As I'm sure that most of you are watching the playoffs right now, I thought I would bring something to your attention. As you watch the Nets, keep in mind that the Rockets had the rights to Richard Jefferson (U of A), as well as two other players, and actually traded them for sorry Eddie Griffin. Could this have been one of the biggest flops in the Rockets draft over the last five years?
Didn't he own a dry cleaning chain? You know from that TV show. And he always called his wife "Weezey"
OK first let me start with a quote from the Nets chat website: Yeah Houston traded Jefferson, Jason Collins, and Brandon Armstrong for Eddie Griffin. I think the Rockets got screwed big time. Griffin is OK, but Jefferson is a big impact player. Jason Collin has been doing a great job filling in for Mutumbo. and Armstrong well.... I think he has actually played once. Here's the analysis of Richard Jefferson prior to the 2001 draft via our favorite Clutch website: http://www.clutchcity.net/draft_profile.cfm?Player=39 and the eventual trade to acquire Griffin http://www.clutchcity.net/draft.cfm?xDraftYear=2001 Do me a favor, next time you watch the Nets in the Eastern Finals take a look at this guy. I definitely think the Rockets jumped for the potential rising star when they had already selected someone who took Arizona to the Finals, has vert, can talk, hasn't been caught for possession of the sweet smellin Green and will be around for a long time.
Straight from the Sporting news recap of the Houston New Jersey Game - Jefferson with a triple double 30 pts, 11 assists, 10 rebounds; Griffin 7 pts, 3 assists, 1 steal (any comments): http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/scoreboard/20030331/recap/466321.html Jefferson, Nets manhandle Rockets March 31, 2003 Print it RECAP | BOX SCORE | SCOREBOARD EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Dikembe Mutombo's elbow crashed into Yao Ming's throat, and Yao went down in a heap. The rest of the Houston Rockets stumbled badly, too. Richard Jefferson had 30 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his first career triple-double as the New Jersey Nets won their fourth in a row Monday night, 110-86 over the Houston Rockets. Houston dropped a half-game behind Phoenix in the race for the Western Conference's eighth and final playoff spot despite Yao breaking out of a four-game offensive slump. Mutombo had four points and eight rebounds in his second game back from the injured list. It was his first career meeting with Yao, and Mutombo nailed him in the throat with an elbow late in the second quarter when Mutombo got into position to box out. Yao collapsed to his knees, holding his throat, and Mutombo was whistled for a foul despite his protests. "I can't believe my elbow can reach his neck," Mutombo said. "I thought I was going to get it between his chest and stomach and box him out. Next thing I knew he was on the floor. I didn't realize that so I told him to "get up." "I hope he understands me," Mutombo continued. "When we went to the other side. I asked him: 'Are you all right?' I don't know what he say." Yao did not seem pleased -- either when the elbow hit him or when he discussed it afterward. "I think his face is a little bit cuter than his elbow," Yao said through an interpreter. "It's something that's not even worth talking about. It's something that even if it was intentional, it did happen. He was penalized for it and I got my two shots. Maybe next time I'll use a little tape." Jason Kidd finished with 30 points and 12 rebounds for New Jersey, which never trailed and led by as many as 30. Jefferson, selected the NBA's player of the week earlier in the day, led the team in scoring for the third consecutive game as the Nets overcame the absence of Kenyon Martin (sprained knee) and avenged one of their most embarrassing losses of the season. New Jersey scored a franchise-low 24 first-half points in the last meeting between the teams March 8. The Nets stretched their lead to 15 in the second quarter, let the Rockets get back within three and then broke things open late in the third. A tip-in by Mutombo right before the buzzer gave the Nets an 84-68 lead entering the fourth, and Kidd had five points in a 7-0 run to open the fourth quarter that ended all doubt. Jefferson reached the triple-double with 3:48 remaining and added his 11th assist with 1:29 left. "The only thing I was a little bit upset about was the way they celebrated," Steve Francis said. "We thumped them by 35 at our home and we didn't do all that celebrating or run plays with a minute left, but that's something that will stick in my mind for the next time we play the New Jersey Nets." Yao scored Houston's first 12 points and Francis finished with 22, but the Rockets had few other offensive options with Cuttino Mobley sidelined by a sprained finger. Martin, who sprained his knee Saturday against Golden State, and Mobley, who sprained his left index finger Saturday against Denver, are listed as day-to-day. New Jersey also was without Lucious Harris (sprained ankle). Second-year forward Brian Scalabrine started in Martin's place and had four points, nine rebounds and five assists. Moochie Norris started for Mobley and shot 1-for-6. "I don't think 11 out of 11 guys who suited up were prepared to play tonight," Francis said. "The players know who they are who aren't putting everything into it. If we don't get that solved, we're going to be singing the same sad song come three weeks from now." Notes: Jefferson was fined for being late to the morning shootaround, and coach Byron Scott let him take a double-or-nothing shot from the 3-point line. Jefferson missed the shot. Scott wouldn't specify the amount of the fine but said it was more than $500. ... Kidd's 4-year-old son, T.J. revealed that he dressed up as Scalabrine last Halloween, donning a redheaded wig and a No. 21 Nets jersey -- Scalabrine's number. ... The Nets were 0-for-9 from 3-point range in Houston but shot 10-for-22 Monday. ... New Jersey drew its eighth sellout crowd.
