The 76ers have apparently agreed on a veteran’s minimum contract with 6′ 9″ forward Donyell Marshall. The deal should be signed in a few days pending a physical. This is fantastic news for three reasons.
- We bring back a quality hometown guy. The 35-year-old Marshall attended Reading High and pushed his agent to make a deal with the Sixers to finish out his career at home.
- We add another shooter to the roster that ISN’T just a one dimensional chucker. Donyell Marshall is a career 34.8% three point shooter, but he is also a great rebounder (10.2/40M).
- We get a veteran who can provide relief at the small forward. This is key if Thad doesn’t seem ready to be the full-time starter. I also look for Marshall to help with Young’s development and provide some nice veteran leadership.
That Brings The Roster To 13
- Samuel Dalembert – starter
- Elton Brand – starter
- Thaddeus Young – starter
- Andre Iguodala – starter
- Andre Miller – starter
- Louis Williams – 6th man
- Reggie Evans
- Theo Ratliff
- Kareem Rush
- Donyell Marshall
- Royal Ivey
- Willie Green
- Marreese Speights
How is this going to play out?
In an ideal world Willie Green becomes the odd man out since you can only dress 12 each game, but that isn’t going to happen unless he gets hurt. I actually think Speights is the guy who doesn’t dress most games and puts in time with the Erie BayHawks in the D-League. I think we need the veteran depth Marshall brings behind Thad more than we need a rookie big to back up Brand and Sammy. That is, of course, unless someone gets hurt on the front line. Or best case scenario, Speights blows people away with his game in the preseason and training camp and forces his way onto the active roster.
How do you think the Sixers should manage their roster?
A fairly deep roster. Now for the chemical reaction. Which player is gonna be the first complain about minutes? Cheeks better get his juggling gloves on.
“Sevendy-Sixahs call tiiime!”
this is phenominal . i guy i always wanted the Sixers to sign. does everything. scores, hits 3′s, rebounds, blocks some shots. perfect addition. great complementary player. should give us some quality minutes. ES is easily the best GM we have ever had, and maybe the best in the league. these moves are unbelievable. he continuously makes the best moves possible.
it pi$$es me off. donyell has played for so many different teams and we should have got him long ago. that idiot billy king never thought that he would be a great addition at a bargain price. this guy was great a few years back and we could have probably had him for 6-7mm a year. instead, we are out wining and dining mark blount begging to get him for $5mm. thank god the incompetent front office is gone.
Dannie, your Spieghts idea may serve another purpose; I!d be real curious to see how he reacts after an impressive summer league, you know how young guys like to read their own headlines; if there is any “dog” in him we might see it in a trip to the D league and if his attitude is good towards such a move it may be a good sign for the future.
suede, if he goes to the D-league he can’t shake Stefanski’s hand every day.
@suede – I think that would be more of a concern if Brand wasn’t on the team. He has to beat out Reggie Evans for PF minutes or show he can play center more effectively than Ratliff. Sure guys like to read their own headlines, but if they are getting their ass kicked in practice every day by players just ahead of them on the depth chart one would hope reality would kick in.
Also, I would hope as a player that loves the game he would rather get paid the same but play in the D-League compared to dress every game be a coach’s decision most nights. That’s the wrong headline if you ask me.
This is awesome. I didn’t expect it, but it’s a fantastic signing.
Love this signing. I was pretty high on Speights after his Summer League performance and I just hope this doesn’t leave him as the odd man out.
Love it, Love it, Love it!! Big Ed said they would do anything to win and he is a man of his word. I would hate to see Speights in the DLeague. He’s good enough to be on the roster. They have to try and get something for Willie. Late 1st or 2nd round pick. He can’t be on this team. Also if J Smith comes back before season ends (There still is no definate timetable) That’s another roster spot. I hate one year deals because you’re not getting a true nucleus just shuffling guys around which is one thing I love about the pistons and spurs. Same core just add a guy here or there and that’s what the sixers I believe are starting to do since you figure nine (provided Miller get’s a long term deal and depending on what they do with Reggie Evans) are locked in long term. This should be a fun season.
Does Mr. Spieghts get better banging in practice everyday with Elton and Reggie or playing in the D league ? Plus being around Theo and Elton could benefit him. Hope he gets to challenge Reggie for the backup 4 spot in a fair competition .
