smackeddog wrote:He's showing improvement each game, but he's hardly 'ripping it up'

Game 1: 18.32 MINS 0/6 FG, 0/4 3PT, 1 REB, 2 AST, 0 PTS
Game 2: 20.43 MINS 2/4 FG, 2/3 3PT, 3 REBS, 3 AST, 6 PTS
Game 3: 24:09 MINS 6/10FG, 4/6 3PT, 4 REBS, 3 AST, 16PTS
Game 4: 30:29 MINS 6/15FG, 6/14 3PT, 5 REBS, 1 AST, 22 PTS

I liked Cope- can really explode offensively, but his defense was always the issue. Still, it annoyed me when I found out Kidd had advised him to sign with the Pacers, and that they had pretty much only signed him to stop us re-signing him.

What impresses me was his clutch and ability to play effectively when called upon
Yes, he didn't play well in the Boston series but bad nights will happen for shooters

Indiana seems to find and develop talent but also seems to bury there own gems like

Gereld Green
Plumlee

Darren Collison
Josh McRoberts

I see Copeland as a stretch 4/5
He is a shooter that lacks quickness and athleticism to defend SFs effectively
Unless a team can make up for his weaknesses like Chicago/SA, I think he will struggle at the SF

Splat wrote:

smackeddog wrote:He's showing improvement each game, but he's hardly 'ripping it up'

Game 1: 18.32 MINS 0/6 FG, 0/4 3PT, 1 REB, 2 AST, 0 PTS
Game 2: 20.43 MINS 2/4 FG, 2/3 3PT, 3 REBS, 3 AST, 6 PTS
Game 3: 24:09 MINS 6/10FG, 4/6 3PT, 4 REBS, 3 AST, 16PTS
Game 4: 30:29 MINS 6/15FG, 6/14 3PT, 5 REBS, 1 AST, 22 PTS

I liked Cope- can really explode offensively, but his defense was always the issue. Still, it annoyed me when I found out Kidd had advised him to sign with the Pacers, and that they had pretty much only signed him to stop us re-signing him.

You posted stats that show he's trending with higher production as his minutes increase. That means Indy is giving him room to breathe to see if he can produce and he is. He was hitting them deep in the 4th when it counted tonight and he looked good. They would not have won tonight without him is all I wanted to report really. Old Knick, wishing him well.

I think he's going to have a good year- they need offence and thats his strength.

knickscity wrote:Cope is a 3, thats all. No way is he a 4 or god forbid a 5.

He doesn't have the speed/quickness or athleticism to defend the 3
Copeland struggled early on with the NYK's because they put him at the SF

When playing PF/C, as a stretch PF/C
He isn't going to be a good defender but he pulls the opponents rebounder/defender out of the paint, where they generally are not comfortable going out off

or

Copeland can hit a wide open shot, in which he doesn't need much room to get his shot off, in which he is a high % shooter from the 3pt line
His shot is so quick, if the PF/C comes out and jumps, he has the ability to easily blow by the main...

Knickscity, did watch the games that Copeland played as a Knick?

The quickness of his release makes him a hard matchup for many teams. If his defender gets too tight on him when Cope receives the ball behind the arc, Cope has the ability to get past you and into the paint to covert or hand off a driving dish (he showed some very good passing last night by the way). Basically, his quick release will freeze defenders into no-man's land, because they still have to maintain some distance in case Cope drives.

It is an awesome single skill, but he does enough other things that give him value. His passing is improving. He is a willing defender. He lacks lateral movement so from mid-range and out, his defense is sub-par, but he has shown himself to be a willing banger in the paint. He does fight for boards. And he shows good court awareness.

Cope is a good piece for many teams. Would have liked to see him stay. He is legit firepower off the bench. He may start in Indy due to their injury situation.

Splat wrote:

knickscity wrote:

RonRon wrote:

knickscity wrote:Cope is a 3, thats all. No way is he a 4 or god forbid a 5.

He doesn't have the speed/quickness or athleticism to defend the 3
Copeland struggled early on with the NYK's because they put him at the SF

When playing PF/C, as a stretch PF/C
He isn't going to be a good defender but he pulls the opponents rebounder/defender out of the paint, where they generally are not comfortable going out off

or

Copeland can hit a wide open shot, in which he doesn't need much room to get his shot off, in which he is a high % shooter from the 3pt line
His shot is so quick, if the PF/C comes out and jumps, he has the ability to easily blow by the main...

