After two games. PER and Usage Wallace 30.7/21.6 C. Smith 30.2 /21.2 LMA 25.6 /26.8 N. Smith 22.2 /21.2 Crawford 16.9 /20.6 Camby 16.5/12.5 Batum 16.0/23.0 Thomas 14.7/6.6 Matthews 8.9/22.0 Felton 7.5/20.9 C. Johnson 6.5/8.9 Babbit 0/0 Williams 0/0 It's kind of amazing that the Blazers are 2-0 considering their starting backcourt has been simply awful for two games. Wallace is playing at an MVP-level, and LMA is playing very good ball as well.
I see Wallace coming down a bit and Matthews, Batum and Felton going up. I think collectively the entire rosters per will increase greatly. I have a feeling that this new system is really sinking in positively and players will embrace and adapt it more. We may have a very surprising season. We could jockey for top spot in the west.
Seriously, just let the season unfold a little bit. [video=youtube;8riXGpPFD34]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8riXGpPFD34[/video]
I really liked what KT did last night. Played Cousins tough and was an option offensively. It is so nice not worrying about the second unit right now. Wesley hurt his back in the second and Felton should play better with time. Would love to see GW keep the pace.
The vets were mind fucking Cousin's all game. It was hilarious. He looked like he was about to explode at any second.
Huge talent. Huger head case. If this kid ever gets his head on straight, look out. Right now, he continues to be his own worst enemy. BNM
That kid just really annoys me. Cousins will be the cause of SacTown's woes, bank on it. He is worse than Zach in terms of "Black Hole Affect".
Do guys like that ever really get their head on straight though. Some pull it together for a few seasons, but then seem to fall back after getting a contract or some other change they cannot handle. Truly happy he is someone elses problem.
Yeah, Joel and Marcus got in his head last year and Marcus and Kurt did again last night. There were three or four plays in a row after Marcus blocked Cousins' shot and DeMarcus and Camby had some brief words while under the hoop (really brief, nothing huge or anything) that Cousins' then tried to show up Camby by first bringing the ball up the court on the fast break and throwing it away, then taking off-balance jumpers. It was pretty funny. I was sitting here trying to think of a comparison for that kind of easy to get into your head attitude and it hit me that it was kinda a Ricky Davis reaction. Cousins is immensely more talented and formidable than Davis, but that is what it reminded me of.
Here's a comparison. Buck Williams, the assistant coach who probably showed our guys how to verbally harrass Cousins, was really, really bothered by Sonics PF Lonnie Shelton. Skinny young Buck, on the NJ Nets, was intimidated by big heavy Shelton, who enjoyed putting fear into him. In Sonicland there were many articles over the years about it. Buck's assistant coaches eventually got him to nervously laugh it off, but he was faking and was still bothered. I bet he's teaching Shelton's words to our guys to bother Cousins.