The curse of Shareef Abdur Rahim

[westkoast]

OK now I am just piling on, but what the heck.

On Monday Sacramento, with Shareef playing, lose at home to the worst team in West by 13.  This was their 5th straight loss.

On Tuesday Sacremento, with Shareef out with a broken jaw, plays the team with the 3rd best record in the West, on the road, and they win by 17.


Reef is out for 6 to 8 weeks with this broken jaw.  So what do you if Sacramento turns it around while Shareef is out? Do you make him the starter when he returns, or do you keep things the same and make him a limited minute reserve?

I think we need JoMaL in here because I haven't watched enough games to know exactly what his role is in the offense.  If he is the #1 option and gets twice as many touches as everyone else and they turn it around.....limited bench minutes.  If he is not comanding the ball and getting as much touches as everyone else then I don't see how it is fair to blame him.

The problem with the Kings is defense and I don't see them being a better defensive team with or without Rahim.

[Skandery]

Ziggy,

I am simply asking the question

I have simply answered the question

and using some numbers to make the point.

...as I have used numbers AND circumstances to make mine.  

Because as anyone can see from my previous post, numbers by themselves don't always paint the whole picture.

I am just unwilling to blame all of Shareef's losses on everybody and everything else 

And neither am I.

I believe Shareef is to blame for not developing into the kind of leader his talent level mandates.  He is to blame for not being aggressive in clutch situations.  He is to blame for not commanding the kind of respect a player of his calibre should require.  He is to blame for not improving his team defense.  He is to blame for not improving his passing.    

I DO NOT think he is to blame for every single loss that Vancouver, Atlanta, Portland, and Sacramento have accumulated while he's been on the roster.  Because Jason Terry, poor management, Big Country, Greg Anthony, Darius Miles, Peja, Bibby, Bonzi, injuries to other players, inconsistent playing time,  Winnie the Pooh, and little Black Rain Clouds SHARE the blame of those losses along with Shareef.    

[Skandery]

Westkoast,

If he is the #1 option and gets twice as many touches as everyone else and they turn it around.....limited bench minutes. If he is not comanding the ball and getting as much touches as everyone else then I don't see how it is fair to blame him.

Shareef is 4th on the team with 11.7 FGA per game, behind Bibby, Peja, and Bonzi.  But he is 2nd on the team with 6.7 FGM per game, behind only Bibby.  And he leads the roster (those playing at least double digit minutes -- Skinner is .700)with a .548 FG% .  8.4 percentage points higher than the rest of the Sacramento starting five.    

[westkoast]

Westkoast,

If he is the #1 option and gets twice as many touches as everyone else and they turn it around.....limited bench minutes. If he is not comanding the ball and getting as much touches as everyone else then I don't see how it is fair to blame him.

Shareef is 4th on the team with 11.7 FGA per game, behind Bibby, Peja, and Bonzi.  But he is 2nd on the team with 6.7 FGM per game, behind only Bibby.  And he leads the roster (those playing at least double digit minutes -- Skinner is .700)with a .548 FG% .  8.4 percentage points higher than the rest of the Sacramento starting five.

Then based on that I am going to say no he shouldn't hit the bench because defense is the obvious problem and they don't have another player who can come in for Rahim that would improve their defense.

He is playing pretty efficiently on the other side of the floor when you look at those numbers.  I almost want to say he should be getting another 5+ touches if hes shooting that high of a %