Wow. The draft profile on Griffin says he is great with his back to the basket. How come we haven't seen that?
Take a look at the pre-draft analysis of Eddie Griffin, do you think that he has lived up to these expectations? http://www.clutchcity.net/draft_profile.cfm?Player=31 Clutchcity.net Notes on Eddie Griffin Many felt Eddie Griffin was going to jump to the NBA straight out of high school. They were off by a year. In just one season at Seton Hall, the 6'9" Griffin has established himself as one of the nation's top players, averaging 17.8 points and 10.8 rebounds. As a freshman he led the country in blocks at 4.5 a contest. Thinly framed at 210 pounds, Griffin is a trmendous leaper that has scouts and GM's praying to get his rebounding and shot-blocking talent on their roster. "Eddie Griffin is one of the best players to come onto the college scene in the last 20 years," said Sportsline's George Rodecker. Strengths of Eddie Griffin Does it all inside. Puts up numbers in scoring, rebounding and is an exceptional shot blocker. Plays well with his back to the basket and his footwork around the hoop draws praise. Handles the ball real well and is athletic -- can get around other power forwards very well. As good as he is inside, he's got a sweet stroke from the outside as well. Graceful and powerful. Runs the break extremely well and finishes just as good. Has the tools to become a superstar on the next level. Weaknesses of Eddie Griffin The big question mark is character/attitude. Griffin was suspended for punching teammate Ty Shine (reportedly because Shine didn't feed him the ball enough - nice) in the locker room after a loss to Georgetown. Had the same question mark in high school where he was expelled for starting a fight in the school cafeteria. Griffin on the Rockets? If you're a Rocket fan turning down a chance to get a prospect like Eddie Griffin, you're either crazy or you're Maurice Taylor. Griffin can play the 3 and 4 and is simply masterful on the boards and returning shots to sender. Though the Rockets won't get high enough to get him, he would instantly become a large part of the foundation of the franchise along with Steve Francis. Lone problem being his character questions since the Rockets pride themselves on their terrific chemistry.
If you look at Jefferson's and Griffin's totals per 48 minutes they were quite similar this year. Jefferson averaged over 3 PPG more than Griffin while Griffin averaged over 3 RPG more than Jefferson. They averaged the same amount of steals while Griffin doubled Jefferson's blocks total. Jefferson shot better from the field while Griffin shot better from 3 point range. A big factor to keep in mind is that Jefferson has Jason Kidd feeding him the ball and has a couple of extra years of college under his belt. Griffin is generally the Rockets 4th or 5th option on offense. Maybe in 2 years when Eddie turns 22, he'll have significantly improved.
Here's another article from the Chronicle following the '01 draft - After two years of watching Griffin I am definitely not convinced (please prove me wrong) June 28, 2001, 1:55AM Rockets trade top picks to Nets for Eddie Griffin By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2001 Houston Chronicle Killing time between the endless strategy sessions and tape examinations, Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich put his coaches and scouts through a draft exercise. Who, Tomjanovich asked, would you choose if -- instead of picking 13th in Wednesday's NBA draft -- you could pick first? One name Tomjanovich said was the overwhelming choice: Eddie Griffin. ROCKETS ยท Blinebury: Daring move comes with lots of upside The Rockets never did get the No. 1 pick, but they got their No. 1 choice, sending the rights to their three first-round selections -- the 13th, 18th and 23rd picks of the draft -- to New Jersey to pick up Griffin, a 6-9 freshman forward from Seton Hall who until recent days had been projected as the No. 1 pick of the draft. "No way in the world did we think we would have the opportunity to get this guy," Tomjanovich said. "Three picks help you fill some big holes. (But) we think we got someone special. How many times do you get a chance to get a special player? Now we got this guy." Griffin was at least as surprised as the Rockets to find himself unclaimed through six picks. Then he went from staying in New Jersey and playing in the same arena in which he played college ball to a team that had not even worked him out. "I was shocked about it," Griffin said. "People were saying I was going No. 1. I find I went No. 7. I'm happy to be drafted in the NBA. "I'm real excited about it. I was excited going to New Jersey. I'm excited I'm going to Houston and playing with Cuttino Mobley and Steve Francis. They're a team on the rise. They have good, talented, young players. I'm going to try to fit in." The Rockets considered Griffin's availability so stunning -- and Griffin so rare a talent -- Tomjanovich compared acquiring him to the trade that brought Francis, the second player taken in the 1999 draft, to Houston. He was not alone. "We feel unbelievably fortunate to get a player who could have been the No. 1 