I am hopeful but a couple of things have frustrated me. 1) a younger player, and rookie this year to boot, plays his position and is clearly better than him despite EG being more experienced in organized basketball. Granted this isn't entirely fair, but seeing Amare's work ethic and tenacious attitude on the court--exactly some of the things we are most missing from our 4s all year long, it is hard to not feel some disappointment in EG. 2) somewhat related to 1). It is obvious EG has loads of talent--but the intensity and passion to work to incrementally improve has not been obvious (with Amare this is obvious, also you could tell this in KG right away even if his first year or two he was showing much of the same rawness of EG). Maybe it is there, but more of my impression has been this is a guy who always relied on his talent to succeed (closer to a prima donna--and not his work ethic, aggressiveness, prepation or mind). 3) somewhat related to 1 & 2--with Yao and Francis as our future we more need someone who is a physical presence, with a lot of attitude, and who complements them--a steady, if less than spectacular supporting player. With EG it just seems were either going to get a more limited underachiever who is never quite consistent enough, or a multidimensional threat that will need the ball and will control games at times. Could be wrong but that is my sense--and if it is going to be the former--I'd rather trade while his stock is way up. The above said I know he is young and does have a ton of promise. I think the only players really discussed for trades with him in the discussion are guys like Gasol and Brand this year, or Rashard Lewis last summer. But sorry, if EG was one of the keys to swinging Brand or a player like that I would say by by. I would take the guy I know would provide the physical presence and tenaciousness to meld with our current franchise players over a guy with potentially more pure talent and with an unpredictable fit.
i dont care what anybody says. y'all can keep using the "hes only 20" excuse, but amare stodemire just turned 20 and hes dunking on people left and right and amares inside game is waay better than eddie's. in my opinion, eddie griffin's is to the rockets, like tim thomas is to the milwalkee bucks. both of their games are all just based on potential and both players are getting too much attention than they deserve. both thomas and griffin were expected to step their game up after players on each team were traded . but both teams are expecting too much out of their players (tim thomas and eddie griffin).
Yeah, but that's the exception, so you can't use that as a basis. Most young players that age take some time to develop. Just because one or two don't does not mean you can throw everyone else in that category.
To all the EDDIE GRIFFIN fans out there, learn to appreciate a compliment. The reason that there is so much talk about GRIFFIN is because he's one of the Rockets' more attractive talents. Nobody is saying to trade MO TAYLOR for ELTON BRAND because everyone knows that nobody wants MO, his gimp leg, and his inflated salary. As for the comparison to JERMAINE O'NEAL, minutes alone will not turn a player into a star. There are challenges that new players must deal with that take time (measured in years in the league rather than minutes on the floor). Physical play, maturity, decision making, feel, chemistry, familiarity with opponents. So while O'NEAL was destined to be a star, just getting him off the bench would not have accelerated his development by more than a year or two. That still gives GRIFFIN some time to catch up. But despite what others would seem to claim, I do not think that GRIFFIN is going to develop into a legitimate star like BRAND. He'll be more like an OTIS THORPE, and I'll take BRAND for THORPE any old day of the week. Everybody would, Donald Sterling included (so I think we need to sweeten the deal with CUTTINO MOBLEY, but I still don't see this happening before the 20th).
This is kind of funny, because I would love to see Eddie develop into an Otis Thorpe. Solid interior D, can play the back-up C, & adequate offensively in the low post. In fact when discussing Brand going to us I make the analogy to Thorpe. I believe the year before OT got here he had a 21 & 10 season on a bad team--very similar to Brand's #s. I envision that if Brand was traded to us he probably be a 17PPG 10-11RPG guy for the next 8 years or so for us (again similar to Thorpe's)--not quite superstar numbers but the perfect (super) role player compliment around Yao and Francis. Granted Brand is probably a little more tenacious and is a little better shot-blocker than OT--but again I think they are pretty comparable and if Brand was here his role and production would be like OT's was for us (16-18PPG, usually around 10 RPG). Again if EG develops into a OT that would be just fine by me, I just hope he doesn't become only a Donyell Marshall, or worse, Brad Sellers.
