Posted by Pharzeone:
Posted by Finestrg:
Posted by Pharzeone:
Posted by Finestrg:
It's rediculous already. I'm totally frustrated with this kid. ZERO IMPACT GUY - and I get the feeling that he's OK with it. I hope I'm wrong. I almost started a 'Gallo need to be called out' thread, but thought you guys would kill me because we already have a few Gallo threads up so I just laced into him on the other thread just now. But Bravo Briggs, you keep posting away. Right now, he's softer than soft and has ZERO impact on the game. Jared Jeffries has more impact on the game and that's sad.
The kid is not to be blame. Donnie has to take the hit or get the credit here. Listening to him on the FAN last week was depressing. Talking about getting to the hoop in Europe is not the same as in the NBA. Come on guy that is what you have draft workouts for. The problem is that Gallo's people dictated the workouts by demanding one on none shootout drills. Basing much of your decision on a scouting report of a friend you just axe as head coach couldn't help matters. Gallo is coming off a back injury so who knows but it looks like his back trouble isn't causing him a lot of pain. The thing that kills me is that guys believe that Gallinari will just turn it on next season while other rookies just stand still at what they are currently doing. Why wouldn't they get better too next season?
Not sure I agree with you. Too early to blame Walsh if you ask me - I'm not ready to call him a bust yet and close the book on him. It's just a matter of him not playing up to his potential right now. The kid needs to take a little heat here already. Either he or D'Antoni for not making sure he's more involved. One or the other. He has ability --- and if you don't think so, go back and look at those clips again my friend. I don't care about the competition being subpar to the NBA. It's a factor but that's not really the point for me. Look at those clips again - he appeared confident and aggressive in everything he did on the court. He is just not playing agrressive at all since he's been back for whatever the reason and it needs to change. As a rookie, he needs to be playing harder than anyone else out there. Constantly in motion, asking for the ball, crashing the glass, playing defense, especially knowing damn well he's only gonna get about 10-15 mins a night and is being held outta back-to-backs. All I see is a guy going through the motions right now. I see a guy satisfied having no impact. Complacency... I'd be going 1000 mph out there if I were him... I don't see any of that. I either see a guy with no confidence in his overall ability right now OR a guy that was told by his coach to just hang out on the perimeter and wait for a kick out (remember D'Antoni is on the record saying that that's how he wanted to use him at first). Well you know what, we need more from him. Much more. And he should want more from himself. I know I would if I were him. I'd be doing everything possible to show I belong. I'd be putting my whole repitoire on display and I would've been doing it from game one, no matter how slow D'Antoni told me to take it.
[Edited by - finestrg on 02-11-2009 01:57 AM]
I think you do a disservice to the NBA to underestimate the players in the league. I agree with Walsh that getting to the hoop in the EL, in the NCAA isn't the same as in college, or every draft pick would be stars in the league. I suggested earlier in another thread that Gallo and Knick management be forced to watch Dirk's NBA story but I think many fans should watch it too. It's like night and day. Gallinari needs to get stronger and learn his opponent. I think he should work on his post up game myself and don't worry about taking guys off the dribble right now. Just get stronger and continue to shoot when open. He may want to try to move more without the ball to keep guys honest. I am curious how they are training this kid.
Listen, for me it's quite simple -- this kid is not going full tilt for whatever reason and I think it's a little more than not being 100% physically yet. Again, back to the clips for a second - Where's the coast to coast for a layup or dunk after a rebound? After the few rebounds he does get, he gives it right up to a guard like it's a hot potato and runs to the corner like he just got in trouble in 1st grade or something. Get in the corner! Yes Miss Crabtree. Come on now... Where's the post offense off the up and unders, pump fakes and drop steps? I know he can do that, I've seen the clips. As far as I know, he hasn't looked to take one guy in the post so far in the NBA. Not one. This guy's 6'10" with skill. WTF??? Where's the creativity off the dribble? Where's the confident player that appeared to like having the ball in his hands a majority of the time? Where's the stellar passing? Nowhere to be found. He seems afraid of the ball right now to me. Timid as a mouse. See what I'm getting at. I wouldn't be this annoyed if I didn't see in those clips and know for a fact beforehand that he can do those type of things --- I know he can - saw it with my own eyes. The disservice isn't in my lack of respect for NBA players it's in your refusal to acknowledge that those highlight clips of his actaully show something - a big man with a wide array of skills not many others have at his size. Now if he ever gets around to showing those things against NBA players and can't execute them like he has in the past, then we'll talk some more and I'll have to re-evaluate. Then I'll buy into a little of what you're saying - that he can't do it at this level. I'm not ready to say that definitively yet however. So far, he hasn't looked to do any of those things yet - the things that made him the 6th pick in the first place. So how can you evaluate him and close the book on him this early on w/o knowing? You can't. You can get annoyed and ask to see more and expect much more which is where I'm coming from.
So why isn't he playing up to his potential? That's the million-dollar question right now. Because he's not physically capable? OK, then he shouldn't be playing. If that's the case, he should be rehabbing. Because he's timid and uncomfortable with his new teammates for some reason? Perhaps. Hope not. That's nonsense and if that's the case, he needs to get over that. His teammates stink. He's the future - there's no one on this team he should be deferring to - Al Harrington, Nate, Duhon, not even Lee - NO ONE! Go out and play your game man and you'll earn your teammates' trust. Right now they don't know what he's all about and they don't trust him. He needs to change that by being much, much more aggressive, assertive and take-charge out there. Or is it because D'Antoni refuses to push the kid and take the kid gloves off already? Hope that's not the case either but I can't be sure. I suspect it. Whatever the reason, it needs to change. He's capable of so much more in my estimation based on all the available information. That's why I'm annoyed right now. It's kinda like he's showing up for a gun fight every night and then refuses to use all his ammo. Empty the clip already Gallo. Get your moneys worth. If you're gonna fail, go down doing your absolute best. Go down swingin' not standing around in the corner waiting around for the ball that's never coming. At least then we'll know. Then we'd know if he's a post player or not at this level, can handle the ball and make decisions with it at this level, can take his man off the dribble in the NBA. Right now, we don't know a damn thing about this guy because he's either unable or unwilling to show us. That's why I'm annoyed. Some of you guys just don't think he can do it period and that's the difference between me and you. I think he can perform at a much higher level - I just need to start seeing it already.
[Edited by - finestrg on 02-11-2009 03:54 AM]
Why don't we swap our high lottery pick for 21 every time we get 1 because we just do the same thing with it--were better in the 25 area anyway.
2/11/2009 1:14 AM
