Aaron Goodwin Needs To Take It Easy

I couldn’t believe the nonsense coming out of Goodwin’s mouth, especially after only one game! One game! Goodwin needs to sit back, that was just ridiculous. It’s not like Memphis didn’t know. It’s not like Goodwin hadn’t said this all through the summer to the press before Iavaroni had even reached a decision and after Iavaroni had spent time with Damon and repeatedly said the best player will get the minutes to Damon and everybody who’d listen.

How about the third worst PG on the team being treated as such instead of being carried by his coach because of his tenure? That’s what had been happening.

It’s called reality, if you’re not good enough you don’t play regardless of how much money you are being paid.

Steve I completely agree with you criticism of Goodwin, but this was no youth movement. This was an old player not being good enough to beat out the youngsters for the minutes. Conley should have been starting from Day One but Iavaroni caved to a veteran head instead of playing the player who makes the team better.

Memphis blogs are hard to find …. going to bookmark that, it looks a good one. Thanks Steve.

Going to need to break this comment into 2 I think ….

I have seen less of Memphis than any other team in the league, except Phily. But I’ve made an effort recently and have caught 3 of their last 4 now (missed the last game, against Indy). And Damon was the worst point guard on the floor for Memphis in each game. He kept getting minutes ahead of either Lowry or Conley. All the time there Damon was easily the worst PG on the court, on his own team and the oppositions. Jaques Vaugh for San Antonio was looking better than Stoudamire, not a good sign.

The problems don’t look anything like loss of form, he’s just aged. Damon has lost his legs. When you’re a player that relies on your athleticism and you lose your legs …. you’re done.

His defense was weak, his offense was too easy to bother or stop entirely. He didn’t run the offense well at all. Didn’t see much leadership on the court either. His numbers are very poor across the board.

I read Chipc3’s[/i] comments from your piece earlier this year. I don’t think he realized how good a player Mike Conley was, both in how ready to contribute he was and how exciting a player he is. His style of play is a joy to watch … Conley’s poise and ability to read a defense are exceptional. Most point guards in the league never get close to his skill set.

As to his point on attendance, lack of recognition on the virtue of Conley. If Conley was someone like Gerald Green I could see the credibility but … he’s not so no.

Also, Memphis need a guy like Conley who’ll keep the ball moving and keep it in the hands of the most dangerous scoring options …. which by Gasol’s numbers I’m hazarding a guess, which is correct, hasn’t been happening at all this season. I know in the games I watched recently it hasn’t been and wasn’t happening in pre-season either. Conley improves everyone else’s play.

also over-rates Damon Stoudamire. It’s nice that he makes big shots and his first season in Memphis was impressive til the injury … but his game has fallen off since then.

On the blog, Zach writes about the possibility of trading him …… that’s not going to happen. Nobody is going to want him unless the Grizz take back a worse contract. He’s a liability in terms of the salary cap and on the court he’s been a liability too. No team is going to give up anything of value to get him.

I was scrolling down through the blog looking for some opinions on Conley. Seems the blog has a few different people contributing, but the opinions on Conley versus Stoudamire look to be in overwhelming agreement with your stance.

Here are Zach’s opinion’s on Memphis after Indy related to Conley and Stoudamire.

— Conley started and looked poised on offense and defense. It was a very impressive starting debut.
— A glimpse of the future Conley-Lowry PG combo was on display (I loved it), with Damon not playing at all and being in street clothes[/quote]
[quote]Well, it has been obvious to most that Michael Conley was the best point guard on the team since preseason and he did nothing to disappoint me. Once he gets the nuances of when to score down, he will become very dangerous. Also, the team will look a lot better once they get used to having a point guard that they can let initiate the offense at all times.

Pau Gasol benefited so much from not having to facilitate for others and just being able to concentrate on scoring the ball. [/quote][quote]Rudy Gay also benefited from the better offensive flow and was even better as a play maker.[/quote]
[quote]Personally, I think we should have done something with Damon in July or August, but I digress.[/quote][quote]Damon in a suit means his time in Memphis is about over and just like I predicted, there will be a major (starter) trade before the MLK game.[/quote]And ChipC3[quote]-Damon made an impact by his absence in two ways. First, suddenly, a team wasn’t able to get into the lane with ease and Memphis’ defense was much improved.[/quote][quote]-Memphis finally got a chance to see the future PG of the franchise and he looked real good. Mike Conley’s performance against the Pacers rivaled the performance he put on during the pre-season. Too bad Conley can’t play every game against backup PG’s in Indianapolis.[/quote] Some veiled contempt/praise there.[quote]One suggestion Coach Iavaroni, let Mike Conley play in those games. The home fans deserve a chance to see him play in person.[/quote]

Some other good opinions on Conley. Very good site by the way.
[quote]: I think Conley is hugely important for the Grizzlies’ future prospects. The coaches and his teammates always praise his professionalism and intelligence on the court. But it’s not just his intangibles I like; he’s got tangibles, too. His speed and passing will be incredible weapons. His quickness on defense was immediately apparent last night (albeit against Andre Owens), and it’s only going to get better. I couldn’t be more excited about his future ability – I think he will be a star.