Knickscity, did watch the games that Copeland played as a Knick?

I watched all of them. Cope did play the 4, but he played the role of Novak. Now I might have to question you....how many games did you watch?

Copeland was molasses slow he doesnt blow by anyone, literally all of his moves are slow similar to Melo in skill but just slower. They were effective primarily to him being totally unknown.

He got into the paint way more than your memory serves. Really. And he is doing it now. Watch him. But he is also showing court vision, so now he is also a threat to hit a cutter from the top of the arc. He did it last night to perfection. You're equating defensive quickness as the same as the ability to get past your defender when facing the basket. They are not the same thing.

Well, I explained why in the previous post and in sum his quick release gives him that extra spacing to initiate his drives and that is enough for Cope.

knickscity wrote:

RonRon wrote:

knickscity wrote:Cope is a 3, thats all. No way is he a 4 or god forbid a 5.

He doesn't have the speed/quickness or athleticism to defend the 3
Copeland struggled early on with the NYK's because they put him at the SF

When playing PF/C, as a stretch PF/C
He isn't going to be a good defender but he pulls the opponents rebounder/defender out of the paint, where they generally are not comfortable going out off

or

Copeland can hit a wide open shot, in which he doesn't need much room to get his shot off, in which he is a high % shooter from the 3pt line
His shot is so quick, if the PF/C comes out and jumps, he has the ability to easily blow by the main...

Knickscity, did watch the games that Copeland played as a Knick?

I watched all of them. Cope did play the 4, but he played the role of Novak. Now I might have to question you....how many games did you watch?

Copeland was molasses slow he doesnt blow by anyone, literally all of his moves are slow similar to Melo in skill but just slower. They were effective primarily to him being totally unknown.

I watched a lot of games that season, if not all at least Knick's in 60 (the 2 hour one) along with post game interviews
It was our 54 win season and it was a season where everyone had a chip on their shoulder with a lot to prove from CA, Kidd, Felton, Camby *though he never got minutes*,
The same season we didn't match Lin's contract and signed Kidd, the ball was moving, and I wanted to see Rasheed Wallace as he is one of my favorite players to see what he had left in the tank

I was very impressed with Copeland's skills, most of which is under rated as SPLAT gives a review off
He not only showed he was a great shooter but very clutch as well with the ability to play as a "rook" in MSG, also had some post up's, ability to facilitate/MOVE THE BALL *not a ball hog and shoot everytime he touched the ball, despite his limited minutes/PT*
Defense/REBOUNDING was improved very much, with veterans like Wallace/Camby/Kurt Thomas and even Kidd/Pablo helping the transition from the European league to the NBA

I do believe that he was signed by the Pacer's because his abilities to spread the floor/negate a post presence/defender like West/Hibbert while at a CHEAP cost, was to prevent another team from getting a cheap but effective counter
He isn't just a shooter while his shooting could be a top tier comparable to shooters *not overall game but just shooting* like Peja (when he was older), Kapono, Korver, Danny Green/Belinili/ Matt Bonner *who I cannot stand, McRoberts, etc
In fact I think he should be in the 3pt shooting contest in this years ALL STAR break, welcoming him back to New York

Cope is a cheap version of Ryan Anderson and has solid fundaments to go with a post game he added with Rasheed, in both deep and mid range

Copeland waited paitently for NYK's to give him an offer but instead we went with AB who isn't nearly the shooter Copeland is
He would have took less to stay in New York but when we used the MLE on Pablo/MWP, it was time to move on and make the best of his opporutnity especially since his years are numbered in the NBA, could possibly land another contract with his ability to spread the floor, especially as a BIG, however, IMO, he will fail at SF unless it is with top tier defensive teams like SA/Bulls or with talents like Lebron
Problem is Indiana already has West/Hibbert, who he will not get minutes at, especially with their philosophy on DEF

Players that had little value playing that had limited opportunities/minutes there include
These players have done well when given the opporutnity in different systems when given the opporutnity

Gereld Green/Plumlee (both traded with a 1st round pick for Scola)

Darren Collison

Josh McRoberts