tlongII
02-14-2011, 12:45 AM
http://www.ottawasun.com/sports/basketball/2011/02/12/17254306.html
The Blake Griffin highlight show has been the best thing to hit the NBA in years, but not all of the Raptors are buying into the hype. Yet.
“Blake Griffin is just another human being, another basketball player,” said injured Raptors big man Reggie Evans.
“I really don’t look forward to seeing anybody play. I looked forward to seeing MJ play back in the day, but not him.”
While admitting that Griffin is a “great player, great talent,” Evans seemed to imply that his nightly exposure on the highlight reel might be causing people to get a bit carried away.
“(Griffin) just cherry picks (to get) dunks, runs in transition (to) get dunks. It’s all about trying to stop those things (when defending him), whereas LaMarcus Aldridge (who lit up the Raptors for 37 points on Friday night) can do a lot more things,” Evans said.
Evans explained that he would have picked the Portland big man, not Griffin, as an all-star at this point due to his far more varied arsenal.
Griffin became the first rookie since Yao Ming in 2003 and just the second in 13 years to make the game.
“No disrespect, they picked him and he deserved it, (but) I’d have picked Aldridge because he’s a true forward. Blake still has a lot to show besides just dunks.”
Raptors coach Jay Triano and his young charges DeMar DeRozan and Ed Davis were a tad more complementary towards the sure-fire rookie-of the year.
“You gotta keep your eye on him every play every possession, because you never know what he’s going to do,” said DeRozan.
“He’s got a huge drive to go get it and with his athletic ability he jumps over top of people and he’s relentless in his pursuit of the ball, so that makes him pretty tough,” added Triano.
“It’s rare to see guys 6-foot-10 do what he does, the last guy in that category was LeBron and he’s a three (small forward). I don’t think we’ve ever seen a four (power forward) with his type of athleticism and quickness.”
Fellow rookie Davis has seen a lot of Griffin over the years in high school AAU and college contests and could be in for a whole lot more on Sunday, with Amir Johnson questionable because of an ankle injury that held him out of most of Saturday’s practice.
How do you slow down a guy averaging 22.8 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists — a very impressive number for a big man — on 51.1% shooting?
Davis and Triano both said the team will need to throw different defensive looks at Griffin and get him out of his comfort zone.
Few have had much luck with that. Griffin averaged 26 points per game in January, though Orlando did hold him to 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting on Tuesday.
Last time we checked though, nobody quite like Dwight Howard is hiding out on Toronto’s roster.
Like Howard, Griffin’s main Achilles Heel is free throw shooting. Though he hit on 69.2% of his attempts in January, he has been in the mid-fifties the rest of the year, and is down to 54.2% in six February contests.
He must get that area of his game back on track, or else he, like Howard, will soon get the “hack-a-Shaq” treatment.
Davis, Johnson (who said he will see how he feels Sunday morning before deciding if he will play), Andrea Bargnani and possibly Joey Dorsey will all get a shot at the phenom on Sunday.
Guard Leandro Barbosa is doubtful for the game after hurting his already ailing wrist against Portland on Friday.
In a sign that he is more likely to suit up than sit, surely referring to Griffin, Johnson tweeted early Saturday evening: “Let’s see what ALL the hype is about.”
Finally, everybody in Toronto will be able to do just that. Up close and personal.
The Blake Griffin highlight show has been the best thing to hit the NBA in years, but not all of the Raptors are buying into the hype. Yet.
“Blake Griffin is just another human being, another basketball player,” said injured Raptors big man Reggie Evans.
“I really don’t look forward to seeing anybody play. I looked forward to seeing MJ play back in the day, but not him.”
While admitting that Griffin is a “great player, great talent,” Evans seemed to imply that his nightly exposure on the highlight reel might be causing people to get a bit carried away.
“(Griffin) just cherry picks (to get) dunks, runs in transition (to) get dunks. It’s all about trying to stop those things (when defending him), whereas LaMarcus Aldridge (who lit up the Raptors for 37 points on Friday night) can do a lot more things,” Evans said.
Evans explained that he would have picked the Portland big man, not Griffin, as an all-star at this point due to his far more varied arsenal.
Griffin became the first rookie since Yao Ming in 2003 and just the second in 13 years to make the game.
“No disrespect, they picked him and he deserved it, (but) I’d have picked Aldridge because he’s a true forward. Blake still has a lot to show besides just dunks.”
Raptors coach Jay Triano and his young charges DeMar DeRozan and Ed Davis were a tad more complementary towards the sure-fire rookie-of the year.
“You gotta keep your eye on him every play every possession, because you never know what he’s going to do,” said DeRozan.
“He’s got a huge drive to go get it and with his athletic ability he jumps over top of people and he’s relentless in his pursuit of the ball, so that makes him pretty tough,” added Triano.
“It’s rare to see guys 6-foot-10 do what he does, the last guy in that category was LeBron and he’s a three (small forward). I don’t think we’ve ever seen a four (power forward) with his type of athleticism and quickness.”
Fellow rookie Davis has seen a lot of Griffin over the years in high school AAU and college contests and could be in for a whole lot more on Sunday, with Amir Johnson questionable because of an ankle injury that held him out of most of Saturday’s practice.
How do you slow down a guy averaging 22.8 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists — a very impressive number for a big man — on 51.1% shooting?
Davis and Triano both said the team will need to throw different defensive looks at Griffin and get him out of his comfort zone.
Few have had much luck with that. Griffin averaged 26 points per game in January, though Orlando did hold him to 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting on Tuesday.
Last time we checked though, nobody quite like Dwight Howard is hiding out on Toronto’s roster.
Like Howard, Griffin’s main Achilles Heel is free throw shooting. Though he hit on 69.2% of his attempts in January, he has been in the mid-fifties the rest of the year, and is down to 54.2% in six February contests.
He must get that area of his game back on track, or else he, like Howard, will soon get the “hack-a-Shaq” treatment.
Davis, Johnson (who said he will see how he feels Sunday morning before deciding if he will play), Andrea Bargnani and possibly Joey Dorsey will all get a shot at the phenom on Sunday.
Guard Leandro Barbosa is doubtful for the game after hurting his already ailing wrist against Portland on Friday.
In a sign that he is more likely to suit up than sit, surely referring to Griffin, Johnson tweeted early Saturday evening: “Let’s see what ALL the hype is about.”
Finally, everybody in Toronto will be able to do just that. Up close and personal.