Willie Green hasn’t been beaten out by Royal Ivey yet. Or Kareem Rush. Or Lou Williams. Training camp and exhibition games will tell the tale. I predict the underrated and underappreciated Green will surprise and not only survive, but thrive with better talent around him. Hard to believe the sentiment is so strong against him. Go, Willie G!
I think it would be a horrible move for Speights to play in the D-League. Normally I’d say “it’s his rookie year, he won’t get squadoosh for PT, let him get some PT against decent competition.”
But to be behind Brand, Ratliff and Marshall? Those are three guys, all poised veterans, with a vastly different array of skills, and Speights would be best served soaking up their knowledge like a sponge. Both in practice, and observing their off the court behavior, and being taken under their wing…those three could have a wonderful influence on him.
I’d LOVE for Speights to get his butt kicked in practice every day in October by aging veteran forwards and their bag of tricks…stuff like that can humble young guys and make them more hungry to learn and work hard (in best case scenarios, anyway).
I like this move too. I don’t know how much game he has left, but the price is right, that’s for sure. When you look at last year’s roster and see the players that we’ve gotten rid of, and then look at the players that they’ve, (Ed and Tony), brought in, you can see what a truly outstanding job they’ve done. Through their bold and resourceful moves, they’ve created an environment where veteran players, (Marshall, Theo, Rush, and Ivey), are willing to sacrifice in order to become part of this team.
As far as who sits out, I think they’ll, probably, start with Marreese, however, he wont stay there too long. History shows that Cheeks likes to rotate players who are in that position. History also show that Maurice isn’t a big fan of the D-League. To my knowledge, Lou and Bobby Jones are the only players he’s sent down, and Lou’s stint lasted about three games. Cheeks has been quoted as saying that he prefers them working with his coaching staff and the team. He thinks they’ll learn more practicing with the team, even though they don’t see much game action.
As far as this being the last move, I’m not so sure. I think there’s a 50-50 chance that they’ll make a trade before they break camp. I’m sure they’ll be working the phones, and if they get something they like , they’ll pull the trigger.
Another great pick up for little coin. As long as Marshall knocks down the 3 for us as well as he did against us, I’ll be happy.
On an unrelated note, did anyone see that Charles Barkley is going to undergo a televised colonoscopy. Barkley’s procedure will be part of an hour-long fund raising special airing simultaneously on ABC, CBS, and NBC on Sept. 5th called Stand Up to Cancer.
Nice to see Barkley try to help raise awareness of cancer screening. Barkley said a friend told him that the show’s producers were probably just looking for the celebrity with the biggest ass.
Dave T – you bring up an interesting debate one which may be worth it’s own post, hmm.
L.A.Steve…Good call on remaking the roster and on Speights. What does your gut tell you to make you think there is a 50/50 chance of an upcoming trade, or have you read something? Who do you think they might be targeting?
L.A. Steve – all the more reason I think every NBA team should have their own minors/D-League team so that they have full control over who the coaching staff is, make sure they are running the same or similar NBA system on offense and defense and have some kind of control on playing time.
It just serves as a better way to develop players in my opinion. Practice is cool, but it still doesn’t come close to games experience regardless of where it is. Also, who is to say Speights still couldn’t have individual workouts with Brand on a regular basis? I could go on and on but I will save it for another post.
Dave T…I was planning on responding to you next, but Dannie beat me to it. Good call regarding Speights from you as well.
Katie Couric took it quicker to the ‘scope than Chuck.
I could see the Speights situation handled the same way Young’s was last season.
Young had a lot of DNPs early in the season and when he did get in, it was for the last six minutes of blowouts, where he looked completely lost.
As the season went on he started to gain more confidence and earned more PT.
I’d much rather see Speights practice with the team and learn with from the vets than see him in the D-League. Even if he doesn’t dress in the begining of the season. It’s more beneficial than the D-League with him.
Jumpin, agree about Willie, he finally has a chance to play a taylor made role, off the bench scorer. Blski, any other moves will probably be cap related or to clear playing time for somebody, I!d be surprised if anything happens till after training camp, when somebody may impress them so much that they have to get more minutes.
Sixers settled for the 2nd best Reading shooter of all time behind 6’8″ Ron Krick of West Reading HS (now defunct) Cowboys who averaged 32+ for 4 glorious seasons (98 gms) beginning in ’57. Wouldn’t be surprised if John Updike (being from nearby Shillington) wrote the famous poem “Ex-Basketball Player” partly through Krick’s inspiration, though I can’t vouch for it.
