The Clipperblogger Summit - Part Three

by Steve Perrin on Jun 7, 2009 6:31 PM PDT in News

What with the NBA Finals and the Blake Griffin workout, there's been a lot going on around here. But the Clipperblogger Summit, an email exchange between myself and Kevin Arnovitz, goes forward as well. In Part One Kevin wondered what identity the Clippers might develop. In Part Two, I mused on that subject and singled out the Clippers need for a "Glue guy". In Part Three (posted on Clipperblog and re-printed below) KA endeavors to define the "Glue guy" and why it is important in today's NBA.

The conversation so far: Part One, Part Two

To: Steve Perrin
From: Kevin Arnovitz
Date: June 7, 2009

Let’s talk "glue guy." Normally, I try to avoid abstractions when it comes to hoops, and "glue guy," like its brethren "energy guy," is one of those formulations that’s hard to quantify…but quantifying abstractions is what we do here, so let’s take a stab.

The NBA game has changed a lot in the past few years. Ball movement, motion, and perimeter play — these are the things good teams employ to win basketball games. A lot of smart people ascribe this to a revision of hand-checking rules a a few years back. Whatever the case, skills like passing, knowing how to fill space, and ballhandling have become vital at every position on the court. The Lakers and Magic exemplify this. Guys like Gasol, Turkoglu, Odom, Lewis, Walton — and to a slightly lesser but still decent extent Ariza, Lee, and Pietrus — personify the versatility that can beat you any number of ways from multiple places on the floor (Bryant, obviously, belongs in a category of his own, but let’s not digress). And that’s just on the offensive end. Put any of these guys on the Clippers and they’d immediately become a defensive cog.

The Clippers, on the other hand, rely almost entirely on one-on-one players — prime examples include Thornton, Randolph, and Kaman. Even though I prefer Eric Gordon to Courtney Lee over the long haul, EJ could learn a lot from watching Lee move around the floor this postseason. Lee has the advantage of playing in a phenomenal system that maximizes each player’s individual skills. By resorting to one-on-one play, the Clippers encourage bad offensive habits, which is how you end up 30th in offensive efficiency even though there are supposedly nice offensive pieces at each position. Having guys who can jump out of the gym is nice. Having guys who know their way around the gym is better.

Ideal glue guys at the small forward? The list would include Turkoglu, Battier, Odom (still think he’s a wing), Prince, Batum, Kirilenko, Ariza, and even Walton. These are guys who can perform offensive tasks beyond scoring, and also defend. It might be counter-intuitive to say a team that has trouble putting points on the board should worry less about raw scoring, but in the Clippers’ case it’s true. At the risk of peddling basketball Tao, the Clippers can score more next season by focusing less on scoring.

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With the amount of scorers the Clippers have, why could’t Mardy Collins be the glue guy?

Although Collinse isn’t very quick and he can’t shoot that well, he seems to play tough, fundamental defense similar to Mobley (who wasn’t quick) and he’s taller than Mobley. Mobley did good defensive work on top scorers such as Kobe and Dirk. Collins played great D against Pierce.

Collins has a fairly good handle and seems to make good decisions withe ball when he played point. He also can take it into the lane and make shots. Maybe his outside shot can improve with time. This would allow the Clips to run the ball through more of their top scorers and bring Thornton off the bench to score and defend against weaker opponents.

by Jerdog on Jun 7, 2009 9:08 PM PDT reply actions

A good idea

Mardy is versatile

F-Elton!

by mikey p on Jun 8, 2009 9:26 AM PDT up reply actions

i concur

Mardy Collins is exactly the guy who is on the team already that I see fitting fairly well into that role as a starter. As mentioned; he showed he can handle the ball, pass (for last year i thought he was actually the best decision maker we had, for whatever thats worth in contrast to our record) and he can defend. I did not see enough of his set shot last year but was impressed by his scoring within the key with his back downs and spin moves. Him starting with a potential line up of Baron, Eric, Zach and Camby sounds good. With Griffin, Al, Kaman, Mike T. logging the bulk of the mins. DeAndre and Novak(who must stay w/this team) picking up the remainders along foul trouble mins, etc. : Camby – Zach – Mardy – Gordon – Baron ** – that provides a nice balanced starting line up, not as flashy with Blake and Al starting but surely more sound.

I believe in starting your best defenders who are not necessarily one dimensional. and having potent scoring coming off the bench. instead of starting them all and subbing in the defenders (i.e. mardy and marcus). start the defenders and set the tone for the game. then sub in Al’s , Zach’s and Kaman’s to push them back on there heels.

I believe Griffin will earn the starting position next season, with no doubt. And that be much sooner rather then later.

This team is a great team that is not proven. Hopefully the players rise above the deficiencies of last year such as hard work and on court smarts.

by the way…on that Blake Griffin work out clip, on one move from baseline to the basket; he did the most beautifully fluid and confident spin off the imaginary defender completed with a dunk. That right there, was something i dont think you see hardly ever from a man his size, let alone a 6’6" man or smaller. I dont know if that stood out to anyone else but it truly was…and i say this with all emphasis’ intended… “poetry in motion”.

by Takebb909 on Jun 7, 2009 11:10 PM PDT reply actions

I agree with Kevin

for the same reason I think the Dallas Cowboys will be a better offensive unit this year despite cutting Terrell Owens, and his 13 touchdowns.

The Clippers would do better focusing on creating a coherent team offense rather than just scoring.

F-Elton!

by mikey p on Jun 8, 2009 9:28 AM PDT reply actions

I too agree with KA

by Jax on Jun 8, 2009 10:14 AM PDT up reply actions

Addition by subtraction

Looking again, I note that KA mentions “ideal” glue guys. Impressive that Batum makes the list. I’ve kind of forgotten about Kirilenko recently.

Mardy Collins isn’t ideal, but he’s been an unexpected surprise as a throw-in on the Thomas-Mobley deal. The Clips need to do better than that. But I like MC as an upgrade (perhaps) on QRoss, a much better ballhandler and passer than Ross. And Collins can seemingly keep progressing towards being a poor man’s Ron Harper, a nice complementary player. Yes, a glue guy, and a good defender, just not ideal.

by citizen zhiv on Jun 8, 2009 10:20 AM PDT up reply actions

The thing about glue guys

Prince, Battier, etc., is that they can bury a shot when you need them to.

Having athletes is great and all, but the Clippers need basketball players. Guys that are fundamentally sound shooters, passers and defensive rotators.

F-Elton!

by mikey p on Jun 8, 2009 2:38 PM PDT up reply actions

Is MDJr a glue guy?

Just wondering. Wasn’t Korolev supposed to be a glue guy? How does Richard Jefferson rate glue-wise? LR Mbah-Moute?

And please, let’s peddle all the basketball Tao we possibly can. Vic the Brick shouldn’t be the only one. He was hilarious on Friday, saying (while trying to stay calm and peaceful of course) that he had never seen Kobe so empty, so formless, so much like water, flowing freely. And then of course Kobe goes nuts in the third quarter, taking his game to the heights. Finding shape, Vic might say. zhiv loved it!

by citizen zhiv on Jun 8, 2009 10:14 AM PDT reply actions