SB Nation User Blog: SamGoody

Is it to late???

SamGoody — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:45:51 -0000

I've been thinking about Kevin Martin and what he does well and not so well. And I've kinda been going back and forth about this for awhile and want you guy's opinion.

The question is, is it to late for Kevin Martin? What I mean by this is can he change? If the Kings improve with him at the helm can he change his game? The biggest criticism I have of K-Mart is the aspects of his game that doesn't have a direct relation with him scoring the ball. Thats right Assists, Rebounds, and Steals. Now before you start compiling arguments to this claim read on. My gripe is at this point in his career (5 yrs) he has learned to do one thing well (score the ball), one thing decent (he has learned to rebound for his position at 4.4 in the last 2 yrs., but 2.7 this year) one thing average (steals at 1.0) and the rest subpar (assists, overall defense) Now this year he went on record saying that the all-star game isn't important because he has outplayed previous selections!!!??? Really? You think that Kevin? I am worried that as this team improves (if it improves) and he becomes the cornerstone that we build on; he'll become the reason we don't win. Because he doesn't share the rock, he has (or is) becoming an "I need to score to get the win" kind of player and once a person hits that zone its hard to leave it. I mean yes this team is full of pieces of players but not trusting your team mates to score some is not a great place to be. What do you think? Has he drifted into the "Marbury" zone, the post-shack pre-gasol Bryant, the pre-jackson Jordan? or is there hope? Do you think K-Mart can change? can he share the rock, defend, and be the utility player he can be? The kind of player Lebron, Wade, and to a lesser extent Roy is? Meaning can he turn into the type of player that can and WILL do what it takes to win?

Greg Oden will never be a 20-10 guy.

SamGoody — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:07:41 -0000

The closer we get to the season beginning; I’m naturally reading more and more previews and predictions. Now as I read I’ve begun to notice a theme that most of the national media adopt when talking about Greg Oden. Most of what I read states the Oden probably won’t become a 20-10 player. Now invariably they explain their reasons. I for the most part disagree so I’m writing this post to get my feelings out and to read your responses.

Reasons Oden won’t become a 20-10 guy:

1. He wasn’t a big time scorer in College.

This is true, but I think it ignores the new order of things. In the past players went to college for 2-4 years before leaving for the draft. Now you have one and dones, who spend a year in college, then declare for the draft. Why is this important, you ask? Because if you look at the modern Centers (those who were active during the 90’s, the ones Oden will most be compared to) most of them had four years of college and came into the league averaging 20-10. If you look at the two star centers I feel Oden most compares to David Robinson and Patrick Ewing, their freshman years are comparable. (The exception being Ewing whose soph. year compares the best) Actually Ewing averaged 15 and 9 for his collegiate career. Robinson came in to the NBA at 24 and Ewing at 23. Oden is 20 right now!! With all his physical skills in a couple of years Oden could and should be averaging 20 and 10. Just like with High school players you need to allow time that would have been college years. (i.e. Dwight Howard…)

2. With the microfracture surgery he has lost some of his athletic ability.

I find this hard to swallow. First I think that the media is focusing mostly on the negative microfracture surgeries. Yes it’s true that the negative outweighs the positive stories, but the age of Oden (19) and the advances in the procedure its self, added to the year of forced rehab, makes me believe he’ll be fine. I think that any roughness you see in his game has more to do with the year break, new weight and just remembering how to play.

3. He’s emotionally fragile, and doesn’t have that killer instinct.

Really? I mean do I need to write a rebuttal to this? Yes he’s not the second coming of Shaq, and yes he is a nice guy a, “benign giant.” But come on he’s a player who wants to win, he has won on every level. Look at his performance in the NCAA Championship game; read his quotes about watching the team for a year, he will compete. And how would you feel if you just spent a year sitting/rehabbing watching a team after every loss make a comment about how if you were there this or that weakness would have been addressed… not very great huh. You’d feel like you had something to prove huh?,,, This will fade once he gets into the flow of the season.

Greg Oden is a special player with the ability to be a great center, he’s also a wonderful person, and is anyone else excited about the fact that he’s just 20? I mean in five years he’ll only be twenty-five!!!!!

Anyway those are my thoughts on the matter.

Real Training Camp: Celtics

SamGoody — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 21:13:13 -0000

Real Training Camp: Celtics

Man Darius has no elevation, I'm watching Real Training Camp on NBA TV and he as no hops...

Think Division not Conference

SamGoody — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 21:52:22 -0000

With the predictions and hopes that I have been reading about the trailblazers I wanted to remind people of one thing.

Its been a general consensus that the goal should be able to make the playoffs and that we shouldn't be upset with a first round exit. The seeding has been talked about in the 7-6th range. This is what I wanted to talk about, with the seeding rules the lowest the a division leader will be seeded is 4th. This last season the Utah Jazz were a 4th seed only because they won the Northwest Division, the fifth seed had a better record. When you think of this season, stop thinking of the eight teams we have to beat, instead think of our division.

The Thunder and the Wolves will be representing the cellar of our Division, not to discount them but lets be real. Next are the Nuggets, without Camby they are still a threat, but they will not be winning over 50 games. Now the top of the class in our division will be (or should be) the Jazz, they are the team that we should be fighting all season for the division title. Yes I feel that we should make the playoff this season but I also believe that the best case would be to win our division. Now I'm gonna leave you with this thought, last season we won the our series with the Jazz, including victories in their arena.

I hope this makes you think.