Dec 28, 2015
Five thoughts on Griffin, Lin, Walker and more
TSN basketball analyst Jack Armstrong is back to cap the weekend with five quick thoughts on the struggling Blake Griffin, Stan Van Gundy's decision to cut bait on Josh Smith, Jeremy Lin's quietly effective year in Los Angeles, Kemba Walker's huge Saturday night and the tantalizing talent that is Boogie Cousins.
TSN basketball analyst Jack Armstrong is back to cap the weekend with five quick thoughts on the struggling Blake Griffin, Stan Van Gundy's decision to cut bait on Josh Smith, Jeremy Lin's quietly effective year in Los Angeles, Kemba Walker's huge Saturday night and the tantalizing talent that is Boogie Cousins.
FIVE QUICK NBA THOUGHTS
1. BLAKE GRIFFIN (Clippers): Just my opinion, but this guy has fallen in love with his jump shot. For a guy who should be looking to dominate folks in the paint and live at the foul line, he's spending way too much in suburbia. Griffin needs to develop a few go-to post moves and kick tail. He's a wonderful talent. Play to your strengths.
2. STAN VAN GUNDY (Pistons): A gutsy call in releasing Josh Smith with a lot of money left on his deal and nothing coming back. Sometimes, you have to bite the bullet and make hard decisions. You do what's right for the long-term development of the group. Not an easy call to make, but he made it. Houston might end up being a good fit for Smith, but it just wasn't working out in Detroit.
3. JEREMY LIN (Lakers): Averaging 10.2 PPG and 4.8 APG for a struggling team, Lin's a solid pro who has come back to earth after Linsanity and handled his departure from Houston with class. Lin does his job in a quiet and steady fashion. He likely will be a back-up more so than a starter as he goes along in his career, but a solid guy to have on your team.
4. KEMBA WALKER (Hornets): Walker put up 42 points on Saturday in a losing effort versus the Magic. When he came out of UCONN, there were doubts whether he could be a top-line NBA guard - you don't hear that anymore. I love his competitive streak. Walker leads by example and is one of the few good consistent stories in Charlotte this season.
5. DeMARCUS COUSINS ( Kings ): Against the Knicks on Saturday, Boogie put up 39 and 11. Sure, he drives you nuts with some of his decisions and histrionics, but the man is an amazing talent. The question is, can he be a guy to lead you to a playoff berth? Only time will tell. He's matured and improved, yet we need to see more in the intangibles area. They keep changing pieces around him, but there will come a point where he's either gotta do it or you need to explore your options.