“What does your gut tell you to make you think there is a 50/50 chance of an upcoming trade”.
My gut says, Ed wants to win a championship, ASAP. In order to do that, he’ll need to upgrade the roster even more. I think he realizes this. Ideally, he’s looking for that “big time player” who can shoot. I’m not sure who it is, but for some reason Micheal Redd, and Joe Johnson come to mind. A trade of that magnitude, most probably, would be made at the trading deadline, and is, probably, dependent upon how Andre Iguodala is playing.
Otherwise, the three chips that I see in play are: Miller, Green, and Evans. Any mix of these three, probably, wouldn’t bring us an elite player of the stature that I mentioned above, but it could bring us a real talent, providing they hit it, (the trade), out of the park.
Based on what I have seen so far, Ed and Tony have convinced me that they have the ability to make a trade that could be categorized as a Steal. Let’s just hope they get the opportunity to pull it off.
I like Willie Green, he just isn’t good. In fact many stats support the idea that he is truly a detriment to the team in terms of costing the Sixers games (more on this at the end of my next post). He is a below average player who clearly shouldn’t have been starting. Reducing his minutes doesn’t make him any better only minimizes the negative impact he has on the team’s overall production.
jjg: In this mixed up modern world, ES and Speights can communicate through the wonder of teleconferencing, and have a “virtual” handshake. I’m sure it will be arranged, if necessary.
re Marshall: What’s not to like? It’s a low risk deal for a player type we needed – a SF who can rebound and shoot the 3. Love it. To echo others, the difference between our 1-12 roster last year to this year is night and day.
re Green: Willie’s gonna have to do a lot better than his career high 43.6% FG to be a contributor to this team. That said, if Mo operates his leash properly, Willie has a chance to be a positive contributor. I’d say he and Rush, forget about Ivey, will have a fight for minutes – may the best man win.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_kmtpi/is_200707/ai_n19364776
please read this to remind yourselves how awful things used to be. the fact that we went after this stiff with a no-holds-barred attitude. this is one of the many things i yelled and screamed against when they were happening. almost as loud as when Paul Pierce fell to us in the draft but we still went with Hughes.
i dont know how its possible but it seems like a lot of GMs in professional sports arent qualified for the job. are these guys even sports fans ? do they actually watch games ?
its just great to have a management team that we can have confidence in. LA STEVE: i agree 100%. ES is obviously very savy and i can see him pulling off an absolute steal at some point.
not related to the Donyell Marshall signing…
@jjg – I’ve read two basketball books my whole life: :07 Seconds or Less by Jack McCallum and The Last Season by Phil Jackson. Though I enjoyed the topics, I wasn’t particularly fond of the writing, I kind of had to force myself to get through both books. Have you read any basketball books, and if so, which would you recommend? All the baseball books I’ve read (not much), were much better reads than those two basketball books – I really thought those two would be slam dunk can’t-put-’em-down’s. Don’t even bother if you’re gonna respond with something like, “Basketball for Dummies”, by Digger Phelps…
Zack – What are you looking for factual information, entertainment, both?
Dannie, I just want a fun read. For example, I have both “Moneyball” (baseball) and “Wages of Wins” (basketball), and although they’re both about stats, “Moneyball” blows “Wages of Wins” out of the water, fun-wise. I breezed through moneyball, I’ll never forget the Chad Bradford and Scott Hatteburg stories. Michael Lewis was even able to make a simple trade with the Indians an entertaining read.
Zack, best basketball book I!ve ever read is LOOSEBALLS by T.Pluto. Funny and informative about the old A.B.A. .
You could look at:
I read Tip Off and am into The Rivalry now. Hmm, would you guys be interested in periodic sports-related book reviews?
Zack, while you were away your boy Weaver was dealt, didn!t know if you missed it or not.
Dannie – yes please!
That is one of the deepest teams Philly has seen in years, in fact not since 2004 until Jim O Brien ruined it with his style of coaching. But Mo is going to have a lot of fun with this roster and this will certainly help his coaching career. He gets the best of both his coahing experiences in Portland and Philadelphia. He gets the talented, blue collar type of players willing to play and hopefully win a championship. With this signing, they will definitely get homecourt advantage in the 1st round and advance past the 1st round. I can’t wait for October, because September is one slow month. I’m gonna have a cheesesteak sometime and celebrate in advance.
