Sam Cassell coming back??

[Reyquila]

Gracias, Doris

[sk7326]

There was a time when Sam was a point guard. That time is gone he's nothing more than a chucker now. I don't want him back and I don't think Danny wants him back.

Hasn't it occured to anyone that maybe that's what the coaching staff told him to do, since he did it every time out? 

His teammates have loved him every place he has been -- and last year his Clipper stats, where he played 24 minutes a game and 38 games last year (he was hurt remember for large portions) ...

45.5% FGA, 25.9% 3P, 89.1% FT ... 12.8 pts, 4.7 assists ... translates to 21.3 pts, 7.9 assists per 40 minutes

His career 40 minute stats

45.4% FG, 33.1% 3P, 86.1% FT ... 21.0 pts, 8.0 assists

In other words, his last season pre-Boston lined up pretty darn nicely with his career stats.  I'd like to see him not coming off of an injury and with a full camp before I sit around mothballing him because his career warrants it.  That, and his performance LAST YEAR warranted it.

[EJPLAYA]

There was a time when Sam was a point guard. That time is gone he's nothing more than a chucker now. I don't want him back and I don't think Danny wants him back.

Hasn't it occured to anyone that maybe that's what the coaching staff told him to do, since he did it every time out? 

His teammates have loved him every place he has been -- and last year his Clipper stats, where he played 24 minutes a game and 38 games last year (he was hurt remember for large portions) ...

45.5% FGA, 25.9% 3P, 89.1% FT ... 12.8 pts, 4.7 assists ... translates to 21.3 pts, 7.9 assists per 40 minutes

His career 40 minute stats

45.4% FG, 33.1% 3P, 86.1% FT ... 21.0 pts, 8.0 assists

In other words, his last season pre-Boston lined up pretty darn nicely with his career stats.  I'd like to see him not coming off of an injury and with a full camp before I sit around mothballing him because his career warrants it.  That, and his performance LAST YEAR warranted it.

If that was what he was told to do, Doc wouldn't have yanked him and put House back in. He was expected to run the team while out there. He had players who could score. Powe has very good post moves, but if Sam chucks it up there before he can even begin to establish position he has no chance. Sure he should have taken open shots, but if he doesn't give anyone the chance to run a play he is of no use no matter what his career stats are. We could throw Larry Bird out there on the floor right now and then when he struggles say " yeah, but look at his career per 40 stats..."  Face it. The guy has hit the old man wall and knows the only chance he has at looking decent is to hope he's hot. Unfortunately that is one out of ten games these days. Sam should begin his coaching career now...

[EJPLAYA]

While I was disappointed in Cassell, he wasn't much worse than House in the playoffs.  One thing that teams didn't exploit nearly as much as they could have was House's inability to bring the ball up against full court pressure.  I wouldn't count on teams overlooking that a second time. 

I also wouldn't entirely overlook the possibility that Cassell will do better when he has a chance to get comfortable with the team in the preseason.  Furthermore, I wouldn't overlook the very real possibility that the reason he shot so much was because Doc told him to.  Remember, most of his minutes came in the second quarter of games when Doc threw out the Green Team and MAYBE one of the Big Three.  At times he was the best offensive option on the court. 

Would I prefer a backup point guard that could play defense, handle the ball, and knock down a three?  Yes, but there are few starting point guards in the league that can do all those things, let alone backups available at the minimum.  On top of that, I'd much rather see Cassell back at the minimum, then Danny electing to not sign Posey to the MLE and splitting the MLE between another PG and a C or SF. 

All in all, Cassell isn't my perfect backup, but I don't know how much more you can expect for the vet minimum. 

You obviously didn't watch the playoffs this year. Another mind numbing regurgitation of the infamous Detroit game fiasco. If you had you would have seen House spend 95% of the playoffs on the bench while Sam got the backup guard minutes. The couple of games there at the end that he did get in and played House was his usual energetic spark off the bench. Saying that Sam played the same as House did is absolutely not accurate. Everyone that actually watched the games, even Sam supporters, knows that.

Where in that post did I say that Cassell played the same as House?  I said he played worse, but not much worse.  All I said was that some of Cassell's perceived faults might not have been as bad as some people might've thought.  Might he play more of a point guard role with a preseason to get more familiar?  Maybe.  Did Doc tell him to jack up shots in the Detroit series when he was on the court with a bunch of reserves who can't create their own offense or when he was paired with Allen who looked like he was dead?  Maybe. 

