Nope I'm not gonna bash the dude. I'm not gonna praise the bum either but he looked good against Portland. He was guying the medium range jumper and playing some of that annoying flopping defense.

Ariza is a huge bum. Like send his ass to the d league bummy. He shows good effort but the guy needs to learn how to dribble and score. All you gotta do is put a body in front of him not even play him physical. The kid can't score. He is a d league bum! Yes he has potential but he can't dribble unless he's trying to get to a spot. If I see him throw up another 7 year old spasm layup I will need another television cuz it will be broken and I will send him the bill.

Barnes trys but he seems like he is pressing. Not that he is a huge offensive talent but he can at least take on his man and finish in traffic.

[Edited by - enyspree on 11-21-2005 1:08 PM]

Ariza's not a bum. He just needs to be set up to score. He's a move without the ball type of player. He's never going to be a 'create your own shot type.' But if utilzied correctly he could be very effective. I think people want him to be something he's not (e.g. an off the dribble scorer or shooter). He's not that. Not now at least. But if used correctly he could give defenses fits. Right now I think he's being asked to play in a way that doesn't compliment what he could do. For instance, on back door plays he could be incredible. Cutting to the basket before his man even realizes and then the ball meeting him there. I've watched him and seen him do it on a number of occaisions but right now nobody on the team is looking for him so he'll be open for like 1.5 seconds and then that's that. So those things are going unnoticed at the moemnt. Man, if used to his strengths he could keep a lot of defenses honest. But he has to constantly move without the ball and his teammates must look for him. To me, he could be the type of player that makes his defender exhausted by game's end.

As for Malik I was trying to say from day one that as long as we are not rebounding he's gonna get pt. Rebounding and all these second chance points have killed us. This is why he's put Malik in during the 4th quarter in most games even when he wasn't starting or playing well. I feel like LB will play him until guys start rebounding the ball and d'ing up at that position. Lee is a pretty good rebounder but I believe Larry would rather Malik out there because he's a veteran. Personally I wish we were in a better situation at the 3 as well. But like I said, until our 3's can rebound and defend LB gonna throw Malik in there.

That's my take

I don't think Lee is an SF but I'd rather start him at SF than Rose. But if Larry won't even start Frye because he hates rookies then there's no way he'd start Lee.

Posted by gunsnewing:

I really like the idea of sending Ariza to the D league

Why do that. He's 20 and one poster here made it very clear that 20 year olds can't improve

I dont get why he doesnt get more burn here. We have no 3's. Q is hammyed and Barnes sucks. When Ariza is on the floor with 2 play makers (Nate/Craw/MArbury) he does well.

What is the sense of sending Ariza back door if he can't finish? Above I compared his scoring ability to that of a 7 year old spasm lay-up. My son used to shoot lay-ups like Ariza 3 years ago! If that means we have to wait 3 years for Ariza to be able to actually score like a grown up then he needs to go to the D-League.....are you kidding me? Ariza is an athletic slasher that can't finish?!?!? D-League material....Let someone like Jeff Malone deal with that.

Another thing about him being unselfish....if a guy can't shoot or dribble what else can he do but pass? I don't want this guy to be a And 1 mixtape highlight....I just want him to be able to do more than take 2 dribbles and pass or throw it at the rim(can call it a shot)

Josh Howard, Josh Howard, Josh Howard.....

[Edited by - enyspree on 11-21-2005 2:58 PM]

[Edited by - enyspree on 11-21-2005 3:01 PM]

Ariza doesn't need a great handle (he does need a little bit of a better one though). What he desperately needs is an outside shot. There are plenty of 3s who don't handle the ball but play excellent defense and stay on the perimeter for shots (Prince, Bowen, Patterson).

He's worth keeping right now for his defense and effort. A D league stint won't fix anything now. He doesn't need experience. He needs to spend the next two summers taking 1000 shots a day. That's all there is to it. Get in the gym and shoot.

If you guys keep complaining about him like this, you're not going to appreciate anything that he gives to the team this year. None of the things you're asking him to change will happen over the course of the season.

(Prince, Bowen, Patterson)= all have better handle than Ariza....and they all can score like a grown man.

Posted by toodarkmark:

Isnt Ariza 20 years old? Isnt this his second NBA season learning under one of the best NBA coaches of all time? Didn't he only have one year of college?

CAN WE GIVE HIM SOME TIME TO DEVELOP!?!?!?!?

His shot has gotten better and so what he cant dribble. Is it really that hard to learn to dribble? We got madddddd dribblers, he's a stat filler and defensive player and offensive finisher. Give him time.

All I want is the guy to be able to score......he does provide energy, good court vision, and the daily put back dunk but he can get shut down too easy just by standing next to him. As a professional basketball player he's got to be able to take his man off the dribble one way or the other and score. He is a liability.

He has time.....he didn't get better after year one. He's only 20 but damn....what 20 year old college swingman can't put the ball on the floor and score? If he has an open lane for a dunk that's one thing but Ariza really can't finish and he is in the NBA.....that is obsurd.

Bottom line is if you guys are talking about he'll get better but not this season....then we are a lost cause. I mean Rose is the best 3 we have.....I dunno.....doesn't look or sound good.

Hey Eny, is Ariza on one of your umpteen Fantasy Squads?

oohah

Posted by Bonn1997:

I don't think Lee is an SF but I'd rather start him at SF than Rose. But if Larry won't even start Frye because he hates rookies then there's no way he'd start Lee.

How can you say LB hates rookies?. Frye is getting great minutes, Nate and Lee are playing too, how does that translate to LB hating rookies?, what just because they aren't starting is that the reason why?. This nonsense has got to stop, about LB not liking rookies just because he didn't play Darko, LB gets this crap thrown at him.