pick," Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said in a statement. AP Seton Hall star Eddie Griffin did not even work out for the Rockets, but the team has had its eyes on him from the start. The Francis trade actually helped the Rockets net Griffin because the No. 18 pick the Rockets swapped Wednesday came from Orlando to help complete the three-team deal that landed Francis. And the No. 23 pick Wednesday came from Orlando in exchange for the extra draft selection the Rockets picked up from last year's draft-day trade with the Bucks for center Jason Collier. Later Wednesday, the Rockets cashed another first-round pick acquired for another player who played for them, Mirsad Turkcan, to pick up Maryland forward Terence Morris in the second round. The Rockets sent the future pick the Pistons owed them -- any pick the Pistons should acquire by 2004 -- to Atlanta for the fifth pick of the second round, using it to acquire Morris, Francis' former Maryland teammate. Tomjanovich said he had considered Morris a high first-round prospect two years ago when Morris, then a sophomore, considered entering the draft. "Terence is a guy I watched for several years," Tomjanovich said. "He's a guy a couple of years ago we thought was going to come out and I thought would fit the way I wanted to play. "I was disappointed when he went back in. That kid just fits us." Griffin offers a different sort of fit, bringing a physical style with a taste for battling on the boards and defending inside. Tomjanovich said Griffin can defend small forwards or power forwards and, in some cases, centers. "I think I can help them out with rebounding and shot-blocking and help out scoring," Griffin said. That much was clear. The tricky part was getting a way to move into a position to select one of the draft's most coveted talents. Though the Rockets have been working to move up in the draft for weeks, and especially since acquiring the 18th pick June 2, the deal Wednesday did not come down until after the Grizzlies had selected Shane Battier at No. 6, putting the Nets on the board. The Rockets and several teams had often discussed making deals to move up, giving the Nets a pretty good idea the Rockets would jump at the deal Wednesday. Again Wednesday, the Rockets had been working to acquire Griffin, talking to teams drafting ahead of the Nets. By the time the Nets called, it was quickly clear they were willing to pick Griffin and send him to Houston. But Tomjanovich said he made his staff stop and think before the Rockets accepted the trade that landed Griffin. Griffin might have slipped because of several fighting incidents in high school and at Seton Hall. But Tomjanovich said the Rockets' research failed to raise any concerns. "We heard he's a quiet kid, loves basketball and keeps to himself," Tomjanovich said. Griffin was second in the nation in blocked shots, averaging 4.43 per game while scoring 17.8 points on 43 percent shooting. "It was really an amazing situation," Tomjanovich said. "We thought Eddie Griffin would be picked very high. We did some ratings of this draft and he was right there on top. "Versatility. Size. We think he's an all-around guy. He can block shots. He can rebound, shoot outside, finish inside and he's 19 years old. "When you're talking about three picks for one, he would have to be someone special. It reminds me of the Steve Francis situation. It's amazing how things can happen. I couldn't be happier."
This gives me some hope that the team will work hard in the off season. SF could have enough influence to push out some of the guys who don't show up to play. The lack of energy on the defensive end is where this shows the most since the offense is so damned predictable. There were a few games towards the end (Utah, Portland) where nobody came to play and the whole team should have been running steps for a month for their effort. I'm thinking of two specifically: Rice: can't play on D, perhaps one of the worst in the league, doesn't rebound, doesn't steal, doesn't block and is so streaky with his 3 points shot that some nights he shouldn't even suit up. Moochie: got the money, lost the heart, if he doesn't find it real quick I think SF and Cat may kill him because they looked upset with him most of the season.
RICHARD JEFFERSON - SEASON AVERAGES MPG 36.0 FG% .501 3P% .250 FT% .743 Rebounds Off 1.9 Def 4.6 Tot 6.4 APG 2.5 SPG 1.0 BPG 0.6 TO 2.0 A/TO 1.3 PF 2.7 PPG 15.5 EDDIE GRIFFIN - SEASON AVERAGES MPG 24.6 FG% .400 3P% .333 FT% .617 Rebounds Off 1.8 Def 4.2 Tot 6.0 APG 1.1 SPG 0.7 BPG 1.4 TO 1.0 A/TO 1.1 PF 1.8 PPG 8.6
Doesn't Jefferson play with that Jason Kid guy? BTW, can anyone tell me what they know about Yao Ming? Is he any good?
Here are the most important statistics which Griffin can't claim: NBA Playoffs REBOUNDS PER GAME G GS MPG FGM-A FG% 3PM-A 3P% FTM-A FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG First Round 6 6 33.0 36-66 .545 0-1 .000 19-26 .731 1.70 4.20 5.80 2.5 .33 .00 2.00 4.30 15.2 Conference Semifinals 4 4 41.0 27-51 .529 0-1 .000 19-28 .679 1.00 6.30 7.30 4.3 .75 .00 3.00 1.50 18.3 Cumulative Playoff Statistics 10 10 36.2 63-117 .538 0-2 .000 38-54 .704 1.40 5.00 6.40 3.2 .50 .00 2.40 3.20 16.4
