Jermaine O'neal sat on the Portland Bench for 4 years without play time before he developed into the All-Star caliber player he is today. I bet Portland is kicking themselves in the ass everytime there is a mention of O'Neal. EG is still 20 years old. Should we not wait a little while or maybe we want to be like Portland.
The only reason I wrote this article is to give a different point of view.I think we can use Eddie in the long run.The plian and simple fact is that right now it is just what I was thinking from the otherside of the game.How many of ya'll think like that and arent afraid to say what you feel because of whom is reading or wathcing.Come on ya'll give me a lil credit it just a article.
Keep Eddie Bring in a good big man coach Trade MoT for a bag of peanuts Sign or trade for a decent "power" forward If all fails, give Cato some time at the 4
Personally, I love Eddie. While it is true that he has not become consistent yet, look at some of the games he has had: 25 points vs. the Knicks his rookie year (also had 1 other 25 point game) 7 blocks that same year against Dallas 16 boards against Atlanta (OK, so it was vs. Atlanta) At 20 years of age, this kid has tremendous upside and is going into his 3rd year (considered to be the make or break year for most players). I believe that we need to stick by EG, give him playing time, and encourage him to play in the post rather than on the perimeter. He will develop faster than O'Neill did because he is getting the playing time that Jermaine couldn't playing behind 'Sheed and Grant in Portland. STOP THE EDDIE BASHING! BTW, the EG for Griff trade doesn't work until EG gets off his rookie contract. In fact, Eddie will not draw nearly his worth in trade simply due to the fact that he is still in his rookie contract.
Every team has players as the latter. Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace were on Washington. Tmac on Toronto. Nash on Phoenix. The list goes on. The thing is that some franchises and coaches just bring out the best in a player. Some players are very talented but lack self esteem, motivation and initiative. Also, some players just take longer to develope than others,
SteadyBallin, you gotta come up with better options next time man. I chose: "No Eddie Is What We Need For The Future" Because I was thinking that "No Eddie" is what we need in the future (trade him!). But rereading it, I can see that it is probably meant to read "No , Eddie Is What We Need For The Future " So it means he should stay. I demand a re-count.
What Power Forwards are available in trade/free agency that would be an upgrade over Eddie Griffin and Mo Taylor?
ok. let's clear the air. 1) Eddie has more trade value than ya'll pre-madonnas give him credit for. He's young, talented, athletic, good marksman, and a very good defensive presence. That being said, all league executives know that about 70% of all NBA players smoke pot. Some players are just smarter about it than others. Eddie's young and he'll learn. 2) Please stop dwelling on the 3 for 1 trade we did with N.J. So far they've looked like they made out like bandits, so far! It probably always will if R.J. becomes an all-star, which brings me to #3. 3) What can we do or get for Eddie. Well, rumors in the BBS have been circulating that he'll be traded this offseason. I personally am on the fence on this matter, maybe leaning slightly towards trading him only if he doesn't put some effort in this off season to improve his POST game as well as get stronger. If the Rox see that he's still the same old Eddie, ship him out. If he has made strides in his game, keep him definitely. Remember he's only 20, so he has alot of learning and developing to do. I think Eddie at 240-250 lbs. would be a real force. 4) Now let's play the devil's advocate and say Eddie continues to be passive and not really to concerned about improving his game during the offseason, who do we target? IMO, the best reasonable trade we could get for him would be Chris Wilcox from L.A. Clipps. He's a true strong PF, a terp that helped his team to the National Championship, won't shy away from physical contact, and plays only limited minutes behind Brand. Also, Sterling doesn't need Wilcox that much since they also have Ely on the bench. Since seeing how often Odom is injured and how they miss Miles' defense, Eddie could help in both of those areas, as well as spread the floor with his ability to hit the 3. Eddie would also play more minutes than Wilcox since he can play 3 positions. I think all Wilcox needs is more playing time. If we do this trade and Wilcox becomes the postplayer I believe he can, we'll look like we got the best out of the N.J. trade. However this trade is only good if Sterling decides to give a Elton an extension. plan B: Package Mobes and Eddie to Indiana for Jeff Foster and Al Harrington. This, IMO, is a good trade for both teams.
Let's not forget that a 3 or lankey 4 in Rudy's system always was the spot 3 shooter. I'm curious as to how he'll do in a new system under a different coach. IMO, it's confidence that's the problem anyway. Anyone remember the pre-season when Eddie busted out early and looked like a player? I believe it's in him. He's just has to fish it out of his head.
