I just think it's very interesting how Drew Gooden is putting up similar numbers to Carlos Boozer, but isn't getting any respect in the process. The numbers are almost identical, yet this time last season people with calling Boozer an allstar and boasting that he was infact the most improved player in the league. Where's Gooden's credit? Just check out the numbers... <div align="center"> MPG: 34.6 PPG: 15.5 RPG: 11.4 FG% 52.3 FT% 76.8 GS: 75 (*2003-2004 statistics) MPG: 31.4 PPG: 15.0 RPG: 9.60 FG% 51.2 FT% 80.3 GS: 43</div> Where's the respect? Seriously? Gooden has to be the most under rated and under valued player in the entire NBA...
Well Gooden isn't as good a rebounder. Boozer as we all know is a beast on the boards however, everything else looks pretty much the same. Gooden seems to be filling in that void pretty well. Boozer is developing into a better player than Gooden. That was last years stats. This year he is averaging 18.6ppg and 9.3rpg. A little less rebounds per game but, still he is still developing into a great player. The only thing now is that he has the Olmpic experience to go along with him. Drew Gooden is a solid pickup and has filled in Boozer's absence pretty well. I am very sure if Boozer was still here, he would have been a better fit. I am sure he would have averaged more rebounds and more points. That was the worst thing that he could have done to an organization that treated him so well however, Boozer still is the better player and along with James, would have developed into a lethal and championship combination, and mnore lethal than Gooden and James. Drew Gooden is a great player and will become an even better player in the league but to call him the most underrated player sounds like overrating him to me. The guy is putting up some great numbers but, he is far from the most underrated player in the league. What about the likes of Antawn Jamison? Or someone like Sam Cassell. Drew Gooden is in no way shape or form as underrated as them much less as good as them. Again, Drew Gooden has been a pleasant surprise for the Cleveland Cavaliers but he still isn?t as good as Boozer last year or this year. Carlos Boozer has still accomplished more than Gooden throughout his career, and is still a better player. He is far from the most underrated player in the league.
But isn't Gooden younger than Carlos Loozer who stayed in College all 4 years??? Or did Gooden also stay for all 4 years...
Let me give you a quick review of Drew Gooden's history, perhaps that will help you better understand how I drew my conclusions on his potential and abilities. If your truly interested in Cleveland, and truly interested in Drew Gooden, than take the time out to read this summary I've written. You may learn a thing or two, and may infact become a believer in The Big Drizzle... [Memphis: Drafted Than Packaged] When Gooden was drafted in 2002, he was selected fourth overall by Memphis, and more importantly Jerry West. Ever since West took over that franchise he's been on an endless search to find a legitimate, superstar swingman to boast on his roster. However, Drew Gooden didn't fit that description, but West was convinced he could mold him into the small foward he so desperately desired. So, Gooden was selected and began his stint in Memphis as a swingman. Failure. Gooden's numbers at an akward postion for his skills were solid (12.1 PPG & 5.8 RPG in 26.1 MPG) however his field goal percentage suffered (44.3%) as did Gooden's performances on defense as he was forced to cover the quickest and most explosive swingman amongst the league on a nightly basis. Gooden's minutes began to dwindle, his starts grew few and far between, and before you know it the trading deadline lurked in the distance. Thus Drew Gooden, The 4th Overall Selection, found himself on The Infamous Trading Block in just his first season as a rookie who gained so much success in Kansas. Not ideal by any stretch of the imagination. Orlando put in a bid, and Gooden was sent off just prior to the deadline in a deal for Mike Miller, another attempt for Memphis to aquire the Swingman they longed for... [Orlando I: A New Beginning] So Gooden began his stint with The Orlando Magic midway through the 2002-2003 NBA Season. Perhaps Gooden's ego and confidence took a hit, as he enjoyed so much success in his collegiate career and was abandoned by his first team, but The Big Drizzle would pour on. Gooden was placed back at his natural postion, Power Foward, and was more importantly placed alongside Tracy McGrady, who would go on to lead the league in scoring that season. Gooden would get his first taste of NBA success with Orlando, posting impressive numbers in his rookie campaign with Orlando, and placing them into the playoff hunt in the process. Gooden would go on to rank in The Top Five in Scoring, Rebounding, and Field Goal Percentage amongst all NBA Rookies, and his Orlando Magic would qualify for The NBA Playoffs as The 8th and final Eastern Conference Seed. [Orlando II: Playoff Debut] Drew Gooden, freshly off an 8 game rest do to a sprained right big toe, entered the playoffs with a major task at hand. Not only was Gooden an inexperienced rookie still getting