Drew Gooden (Spurs)
Grade: B+
Reasoning: Consistent as they come, the Spurs are 2nd in a tough Western Conference and are predictably rock-solid on defense. They rank 5th in defensive efficiency, allowing just 104.3pts per 100 possessions. But there is a problem in San Antonio - they do not have a championship-caliber offense. Yes, they have Duncan, Parker and a hobbled Manu Ginobili but lack the depth and overall talent of previous title seasons. They sit at a very pedestrian 14th in the league in offensive efficiency and, with the exception of Duncan, have no legitimate post options. In fact, other than Tim, they don't really have any legitimate big men, unless you count what's left of Kurt Thomas. Enter: Drew Gooden. Aside from the hideous beard, Gooden is just what the doctor ordered for the Spurs. He can shoot the mid-range jumper, he can play in the low-post and he can rebound. He'll take pressure off of the Big-3 with consistent play. Why not an "A" grade? The man is defensively deficient, though with "The Big Fundamental" on the floor, Gooden's tail should be covered.
Joe Smith (Cavaliers)
Grade: A
Reasoning: The Cavaliers have gone from tier to tier each season in the LeBron James era. At first, they were border-line playoff-caliber, then a playoff team who found an easy path to the Finals but came up short, and have now entered "elite" status. They are leading the Eastern Conference and are 2nd only to the Lakers for best record in the NBA. I liken the Joe Smith acquisition to the old phrase "The rich get richer". Smith is the ideal role player. He sticks the open jumper. He is a good post defender and help defender. He can work from the post, he's a wise veteran and he's good for team chemistry. What Smith provides, most of all, is consistent offense off of the bench. Before the signing, Cleveland brought (and will continue to bring) Anderson Varejao off the pine, but for as good as AV is, he isn't a scorer, much less a consistent one. They also turned to rookie JJ Hickson from time to time. Excellent addition for the Cavs.
Luther Head (Heat)
Grade: D
Reasoning: I'm not sure how this helps the Heat or gives them any extra push. Head is an undersized shooting guard who is experiencing a terrible season. Last year, he was at least respectable from an offensive standpoint, posting a PER of 13.4 and shooting sky-high percentages. Last year's Luther Head could potentially help Miami by giving them another scorer. But they didn't acquire last year's Luther Head. They acquired the one who's PER is at a miserable 9.8, and who is shooting an eFG% of just 45.5%. And as has been mentioned, he's not a point guard (a position the Heat could actually use). He doesn't have great ball-handling skills and isn't a particularly good passer, averaging 3.9 assists per-36 minutes, to go along with nearly 2 turnovers. However, I don't think the Heat are going into this seeing him as a savior or a big-time role player, and it's not as if he's being paid max money. Still, a questionable choice of players.
Mikki Moore (Celtics)
Grade: B
Reasoning: He works hard. He is an efficient scorer and he won't get in the way of the Big-3. The Celtics are having another great year but with the loss of James Posey and P.J Brown are in need of bench support. Moore, in many aspects, provides this. Mikki, just a few seasons ago, led the NBA in fg% while with the New Jersey Nets. He knows the difference between a good shot and a bad shot, but equally as important, he knows his role. A solid, unspectacular signing.
Stephon Marbury (Celtics)
Grade: B+
Reasoning: I won't go into much detail as to my feelings on this signing, considering the previous blog post was all about it, but suffice to say, it's a good move. The Celtics need bench help if they want to make it two titles in a row. Marbury wants to go somewhere where he can build up his perceived character - match made in heaven. He was signed to the veteran's minimum so it's not as if he will be a thorn in their side if he regresses back to the Stephon Marbury of the Knicks. Boston will simply cut him and never look back. The only reason this acquisition isn't an "A" is because, like Gooden, Marbury has a problem playing defense and on a team that prides themselves on dominant defense, it might be hard for Steph to fit in quickly or at all.
Ouch.
ReplyDeleteI know Marbs is bad on defense, but a B+?
You sir, are a tough grader.
With Rondo, Garnett, Perkins and the Celtics defensive schemes in place, I think Marbury's inability to play consistent defense will be shadowed incredibly well and even maximize his offensive abilites.
Another great piece Alex.
Thanks for the comment. Here's the thing - a B+ is still a really good grade. I'll take a B+ in school any day. Marbury, in my estimation, is going to have a net positive impact. But he won't be able to contribute defensively, so I HAVE to take SOMETHING off of his grade. lol
ReplyDeleteSame deal with Gooden.
BTW: Since Gooden played in Chicago for a bit last season and this season, what was your overall impression of him?
I'll break it down offensively and defensively.
ReplyDeleteOffense: Drew is a very skilled big man who can step out and knock down jumpshots and even extend his range to the 20 feet area. Though, he's best suited in the 13-15 feet area if you ask me. On the block he's very decent and fundamentally sound. He doesn't make a lot of mistakes and is polished. He doesn't understand the term match-up, though. He can go up against a significally slower or smaller player, and he'll still drift to the perimeter.
His passing out of the post seemed decent enough to me. He found cutters sometimes and knew when to back away from an attack. That being said, he doesn't produce enough of what he theoretically could. If he put his mind to it, I feel he could be an 17-18 PPG scorer on decent efficiency. But he'd have to take better shots and play closer to the basket.
Defense:
Oh boy. If you're standing in a position where your chest facing the crowd, and your back is facing your opponent, you're not going to do much damage defensively. Gooden simply doesn't have any kind of defensive IQ - At all. He rebounds well and boxes out. But as far as picking up the right man on a switch, or rotating to cover the paint.. Sigh.
I believe Drew Gooden has the necessary tools to become a two-way player and a starting power forward in this league. But he does not acknowledge his own talent, and he certainly doesn't work hard enough to correct his mistakes. He's a 6th man, first big off the bench player. He can come in and play 25 minutes off the bench and give you 12/8 on decent FG% and FT% - He should be an excellent player for San Antonio, as he'll fill the scoring need when Duncan sits.
I wouldn't put Drew Gooden into Derrick Coleman territory, but as far as I'm concerned, he never lived up to his potential. Not even close. Put a 20-year old Drew Gooden on a doctors table. Insert a brain, and you have yourself an all-star player, IMO. Physical, shooting touch, rebounding abilities, knows how to use his body, soft touch around the rim, hook shot, etc.
But I guess you can say that about a lot of players these days.
Nice analysis. And yeah, you can say that about a lot of players but more-so Gooden. He really does have all the necessary tools, just no idea how to use some of them.
ReplyDelete