“YES!!!!” Marc Zumoff
“Down it goes!”
suede, thanks, I didn’t know about Weaver. I really wanna see if his college game translates. With Durant on the team, they should be on TV a couple times this year, I’ll get the chance to check him out. He’s probably gonna get some playing time, OKC only has 5 guards: Weaver, Watson, Mason, Westbrook, Wilkins; that’s assuming Durant goes to SF and doesn’t dabble with playing SG. “Loose Balls” looks good, I’ll see if it’s at my local bookstores, if not I’ll just order it.
Dannie, I don’t think book reviews would be necessary, you could just mention in the comments if you’ve read a good book? But I do have an idea for a weekly post: something like a weekly NBA roundup, like you give your take on 3 NBA-related things on each post?
Wouldn’t it be great if all 4 Philly major league sports teams make the playoffs in the same season? How many times has that happened? I think in 1980, all 4 teams made it to their respective World Championship tournaments. We were the only North American city to do so.
Dannie..I would be interested in book reviews, or mentions that would point us in the direction of some interesting reads.
Also, this would help Andre Miller reconsider staying with an extension. He is one of the best point guards (esp with lobbs) in the NBA!! When given a lot of weapons in his disposal, I think Sixers fans will really see what a real point guard can do. He does not have to shoot as much, only when necessary. Teams will forget about him, when us fans know he can hit the midrange shot. All he needs is an agent!!
Let us have another topic on awards and honors Sixers might get this season!!!
Zack, For enjoyable and enriching basketball reads, I second the motions of suede & Dannie:
1. Loose Balls (the short, wild Life of the ABA as told by
the players, coaches, and movers and shakers who
made it happen) by Terry Pluto
2. The Rivalry (Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the
Golden Age of Basketball) by John Taylor
Also recommend:
3. Let Me Tell You A Story (A Lifetime In The Game) by
Red Auerbach & John Feinstein
4. My Losing Season by Pat Conroy (author of The Great
Santini & The Prince of Tides) – a literary account of
novelist’s final season as captain & point guard at The
Citadel (Charleston, SC) in ’66-’67
5. Knight (My Story) by Bob Knight with Bob Hammel
6. The Big O (My Life, My Times, My Game) by Oscar
Robertson
7. A Sense Of Where You Are by John McPhee – a
profile of Bill Bradley at Princeton
Morty, You’re virtually funny – thanks for the laugh! In this “crazy, frilly, ya gotta have a gimmick world”, it’s wise to remember – “Schaeffer is the one beer to have when you’re having more than one; Schaeffer’s pleasure doesn’t fade, even when your thirst is done; the most rewarding flavor in this man’s world for people who are having fun is Schaeffer, the one beer to have when you’re having more than one!” St. Pete Marreese & Drexel Hill Eddie - fast convenient friends, any which way but lose.
Jumpin, haven!t traveled to Schaeffer city in a while !!!!
suede, Your innards thank you for your temperance in that respect, I’m sure.
A picture or a video is worth a thousand words
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWhJI9L993I
(With Cleveland)
This was his performance v.s the Sixers (as a Raptor)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRkXajkibRI
Ed Stefanski, in my opinion, is creating a roster of great role players and putting them together in an effort to achieve the ultimate goal– winning a Championship.
Somewhat mirrored to Jerry Colangelo’s process with Team USA.
Once Colangelo retires, Stefanski should be his successor!!
His scounting ability and negotiation skills are perfect enough for the job in my opinion.
Basketball books:
Anything…and I do mean anything…involving John Wooden. A few years back I remember asking myself what the big deal about this guy was; Bill Walton and any other UCLA teammate wouldn’t shut up about him, he was always a media darling, and every current and former coach and player that knew him always had amazing things to say. I figured he was a good guy and great winner, but couldn’t imagine the hype could actually be met.
Well, I was wrong. The guy is pretty much as close to a living saint as you can get…reading about his life, general philosophies and philosophies on coaching, his UCLA teams, how he structured practices and dealt with his players…it is truly inspiring, and enlightening stuff. There are many figures in sports where their personalities themselves are to be heralded just as highly as their effectiveness in the sport…but in that category, where the X’s and O’s and leadership on the court/field are equal to the personality of the individual…in my mind, no one tops Wooden. I’m just amazed at this guy’s life and career. He’s a man that had true morals, expressed them in every facet of his life, and dedicated his life to spreading love, compassion and wisdom on and off the court.
