Posted by oohah:
I don't know. I'm not saying my way is better than yours, but I still feel we're looking at this from different angles. I feel you're still looking at this purely quantitatively while I'm looking qualitatively.
For instance, when I look at Curry this year vs last, I don't know how his stats compare or differ and I don't really care because I like his approach better, and I trust that if he stays with the approach the stats will reflect improvement in time, if they haven't already. Or it may reflect in an improvement in the teams style of play, or perhaps wins even if not in his personal statistics. IOW, his improved approach gives me greater hope or confidence than last year, stats be damned.
Conversely, I had far greater confidence in Frye last year because of his more physical and more aggressive style of play, and his ability to "run" with the second unit. I really don't care about his points and FG% right now, they may catch or exceed last year's pace at some time, but that still wont give me greater hope or confidence in his approach, or his future.
I'm sure it happens for you too where you see where a player is and where he's come from and you have a desire for where you'd like him to go. You don't know how it will all shake out in the end (statistically), but you want to see them taking the strides in the desired direction and trust it will be for the betterment of the player and the team in the long run. I felt better about the direction of Frye and Crawford last year.
And if you think this is all about supporting LB and dissing Isiah, I think Curry is heading in the right direction this year. Nate's game is too, though his head still seems far behind. Guys like Q, Lee and Marbury all seem on about the same track as last year.
We're not looking at this from different angles. I did not see any dramatic qualitative change in Crawford's game last year, and I am saying the numbers bear my view out. I am not just looking at the numbers and drawing my conclusion from that.
There was nobody at all on this site, in the press, or anywhere else saying that Jamal Crawford was an improved player last year before his year-end hot streak. After his putrid February '06, JC-dissing was at an all-time high on this board and everywhere else.
In your case, I don't think your viewpoint is colored by feeling for LB. No, everybody knows Marbury is your particular "guy".
I think that Crawford had an exceptional end to his season last year, so that is what people remember. Perfectly natural: What have you done for me lately? But the last few weeks of the season is not a good take on JC's season. As a whole, it was just more of the same from JC...that is not my quantitative opinion, it is my qualitative opinion.
oohah
[Edited by - oohah on 05-01-2007 10:11 PM]
What you seem to be missing is that a player can play stylistically different (for the sake of argument, lets call it a preferred style) and still play poorly. That is what we saw from Jamal in that mid-season slump. For whatever reasons, he did not seem emotionally prepared to take over the starting PG role in Marbury's absence. (I have theories as to why, but they are moot.)
Again, maybe we just look at things differently, but I can watch a guy play better in a style I don't like than he does in a style I do like and still prefer him playing the style I like because I believe over time the preferred style will win out and carry the day. I say that qualitatively Jamal was playing a better style of play last year even while he was stinking it up.
Similarly, if Frye averages more pts this year than last but they are all from the perimeter I wont think he's playing a better style this year.
Sometimes it's about the approach more than the outcome. I know that's hard for some to swallow, along the lines of "preferring to lose the 'right way' than win the wrong way", but it's based on sample size: one believes the right way will win the day in the long run, even if it's a struggle in the short run.
