PG vs. EG by Ben Vickers - Senior Editor, Fanball.com Tuesday, February 5, 2002 As Pau Gasol basks in his second Western Conference Rookie of the Month award, it may seem blasphemous to suggest that there is another rookie who could have a better second half of the season. After all, Gasol averaged an amazing 20.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks in January. Nevertheless, we've noticed another rookie who might challenge Gasol's numbers over the next couple of months. His name is Eddie Griffin. The 19-year-old phenom from Philly finally started getting major minutes in January, and he proved that he could play with the big boys. Griffin averaged 13.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks during the first month of the year. Going deeper inside the numbers, it's plain to see that Griffin is capable of posting much more. In five of his 15 games in January, EG blocked at least five shots, including a career-high seven blocks against Dallas. In order for Griffin to match or better Gasol's production for the remainder of the season, two things must happen: first, Gasol's production must slip, and second, Griffin must play even better. It will be difficult for Griffin to match Gasol's current level of scoring, as long as Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley are in the Rockets' lineup. He simply won't get the amount of shots Gasol receives in Memphis. Case in point: last month, Gasol attempted 218 shots while Griffin took just 169. At this point in his career, Griffin does not have the offensive skills of Gasol. He is capable, however, of shooting better 40 percent from the floor. If that happens, his average should rise towards 15 or 16 points per game. Although Gasol's production has not suffered any major decline yet, he's starting to show a few signs that he is nearing the rookie wall. Over his past three games, Gasol has connected on just 13 of his last 34 shots. Pau has also played a ton of basketball. He currently ranks 22nd in total minutes, averaging 37.0 minutes per game. That's a lot of playing time for a rookie and is bound to take a toll on Gasol's svelte frame. Conversely, Griffin remains relatively fresh, logging almost 500 less minutes than the Spaniard. Plus, unlike Gasol, Griffin will be allowed to rest during All-Star weekend and won't participate in the rookie showcase game. That should allow Griffin to start the second-half of the season with fresher legs. Griffin is already Gasol's equal in blocks, but he must do a better job of pulling down boards. Last week, Griffin posted his first back-to-back double-digit rebounding efforts, so we won't be surprised at all if he builds on the experience he gained in January and becomes a more effective rebounder from here on out. If you have either Gasol or Griffin on your fantasy squad, consider yourself lucky. Even if their numbers equal out for the remainder of the season, both players will help you fantasy squad win. Gasol will probably run away with the NBA's rookie of the year award, but over the next couple of month's, Griffin could challenge him for fantasy superiority. nice read..... It's going to be tuff, but you never know what can happen. Shareef is starting to get impatient in Atlanta, and may need to be played more in order for him to stay happy. Gasol just stole his position. Maybe that's why he got in a fight for the first time this year with our KT.