All I'm saying is that a) Eddie House is not a point guard.  When he tries to be one of two things happen: 1) he becomes a liability handling the ball or 2) Pierce or Allen handles the ball.  If option two is going to happen, why not just sign a 6-6 shooting guard to replace House if he can't do the things a PG should do.  b) we're probably not going to get a ton of options at the veteran minimum.  I'm not completely sold on Cassell.  He may very well continue his downward spiral.  However, if he does come back--which becomes more likely if Posey is signed and consumes the minimum--I think he might bounce back. 

As for House in the playoffs, you obviously didn't watch them if you thought he played great.  He looked OK towards the end of the L.A. series for two reasons.  1) he didn't handle the ball and 2) the Lakers had the softest defense we saw all year.  The fact that he was benched for so much of the playoffs is a testament to his inability to be a point guard. 

Don't back off your comments now! You know very well that when you said he didn't play much worse than House did that you were insinuating that they were really about the same. That isn't the case which is why you are backpedaling now. If you didn't mean that, then you are saying that there was a decent gap in the two's game. If that is the case, then why on earth would you want Sam?! If he plays worse than House does which you are stating, and his abilities are fading which you admit to, then he would be a terrible signing.

Let's also get another thing straight. House wasn't benched during the playoffs for his play. Sam was handed the job in the regular season with about 15 games to go and House was only brought in during the playoffs when Sam was having a particularly horrid night. He didn't start these playoffs as the #2 and lose it due to his play. Sam was gifted that role in spite of House's much higher production in order to see if Sam couldn't regain some of his form and run the point better. By the time it was obvious that Sam was finished, House was inserted back in there. After not playing for almost 30 games other than spot duty, he was of course a bit rusty shooting the ball. He did however play terrific defense the entire time, brought great energy to the floor, and then did get his shot going. He hit some crucial shots off the bench in the finals once Doc realized House should be the one out there. Who cares if some of the time he got the inbound and pushed it quickly up the floor to PP or Ray. 15 more steps up the floor and he would have put it in their hands anyway. That is being way overblown. He spreads the floor and is one of the best shooters in the league. He hits clutch shots and has no fear. He just brings so much more to the table than a broken down player who can't play defense, refuses to allow the offense to move unless out with the starters, and is even starting to lose his ball handling ability. Just ask Hunter who picked him clean in the backcourt and layed it up in his face. (To which Doc responded by IMMEDIATELY yanking him) Wasn't Hunter's pressure on House the big reason we thought we needed Sam?! Obviously  a waste. Let's not make that mistake twice!

[sk7326]

There was a time when Sam was a point guard. That time is gone he's nothing more than a chucker now. I don't want him back and I don't think Danny wants him back.

Hasn't it occured to anyone that maybe that's what the coaching staff told him to do, since he did it every time out? 

His teammates have loved him every place he has been -- and last year his Clipper stats, where he played 24 minutes a game and 38 games last year (he was hurt remember for large portions) ...

45.5% FGA, 25.9% 3P, 89.1% FT ... 12.8 pts, 4.7 assists ... translates to 21.3 pts, 7.9 assists per 40 minutes

His career 40 minute stats

45.4% FG, 33.1% 3P, 86.1% FT ... 21.0 pts, 8.0 assists

In other words, his last season pre-Boston lined up pretty darn nicely with his career stats.  I'd like to see him not coming off of an injury and with a full camp before I sit around mothballing him because his career warrants it.  That, and his performance LAST YEAR warranted it.

If that was what he was told to do, Doc wouldn't have yanked him and put House back in. He was expected to run the team while out there. He had players who could score. Powe has very good post moves, but if Sam chucks it up there before he can even begin to establish position he has no chance. Sure he should have taken open shots, but if he doesn't give anyone the chance to run a play he is of no use no matter what his career stats are. We could throw Larry Bird out there on the floor right now and then when he struggles say " yeah, but look at his career per 40 stats..."  Face it. The guy has hit the old man wall and knows the only chance he has at looking decent is to hope he's hot. Unfortunately that is one out of ten games these days. Sam should begin his coaching career now...

