Otis confirms Magic's interest in Speights(UF) - Many players to workout(Povtak)

[FENDI 4]

quote:

Originally posted by Jareth Cutestory:

Speights + SVG = Motivational Play

don't forget a Hall OF Fame big man trainer too who could have the offensive skills of patrick. shooting jumpers and hook shots.

[magicfreak#1 0]

quote:

Originally posted by Drunk on Mystery:

quote:

Originally posted by otownmagic333:

Oh I'll take Speights over Hibbert and Lopez anyday.

 

I would too(depending on which lopez you're referring to), but that's more an indictment of those two then a plus for Speights.

 

Speights got called out for being soft by his own coach. I don't understand how anyone could argue he's not soft. Because he has a post game against big men from Western Kentucky? There's a reason why his stats and impact shrank in games against big time schools. Big time schools have big time players, and when faced against quality big men, he hung away from the basket on offense and was abused on defense. That pretty much leaves him as a player who plays no defense and can shoot. We've already have about 5 players like that. We need other things.

 

As for the "he doesn't shy away from contact" nonsense, I'll respond only by pointing out that he was an "interior" player who was his team's second option on offense, and yet he averaged just 3.6 FTAs per game. To put that in perspective, last year Rashard averaged 3.2 as a perimeter player, and we all wanted his head for not being aggressive enough.

 

Well D12 got called out for supposed lack of defense, so do we call dwight a weak defensive player, I watched every single florida basketball game for the last 3 years, I'm not pulling up statistics to try to prove a point. I am just saying "soft is not a good description" He was being asked to be the only player on the court to play around the basket, similar to Dwight this year. Speights was the only kind of strong player on that team, of course good teams can take him away they double team him, and force the rest of the soft team to do something. Who do you think was helping Speights out down low, Dan Werner? LOL! Also Dwight did not shoot many free throws against the pistons, did he shy away from contact?

IMO speights is not a agressive player, offensive, he is not going to force up alot of shots, especially through double teams, whichh he was the only low post option this year for florida. He will be a good role player, and will not need a lot of shots, but does have a solid offensive game.

[Secretly Space Jesus 670]

quote:

Originally posted by magicfreak#1:

Well D12 got called out for supposed lack of defense, so do we call dwight a weak defensive player,

He was called out for lack of defensive effort, not talent.

I watched every single florida basketball game for the last 3 years, I'm not pulling up statistics to try to prove a point. I am just saying "soft is not a good description" He was being asked to be the only player on the court to play around the basket, similar to Dwight this year. And instead of playing around the basket, he hung back, especially against big time opponents.

 

Also Dwight did not shoot many free throws against the pistons, did he shy away from contact?

Really? That's your argument? Dwight averaged almost 8 FTAs a game in the Pistons series, and 8.3 overall in the playoffs, which is 6th in the league.

 

IMO speights is not a agressive player, Which is why people say he's soft. offensive, he is not going to force up alot of shots, That would be a change from this past season, when he did that plenty.especially through double teams, whichh he was the only low post option this year for florida. He will be a good role player, and will not need a lot of shots, but does have a solid offensive game. And he's virtually defenseless against stronger players, which I can only assume you left out because it didn't fit your argument.

[magicfreak#1 0]

So who was helping him down low then on that team, my arguement is that the team was soft, and he is NOT a D12 force, but serviceable role player.

[magicfreak#1 0]

Also when you are argueing why do you erase the portions of my arguement that don't fit yours?

[Secretly Space Jesus 670]

quote:

Originally posted by magicfreak#1:

Also when you are argueing why do you erase the portions of my arguement that don't fit yours?

 

If you read timestamps(difficult, I know) you'll notice that your post was edited within one minute of my post. If you were to hazard the guess that the things you added weren't there when I started writing my post, you wouldn't be far off. Or you know, you can ignore that piece of common sense in favor of unnecessary and ridiculous incredulity and faux-outrage.

[magicfreak#1 0]

You still haven't answered my original question which has been in every single post i have made time stamped to one day before you replied, who was helping Speights down low. MY question IS WHO ON The TEAm WAS HELPING SPEIGHTs out down low, in the post.

