Bibby CAN play defense
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well he did a damn good job on anthony johnson..who in his last game put up 40 pts on a first team defender in J.Kidd
ya dirk stack harris and terry did not see time, maybe other too im not 100 percent sure of thei whole lineup, what about that guy that had pretty good game aganst us, powell maybe he didnt play or maybe he went to indiana?
I thought Bibby looked like he can move easier and quicker. The weight loss was good for him. Honestly, he just looks healthier to me than he did at the beginning of last year. Probably the switch to eating less junk food.
Whatever, I thought he looked good on both ends of the floor and seemed rejuvenated to me. He also had 6 assists(?) in 21 minutes? Pretty darn good.
Whatever, I thought he looked good on both ends of the floor and seemed rejuvenated to me. He also had 6 assists(?) in 21 minutes? Pretty darn good.
He didn't have to guard anybody, but it wasn't his effectiveness that was so impressive -- it was his hustle. Far FAR more active on defense then maybe we have ever seen him, and quicker too (probably the weight loss). I'm sure Terry and Harris would have fared much better than Anthony bleeping Johsnon, but the effort and energy was there, and if it continues he promises to make things a lot harder on guys, no matter how good they are.
bibbys my fav player but it justs seems like he may never make it no matter how good he plays, obviously if he an outright stud hell make it, but i think cp3, j rich, anthony will probably be the newest all starts to make it from the west, i hope hope hope im wrong , but i think bibby may have had his best scoring season last year..hope im worng though
Yes, but 40pt freak game aside, he's a 5.7ppg career scorer on 41% shooting. Even during the last two years when he's been better, he still has never scored in double figures. His calling card is really defense more than offense, so hence, on most nights not the greatest challenge to a defensive player.
according to the accounts in this thread, it seems that mike can indeed play a little defense. the word here to note is "can." we know he's capable. he just did it tonight. he's moving well. the hustle's there. his head's in it...his heart's in it. based on his performance tonight, his strides at weight loss in the offseason, the things he said in the offseason, what was said about him in the offseason, and what you've all said in this thread, its clear that--after a career year--he still wants to become a better player. that's really encouraging, and is the true mark of a player who chooses to lead by example. now, obviously we can't get too ahead of ourselves. mike bibby isn't about to make the all-defensive team. but if he is able to give relatively consistent defensive efforts night in and night out, the kings are going to be a whole lot better off. couple that with another great offensive year, and bibby could conceivably be in the running for an all star spot. the naysayers will disagree...but i wouldn't rule it out.
i noticed bibby change/better defensively in the first few minutes in the 1st quarter.
i think i made the mistake of picking up hinrich instead of bibby in one my my fantasy league
i think i made the mistake of picking up hinrich instead of bibby in one my my fantasy league
Thing is, we'll have to see if he sustains -- right now it could well be essentially showing off for the new coach rather than soemthing that is going to happen every game. Good thing is its likely not all Muss, or even mainly Muss. I also think Mike would like to be an All Star, probably got tired of people making fun of his defense, and don't forget that if he opts out, and he may, this could very well be a contract year (also of course the Artest factor). So throw all that together and even if he tires of Muss's message, maybe he will have enough inspiration to stay attentive on defense. Maybe not manic like tonight, but hopefully work at it and play on that side of the ball like he cares.
I agree with Padrino's and Brick's posts. I didn't get to catch the game but from everything I hear, Mike's hustle and effort were pretty impressive, and this alone is music to my ears. I can't wait to see if he can consistently contribute like this throughout the season. It would be awesome for him to finally become an all-star.
From what I have gathered, I don't think Muss will except much less. I wouldn't really say Mike was manic but you could definitely tell that he was playing with effort. It was that simple, and it is that simple -- Effort. Apparently this is what he has been doing all of training camp thus far. And I think the Artest factor plays a major role in this.
Amazing what a new coach can inspire you to do
- Coach's inspiration: Not to discount it.
- Leaner Meaner Bibby.
- First game of the preseason. A cynical view, but the real proof shall come in regular season, when he has to play longer minutes against tougher opposition.
- Owners' talk about defence: Defence was one of the main slogans of the Maloofs, when Rick was let go. While it might have been more of a ploy, since his record couldn't be questioned, it puts pressure on the new coach and players to display at least some improvement in that area.
- Team composition and running game: Over the last couple of years, more and more teams in the league are going small and playing fast. Last year's team was not too well geared for it (particularly with Peja not having a good year). Bonzi and Reef are both post players. In contrast, this year, amongst our starters, 1, 2, 3 and 4 can all run. This does not translate into full court press, but puts additional focus on defence, since good defence feeds into a running game.
- Depth behind Bibby and ball handlers: Last year he played huge minutes, and was also the primary ball handler. Hart didn't pan out as we all had hoped. Bonzi and Peja were not much of ball handlers, so Bibby had a huge load. This year, Salmons, Martin, Garcia and Artest shall handle at least some of the ball handling duties (maybe even Hart and Price), allowing Bibby to spend a little more energy on defence. Hopefully coach shall be able to reduce his minutes to a certain extent too.
- Artest effect: Since he arrived in Sacramento, Artest has played and preached defence. Some of that has to rub on.
- Contract year: With an option to opt out after this year, he can be a free agent. Addressing one area that he is criticized for is not a bad idea in a contract year. This is not a knock on him. He had played very hard and very well, without taking games off over the last few years, even as he has seen the cast around him changing completely. It is but human for anyone to put in that little extra effort in a contract year though.
