Ok, I'd just like to state right off the bat that this is NOT a Rudy-bashing thread...In fact, in my opinion, I put Rudy in a group with Jackson (sigh, yes, have had to revise my opinion), Karl, Sloan, Brown, and maybe Riley as the best coaches in the game, with nods to Wilkens for longevity and Rivers for the future...Oh, and Saunders, I guess... That being said, I would like to open a discussion on Rudy's patterns with rookies, with specific regards towards the scant floor-time and seemingly narrow roles made available to our rookies this year. ( When I say rookies, I specifically mean drafted players out of college, not older 1st year guys out of the CBA, Europe, or otherwise...) It seems to me that Rudy has had great success with developing rookies in the past, but almost without exception, whenever that has happened it has been a result of his hand being forced by circumstance. I'm NOT saying that the credit for the rookies' development isn't Rudy's, it is, but that the decision to play them which allowed him to develop them was due to circumstances beyond his control. Think about it, almost every rookie we've drafted who was given significant PT early on was thrust into that situation by a lack of alternatives....with the exception of Cassell, and he was still playing behind Kenny Smith even after it was clear he was a better player. Add to all this Rudy's crystal-clear preference for seniors coming out of the draft, and it leads me to the point of discussion; Eddie Griffin and T-Mo... Like every other coach in the league, Rudy prefers veterans to rookies, with good reason. And, as stated before, if and when he plays rookies, he has an obvious (and understandable) preference for older rookies. This is all well and good, but I am confused by the lack of PT our rookies are getting this year, of all year's, when injuries have put us in a position wherein salvageing the development of our future would seem to be a way to make the best of an unfortunate situation. What I wonder is this... A) Does the lack of PT that Griffin and Morris are getting reflect on them and their lack of readiness, or Rudy and his fairly extreme preference for age? B) If it is the former, and these guys aren't ready, when is there going to be a better time to get them ready than now? Or are we giving up on them? I'm NOT comparing the coaches, but T-Mo's deer-in-the-headlights look on those incredibly rare occasions when he hits the floor reminds me of Tracy McGrady's painfull first year here under Darrell Walker, another coach who had an extreme veteran bias (without Rudy's strengths)...My point is, with all the injuries, now seems the perfect time to let them get some time under their belts, and start the learning curve... C) It it's the latter, then does that signify a difference of philosophy between CD and Rudy T? I mean, we gave up a lot, in terms of draft picks, to get these guys, and if Rudy has no intention of playing EG because he's an underclassmen, than what was the point? D) Do you think that, given EG's age, limited playing time, at this point, actually IS the best thing for his development? I mean, you could argue that point of view, although most great players got a lot more PT, even underclassmen or high-schoolers, in their rookie years than Griffin is getting right now. That being said, if you do think that this is the best for Griffin, I'd be interested in your view, and why you see it that way. However, if the reason for EG's limited minutes is his age, and not Rudy's pattern, how do we account for T-Mo's even more limited playing time? Again, I would like to clarify that I think Rudy is a great coach, and that IF this is a weak area of his, he more than makes up for it in other areas, including the ability to develop young players very well when he's forced to do so...I'm just confused by this year, and would like to hear other opinions....
I have been saying this FOR YEARS !!!! Rudy is way too loyal to his veteran players. He needs to get EG some serious time. Heck, look at Pau Gasol, and Battier they are already comfortable in the NBA game, I think EG could be too with some quality minutes...at least 24 a night. DaDakota
Good post. That's my one complaint with Rudy also - he can be too loyal to the veterans. You think after trading three first round draft picks to get Griffin, that we would be playing him a lot more. I think Griffin has a lot of learning to do, but he is only going to get better if he is on the court playing. Sitting on the bench watching won't help much. And he has had periods where he has produced well when he was on the court. I remember him playing lots of minutes against Minnesota and playing decent, then he didn't even play in the next game. He needs consistent minutes if he is going to improve. Yes is he young, but Gasol is only 20 and he's already starting for Memphis. Then there is Parker for S.A. who is only 19. Rudy needs to stop playing our starters 45 minutes a night. The problem with that is you hurt your depth because the bench players hardly play. Then when you have injuries like now, you are in real trouble because these guys haven't been playing much at all. Even now with the injuries, Griffin and Morris aren't playing much. I don't get it. Let Griffin play - it will help bring fans to the Compaq Center!
