hey, don't wake the sleeping Reezy haters...everytime we praise, he disappears...but that dunk was splendifurous!

come on DJ, get us that animated GIF...you know we want it...these animated gifs show up on cell phones with limited web browsers...if I can show that...

well, you know.

Phew...mr. grouchy pants (me) has gone away, the knicks win...coincidence?

I think Reezy woke up

And don't forget he needs to learn how to score on his man. Ariza's potential is bigger than a Bruce Bumbman.

I tell you what though.....that monster putback he had down the stretch killed the Bulls last night. Ariza took the life out of the Bulls and inserted it right into the crowd. Ariza is a special player but he has no skill with the basketball. Once he gets that the sky is the limit.

Eny I'm glad to see you are coming around in regards to Ariza...for the moment at least.

***

I look at Ariza as the anti-Jamal Crawford. They both left college after their first year. They are both extremely talented. Ariza has a nice grasp on the mental part of the game but no refined skills, especially when it comes to ball handling and shooting. Crawford has every skill in the book, but he cannot figure out how the game should be played.

Pick your poison.

oohah



[Edited by - oohah on 12-01-2005 3:52 PM]

Ariza has a nice grasp on the mental part of the game but no refined skills,

That makes no sense to me. I guess your saying Ariza knows what he's supposed to do, but doesnt have any of the skills to do it?

Crawford has every skill in the book, but he cannot figure out how the game should be played.

Looks like Jamal is doing what he's told to me. Has anyone changed and progressed as much as Crawford this season? Has anyone made more adjustments? Look at that game. He hasnt been jacking shots. He has gotten other guys involved. Best of all he's grabbed some big rebounds and some tough ones. He's got many more FT's than 3's. He's changing right before our eyes and his skills won us a game against a good team last night.
Crawford missed a year w/ and ALC injury. No big deal, but he's had at least 4 different coaches I can think off. Floyd, Cartwright, Lenny and now Larry. You could even say he's on the verge of exploding THIS year. Last night he certainly put it all together. I'm sure there will be setbacks, but its obvious he's adjusting and using his tremdous skills in a LB and winning system.

They are both extremely talented

define talent. Ariza has an NBA body. He's an elite athlete at 6'8 but he's got YMCA skills. He's GREAT on the boards, but thats it. I think of guys that are "extremely talented" as using that talent to develop superior BB skills which Ariza clearly has not.

Now dont get worked up. I LOVE Ariza. He's an absolute gift and considering where we got him a great piece to have. Energy, D and rebounding off the bench. If he develops some skills like a nice jumper or handle down the road awesome, but its slow in the making. I love his head, his toughness and his heart. Hope he's around for a long time, but I'm NOT penciling him in as the starting SF based on what I have seen. I see nice bench player right now, and there's nothing wrong with that.

When you have enough skilled guys like Frye, Crawford, Nate, Marbury guys like Ariza appear so much better.

That makes no sense to me. I guess your saying Ariza knows what he's supposed to do, but doesnt have any of the skills to do it?

No, I am saying he knows how to play the game right: Make the right pass, rebound, play within himself, how to be part of a team. This has very little to do with "skill" persay.

Looks like Jamal is doing what he's told to me.

The problem is that he has to be told after 5 seasons. He doesn't learn quickly.

Has anyone changed and progressed as much as Crawford this season? Has anyone made more adjustments? Look at that game. He hasnt been jacking shots. He has gotten other guys involved. Best of all he's grabbed some big rebounds and some tough ones. He's got many more FT's than 3's. He's changing right before our eyes and his skills won us a game against a good team last night.

He has been slightly better this year because he knows the hook is always a patented JC terrible shot away. He had a great game last night no question. He's had them before and he will have them again. His talent is unquestionable. But when will the knowledge of the right play to make come from him and not the fear of being removed from the game?

An example is the game when he did not shoot the three when he was wide open. He passed up the best shot he had all game! He still take shots that are much harder than neccesary, just less of them. That is progress, I guess.

Crawford missed a year w/ and ALC injury. No big deal, but he's had at least 4 different coaches I can think off. Floyd, Cartwright, Lenny and now Larry. You could even say he's on the verge of exploding THIS year. Last night he certainly put it all together. I'm sure there will be setbacks, but its obvious he's adjusting and using his tremdous skills in a LB and winning system.