Books I’d recommend written by him:
-They Call Me Coach
-My Personal Best: Life Lessons From an All American
Journey
-John Wooden’s UCLA offense (more of a technical how
to book for his offense and teaching fundamentals)
Also, jumping off JJG’s comment on Bobby Knight…no idea if Youtube had it, but I’d recommend trying to find a website that shows the entirety of Bob Knight’s reality show on ESPN “Knight School”. Just a good piece of fun, that (in my opinion) shows off many of his good traits (leadership, disciplinarian [in a good way], knowledge of the game, sense of humor) that gets lost among the shuffle of his anger outbursts.
Premise is that there is one walk-on spot for his Texas Tech team, and about 18-25 guys try out, he cuts several each week. Really makes you pine for the days of “being on the team” for high school or college, the hard work put in (mental and physical), and the close knit camaraderie between players. You also get an inside look where Knight and his assistants dissect the various players game, and highlight what they look for in each…I really thought it was a fun, well done, underrated show (that yes, still has the reality show shtick).
Andre Iguodala THE Shooting Guard post is coming around lunch time. Find some time, it’s a long one!
What will be the Sixers’ “Ubuntu” if they want to go far and deep?
Awards for the Sixers possibly (All Star 2009):
Maurice Cheeks (Coach for the EC All Star Team)
Thaddeus Young (sophmore for the Rookie Challenge)
Marresse Speights (rookie wild card for the Rookie Challenge)
Kareem Rush (Locker Room 3pt Shooting Contest)
Andre Miller (All-Star 2009, possibly a reserve, one of the true point guards in the East)
Elton Brand (possibly 3rd All-Star appearance, has to battle Bosh & Sheed, but odds are better for him if Mo is the coach)
Andre Iguodala (All-Star 2009, a wild card indeed and could replace Joe Johnson)
Awards for the Season:
Marc Zumoff (broadcaster of the week awards)
Thaddeus Young (most improved player)
Lou Williams (6th man of the year)
Samuel Dalembert (defensive player of the year)
Maurice Cheeks (coach of the year)
Elton Brand(MVP) this award is more team oriented
What do you think? Fair assessment?
Zack, 1 more recommendation, though not strictly basketball:
- Beyond The Game – the collected sportswriting
of Gary Smith
A compilation of 15 strongly written pieces on specific athletes, some famous, some obscure (6 articles focus on “hoops” figures). Smith’s an award-winning Sports Illustrated feature writer whose intelligent column in the 80s graced the pages of Philly’s Daily News.
The first essay, “Damned Yankee”, is simply unforgettable – about John Mangalone, who was being groomed as Yogi Berra’s replacement in mid-50s. Another – “The Ripples From Little Lake Nellie” - covers the event and aftermath of the Florida Spring Training boating accident that claimed the lives of Cleveland Indians’ pitchers Steve Olin and Tim Crews (Bobby Ojeda survived).
Overall, great writing about life’s turns and humans’ reactions and complexities. Don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Caveat: not particularly “breezy” reads, but worthwhile.
Rob I fit in a post on this to feed your optimism on Sixers season awards before the season starts somewhere in between the 30 NBA team previews Pete and I will be starting this weekend.
jjg: Thanks for the compliment, but if I had a dime for every time you’ve cracked me up, I could afford to sit around and post here full time. Just happy to return the favor.
everybody: Thanks for the book recommendations. Good list to have, and might be worth a permanent link somewhere, Dannie, you could do the same for other sports as well.
I know Dannie and you are right about waiting till October for further analysis. Sorry, I could not help but get excited!! This is quite an offseason and quite an upgrade, without really having to subtract a lot of “major” players (both major and role players).
Further note, if the Sixers need to add someone, they need an “Iggy” type of backup if there is one for the minimum. He can’t handle Pierce,Allen,Hamilton,Prince,Lewis,Hedo, & LeBron alone one on one. Perhaps they might find that next offseason. The experiment for the title is a 5 yr experiment based on the contracts signed by Brand and Iggy.
Is it just me or is September one slow month?
Hmm, Morty that gives me an idea. I could probably create a page and keep the link up in the navigation menu for sports books (movies?). If Pete or I read or watch something we like we will add it with a short paragraph about it. But since you guys also have suggestion you could submit any that you want and we can add them as well with your short write-up.
Thoughts?