 

From the first post my arguement has been that the rest of the team was extremely soft, and Speights was asked to do more than he could on that team, Good teams were able to double team him, and take him out of his game, wasn't hard to do there was no other team to contend with.

 

Again so you don't yet again miss it WHO WAS HELPING out down low for that team, and AGAIN, don't say DAN WERNER, that would seriously diminish the respect that I DO have for you!

[Secretly Space Jesus 670]

I hadn't answered your question, because I don't really think your question is a response to my point, but instead is an attempt to circumvent it.

 

Your point is that Speights was soft, but only in the situation as it was presented, and had he had more help, he'd have not been soft.

 

That's a lot like having a baseball team with a left fielder who, when a flyball was hit to left center that he had to catch on the run, failed to catch the ball and committed an error to lose the game. One could easily say: "Well, if the team had a good centerfielder, he could have tracked the ball down and caught it, and the left fielder wouldn't have had that problem."

 

That might be true, but that doesn't diminish the failures of the left fielder. The same logic applies for Speights. I recognize he had little help; I just don't care. That he didn't have, or at least didn't display, any significant mental or physical toughness in big games last season can't and shouldn't be ignored, and is a much bigger issue in my book. It would've been one thing had he repeatedly pounded inside and just been outclassed and outmanned; instead, he repeatedly backed off at the sign of pressure.

 

I hope that satisfies your question, or at least satisfies your open wondering as to why I didn't answer your question.

[magicfreak#1 0]

mY point has everything to do with the arguement, I am infact saying Speights is not soft, several times now I have said that is not accurate, He is not soft, the rest of the team was, and is still soft, if you look up soft in the dictionary, I promise you Dan werner's picture will be there, FYI Dan werner started most games at the 4 spot for florida. Half way through the season nick calathes was the 2nd leading rebounder on the team, he played pg, and 2, and 3 spots.

I find it comical that you compare basketball to baseball in this abstract manner, and yet can't see the validity of my arguement that a very good player on a weak team will not always be able to overcome double teams, when was the last time you saw a left fielder get double teamed, (oh boy, I'm really asking for it now)

No, basketball is a game of mismatches, and corrections for mismatches, Speights out matches most, I said most, although I can't off hand think of any one player who easily handled Speights one on one all season, Hendrix did pretty well, but there were double teams happening in that game, and foul trouble hurt UF in the FSU brawl, but I actually thought Speights played pretty well while in the game. Just didn't get the calls.

 

I guess what you are saying though is that if you me, marc acres, and dan werner, and Dwight howard went out on a court against the Pistons, that Dwight Howard still have a statistically good game, I actually doubt it.

[Secretly Space Jesus 670]

quote:

Originally posted by magicfreak#1:

I guess what you are saying though is that if you me, marc acres, and dan werner, and Dwight howard went out on a court against the Pistons, that Dwight Howard still have a statistically good game, I actually doubt it.

 

No, I'm saying he'd likely have a bad game, but his intentions and motivations would stay constant. ANYONE can look tough when it's easy to do so. What I'm saying is that in that situation, Dwight would(and has in the past, such as the Detroit series) fought like hell to get inside, get rebounds, etc DESPITE the overwhelming odds against him. Speights, when faced with that same situation(from vastly inferior talent and strenght to what Dwight faced), backed down.

[ufballer86 0]

ok so the guy whos watched every florida game the last 3 years says hes not soft, and the guy who looked up box scores says he is and backs it up with complicated diction and baseball analogies. im having a hard time figuring out which one of you to believe....

[Captain Hi-Top 791]

quote:

Originally posted by ufballer86:

ok so the guy whos watched every florida game the last 3 years says hes not soft, and the guy who looked up box scores says he is and backs it up with complicated diction and baseball analogies. im having a hard time figuring out which one of you to believe....

 

Between a fan of the game and a fan of the team, the truth usualy is somewhere in the middle.

 

I lean more toward a fan of the game than a fan of the team. Look at it in context, and also take into account scouting reports etc...