View from the Rocket vs. Grizzle Game

don grahamleone - Wow thanks! Last year I used my memory to write these reports but this time I wanted to make sure I got everything I could possibly view into these reports so I written them down so I could post everything I had seen and not miss any info.

MONON - Well I'm not too good at the basketball terminology and the definition of plays but Griffin would set screens at about the 3pt line than move to about 15ft from the basket and recieve the pass and pop it rather than last year where he just moved left or right on the 3pt line after setting screens and pop. He did this maybe 2 times out of the maybe 5 times, the other 3 times he just moved to along the 3pt line and pop.

Bassfly - I don't think he got heavier is what I actually mean by size wise but he may have gotten cutter? Hope that makes sense.
He still looks about 227lbs like last summer. I don't really think he got taller either, still 6-10 or 6-10 1/2 at most IMO (judge base on him standing next to Morris, about 1 inch taller at most). But Morris definitely looked noticeably bigger and wider and thicker in the shoulders, not skinny at all like last year( last year he looked skinny like Garnet but this summer he looks like may be Wallace, medium but not skinny or buff).

LakerMania - sorry I didn't catch the laker game but I did see the Clippers and Mavericks play before the laker game. The Mavericks got Two Sandwiches(forgot his real name but really big guy that looked 350lbs and 7+ft) Fun watching him though he seem to have some major ego out there(telling his teammates and refs what to do).

Jaybird - Yes! I did notice Morris playing more closer to the basket than last summer. He is alot more poise and calm. Last summer he rushed alot of shots and took many 15ft jumpers that where alittle to quick. This time he seems really like a vet taking his time setting up Griffin often, not really looking to shoot it as much or calling for it(like last season), just letting the game come to him. I really like how he's playing(real team player out there). Though there were a couple of times late in the game were I wish he would shoot it than pass it since he did knock down a clutch 3pt late in the game. The guy just seems real confident. Him and Griffin look real buddy buddy out there, putting there hands on each other during the timeouts(patting motion).

harumph - Thanks, I have my cousin to correct the gammer since my writing is horrible. But thanks for the complement. Yes Griffin was setting the pick than moving to the basket a couple of times, and other times shooting the 3. Brown was the ball carrier, though I think Griffin has gotten more confident in dribbling it's not good enough yet to dribble through screens, just enough to get a closer shot, might be good enough to get by some players but less than more. Actually he just walked it up once but I never seen him do it so it shocked me alittle because the guards didn't try and call for it like they knew he could bring it up himself without problems.

DearRock - Yes I actually think he can play some spot min to backup either the SF or PF for some time. Last summer I really didn't think he was ready to play maybe 20mins a night yet but even though it's just one game I see a different Morris out there, one I think could play significant mins. like 18-20 a night if needed. This is the guy I called AT, Ishmail Ahmed, my bad. He played ok but I really doubt he could play for us in a real game. He shoots it way too much, I call this the Linsey Hunter style, where if he gets the ball he shoots it. Not really a team player but did make some shots. His defense was ok at SF but when he guarded the PF spot against Gooden, Gooden when off for 6 points in 2 mins or so.

alaskansnowman - Griffin did block a few but comparing his style to last summer he's not really looking to block as much. Last summer he was everywhere getting fouls trying to block every shot that was attempted near him by his man or anyone else near him, now this time he's more looking to rebound and defend his man(who he get's the blocks on). He's not really blocking other players shots like last summer but Morris is, and is helping by blocking on the weak side. It just seems like he was more active trying to block last summer than this but he is way more aggressive trying to rebound, I watch him more than the plays that were going on and notice he trys to get inside more to get offensive boards and defensive boards. I say kind of like how Shaq was young as a rookie and went after every shot but now Griffin is playing more like Shaq now trying to get inside and rebound though getting some blocks but only those when players come inside rather than going out to the 15ft and 20ft blocking.

Stylez - I deffinitely see a new wrinkle to this game where last year he would just spot up for the 3 or 20ft 2 but this time hes doing that and driving to about the ft line and taking a jumper there or dishing underneath. He did this at least 4 times. This I see as a move he'll use more often than just some thing he did in this game. I think he has practice this some because it almost seems prethought if that makes sense.

ROXTXIA - Sorry I know it's has long paragraphs, I'm just not sure how to break it up, I have never been good at english but I will try, thanks. Griffin did drive and dish a few times but he really didn't handle the ball to set up a play like a guard. Morris did handle the ball and set up plays but mostly just to get griffin posted up inside. Morris never dribbled from one side of the court to the other. None of them really handled through pressure such as screens.

ericdwj - It was a great match between Griffin and Gooden. They played each other practically the whole game. At first Gooden seem to have the upper hand, scoring at will, than late in the game esp in the later 3rd and than 4th quarter Griffin turned it up like he could do it anytime and take over not only in scoring but in rebounding and that last block in the last few mins against Gooden was a clutch key to the game. Till the closer end of the 3rd Griffin only had 9 points. Than as you can see he finished with 23 or so. At the end he was calling plays for him like he knew he could make the difference and wanted to. He did it and knock down 2 very clutch shots back to back. He was great, such confidence and determination, though his outside expressions was still and calm. But you could just see his wanting to win, at the end even when he was calling for the ball at the 3pt line and did not get it he ran and just jumped over everyone and if Brown had miss that shot with 5.6 sec left I'm almost sure Griffin would have gotten the rebound, he just flew in there but luckily Brown made the game winner. Gooden really was great too, he's much better than I had previously though from seeing the last games of the NCAA tournement. I can't really express how well he passes out of the traps or on the run. He just seems to know where the other players are and he's got a ton of offensive moves. He even fingerolled a pass to a guard, I just never seen that before. Some time during the games I said he's not going to make that drive and shot since his head is down and he's moving way to quick and his shot will probably be hard but he just knows where the basket is and stops on a dime and hits it, he's really good at getting fouls from players that jump at him for a block (kind of like Malone) and getting the shot off. It was a good match up between these two. They are both very similar in size too, Gooden's body is very similar to Griffin, just that Gooden's head is significantly bigger.

3oClockRocket, NJRocket, Tmo, rocketlaunch, Sooner423, Loco Gringo, jello77, vj23k, - Thanks.

All this is just my opinions. If anything else you guys like to know I'll try to answer them.