From: davidy@sumax.seattleu.edu (Stimpson J. Cat)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro
Subject: Re: Doug Christie
Date: 8 Jan 1993 18:37:19 -0800
Organization: Seattle University
NNTP-Posting-Host: sumax.seattleu.edu

In article <1993Jan7.040022.13127@muddcs.claremont.edu> byau@jarthur.claremont.edu (Ben Yau) writes:
>In article <1993Jan7.025935.21281@leland.Stanford.EDU> terry@garfield.Stanford.EDU (Terry Wong) writes:
>>
>>Supposedly, the Sonics now have an offer on the table to Dallas:
>>Benoit Benjamin + Doug Christie for the rights to Jimmy Jackson.
>>Obviously, a bad trade for Dallas, but the Sonics figure that
>>Dallas may eventually be desparate enough to take it.
>>
>>					terry@garfield.Stanford.EDU
>
>
>I wonder how Jimmy would fit into the Sonics line-up.  for one thing, he would 
>probably want a lot of money.  but would he get the playing time?  I see
>a similar episode with Benjamin.  Big contract, but playing time in question.
>Luckily, though, Pierce and Johnosn are getting old (or unluckily depending
>on how you see it) and Jimmy Jackson would probably be groomed as the starting
>shooting guard of the future.

	This is it. Seattle would like a swingman between the 2 and 3 spots to
eveutally replace Pierce and Johnson, something they had hoped Christie would
do. Jackson would be be fine for this, though at this point he doesn't have
nearly the shooting ability of either of the Sonic graybeards. And until he
loses a few pounds, he'll be little better on defense. But he'd be a great
future prospect, and could replace Pierce and Johnson at one fell swoop when
they hang it up. He'd offer more rebounding and potentially more defense, once
he learns the system and loses some tonnage.


>
>Actually, i think the trade would work well with Seattle because Pierce hasn't
>been doing too well from the games i have seen this Christmas break AND from
>last year.  I think he is a ballhog.  On the break, when there's like a 3-1, 
>Pierce could easily pass the ball to Kemp or someone else who is on the break 
>but Pierce always takes it up for the shot, someitmes even drawing the offensive
>foul. 



	Pierce's minutes have been reduced substantially to keep him fresh for
the playoffs. Sometimes he takes a bad shot, but Pierce still is the only
guy on the Sonic team that can create a shot when there is no shot available,
so a man with that ability will sometimes exercise it when a better option
is availiable. On the whole, it doesn't too often, and you can't underestimate
the value of that skill when you need it.  I haven't noticed him pulling a
"Christian Laettner" and not passing to open men on the fast break.

>
>I think if the sonics signed Jimmy, and he proved to be the talent everyone 
>thinks he is, then he could possibly take the starting shooting guard spot
>right away.  Question is , how well would he really fit into the system?  he
>sould definitley not be getting star minutes.... like I posted earlier, each
>team member is getting less thqan 35 minutes a game..i think the average is 
>somewhere around 20.

	Right now, he probably wouldn't even get 20 minutes. What could he do,
as a rookie without training camp, that isn't already being done? Unless his
offensive game takes up right where he left off from college, then I guess
they'd have to trim Pierce's minutes some, and EJ's. Vincent Askew's time
should be his playing time, but since Askew is in for defense, I doubt Jackson
would be a viable subsititue for Askew. Unless again, Seattle needs the offense.


>
>Finally, I don't know if Benjamin should be traded until King can play.  From
>my friends up here in Seattle, they were telling me how King attended the Big
>Man's camp, and before regular season started, he was running circles around 
>Big Ben.  Although Ben doesn't get many minutes, he is useful at times.. and
>I am still surprised that he hustles that much and people give him a bad wrap
>(at the GS game, i believe I counted three , maybe two, times when Ben was in
>and outhustled a GSW to a ball going out of bounds.)
>


	I may be the only person left who likes Benoit Benjamin. I think
Karl is misusing him, but the Sonics are 20-8, so quite naturally Karl isn't
calling ME for any coaching tips. :^) I still like small lineups as a change
of pace, and the big man in the middle as the norm. If you play Kemp at center
a lot, you are taking away a powerful fast break weapon. He has to wrestle
with centers for the rebound, can't fly out on the fast break, can't use his
face-the-basket game as much, and risks more foul trouble as the last line
of Sonic defense. Kemp should be primarly a power forward. With Benjamin, I
see two main flaws:

		1. Offense goes away from the hoop. His fallaway hooks and
shots don't get the opposing center in foul trouble, are not as sure as 
moves to the hoop, and leave Benjamin out of offensive rebounding position.

		2. Turnovers. In particular, his habit of dribbling the 
ball before he takes any king of shot. This leaves him vulnerable to
steals or mishandling of the ball. The less Benjamin handles the ball, the
better. If they keep Benjamin, Grgurich has to work with Ben on this over
the summer.

	Benjamin slow? But rarely do you have all five guys flying on the
break, and remember the formidable Laker fast breaks of the 80's had Kareem
at center, who was hardly resembled Carl Lewis. Your big man has only to
get the rebound and make the outlet pass, and Benjamin can rebound defensively
and can make fine outlet passes. And on a small team, a big shot blocker
covers up mistakes and lets you gamble more on defense. That is what Seattle
can use. Kemp is a weak-side shot blocker, a guy who comes in on the blind 
side helping on defense, to swat it away. You can't sit him in the paint and
have him reject guys driving into the lane. Benjamin can be used as a
protector of the paint area, blocking player's shots face up.Twice this season
I have seen him all alone under the hoop facing a fast-breaking opponent
intent on dunking the ball (Vernon Maxwell in the early season for one, can't
recall the other) and Benjamin rejected the dunk attempt. If you want a
intimdiator patrolling the paint, Benjamin is the only Sonic who can do this.



>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Ben Yau		    byau@jarthur.claremont.edu	          SHHHTEENKEE FOO FOO
>        -----------------------------------------	
>Know thyself.  If you need help, call the C.I.A.
>    =========================    =========================



				David L. Yee
			email to:davidy@sumax.seattleu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro