I missed the start of this one and watched the game not in my usual near-the-floor seats (gotta love the media pass for that) but up near the top with a couple buddies. These are just a few notes on the top players, I’ll follow with some stats and final thoughts in the next day or so (once I get the chance to work and format everything).
Andrew Bynum did not play, in fact he did not even dress. Reports are he banged up his thigh and got a quality bruise the night before, so he got the night off.
Jordan Farmar: He showed a little more shooting range in this game, going 2 of 4 from three (hitting a couple early). Not his best game, there were a few turnovers on passes he tried to cut too fine, but he is clearly listening to the coaches and adapting. In the first few SPL games he was not fighting through picks defensively (you don’t see many quality picks from big men in college). Yesterday he was working hard at that, if not always succeeding. He needs some strength for that, but he is learning fast.
Danilo Pinnock: First off, here’s a rumor I was told: the Lakers may ask him to play in Europe this coming season so they can maintain his rights. They like him, but there are 15 guaranteed contracts already and are the Lakers going to buy out McKie to bring in Pinnock? Neither guy is going to make a huge impact on the team, so is it worth the money? As for last night, had one of his more quiet games, finishing with just six points.
Devin Green: Here’s the guy that in the last couple games has made a statement about wanting to make the squad in the fall. He scored 22 points on 10 of 17, 2 of 3 from three. He’s had a very impressive last few games and I can see why the coaches like him, but he’s in a difficult spot because of the 15 roster spots as well. I would like to think another team might be interested in picking him up if the Lakers let him go, this is a guy who has earned another year in the NBA, at least to my eyes.
Marcus Slaughter: Also played well the last couple games and finished with 12 points in the fourth quarter against Memphis Wednesday. Another guy that the Lakers may like to keep around but another team, with a roster spot for a project, may have interest in.
Kurt says
By the way, about Memphis: Rudy Gay and Hakim Warrick were the two most athletic guys on the court last night. I said it before at True Hoop and will say it again here: Gay can be very special in this league. He can be a prototype three.
ian says
Kurt,
What do you feel about freedarkos view that the 3 is by default an undefined position taht leaves the people attempting to play it in limbo and unable to succeed?
It certainly seems true that players that model their game after SG or PF seem to be doing better than some others trying to play as a SF.
kwame a. says
the three is a weird position to me ian. the role of the three i feel is to be a scorer, a rebounder and a passer, a jack of all trades almost. today, id defintley say that tayshawn prince is the prototype three. i always ask myself, what is it that he does well, he can score off the drive, hit the stand-still, post-up, as well as rebound, handle the ball a little bit, find the open man, and can lock down any perimeter player on the court as well as some 4’s. if anyone needs a role model for a three, take a look at comptons finest, tay prince, or the best three man, big game james, the original prototype 3.
Kurt says
Ian, while I think saying Big Game James may be an “ideal” three is a good call by kwame a., I would add that I think the classic definitions of postions are meaning less and less as players and the game evolve. There are still teams like the Clippers, who have a traditional five and four (and point), but there are more and more teams like the Suns where those definitions (outside PG) are less accurate. Players like Dirk of KG or Lamar or Amare don’t neatly fit into a category, and I think that is more the direction the league is moving.
But really that’s a big picture answer that maybe deserves its own topic soon.
Kurt says
Along the lines of my last comment, let me quote “the stat pimp” Ed Kupfer, who is a guy who should have an NBA job doing stats:
the sooner we junk traditional positional designations—at least with regards to our stats analysis—the sooner we can get started working on something important: player roles. Positions, I believe, were an early attempt to describe roles, but the game has evolved so much that these traditional designations are holding us back. For example, it’s clear that every team needs a far-seeing, sure-handed player to initiate an offense once the ball has been brought upcourt. Traditionally, this has been the point guard. But today, many, many teams used players who can’t handle other point guard duties but are still used to initiate offense—Raptors fans will remember Charles Oakley having virtually no other offensive role other to make the first pass in an offensive set. In this case, teams don’t need a point guard—they need a player who will set up the offense and get the ball to where it needs to be, when it needs to be there. This player is usually a PG, but assuming it is disguises the primary existence of roles.
If you want to read more of this thread at APBR, follow this link.
k_swagger8 says
The bucks are reportedly shopping Jamaal Magloire for the “right price”. They are looking for size, shooting, or a PG in return. wouldn’t a Mihm, Cook or George package entice them? Magloire would be a great addition to the team, sharing minutes at C with Kwame as well as sharing back up minutes at PF with Turiaf and letting Odom slide to SF in some stretches. He can also play major minutes if Bynum isn’t ready or Kwame gets injured or gets into foul trouble or simply disappears. I recall GM kupchak trying to trade for him a couple of seasons ago when he was still in charlotte. It’s also better cap wise since magloire is in the last yr of his contract, and way better than the rumored Mihm-Juwan howard trade
ian says
Magloire could be interesting. He is certainly much better than Juwan, although not very formidable, especially in the West with all the dominant big men. He was only an all star because he was playing in the East.
Kurt says
The good part about getting Magloire would be it’s just one year left on his deal, if it doesn’t work out no long-term contract to weight us down.