David Thorpe has a new feature up at ESPN.com, in which he assigns each rookie a veteran to study. Eric Gordon’s homework:
Gordon is already a beast to defend with the ball in his hands. But to make himself even more difficult to defend (and prepare for), he’ll need to learn how to play without the ball. Hamilton is a master at constantly moving and changing speeds while running through multiple screens … throughout the entire game.
Gordon can excel at this. And he’ll still have the opportunity to create a shot off the dribble if the initial screening action does not free him. As the Clips improve and opponents try to deny Gordon the ball, learning to use screens the way Rip does will come in handy.
Readers know that Rip is a Clipperblog favorite. There isn’t a player in the game who works more tirelessly off the ball to get himself shots. It’s filthy grunt work. A good part of the time, teammates don’t execute the screens, timing, or passes to get the open looks, but good SGs do the job anyway.
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I love players in the Rip Hamilton and Reggie Miller mold because you can build your entire offense around them. One of the more amazing things about Gordon’s rookie season is that he really doesn’t have that many “plays” called exclusively for him. How often do you see Gordon coming off multiple screens? I feel like this is by design, not by Gordon’s reluctance to do so.
Can you imagine what kind of numbers Gordon could put up as the true focal point of the offense? By all accounts, Gordon is stronger, quicker, has a better dribble-drive game and has more range on his shot than Rip. The difference between the two is that Rip has been given his role in Detroit’s offense, and he executes it to perfection. What’s Gordon’s role in this offense? It’s tough to tell.
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Posted on April 2nd, 2009 at 3:29 pm
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