I am sorry, but passing and taking decent shots is not rocket science. That JC is just learning this now is proof that he is a slow learner. Let's just hope he is really learning. Because right now he is Pavlov's shooting guard, not making decisions himself, but reacting to the behavioral conditioning of Larry Brown.

define talent. Ariza has an NBA body. He's an elite athlete at 6'8 but he's got YMCA skills. He's GREAT on the boards, but thats it. I think of guys that are "extremely talented" as using that talent to develop superior BB skills which Ariza clearly has not.

Talent is a lot of things. In basketball "talent" is normally used to describe great physical ability. JC also has amazing physical talent, but I would have to put Ariza somewhat ahead of him in oure physical ability for basketball. JC also hs amazing coordination, agility, and dexterity. This is also talent.

Certain persons may be naturally talented in a certain skill such as shooting or dribbling, but that is usually referred to as "skill", because it can be developed much moreso than pure physical talent, which is more of a you got it or you don't type of thing.

I agree Ariza is great on the boards, but I also see that he has a great passing eye and he is a disruptive force on defense. Let's not forget he can rise up on a broken play and dunk on anyone. You can't teach that. So I see more in him right now than you do.

When you have enough skilled guys like Frye, Crawford, Nate, Marbury guys like Ariza appear so much better.

I don't think Marbury, JC are making Ariza better...to the contrary. (I don't see how NR or Frye come into the equation yet.) On offense they play like he is not on the floor, that is, they don't utilize him. He has to create his own offense and that is simply not him...yet. Somehow, Ariza still manages to create for others. Is there any question that if Ariza was playing with Kidd he'd be scoring more points more effectively?

oohah

having 5 coachs is kind of like going to school for a subject, but every year there's a subsitute sitting where your teacher is suppose to be. You will not learn as much from a substitue as you would a real teacher and that's the bottom line

I had a new teacher in every grade, and I still managed to learn, so I don't see that the substitute comparison holds up. My point is that taking a decent shot and making a decent pass is simple. It shouldn't take 5 years of school to learn how to add and subtract, no matter who your teachers are. At a certain point you either get it or you don't.

Similarly, if in 5 years Ariza still can't dribble or shoot, we can say that he probably never will be able to dribble or shoot.

oohah

[Edited by - oohah on 12-01-2005 6:01 PM]

funny, I thought boomann and oohah were the same person and he chose to post as different personas, but this kind of kills that theory.

Or does it?

If that's the case why do they even have coaches

If that's the case why do they even have coaches

Coaches teach you the basics of how to play basketball in high-school, AAU, and peewee league, not in the pros.

If JC were in his first or second year, it might be excusable. LB should not have to teach a player the most fundamental parts of the game in his 6th year. Are you really arguing that he should?

Before you swing this around to Ariza's lack of skill at 20 years old, he is a 'project' not unlike dozens of players that have physical talent that need to develop skills. In 4 years if Ariza still can't dribble or shoot I will say he is most likely not capable of learning those skills. By the way JC was and still is a project too...a very long project.

The truth is JC has among the lowest basketball IQ's that I have ever seen. He has been relying thus far on ability and nothing else. Can you imagine if he had a clue? He would play like yesterday all the time!

oohah

An example is the game when he did not shoot the three when he was wide open. He passed up the best shot he had all game! He still take shots that are much harder than neccesary, just less of them. That is progress, I guess.

actually, that shot shows just how much Larry Brown is rubbing off on him. The Knicks were up about 8 with 2:30 to go. Rather than jack a 3 with 20 on the shot clock Crawford pulled back, let the offense get established and take time off the clock. Not taking the shot was the right thing to do. Even wide open 3's arent the highest % shot. What the Knicks needed there was to kill the clock. Not jack a shot early in the 24

The truth is JC has among the lowest basketball IQ's that I have ever seen. He has been relying thus far on ability and nothing else. Can you imagine if he had a clue? He would play like yesterday all the time!

What does Crawford do well? What do you want to see him do more of? What could Crawoford do that would indicate he has "a clue" to you?

and none of this has to do with having a good coach....riigggghhttt

Again you have missed the point. He should know better no matter who is coaching him. Especially after 5 years in the pros. Do you get what I am saying? Or else every player on a non-LB team would be pulling the JC routine. Or is LB the only coach that knows a fallaway 3 pointer with 20 left on the clock a bad shot?

I also don't think that JC is learning...that much at least. What he really is is afraid. Like I said whatever works. A good coach knows when to teach and when scare.

oohah