Wow I guess Mobley is the perfect offensive player then. He had 9 turnovers the other night..pretty solid . It's Manu's first game...Mobley will most likely always be an offensive player and a weak defensive player. Who knows what Manu will be..... The point is, its a pre-season game.
Thats fine and all Nikos, but you are dodging the key issue here. Can you deny B-Bob's claim that your boy is in fact Eddie Munster?
When the Rockets drafted Cat they were looking at him only as a point guard. The biggest reason he isnt considered a good defensive player is that he is smaller than most shooting guards. His lack of size is the reason he was not a #1 draft choice.
One can easily conclude from his performance in the two games that Boki can't shoot. But we know that he can shoot, from what he did in Europe and in practice. You can't just write someone off in two games. And didn't you just laugh at the report of a "beautifully missed layup"? So, did Griffin's jumper beautifully suck last year? My point is, you can't have it both ways. You may say that even though a player doesn't make his shots but the scout can tell that he has the potential of a good shooter. But then you'll also have to acknowledge that people (yes, including some scouts) saw the driving ability in Gino even though he didn't get past Mobley. I am no Gino fan. (I'm a Boki fan, though.) I just don't think you should be so harsh on a rookie in his first preseason.
Different situations. Griffin was a teenager, raw, displaying a skill uncommon for a PF (3 point shot). He showed inconsistency-and therefore capability that a year from now that will be lethal. Jumpers are a different element. They require a repeatable stroke-some games, your shots are on, but it's usually to see who can be a good shooter based on their stroke. Nachbar showed a good stroke, but his aim was off-heypartner mentioned the Langhi fear. We'll see if Nachbar has that, or if he's got the Peja/Hedo gunner mindset. Penetration ability, especially in a 25 year old, likely isn't going to change. Jumpers can come and go, and be prone to an offday. When you're healthy and 25, and aren't effective slashing in a one on one situation against an average defender like Mobley, odds are that won't be changing. Penetration skills are more comparable to rebounding or footwork-they are instincts that you have or you don't. Some days they may be better than others, but a healthy Dream could always posterize someone with a Dreamshake, and you'll basically never see Mutumbo or Ben Wallace or CB(3)4 play 20 mins+ and have only 2 rebounds. Bottom line: Some were hyping Manu as a guy who could become a great #2 option for Duncan post-Admiral. heypartner says without a Miller-like jumper or penetration skills which he did not show at all, he can't be that. I tend to agree.
Thats fine that you think that. But I disagree and I expect Manu to be a great driver on the NBA level once he gets into the NBA Flow, and this should all be a distatant memory. Just my opinion though (also I am Knicks fan, but I follow the Kings, Clippers, and Spurs because I like Duncan, Parker, Bibby, Peja, Turk, Dre Miller, Maggette, Brand, Jaric and a few others on these teams).
Actually, In the 4th quarters, when the Spurs were shut down, the Lakers were guarding Duncan straight up with Shaq. By then, with the refs more apt to swallow their whistles, & it being too late for Shaq to risk fouling out, it allowed the Laker defenders to stay at home with their own man. The wide open shots S. Smith, Ferry, Porter, Daniels thrived on for the 1st three quarters were GONE; & none of those guys could create a shot. The Spurs do not need another shooter: With Kerr, Smith & Ferry you have 3 guys who have EACH led the league in % at one point in their respective careers! Shooter they' ve got - they need someone with the cojones to put it on the floor, pull up, or drive & finish - something missing since Elliot lost his original kidney (Derek could drive or bomb, he didn't have much of a mid-range game). MAYBE they have helped fill that need. HEYPARTNER: Bowen plays the 3; period. This latest preseason game is the ONLY time I have seen Pop start him with another SF - Jackson. He GUARDS the opposing teams best perimeter player, whoever that may be. Do you think just because he guards Kobe, PJ wastes Kobes defensive talents on Bowen? Of course not - Kobe guards the Spurs 2 - unless a slow point guard is installed (Porter) in which case Jackson uses Kobe to disrupt the ENTIRE offense. Bowen & Manu WILL finish most close games on the floor together - if Manu develops as the Spurs expect him to.