Rob I agree. We could use a wing player who is defensive specialist to spell Iguodala at times. But I guess we will see how this season plays out and who gets minutes and who doesn’t. I think that would be the perfect replacement player for Willie Green off the bench. I don’t think we need his scoring off the bench as much as others seem to believe. We have Lou who can do that, and Rush who can do that with the three ball. I would love to see Willie focus in on just being a defensive player…hopes…dreams…
Dannie, You can’t limit a whole player to a half role. Basketball specializes in 2 ends and Willie is a generalist. Asking Willie to stop his forays to the hoop is like asking Cole Hamels
to complete a game. Nature wins.
JJG – Quick response: sure you can. Don’t take me so literally, obviously he will be there on the offensive end but I much rather him focus in on the defense end as his primary role and contribution to the team. Be more of a “passive scorer” (my term) compared to what he is currently which is a guy that is always looking for his shot, who probably shouldn’t be, while leaving something to be desired on the defense end.
Look I like Willie Green. I think he is a good guy. But he simply isn’t very good, especially the way he plays the game right now.
Dannie,
No good??! He handles better & shoots foul shots better & guards smaller guards better & cheers teammates better (& has more poise) than 80PLUSINCENTIVESIGUODALA.
Though we disagree on Green’s court value, I’m glad we’re in accordance as to his likeability.
So far, the chemistry for this team has been there. I keep hearing that the starters have been working out (and together). I wonder what training camp will be like come late September or early October. How will the Sixers approach preseason and can they approach it without major injuries? I think they should really focus more on the 2nd unit and see what this bench is capable of, even though it is preseason and they are facing a lot of sissy teams then. I believe we have our roster for this season and hopefully they do not have to fear the tradeaphobia which ends at the trade deadline. They just have to play their game and good things happen, but it is a business. The Sixers should certainly follow the blueprint of the champion Celtics: establish chemistry, agree to the ultimate goal, and have a team commitment to offense and defense. That system made Ray Allen,Paul Pierce, and the rest of the team better defenders. Years ago, we focused on just having two big scorers and that’s it. Now team basketball is the new trend in the NBA and a thing of the future and one man shows are a thing of the past.
Also, about Willie Green, he is a wild card. Based on the type of player he is, a streak scorer, he could be valuable to us. Not just as a trade chip, but in being a part of this team. When he is hot, he is hot.(a bench player) Also, you have to give the guy credit for being a hard worker, a blue collared guy. I have never heard him complain, when he either started or played off the bench. The only mistake he eventually learned from was playing a pickup game in the offseason. Now, he is working hard and that speed and quickness is beginning to return. That is team commitment!! Green’s strength and quickness are big in scoring and slashing. When he is wide open, he can hit the perimeter shot. His streaky shooting (the good shooting) puts the other teams in a frenzy. That is what you want from the opponents to panic, especially those “weaker” teams. More of those will be present, especially with Brand now on this team. His pressure defense is a bit underrated. It’s not Bruce Bowen defense, but you need some pressure defense against the speedier players. He is practicing now even as we speak. Whatever happens with Green happens, hopefully for a good reason. Right now, I am cool with Willie in our roster!!
Go SIXERS!!!
We also agree that he cheers teammates better!
Career he doesn’t shoot foul shots better than Iguodala (AI2: 76.5% vs. WG: 73.6%). What do you equate poise with? He certainly doesn’t shoot or perform better in clutch situations either. And his on court/off court stats say the Sixers are better when he is on the pine.
Dannie,
B-ball being a 5 man job, too many variables in that on/off stat to satisfy me as to validity. Don’t pine for Willie, Argentina!
I measure poise with a player’s demonstrated control of self and emotions in heat of battle regarding facial expressions, court histrionics, referee griping; also factor clock management, steadiness and persistence of effort, and rate and clarity of interview speech. Bonus points are awarded to players who bring tidy and full lunch boxes to afternoon games.
WG shot and performed better in the only playoff series both players have seen in their careers. (There goes your certainty.)
FT last season: WG – .757, 80P - .721
JJG – Marginally better all things considered. He had no where near the pressure and responsibility on his shoulders or defensive stopper in front of him as Iguodala did. Shooting 43% from the field and 20% from three, and 64% from the FT is not much for you to be touting in his defense.
No excuses for Iguodala, he played terribly and subpar in that playoff series no disputing that. Conversely, Willie Green performed poorly as well but because that’s is the expectation with him, the performance is not as scrutinized.
Also, your definition of poise would put Willie Green ahead of almost every top tier player in the NBA today.
EVERYONE, thanks for the recommendations. All of them combined should last me for years.