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Lamond Murray? Seriously. Lamond Murray?

Posted by Kevin Arnovitz on Tue, 10/10/06, 09:05pm:

Category: General

The Lamond Murray signing is baffling. I haven't yet found contract terms nor do we have an idea what kind of role he'll play on the roster, but it seems like handing a roster spot to Murray when the Clippers have rookies that need seasoning is a waste. Minutes dedicated to Murary are minutes not played by the likes of James Singleton and Yaroslav Korolev, among others.

I'll confess that I haven't seen Murray play in quite awhile, but I remember him as a lazy defender who, on the offensive end, hung out on the wing looking for the three without doing much else. His stats dropped off precipitously last season from 2004-2005:

3P% from .438 to .346
TS% from 53.7 to 49.3
FT% from .763 to .625
PER from 13.68 to 10.79

Hell, the guy shot below 40% last season. Murray has never been much of a rebounder and that trend has continued since he left Cleveland three years ago.

So what we have here is a player of deteriorating talents - behind the arc, from the field, at the free throw line and on the boards. His paltry defense hasn't improved with experience.

He must be a great clubhouse guy because why else would an organization brimming with young talent, a team that desperately needs minutes sign a guy who, quite simply, is a minus everywhere on the court.

Comments

Steve wrote:

It's a non-guaranteed contract, so it's far from certain he'll make the team. Beyond that, I tend to agree with all your points. I've been an advocate all summer of adding more shooting, and Murray fits that description better than Dawan Robinson or Ryan Humphrey, but less well than about a billion other guys (why doesn't anyone bring poor Trajan Langdan back from Moscow?) But don't forget that his .348 shooting from 3 ranks him 3rd among returning Clippers. Of course if I were trying to shore up an abysmal shortcoming, I might try to find someone who was actually good, as opposed to simply less bad than most. Dunleavy likes having a few vets at the end of the bench for some reason (last year it was Waltuh and Vin Baker, this year it'll be Aaron Williams and Murray). But let's hope that he takes ZERO minutes away from Jumpin' James.

10/11/06 16:41:50

patricia murray wrote:

(No family relation) I agree completely. I think his Clipper playing time will end shortly after the preseason. Perhaps he is there to re-enforce basic basketball principles on the young guys. Another on-the-court coach, albiet without the work ethic of Cassell.

P. Murray

10/11/06 17:54:12

d.han wrote:

... or the PUJIT!

10/11/06 23:01:50

MP wrote:

Now that the NBA has gone to a synthetic ball, will Maggette's turnovers go thru the roof?

He can barely keep the leather ball from squirting out of his hands.

10/11/06 23:11:08

Tom wrote:

From what I've heard about Murray from his Cavs days is that he's a sullen, moody guy. He may get along with his teammates, but I doubt he's the kind of guy who's going to take a young teammate aside and show him the right way to do something.

10/12/06 07:21:15

Doug wrote:

Hey - I just came across your blog on CNN/SI.com. Your work is terrific, and I´ll be a frequent visitor. Keep up the great work

10/12/06 07:34:56

Trapp wrote:

MP, take the name "Maggette" out of your comment and insert the name "Kaman".

10/12/06 10:29:39

Chris wrote:

Didn't Murray get suspended for smoking dope his first time around as a Clipper? He's about as worthless as wasting a lottery pick on Korolev.

10/12/06 16:16:42

MP wrote:

Trapp

I was trying not to think about Kaman and the new rock.

But you must admit, Maggette often loses the ball on his way to the hole.

10/12/06 17:01:37

d.han wrote:

Chris - Could it be pure coincidence that Lamond Murry and Lamar Odom both have a history of being dope-heads? Could it be pure coincidence that that they both wore #7...?

Aren't the trail-"blazers" trying to get rid of 6-9 220 F D. Miles?

10/13/06 07:49:11

Jerry wrote:

Kaman may have a mild form of ADD, sincerely. That probably explains many of his lapses on the court. If the Clippers extend his contract, they should stipulate to his undergoing neurotherapy. The 2000 Baltimore Ravens underwent this therapy as do many Top Gun pilots, etc.

Maggette's greatest strength is getting to the FT line, but it's also his greatest weakness. His style of play lands him on the DL too often.

10/15/06 09:44:50

runescape gold wrote:

just read a really funny book called “Foul Lines,” by SI hoops writers Jack McCallum and Jon Wertheimer, and I thought my fellow Clips fans would enjoy it. It’s a great satire of the NBA today, with the names changed to protect identities (but it’s very easy to figure out who is who). It takes place in LA (the team is called the "Lasers"), so there's some funny LA-related stuff too, with the wild drivers and the pretentious trendy clubs. Everyone gets mocked, from rich owners in the mold of

04/11/08 18:10:09