his feet wet, not only was his Orlando Magic The Last Seeded playoff qualifying team, but they were matched against The Detroit Piston and Gooden would draw Ben Wallace as his defensive assignment. Ben Wallace boasted several regular seasons accomplishments, Leading The League in Rebounds at 15.4 Per Game, and capturing The League's Defensive Player of The Year Award. So Gooden certainly could have a successful post season with the odds stacked against him, Right? Wrong, Gooden would infact flourish in a 7-Game series in which he and The Magic were left for dead. Gooden would start all seven games for Orlando in the 2003 Playoffs and go on to average an impressive 14 PPG and 12.7 RPG in 33.4 minutes. Gooden also posted five double-doubles during the seven-game series and led or tied the Magic in rebounding in all seven games. So the future looked bright, with Gooden tagged alongside the league's leading scorer down in Orlando, there was only up to go from here... [Orlando III: Juwan'a Start?] Juwan Howard. Aquired by Orlando after becoming a free agent and leaving The Denver Nuggets looking for a winning franchise. However, with the potential Gooden showed in his brief stay in Orlando, what was the motivate behind the addition of the crafty veteran? Well, Gooden's game and confidence was about to suffer yet another shock, he was moving postions yet again. This time Orlando was intent on starting Gooden, a good thing, but out of postion as a Center. A good shake up, it was The under sized Eastern Conference and Orlando's roster would display the most talent with Howard and Gooden on the floor together, but Gooden's game wasn't meant for that center postion. Gooden again was forced to adjust, to learn the NBA game over at yet another new postion, and time was required to reach any improvement. But Than Orlando and Drew Gooden faced more adversity, and after the worst start in franchise history, a roster shake up was necessary. Gooden would AGAIN, that's right AGAIN, be moved on the roster. From Starting Center, to a RESERVE Power Foward backing Juwan Howard, likely because of Orlando's inability to justify the contract awarded to Howard if he'd come off the bench and possibly jeopardize his production. None the less, Gooden was once again thrown to the wolves, this time in Orlando. Yet his numbers remained solid as Gooden played in 79 games (17 starts) for Orlando, averaging 11.6 points, 6.5 rebounds in 27.0 minutes per game. He would also laed the Magic in double-doubles with 18, but his team would not qualify for The Playoffs, his teammate Tracy McGrady would demand a trade, and Gooden too would say his goodbyes to the panhandle that offseason. [Cleveland I: Back To The Basics - The Future] Following Tracy McGrady departure in Orlando, other transactions were sure to follow. Cleveland became a team interested in dealing that offseason, after a shocking loss of Foward Carlos Boozer, and they and The Magic began talks. Cleveland than sent forward Tony Battie and two second-round draft picks to the Magic in exchange for Gooden, Brazilian rookie forward Anderson Varejao and 7-foot center Steven Hunter. The big offseason question, could the three big bodies aquired by Cleveland in the summer make up for the loss of Carlos Boozer who was certainly on the verge of superstardom? Drew Gooden has posted similar numbers to this point, taking a quick glance at his statistics this season in comparison to Boozer's while in Cleveland and they're almost identical. Boozer was just posted just .5 Points and 1.8 Rebounds better than Gooden, and basically matched in minutes and field goal percentage. So where's the drop off? Sure, Boozer has proven to become an allstar caliber foward, but who's to limit Gooden's potential? This is a player who has overcome adversity his entire NBA career, from team to team, from postion to postion. Imagine being a superstar in college, ranked amongst the best in the nation, drafted in the top 5 of the NBA Lottery, but than shipped around like packed goods, and moved to just about every postion from 1-5 and sat on the bench for no apperant reason. Imagine what that does to your confidence. Imagine the impact that kind of instability could have, the insecurity it could bring to a young, impressionable superstar like Gooden. This guy has battled through alot thus far in his career, and certainly hasn't gotten a fair shake to this point. So finally, after several teams and a couple of years behind him, Gooden gets to start on an NBA Roster. He gets to play the postion he was molded into. He gets stability and comfort from a franchise keeping him on their roster in the same role for an entire season. This is basically a new beginning, almost as though it's a 2nd Rookie Season for Gooden. I truly don't believe his full potential has shown through yet. Let this young buck start at his postion on the same ball club for an entire season. Let him adjust and grow comfortable with his surroundings and his teammates. Let him learn to understand his role with a team, and let his game develop and flourish under the same system. Next Season, you'll see a much improved player, who's to say he can't post Carlos Boozer numbers?
