Why are we calling this Euroball?????
I may be gettin older than I think because guys this is how the N.B.A. used to be played. Prior to the Rockets making a career out of one low post player & everybody else standing at the three point line there was this thing called ball movement & moving without the ball.
Guys the Euro's picked this up not because they invented it, it's because they saw the first two dream teams do this. We didn't just throw low post passes all of the time & watch Chuck & Shaq go to work. They moved the ball around & guess what they could shoot.
Hell, prior to Jermaine O'Neal we did a similar thing. Rik was good in the post but he was at his best when he was facing the basket from about 12' out. Our low post often ran through Jackson & he more often than not would move the ball around from the post, not just go one on one.
If anything this isn't Euroball, this is just going back to basics.
Will I welcome J.O. back? Hell ya. Eventually you have to have a superstar that can take over a game to win it all, but I think you can make a run at it with teamwork.
Enough of that, now to the game.
It's to the point now that I feel like if I talk about Croshere anymore I am just going to be beating a deadhorse but damn. Another night of 23 points & 12 rebounds. I'm not comparing him to J.O. at all but let's just say our statistical production from our powerforward spot hasn't dropped off any at all. Before anybody explodes I'm not putting him in O'Neals catagory but Austin is proving what some of us said for all those years that Zeke was here. Austin was being screwed. This guy could make a serious run at M.I.P. Can anybody argue that this guy doesn't deserve to still start when everybody is back? I mean in all honesty can you complain about one thing about this guy? His defense is solid. His rebounding is outstanding. He offers an offensive option & his freethrow shooting has saved the last two games in a row for us. To bench him would be an insult to him & to the game of basketball itself.
Fred Jones. When he wants to he can be the most dynamic player on our team. He has moves that I honestly don't think we've ever had on our team. The hang time he can put up while jumping is out of this world good. I'd like to see him play consistant from begining to end, but if he continues to bail us out at the end of games who I am I to complain. One thing I would like to make sure of is that everybody apreciates his defensive prowess. This guy is a great perimater defender. Isiah had no clue about Croshere but damn this was one great pick.
Harrison is getting great game time experiance. This cannot be underestimated. He will learn more & more with each game. The last two games have been rough, but the way I see it that every mistake he makes now will be one that he hopefully won't make come March. He has already gotten better about getting cheap fouls. For a guy who really still isn't in game shape he sure can get up in the air quick & his ability to rejump is pretty impressive for as big as he is. The block on that Primoz dunk was after he had already jumped for an Okafor fake. Great recovery by the big man.
Jamaal. Dammit Jamaal hit your freethrows!!!!!!!!! I about lost my mind when he kept blowing those. But all was well when he tipped in that missed FT from Fred. Actually J.T. was great again tonight. I know he has got to be losing his mind from all of the dropped passes. I think he is going to have to adjust himself to certain players. He cannot throw the ball to David Harrison the same way he throws it to Fred Jones. I cannot beleive that only gave him credit for 1 steal. It seems to me he got his hands on more than that.
Pollard was in pain & it was plain to see. I bet he misses a couple of games out west. But let's all just give him credit right now. He is a soldier & from what I'm reading & hearing from Rick he has been great in the locker room, a real glue kinda guy. I still hate that trade with the passion of a white hot sun, but I don't hate Scot. He is giving it his all even when you can tell he is in pain. Another player on our team could learn a lesson, IMO. No names mentioned. I hope when everybody gets back that Pollard isn't relagated to DNP-CD's.
James Jones had a bad game. I won't pull any punches about it. I'd like to see him work on a game inside the three point line & just because he had a couple of 10+ rebound games doesn't mean he can have a ZERO rebound game. Hey wait a min. More three point field goal attempts than normal shots & zero rebounds. Maybe he thought he was replacing Reggie on the floor instead of Ron. I still will go to battle with the guy over the big potential. At least James will play & up until last night he had played well.
Now that I've seen both the # 1 & # 2 picks in the league this year I have to say that I can't make up my mind as to who I prefer. Howard seems to maybe have more upside, but Okafor is more polished at present. I like both players & IMO the east in about 3-4 years will be a very physical conf.
Fans helped the team over the top again last night, it took a little to get going this time though. Probably a little let down from the Min. win. Hey, it happens.
Another great win & let's not forget that this is the same Bobcat team that took Detroit to double overtime one game & then beat them the next time.
A.J. should be back next week so we'll see where he goes in the rotation & what position he plays. I bet he gets lots of min. at the two guard with Freddy taking some of his min. from the 3.
