Don't say how he did blah blah blah in highschool or college. Forget those scouting reports you read about him. Please explain to me what "flashes of potential" you have seen in him in the NBA games so far made you think he will be a star.
Five different players are not Rockets right now because of Eddie. Three draft picks in Jersey. KT in Philly. Rahim in Atlanta. It seems clear that the Rockets still love this kids potential. C'mon NewGirl, where were you last year when Griffin had that great stretch of games as a starter. he was tearin' it up there for awhile. anybody remember his averages in that stretch? it seems like Griff is in one of those sophmore funks...and for me, its much easier to let that slide because of his really young age.
Texas Stoke, no good. Just another "he has had good games", "he has a lot of potential", "he's young" post. It's getting old, you know? Could you really specify what special talent/skills he has?
with the way this team has been playing since the allstar break, I dont think any player has a special talent/skill right now.
I WOULDN'T BET THE RANCH ON THAT, I'M A ROCKET FAN TO THE BONE, YOUNG GRIFF OUTSIDE OF BLOCKING SHOTS FROM THE WEAK SIDE JUST ISN'T THAT GOOD. SORRY.
Same words again? Give some examples pls. What exactly "flashes of brilliance" has he shown? Shooting 3-pointers?
flashes of brilliance? I told you earlier. Last year Griffin had a stretch of games as a starter where he did everything well. I dont feel like pullin up his averages for that stretch but most people here will remember that run of impressive games began against the Lakers at home where he went off for 30 something points. you're getting silly with this, "what is his special skill talent skills stuff' I mean what does Francis excell in? dribbling? turnovers?
Francis has insane athleticism (top 3 vertical in the whole league) and is one of the quickest guards around. He's a great driver and a better than average outside shooter. These are special talent/skills I am talking about.
whoa dont blow me away with all those special skills all at once. c'mon, ok maybe Francis is an above average shooter for a point guard...a little above average. but quickness and atheletiscm? C'mon the object of the game is to put the ball in the hoop not freak people out with atheletiscm. Maybe Griffin doesnt have a special skill that stands out, but hey, the young guy has the ability to get the job done. whether that be rebounding, blocking shots, or a little scoring here and there. You know, a team doesnt need an allstar at every position. just agree with me and stop being stubborn.
Yes, I'm talking about his stretch last year. But this year he has also shown us some incredible definsive stops with his shot blocking. Againt Atlanta he had 16 boards. 6 of them offensively. Last year he had 7 blocks against Dallas. This year he has had 5 blocks several times. Against Seattle he had 23 points, on 10-15 shot attempts. That's flashes of brilliance. That's why we need to be patiente with this guy. Because he WILL be a force in this league. Right now he needs to bulk up, and learn a better post up game. Something he will, but not over the night.
By the way, why is it bad that Griffin got range on his shot? Sheed, Antoine Walker and KG all shoot three pointers. Even TD has started shooting some three pointers. He has worked on range, ever since he got in to this league. I'm not saying that EG should rely on his outside shooting, but it ain't bad that he got good range.
Eddie Griffin was labeled a potential star. And so because of a down year, everyone wantst to trade him for some magical beans, a couple of basketballs, and some other bullsh!t. It can be said that if Yao were not here (and I thank God he is everyday) Eddie would be the other franchise cornerstone along with Francis. When the Rockets traded for Eddie, everyone, and I mean everyone on this board (actually the chatroom) was ecstatic. Eddie is going to be more than a role player. And as for the "no one told him to go out and stand at the three-point line", if thats what the play calls for then thats what he is going to do. Once again something called play-calling. A little pessimistic with the whole "future of the franchise being screwed if EG doesn't pan out" is a little far. By no means am I saying he is going to be a breakout superstar, but you're making it seem like he's been in the league for five seasons and hasn't done squat. Last season EG showed great flashes of brilliance, and thats why users of this board said that all he needed was to hone his post-up game and add a little muscle. EG added a little muscle, as for the low-post game, I believe it was the Indiana game where about three times down the court he was set up in the low post. He made two out of three attempts. Eddie's progress has been stunted by the presence of Yao Ming. Which in itself is not a bad thing. This offseason the gameplan wil most likely be how to implement both of them, instead of having Eddie out on the three-point line. You have to think about it for a minute. Why did CD and Rudy T trade for Griffin? Why did they trade KT away and make Griffin the starter? Why has EG still been in the starting lineup when Taylor has had better games? Its because they believe in EG, and know his talent and they are trying to get him to translate that onto the court. But you have to give it time. You say you're not hating on Griffin, but everytime someone comes up with an argument for why he is doing decent, or to justify why he is th starter and why we traded for him, you're quicjk to say he should be like this, he should be shooting better, rebounding better, and blocking more shots, well on yor own words,"you could say this about every player in the NBA including every scrub."