^Great post man. Ever since the Magic got him in that trade I liked him and I was like quite shocked when we aquired Howard. At the end of last season it was clear that the best thing for him was to be traded again, I just hoped he get traded to a team where he can play and start at his natural position. And I think Cleveland is perfect for him. The problem with Gooden is that he's already been traded twice during his first years. And not knowing the reasons behind it, that makes you think. I only read in another thread that he's not good because he already has been traded so often in just this few years. Also, everyone thinks the reason he has this numbers are because of LeBron, many think maybe without LeBron he would be nothing. While I think he needs someone to set him up, I don't think that LeBron needs to be this person. But that's the same with Amare who needs Nash, but there everyone thinks Amare can all do it by himself... Give Gooden a whole season and I'm sure next season he gets the credit he deserves.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Coranor:</div><div class="quote_post"> Also, everyone thinks the reason he has this numbers are because of LeBron, many think maybe without LeBron he would be nothing. While I think he needs someone to set him up, I don't think that LeBron needs to be this person. But that's the same with Amare who needs Nash, but there everyone thinks Amare can all do it by himself... Give Gooden a whole season and I'm sure next season he gets the credit he deserves.</div> I disagree, some of Gooden's greatest performances have come on night's when his team's allstar wasn't present. This season for instance, against The Bucks just the other night, Gooden dropped 33 Points and 11 Rebounds without Lebron in the lineup. Last season I recall him having a a 32 Point Performance against The Celtics when Tracy McGrady was out of the lineup. Honestly, The only thing that concerns me with Gooden, is his mental state. To have enjoyed so much success in Kansas only to be shipped around to several different teams, and moved around from postion to postion on rosters, you have to wonder about his confidence. Stability is the best thing Gooden could have right now, I only see him gaining from his current postion in Cleveland, and his potential can now shine through...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Coranor:</div><div class="quote_post"> Also, everyone thinks the reason he has this numbers are because of LeBron, many think maybe without LeBron he would be nothing. While I think he needs someone to set him up, I don't think that LeBron needs to be this person. But that's the same with Amare who needs Nash, but there everyone thinks Amare can all do it by himself... Give Gooden a whole season and I'm sure next season he gets the credit he deserves.</div> I disagree, some of Gooden's greatest performances have come on night's when his team's allstar wasn't present. This season for instance, against The Bucks just the other night, Gooden dropped 33 Points and 11 Rebounds without Lebron in the lineup. Last season I recall him having a a 32 Point Performance against The Celtics when Tracy McGrady was out of the lineup. Honestly, The only thing that concerns me with Gooden, is his mental state. To have enjoyed so much success in Kansas only to be shipped around to several different teams, and moved around from postion to postion on rosters, you have to wonder about his confidence. Stability is the best thing Gooden could have right now, I only see him gaining from his current postion in Cleveland, and his potential can now shine through...
Gooden is basically a cheaper version of Boozer. Like KJX3 said, he isn't as good in the rebounding department as Boozer. He will however play with a high intensity, which is a great plus for the Cavs. Now that he's finally able to play PF without a Gasol or Howard in his way he should be able to play his type of basketball.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting King James X3:</div><div class="quote_post">I disagree, some of Gooden's greatest performances have come on night's when his team's allstar wasn't present. This season for instance, against The Bucks just the other night, Gooden dropped 33 Points and 11 Rebounds without Lebron in the lineup. Last season I recall him having a a 32 Point Performance against The Celtics when Tracy McGrady was out of the lineup. </div> That's what I mean, but many think like he's nothing without LeBron. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Honestly, The only thing that concerns me with Gooden, is his mental state. To have enjoyed so much success in Kansas only to be shipped around to several different teams, and moved around from postion to postion on rosters, you have to wonder about his confidence. Stability is the best thing Gooden could have right now, I only see him gaining from his current postion in Cleveland, and his potential can now shine through...</div> Yep, confidence was a big problem last season in Orlando and I also think he lost confidence after our playoff loss against Detroit.
