Smush Working With Gordon, Villanueva, and Others

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">After not being selected in the June NBA Draft, McGrath was invited to play for the Knicks' summer league team in Las Vegas, but did not see any action after suffering torn ligaments in his right thumb. He initially injured the hand guarding another one of Ceisler's clients, former Mount Vernon star Ben Gordon of the Chicago Bulls, during a workout at the Reebok Sports Club in Manhattan, and reaggravated it in Las Vegas.

But that hasn't stopped McGrath from working out daily with Gordon as well as Charlie Villanueva (Milwaukee Bucks), Smush Parker (Los Angeles Lakers) and C.J. Miles (Utah Jazz).

"When I was getting ready for the draft, it was good for me to play every day with those guys," McGrath said. "It changed my game so much. I really feel like a different player since I left college."

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Working out with Gordon will not make him Gordon.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Lakers4Life:</div><div class="quote_post">Working out with Gordon will not make him Gordon.</div>
Since Gordon is such a good offensive weapon, hopefully working with Gordon in the off season will improve Smush's defense

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Brian:</div><div class="quote_post">Since Gordon is such a good offensive weapon, hopefully working with Gordon in the off season will improve Smush's defense</div>

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Lakers4Life:</div><div class="quote_post">












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What's so funny about that

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Brian:</div><div class="quote_post">What's so funny about that </div>

Smush's defense

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Lakers4Life:</div><div class="quote_post">Smush's defense </div>

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Brian:</div><div class="quote_post"></div>

 

I don't see how working out with any of those guys is going to help Smush. Maybe he'll learn a few new tricks on offense (like that wicked floater from Gordon), but that's it. He should consider working with someone that's good on defense, that way he'd be more useful to the Lakers, cause with Radman, Odom, and Kobe, we won't need nearly as much scoring out of him, but we still need him to defend, and he really didn't do that last year.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Moo2K4:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't see how working out with any of those guys is going to help Smush. Maybe he'll learn a few new tricks on offense (like that wicked floater from Gordon), but that's it. He should consider working with someone that's good on defense, that way he'd be more useful to the Lakers, cause with Radman, Odom, and Kobe, we won't need nearly as much scoring out of him, but we still need him to defend, and he really didn't do that last year.</div>

Try explaining that to Brian.

 

I'm sure he understands that Smush's defense is pathetic, hence his initial comment about getting better by guarding a great offensive player like Gordon, I just don't think he understood the necessity for smileys.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Moo2K4:</div><div class="quote_post">I'm sure he understands that Smush's defense is pathetic, hence his initial comment about getting better by guarding a great offensive player like Gordon, I just don't think he understood the necessity for smileys.</div>

 

Smush needs to work on his defense. Working out with good players makes yuo better I agree, but it aint going to help with defense unless he is working on defense. I dont think Gordon is really known for that.. He needs to work with defense minded guards like KIDD!

 

Ummm ok but have you forgotten that Smush is a Laker and he trains with the Lakers as a whole. This means that he has Kobe Bryant going at him and he still can't improve his D. What makes you think Gordon will improve it?

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Laker_fan:</div><div class="quote_post">Ummm ok but have you forgotten that Smush is a Laker and he trains with the Lakers as a whole. This means that he has Kobe Bryant going at him and he still can't improve his D. What makes you think Gordon will improve it?</div>That would mean waiting until training camp starts though. And if he waits that long, he'd be out of shape like no other. He's doing a smart thing by working out with other people now, he's just not working out with people that can help improve where he needs to improve the most, and that's defense.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Moo2K4:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't see how working out with any of those guys is going to help Smush. Maybe he'll learn a few new tricks on offense (like that wicked floater from Gordon), but that's it. He should consider working with someone that's good on defense, that way he'd be more useful to the Lakers, cause with Radman, Odom, and Kobe, we won't need nearly as much scoring out of him, but we still need him to defend, and he really didn't do that last year.</div>

I would love that, that move is huge when you're a point guard.

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Trench:</div><div class="quote_post">Smush needs to work on his defense. Working out with good players makes yuo better I agree, but it aint going to help with defense unless he is working on defense. I dont think Gordon is really known for that.. He needs to work with defense minded guards like KIDD!</div>

I think Brian means that Smush can improve on D by guarding Gordon.

 

In my opinion, you can't improve on defense simply by guarding a good offensive talent. If that was the case, Smush would be a superstar on defense after defending the likes of Tony Parker, Steve Nash, etc., at the point guard spot all year long.

 

^ Agreed. Defense is about footwork, reading your opponent and determination in my opinion. Just because you guard one guy while training doesn't make you a better defensive player. Each player is different; Smush might have learned Gordon's offensive stances and moves but what about the rest of the league? You can't base a "formula" of defense (off one guy's movements) to work for you game in and game out.

If he really wanted to learn how to defend better, he'd study tapes of a point guard who was considered a great defender, someone like Gary Payton for example.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Moo2K4:</div><div class="quote_post">That would mean waiting until training camp starts though. And if he waits that long, he'd be out of shape like no other. He's doing a smart thing by working out with other people now, he's just not working out with people that can help improve where he needs to improve the most, and that's defense.</div>

I was replying to the thing about Smush improving his D. I just mentioned that Kobe can't improve his D so I doubt Ben Gordon would be able to. But I agree with the part about learning to D up against different offensive threats. However, the Lakers have different offensive threats so it's not like he only knows how to guard one type of player.