I may be gettin older than I think because guys this is how the N.B.A. used to be played. Prior to the Rockets making a career out of one low post player & everybody else standing at the three point line there was this thing called ball movement & moving without the ball.
Guys the Euro's picked this up not because they invented it, it's because they saw the first two dream teams do this. We didn't just throw low post passes all of the time & watch Chuck & Shaq go to work. They moved the ball around & guess what they could shoot.
Hell, prior to Jermaine O'Neal we did a similar thing. Rik was good in the post but he was at his best when he was facing the basket from about 12' out. Our low post often ran through Jackson & he more often than not would move the ball around from the post, not just go one on one.
If anything this isn't Euroball, this is just going back to basics.
Will I welcome J.O. back? Hell ya. Eventually you have to have a superstar that can take over a game to win it all, but I think you can make a run at it with teamwork.
Enough of that, now to the game.
It's to the point now that I feel like if I talk about Croshere anymore I am just going to be beating a deadhorse but damn. Another night of 23 points & 12 rebounds. I'm not comparing him to J.O. at all but let's just say our statistical production from our powerforward spot hasn't dropped off any at all. Before anybody explodes I'm not putting him in O'Neals catagory but Austin is proving what some of us said for all those years that Zeke was here. Austin was being screwed. This guy could make a serious run at M.I.P. Can anybody argue that this guy doesn't deserve to still start when everybody is back? I mean in all honesty can you complain about one thing about this guy? His defense is solid. His rebounding is outstanding. He offers an offensive option & his freethrow shooting has saved the last two games in a row for us. To bench him would be an insult to him & to the game of basketball itself.
Fred Jones. When he wants to he can be the most dynamic player on our team. He has moves that I honestly don't think we've ever had on our team. The hang time he can put up while jumping is out of this world good. I'd like to see him play consistant from begining to end, but if he continues to bail us out at the end of games who I am I to complain. One thing I would like to make sure of is that everybody apreciates his defensive prowess. This guy is a great perimater defender. Isiah had no clue about Croshere but damn this was one great pick.
Harrison is getting great game time experiance. This cannot be underestimated. He will learn more & more with each game. The last two games have been rough, but the way I see it that every mistake he makes now will be one that he hopefully won't make come March. He has already gotten better about getting cheap fouls. For a guy who really still isn't in game shape he sure can get up in the air quick & his ability to rejump is pretty impressive for as big as he is. The block on that Primoz dunk was after he had already jumped for an Okafor fake. Great recovery by the big man.
Jamaal. Dammit Jamaal hit your freethrows!!!!!!!!! I about lost my mind when he kept blowing those. But all was well when he tipped in that missed FT from Fred. Actually J.T. was great again tonight. I know he has got to be losing his mind from all of the dropped passes. I think he is going to have to adjust himself to certain players. He cannot throw the ball to David Harrison the same way he throws it to Fred Jones. I cannot beleive that only gave him credit for 1 steal. It seems to me he got his hands on more than that.
Pollard was in pain & it was plain to see. I bet he misses a couple of games out west. But let's all just give him credit right now. He is a soldier & from what I'm reading & hearing from Rick he has been great in the locker room, a real glue kinda guy. I still hate that trade with the passion of a white hot sun, but I don't hate Scot. He is giving it his all even when you can tell he is in pain. Another player on our team could learn a lesson, IMO. No names mentioned. I hope when everybody gets back that Pollard isn't relagated to DNP-CD's.
James Jones had a bad game. I won't pull any punches about it. I'd like to see him work on a game inside the three point line & just because he had a couple of 10+ rebound games doesn't mean he can have a ZERO rebound game. Hey wait a min. More three point field goal attempts than normal shots & zero rebounds. Maybe he thought he was replacing Reggie on the floor instead of Ron. I still will go to battle with the guy over the big potential. At least James will play & up until last night he had played well.
Now that I've seen both the # 1 & # 2 picks in the league this year I have to say that I can't make up my mind as to who I prefer. Howard seems to maybe have more upside, but Okafor is more polished at present. I like both players & IMO the east in about 3-4 years will be a very physical conf.
Fans helped the team over the top again last night, it took a little to get going this time though. Probably a little let down from the Min. win. Hey, it happens.
Another great win & let's not forget that this is the same Bobcat team that took Detroit to double overtime one game & then beat them the next time.
A.J. should be back next week so we'll see where he goes in the rotation & what position he plays. I bet he gets lots of min. at the two guard with Freddy taking some of his min. from the 3.
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