I love how everyone is stepping it up with LeBron on the bench with the injury. I saw one night where McInnis, Gooden, and Z all had double-doubles on the same night. That has to be a good sign for us, especially when LBJ isn't on the floor...
How is Gooden a bad rebounder, when he is averaging close to ten a game? That's more than Yao Ming, Chris Webber, Amare Stoudemire and even Carlos Boozer? Gooden is getting 9.6 per game, and Boozer is getting 9.3, yet he's the better rebounder? I don't think I'm going out on a limb here when I say that Gooden is a better player than Boozer right now. With significantly less touches, Gooden is averaging 15 points per game, while Boozer is only able to get 18. Gooden is doing better in every statistical category.
Want to know the difference between Gooden and Boozer? Here it is. Boozer brought it every night. Same numbers, 15/10, 16/12/ 12/14. He did that day in, day out. You knew what Boozer was going to give you, a double double every night. In other words, Carlos was very consistant with his play here in Cleveland. Drew Gooden averages simular numbers because there has been games where Drew has been unstoppable, and there has been days that he doesn't have a clue. Drew Gooden would come out blazing with a steller 27/14 night, then the next day 12/3. Then another night he may come out with a solid 15/10 night, gets confidence the next game and break out a 22/13 night. And then Drew loses him self the following game with a subpar performance of 8/3. As you can see, with these stats the average would end up being like 15/9, just like Boozer did a season ago. But Drew doesn't bring it every night like Boozer did. Thats why he doesn't get the respect, thats why he doesn't get the AS vote. Boozer=consistant Gooden=not.
You have a point there, but you also have to take in the fact that Boozer has one more year of experience, and that he got touches every night. By looking at Gooden's stats, it seems that on nights where he doesn't get a double-double, he doesn't take more than 10 shots. If you give him a consistant number of shots each game, his play will definitely get more consistent.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Red Bull:</div><div class="quote_post">Want to know the difference between Gooden and Boozer? Here it is. Boozer brought it every night. Same numbers, 15/10, 16/12/ 12/14. He did that day in, day out. You knew what Boozer was going to give you, a double double every night. In other words, Carlos was very consistant with his play here in Cleveland. Drew Gooden averages simular numbers because there has been games where Drew has been unstoppable, and there has been days that he doesn't have a clue. Drew Gooden would come out blazing with a steller 27/14 night, then the next day 12/3. Then another night he may come out with a solid 15/10 night, gets confidence the next game and break out a 22/13 night. And then Drew loses him self the following game with a subpar performance of 8/3. As you can see, with these stats the average would end up being like 15/9, just like Boozer did a season ago. But Drew doesn't bring it every night like Boozer did. Thats why he doesn't get the respect, thats why he doesn't get the AS vote. Boozer=consistant Gooden=not.</div> How can Gooden be expected to play consistently, when his whole NBA Career has been filled with turmoil and instability? For no apperant reason Gooden has been shipped around the league, and to fill team's needs, Gooden has been moved from postion to postion. So now, Finally, Gooden is being allowed to remain on THE SAME Nba Roster, at THE SAME postion, and hopefully the stability can translate onto the floor. Gooden has indeed responded to the consistency he's finally found in his career. In his last 30 games, he's reached double figure scoring 27 times. So that debunks your aforementioned theory in some respects. In his last 30 games, Gooden has grabbed down 8 or more rebounds in 20 of those games. He's responded to the consistant minutes and the starting postion he's been awarded, it was the beginning of the season when Gooden and Silas were still searching to find his role on this roster that Gooden struggled. However, his improvement is undeniable, and certainly he's becoming the player that Boozer was for this team last season...
I'm pretty sure Gooden's had a double-double the last five games, which will hopefully be the start of him getting the consistancy Boozer had last season. With some confidence he should be an amazing player.
