| Murphy Will Try To Win Fans Back Authored by Payam Jahromi - August 1, 2005 - 2:29 am
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That’s what happens when you sign a big contract – fans no longer give you the benefit of the doubt. Just ask Adonal Foyle and Derek Fisher, two other not-so-popular Warriors.
Those three, along with Jason Richardson, signed lucrative contracts last off-season, and only Richardson has lived up to every penny.
That’s not to say Murphy had a bad year. The power forward averaged 15.4 points and 10.8 rebounds, one of only seven players to average a double-double in points and rebounds last season. He also shot 40 percent from 3-point land.
So why the criticism? Well, for one, stats don’t tell the entire story. After a strong start, a thumb injury slowed Murphy down, and he never regained the form he had at the start of the season. I don’t know if he was injured or if he lost some confidence, but he wasn’t the same player.
Defensively, he struggled last season. He’s not a good enough athlete or a quick enough leaper to be an above-average defender, which is a problem because of the position he plays.
And despite his 15-point average, most of his points came from the perimeter, not typical for a power forward. Instead of taking his game further inside, he took it further out, attempting over three times as many 3-pointers as he did in any of his three previous seasons. That is either a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it.
It’s good that he extended his range and created mismatches. However, the downfall is that your best rebounder is standing at the 3-point line.
For the record, I like Murphy. I think he’s a tough, hard-nosed player who every team would love to have. He’s not the traditional power forward and never will be – people need to realize this. He will never be a great back-to-the-basket player. He’s a jump shooter and a rebounder. Nothing more, nothing less.
Sure he can beat his man off the dribble and get inside occasionally, but he’s primarily a perimeter player. And that would work if he was playing alongside a frontcourt player who can post up. Unfortunately, last season the Warriors didn’t have a strong post player to compliment Murphy.
That’s not entirely Murphy’s fault. On the right team with the right players, he is an extremely valuable asset. And although he’s a not a strong defender, he’s the best defensive rebounder on the team. Defensive rebounding is one element of good defense.
The problem is, when he’s your second or third option offensively, you’re putting too much pressure on him.
Murphy is a great complimentary player who should only get his points on mismatches, garbage points and kick-outs. He’s not a go-to guy and he isn’t great at creating his own shot.
Where he gets himself in trouble is when he tries to do something he’s not capable of. Because of the big contract, Murphy felt more pressure and forced a lot of shots, often resulting in him getting swatted down low. I can’t remember another Warrior getting his shot blocked as often as Murphy did last year.
But at least he tried and never stopped working. Murphy plays hard, he’s tough and he has an attitude. He just doesn’t have the talent to be an All-Star player.
In many ways, he’s the opposite of Mike Dunleavy, who has been criticized for being soft and lacking passion despite having the tools to be an All-Star.
Dunleavy’s season was also the opposite of Murphy’s in that he had a terrible start but a strong finish. In fact, Dunleavy was part of the core that played exceptionally well after the Baron Davis trade.
Many seem to believe Murphy is expendable and the odd man out on the Warriors, especially after they drafted Ike Diogu, a more traditional power forward.
But Murphy’s contract makes him almost impossible to trade, so he’s unlikely to be traded if Chris Mullin does make any moves this off-season.
That may not be a bad thing. He has sort of become the forgotten man, but Murphy’s rebounding and toughness could be instrumental for the Warriors’ playoff hopes.
Look for a bounce back season for a guy who averaged 15 and 11.
I can be reached at pjahromi@sbcglobal.net |