What is funny is that he has ALWAYS been this sort of point guard.  Run isos, pick and rolls etc.  He never was some sort of magnanimous John Stockton type, even when he was a star -- I mean, his point totals tell that much.  Doc pulled him for House eventually for way simpler reasons:

1. Cassell's shot was not falling and they did not have the luxury to wait

2. They won 60+ games with House, so they sort of know how that deal works.

House's shot did not go on vacation, and the Celtics bench offense had design and chemistry with House that worked.  Where Rivers erred was assuming Cassell could fit in with that stuff turnkey.  What House did (run the ball across half court, hand it off to either Pierce or allen and then sport up somewhere) worked ... Cassell's bring it up, bully the guy defending him thing is a different offensive dynamic that did not fit what this team had done all season. 

With a fresh start it is possible that those aspects of the playbook will be developed further.  I look at that remarkable comeback in the regular season against the Spurs -- or the Hawks sans their studs and see that Cassell's value is not dead ... just was a poor job (on both parties parts) of making it fit. 

[EJPLAYA]

There was a time when Sam was a point guard. That time is gone he's nothing more than a chucker now. I don't want him back and I don't think Danny wants him back.

Hasn't it occured to anyone that maybe that's what the coaching staff told him to do, since he did it every time out? 

His teammates have loved him every place he has been -- and last year his Clipper stats, where he played 24 minutes a game and 38 games last year (he was hurt remember for large portions) ...

45.5% FGA, 25.9% 3P, 89.1% FT ... 12.8 pts, 4.7 assists ... translates to 21.3 pts, 7.9 assists per 40 minutes

His career 40 minute stats

45.4% FG, 33.1% 3P, 86.1% FT ... 21.0 pts, 8.0 assists

In other words, his last season pre-Boston lined up pretty darn nicely with his career stats.  I'd like to see him not coming off of an injury and with a full camp before I sit around mothballing him because his career warrants it.  That, and his performance LAST YEAR warranted it.

If that was what he was told to do, Doc wouldn't have yanked him and put House back in. He was expected to run the team while out there. He had players who could score. Powe has very good post moves, but if Sam chucks it up there before he can even begin to establish position he has no chance. Sure he should have taken open shots, but if he doesn't give anyone the chance to run a play he is of no use no matter what his career stats are. We could throw Larry Bird out there on the floor right now and then when he struggles say " yeah, but look at his career per 40 stats..."  Face it. The guy has hit the old man wall and knows the only chance he has at looking decent is to hope he's hot. Unfortunately that is one out of ten games these days. Sam should begin his coaching career now...

What is funny is that he has ALWAYS been this sort of point guard.  Run isos, pick and rolls etc.  He never was some sort of magnanimous John Stockton type, even when he was a star -- I mean, his point totals tell that much.  Doc pulled him for House eventually for way simpler reasons:

1. Cassell's shot was not falling and they did not have the luxury to wait

2. They won 60+ games with House, so they sort of know how that deal works.

House's shot did not go on vacation, and the Celtics bench offense had design and chemistry with House that worked.  Where Rivers erred was assuming Cassell could fit in with that stuff turnkey.  What House did (run the ball across half court, hand it off to either Pierce or allen and then sport up somewhere) worked ... Cassell's bring it up, bully the guy defending him thing is a different offensive dynamic that did not fit what this team had done all season. 

With a fresh start it is possible that those aspects of the playbook will be developed further.  I look at that remarkable comeback in the regular season against the Spurs -- or the Hawks sans their studs and see that Cassell's value is not dead ... just was a poor job (on both parties parts) of making it fit. 

With his current skillset, which is declining quickly, that is the only style he is really able to play. Why on earth would we try to change OUR style of play to fit Sam's style. If he doesn't fit in to ours, then we should find a player who does. Oh yeah, we had one all along... House!

TP for you. Nicely said as far as reasonings it didn't work!

[Kiorrik]

Admit it, I scared ya'll.

[bfrombleacher]

Admit it, I scared ya'll.

TP

I was like "what?"

[indeedproceed]

Well played.

[Kiorrik]

TY, TY. I shall accept my TP's in bunches, and bunches alone.

Now where are those Starbury topics...