Who Likes Ike?
With the 9th pick in the 2005 NBA draft, the Golden State Warriors select..... DNP Coach's Decision.
OUCH!
I guess I was less surprised that Mike Dunleavy Scored 32 points in last night's preseason win against the Blazers than I was that our supposed best low post scorer did not get off the pine, in a preseason game no less. Here's the funny thing, according to NBA stats-ologist and ESPN.com columnist John Hollinger, Diogu is one of the better players on the Warriors. Here is what Hollinger had to say:
2005-06 season: "The Warriors' first-round pick certainly showed he can score. Diogu shot 52.2 percent from the floor and averaged 18.8 points per 40 minutes, finishing with the fourth-best TS% among power forwards and a PER above the league aveage. His most impressive effort came on Dec. 23 when he torched Detroit's Wallaces for 27 points on 13-of-15 shooting. Those weren't garbage baskets either -- he was going right at Ben and Rasheed Wallace one-on-one and scoring.
That effort got him a spot in the starting lineup, but he had trouble holding down the job because of his other deficiencies. Diogu couldn't play in the same frontcourt as Troy Murphy because neither has the size to be an effective center, and as well as he played he wasn't about to beat out Murphy for the power forward job. He also had a serious problem with turnovers, ranking 63rd among the league's 69 power forwards with a 15.1 Turnover Ratio.
Scouting report: Diogu is a natural post scorer who has the body to get position on the blocks and the long arms and shiftiness to get his shot off once he makes his move. His game isn't nearly as refined away from the basket, but he's a good foul shooter (81 percent) and should become more of a perimeter threat as he gains practice. His one limitation is size. At 6-8, he relies on his length to propel shots over taller players.
Diogu's height is a real problem at the defensive end, where he was abused fairly regularly. He doesn't have the athleticism to make up for the height differential, so this is likely to always be a problem area for him. One solution would be to learn to use his bulk better -- at 255 pounds, he should be throwing bodies around under the rim, but his Rebound Rate was mediocre and he didn't seem willing to bang with opponents. Otherwise, it's just a question of learning -- most rookies have no idea how to play NBA defense, especially off the ball, and Diogu was no different.
2006-07 outlook: Diogu's fate is tied to that of Troy Murphy. The Warriors seem unwilling to trade him -- they wouldn't even include him in a deal for Ron Artest last year -- but Murphy's presence blocks his path to a starting job and power forward is the only spot either of the two can play. But if the trade rumors circling Murphy come to fruition Diogu seems like he could step in and give the same production at less cost, not to mention giving the team a low-post threat that was missing a year ago."
Aside from all of this, Diogu has been unable to fully grasp new coach Don Nelson's offense nor his defense. It does not bode well that he couldn't get off the bench in a meaningless game against what will most likely be the NBA's worst team.
Ramifications for the future? If Diogu can't figure it out, and ends up in Nelson's dog house, don't be surprised if G.M. Chris Mullin tries to package Diogu before the trade deadline. There were plenty of suitors for Diogu last year, but Mullin was so high on the rook that he refused to part with him for Ron Artest. (Obviously a mistake in hindsight)
Ike however can score the basketball, and can shoot free throws so it is still too early to give up hope that he can't suceed in Golden State. But keep an eye on his playing time as the season starts and if can't crack Nelson's regular rotation, I'm thinking he could be gone by February.
OUCH!
I guess I was less surprised that Mike Dunleavy Scored 32 points in last night's preseason win against the Blazers than I was that our supposed best low post scorer did not get off the pine, in a preseason game no less. Here's the funny thing, according to NBA stats-ologist and ESPN.com columnist John Hollinger, Diogu is one of the better players on the Warriors. Here is what Hollinger had to say:
2005-06 season: "The Warriors' first-round pick certainly showed he can score. Diogu shot 52.2 percent from the floor and averaged 18.8 points per 40 minutes, finishing with the fourth-best TS% among power forwards and a PER above the league aveage. His most impressive effort came on Dec. 23 when he torched Detroit's Wallaces for 27 points on 13-of-15 shooting. Those weren't garbage baskets either -- he was going right at Ben and Rasheed Wallace one-on-one and scoring.
That effort got him a spot in the starting lineup, but he had trouble holding down the job because of his other deficiencies. Diogu couldn't play in the same frontcourt as Troy Murphy because neither has the size to be an effective center, and as well as he played he wasn't about to beat out Murphy for the power forward job. He also had a serious problem with turnovers, ranking 63rd among the league's 69 power forwards with a 15.1 Turnover Ratio.
Scouting report: Diogu is a natural post scorer who has the body to get position on the blocks and the long arms and shiftiness to get his shot off once he makes his move. His game isn't nearly as refined away from the basket, but he's a good foul shooter (81 percent) and should become more of a perimeter threat as he gains practice. His one limitation is size. At 6-8, he relies on his length to propel shots over taller players.
Diogu's height is a real problem at the defensive end, where he was abused fairly regularly. He doesn't have the athleticism to make up for the height differential, so this is likely to always be a problem area for him. One solution would be to learn to use his bulk better -- at 255 pounds, he should be throwing bodies around under the rim, but his Rebound Rate was mediocre and he didn't seem willing to bang with opponents. Otherwise, it's just a question of learning -- most rookies have no idea how to play NBA defense, especially off the ball, and Diogu was no different.
2006-07 outlook: Diogu's fate is tied to that of Troy Murphy. The Warriors seem unwilling to trade him -- they wouldn't even include him in a deal for Ron Artest last year -- but Murphy's presence blocks his path to a starting job and power forward is the only spot either of the two can play. But if the trade rumors circling Murphy come to fruition Diogu seems like he could step in and give the same production at less cost, not to mention giving the team a low-post threat that was missing a year ago."
Aside from all of this, Diogu has been unable to fully grasp new coach Don Nelson's offense nor his defense. It does not bode well that he couldn't get off the bench in a meaningless game against what will most likely be the NBA's worst team.
Ramifications for the future? If Diogu can't figure it out, and ends up in Nelson's dog house, don't be surprised if G.M. Chris Mullin tries to package Diogu before the trade deadline. There were plenty of suitors for Diogu last year, but Mullin was so high on the rook that he refused to part with him for Ron Artest. (Obviously a mistake in hindsight)
Ike however can score the basketball, and can shoot free throws so it is still too early to give up hope that he can't suceed in Golden State. But keep an eye on his playing time as the season starts and if can't crack Nelson's regular rotation, I'm thinking he could be gone by February.
posted by DailyDub at 2:38 PM
2 Comments:
I think it's too early to sound the alarm. Nelson is notoriously tough on young players, especially ones who have trouble learning the plays and defensive schemes. If Ike can keep battling mentally, he has a good shot at contributing this year. If he gets discouraged and loses confidence, it's over for him as a Warrior.
Murph's broken nose is opportunity number one for Ike. The Chron said that POB and Biedrins will get the extra time, but you have to think that Ike will benefit.
Interesting report by hollinger on Ike's tentativeness to bang on the glass. He's a beast on offense, so you think that would translate to the defensive glass, especially with the low center of gravity, but so far, no good. I am still reluctant to deal Ike at this point, mainly because he is the only post player on the team with the ability to post up. While it may never be utilized appropriately with Nelly, Nelly is a fan of mismatches, and if Ike can show the ability to do the little things, he will get some burn down low.
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