Mike K had a great post on this recently.

“It just seems to me that the guy has a bunch of skills and yet we view him as not just a bad player but as someone who absolutely wrecks the team. Maaaaaaybe a new coach can alter this.”

Hubie Brown had success with not a lot of talent outside of Bernard King. He did it by slowing the game way down. Seems as if D’Antoni is going to try to do the opposite. That could be a recipe for disaster. We take more shots and give our opponents more possessions per game. If we don’t shoot a better percentage we could be even worse than last year.

I mean, it’s almost funny. If it was the Celtics it would be really funny. It’s like curing a hangover with a shot of tequila.

If Mike D’Antoni can turn Zach Randolph into Charles Oakley he’d be worth Eddy Curry’s weight in gold.

I agreee with you on Randolph.

The ultimate question is whether a new coach can get through to guys like Randolph and Crawford and create a way of using them more efficiently even though previous coaches have failed.

The first step is getting playmakers and better outside shooters so the alternatives to their bad shot selection is actually the superior option. We are moving in that direction.

Personally, I would be shocked of Crawford and Randolph don’t increase their FG% this year based on what has already been done.

Bob Cook,Guys on this site will throw numbers at you ad infinitum but I’ll give you the summary.
Zach and Jamal both get twenty points a game by taking way too many shots. They get points, but not efficiently, and thus the team loses. On defense they were two fifths of a unit that was close to the worst in the league. In terms of rebounding there is some thought that Zach’s lack of positioning on defense, that is, not being out on his man, gave him position for more defensive rebounds. As an offensive rebounder his numbers are not that good.
Neither player creates much for anyone else, thus the ball stops moving and someone needs to chuck it. Then the long carom and the transition basket the other way…. We’ve seen too many thirty point quarters. Hopefully, D’Antoni can make a difference in the teams efficiency but are you really optimistic that these guys are going to beat Garnett or Brand or anyone else?

Dan:
You have perfectly and knowledgably described what was going on last year. I’m just hoping or dreaming that it could be changed with regard to Zach. The point that Zach got a lot of cheap rebounds while leaving his man is an interesting and subtle one. Barkly used to be that way and having watched a bunch of games, I think you’re right. But suppose the coach tells him to cut it out. Z does not get a lot of offensive bounds. Well, he’s out there firing away from 20 ft. You can say he had a somewhat low shooting percentage but with the teammates he had out there, someone has to take a shot. Ewing also didn’t O-board much because he also loved the J and he was a center. On defense, Ewing liked blocked shots and that’s great but it was why he never got many D-boards compared to say, an Unseld. He was jumping away from the basket trying for the block.

It just seems to me that the guy has a bunch of skills and yet we view him as not just a bad player but as someone who absolutely wrecks the team. Maaaaaaybe a new coach can alter this.

Starting five
Mardy CollinsQ. RichardsonJared JeffriesMalik RoseJerome James
I call it Denny’s five star, no All-Star, starter special. Its three scrabbled goose eggs (MC,Q,Jared), a piece of stale toast (Rose), and a side of bacon (James). All for just 29.6 million dollars. What a bargin!

My wit is wasted on you people.

http://www.nbastuffer.com/2008-2009_Schedule_Rest_Days_Analysis.html

Zach and Jamal both get twenty points a game by taking way too many shots. They get points, but not efficiently, and thus the team loses. On defense they were two fifths of a unit that was close to the worst in the league. In terms of rebounding there is some thought that Zach’s lack of positioning on defense, that is, not being out on his man, gave him position for more defensive rebounds. As an offensive rebounder his numbers are not that good.

Neither player creates much for anyone else, thus the ball stops moving and someone needs to chuck it. Then the long carom and the transition basket the other way…. We’ve seen too many thirty point quarters. Hopefully, D’Antoni can make a difference in the teams efficiency but are you really optimistic that these guys are going to beat Garnett or Brand or anyone else?