101 6 7, Bowen is not a 3 "period." He may be a starting 3 while Steve Smith is the starting "2," but he is not a 3 "period." You said it yourself that he switches between 3 and 2. Smith is also a swingman. Gino is not. So let me get this right. Bowen is going to guard Mobley, and Gino is going to guard Eddie Griffin....then they switch...right? Bowen guards Kobe, and Gino guards a 240ilb Rick Fox. Bowen guards Wally and Gino guards Joe Smith. That's not the way the Rockets kept destroying the Utah Jazz. Clyde Drexler destroyed Hornachek so bad they had to sit him down to move Russell over, because it was only going to get worse if Hornachek tried to guard Robert Horry. It is difficult to hide poor defending SGs. It is easier to hide PGs and SFs. SA is a defensive team (arguably the best), and you just assume that a better offensive player than Bowen will not hurt what you are....rather, only add to it. It doesn't necessarily work that way. You don't need Gino, you need Vernon Maxwell if you want cojones. You need a driver who can play defense and can threaten a 3....like Cuttino Mobley!!! Or you need a pure shooter like Ricky Pierce. That's my opinion of your meltdown last year. Duncan got swarmed, and you don't need another GoTo guy, you need Parker and a SG to hit more open shots. The shots are there, San Antonio just missed them.
Who cares whether you call him a 2 or a 3 offensively or defensively? It's all a matter of stupid semantics. IMO his defense is vastly overrated and he hasn't stopped anybody lately that I can remember, and that's whats important. So put him out on the floor. whatever, he sucks.
101 6 7 i don't know what games you were watching, but in the 4th quarters, the laker were NOT guarding duncan str8 up with shaq. they were guarding duncan str8 up with robert horry, who has CONSISTENTLY done an excellent job of shutting down tim duncan in the 4th quarters. and the spurs problem is a matter of not having a playmaker that can hit the outside shot. kerr, smith and ferry are a waste of time because they cannot hit a shot with a man in their face, nor create their own shot off the dribble. ginobili is a waste of time because he - imo - cannot consistently bury the 3. they need a complete player to offset duncan and they don't have it and until they do acquire one, they will continue to be la's b****. that player was derek anderson. that player could have been charles smith. but those guys are gone and so are the spurs' hopes of beating la.
I dont' have time to look them up, but you OBIOUSLY don't know what you're talking about...I debated even responding to this ill-informed rant. The Spurs played sub .500 ball the games Bowen missed last year (he missed something like 18); & played .750 when he was a starter. Check out the FG% of Finley, T-Mac, Kobe, etc. when playing the Spurs versus other teams; that will show you how over-rated Bowen defensive skills are.
101 6 7 bwen's defense is SEVERELY overrated. you tell me who has he "shut down" outside of latrell sprewell (who he always plays well)?
Verse, you are simply wrong; Shaq played Tim is crunch time. Horry is the next best defender against Duncan on the Lakers - but I have vivid images of Shaq slapping the ball from Duncan in game 2 as Duncan turned - Kobe picked up the lose ball only to drive the length and have Bowen & Malik change his shot for the Spurs only win. When the Spurs offense stopped was when Jackson put Shaq on Duncan. Hell, Horry (along with S. Walker) guarded Duncan through 3.5 quarter of the last game, and TD hung 35 pts on them! He got stuck on 35 because of Shaq. BTW: The Spurs HAD Derek Andersen for a playoff series against LA; they got swept, & lost the last 2 by 30 - 40 points. Charles Smith won't ever play another game in the NBA, most likely. After carefull consideration I've decided you are most likely NOT GM material.
i think everyone knows that i was talking about charles smith pre-degenerative condition. and... um...derek anderson got his shouldered separated vs. dallas...you know, the series before la....tried to come back and was ineffective...but i guess a separated shoulder could do that to you, right? get a clue you f*cking loser.
I didn't have time to look up too many box scores, but for evidence that Bowen isn't too over-rated: March 31 - Lakers Kobe goes 11 of 24 April 5 - Mavericks Finley goes 9 of 32 November 6 Orlando T-Mac goes 9 of 24 April 12 Detroit Stackhouse goes 7 of 19 I didn't look up games against Allen, Kidd, Iverson, or Marbury, but I suspect similar results (or at least numbers below average for those players WHEN Bowen played).
we can go round 4 round about bwen, because i saw all those games, and from my perspective it was not bwen's defense that cause those performances (except for finley's). but i know i'll never get through your thick skull, so nevermind. we'll just discuss it as the season goes. and, truthfully, none of it matters because even if bwen hold's you to 40% shooting and you score 20 points, he'll only score 6 points. either way it's a net loss, imo.
