02-05-2007 Warriors @ Pacers (Tell me how this goes, fellas)

<div class="quote_poster">AnimeFANatic Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">As with basketball skill (ie. dribbling, shooting, passing) it can always be improved with practice. Why can't stupidity be fixed also? We need some program to make Pietrus a smarter guy. He has the physical capabilities and great attitude of a good player, the guy just has a brain with no wrinkles.</div>

Yeah. That's especially why he irks me now. He just hasn't improved, except for statistics. I'm just surprised I couldn't see his limited upside and his initial game. It's definitely why Barnett didn't like this guy at times (although he seemed to always like Dunleavy and I HATED his 2002 and 2003 defensive game, but liked his smooth in-transition dribbling and high post passes). But anyway, after 2003 and parts of 2004 where Pietrus showed a point per minute capability, his act just got old. He didn't really demonstrate the types of things that a guy like Jrich could do involving footwork, court awareness, and letting the game come to him. Jrich can do that to some extent, although he's no prototype guard like Ray Allen or Afernee Hardaway who can shoot, pass, dribble, shoot free throws like a two guard is supposed to.

Pietrus man... boy was I wrong about him. But at the same time I was right about Dunleavy. Slow guys with no position who can't shoot or play defense ain't going very far as starters in this league. They'll probably be marginal or decent utility players who can do a little bit of everything, especially when running a set offense. That's not bad in some cases, but not at Dunleavy's asking price. Ouch! In this league, players have to adjust for anything because everything is always changing both matchup wise and team direction wise.

 

<div class="quote_poster">philsmith75 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Watching Baron more and more, I give him credit for getting others involved. I just think he's more of a scorer than the traditional PG (Kidd, Nash) so he gets antsy and wants to shoot, just to shoot.

Pietrus is a lost cause I think. Here's one of the most gifted athletic players on the team and he's become a stand still 3 shooter (not a very good one either). Where's the slashing Pietrus that showed some flashes last year? He seems to have improved his rebounding but that's the only area of improvement I've seen. And the FT shooting? What is that? I'm all for cutting the cord.

I hope Baron's back for Friday night when I get to see the Warriors take on the Bulls.</div>

Totally agree. What do you think of Al Harrington and Matt Barnes? I think I was not feeling too excited about Barnes even when he got those 30 point games. Because all he did was jack threes and had no intermediate range game except for a few spin moves in the mid-post. Then Harrington, I'm not sure if I can blame him for what he is. He's a small forward, but is power forward sized. I keep thinking he is a power forward because he is Ike Diogu's or a slimmed down Zach Randolph size, but he plays so small for a guy 6'9, 250 lbs. This could definitely complicate things because Harrington is no 250 lb Ron Artest or Lebron James, so I doubt Al could defend most nba small forwards. He could probably be like Dunleavy on defense part 2, only seemingly more athletic because most think of him as a power forward or even a tiny center.

 

<div class="quote_poster">custodianrules2 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Totally agree. What do you think of Al Harrington and Matt Barnes? I think I was not feeling too excited about Barnes even when he got those 30 point games. Because all he did was jack threes and had no intermediate range game except for a few spin moves in the mid-post. Then Harrington, I'm not sure if I can blame him for what he is. He's a small forward, but is power forward sized. I keep thinking he is a power forward because he is Ike Diogu's or a slimmed down Zach Randolph size, but he plays so small for a guy 6'9, 250 lbs. This could definitely complicate things because Harrington is no 250 lb Ron Artest or Lebron James, so I doubt Al could defend most nba small forwards. He could probably be like Dunleavy on defense part 2, only seemingly more athletic because most think of him as a power forward or even a tiny center.</div>

I am okay with Harrington because he can score inside and outside (his outside shooting killed the W's in that one game). He gets into problems dribbling in the post but he can finish. He's a nice physical package. I just wish he would rebound more. His D's been up and down (according to media reports) so I know he can play some D. Its all about desire, and on that I'm crossing my fingers that he will someday get it.

Barnes? He's a nice scrapper; its just a matter of him accepting that role. He's got some offensive talent, I like the way he finishes, and he knows how to do the little things like rebound, dribble and play straight up D but my view is he gets careless with turnovers thinking he's better than he is.