Team needs to make a move at shooting guard
December 8, 2001

Joe Stevens
Long Beach Press-Telegram

One ingredient to good coaching is the ability to adapt. A coach needs to adapt to how his players perform and make adjustments based on those performances.

All season long, Eric Piatkowski has been the Clippers’ starting shooting guard. Yet Quentin Richardson and Corey Maggette both have put up better numbers in fewer minutes. Coach Alvin Gentry is firm on starting Piatkowski, yet one of those other two should be considered for the starting lineup.

Two things happened this week to revive this debate. One is that Richardson shot the ball outrageously well. He made 10 consecutive 3-point field goals to set a franchise record.

A question mark with Richardson has been his outside shot, but he has answered that question of late by repeatedly knocking down 3-pointers. Richardson finally fell to Earth with a 1-of-9 shooting performance against Utah, but his shooting overall has been marvelous.

The other thing was that Piatkowski missed three games with a strained right hip flexor. Richardson and Maggette both played well in his absence. Maggette started those games, and he provided fine defense.

Richardson, however, is the best choice to start because Maggette also can play small forward. With his instant energy, Maggette is the ideal candidate to be the first player off the bench.

Gentry likes Richardson’s offensive spark off the bench. But don’t forget that Piatkowski has a very potent shot and would provide that spark in a role reversal.

If it’s a sticky situation to change Piatkowski’s role, then something is wrong in Clipperland. Piatkowski is a fan favorite and a great character guy. He has to understand that his play has been fine, but Richardson is emerging as a true go-to guy.

In Gentry’s status-quo defense, shooting guard hasn’t been a position that has hurt the team. It’s just that he’s constantly rotating Piatkowski, Richardson and Maggette, and Richardson’s numbers -- 14.2 points in 26.5 minutes -- are fantastic.

Entering this season, Piatkowski had averaged 8.4 points over seven NBA seasons. He can be an effective role player, and he should be. If Richardson’s shot ever falters, then Piatkowski could re-enter the starting lineup. Until then, give Q a chance. . . .

Michael Olowokandi was arrested Dec. 1 on the suspicion of three felonies following a domestic dispute. A former girlfriend emphatically denied any crime happened, but police contend one was committed.

The skinny on this episode is that the police over-reacted when they arrested Olowokandi. In a few stories, detectives have said they have evidence against Olowokandi. But that seems silly, considering the former girlfriend is saying something completely different.

The Manhattan Beach district attorney’s office likely will decide this week whether it has a case against Olowokandi. Nearly everybody in the organization and those close to the player will be surprised if the case isn’t dismissed.

POSITIONAL ANALYSIS

Point guard: Jeff McInnis hasn’t been too flashy, but he has been steady. Opponents have been respecting his shot and playing him tough. He continues to be a key to the offense. GRADE: B-

Shooting guard: With Richardson playing so well, this position hasn’t looked better this season. Richardson is second on the team in scoring but fifth in minutes. Maggette and Piatkowski have been fine but not close to as impressive as Richardson. GRADE: B+

Small forward: Lamar Odom continues to contribute with his passing; he should battle McInnis for the team lead in assists. Odom’s shot still hasn’t fallen, so he’s been driving more and taking fewer outside shots. >GRADE: B-

Power forward: Elton Brand has a star’s numbers but a role player’s mentality. If he continues to average more than 20 points and 10 rebounds, he should be a serious consideration for the West’s all-star team. GRADE: A-

Center: In a week that saw him arrested, Olowokandi handled himself the best he could have in the touchy situation. He says he knows he’s innocent, so he has been open with the media about his case. On the basketball court, he had his first double-double this week. GRADE: B

Bench: Averaging the most points of any bench in the NBA, the reserves are doing fine. But part of the reason for the scoring statistic is faulty coaching. Regardless, Richardson, Maggette and Darius Miles continue to contribute a lot. GRADE: B

Coaching: Until Richardson starts, the coaching deserves a low grade. Richardson averages the most points of any bench player in the NBA. He still may need to work on his defense, but he should be given a chance. GRADE: C-

INJURY REPORT

PG Keyon Dooling: High left ankle sprain (Nov. 14).

Dooling will be out about four more weeks, but he is off crutches. Earl Boykins has gotten some of his minutes as backup point guard.

SG Eric Piatkowski: Strained right hip flexor (Nov. 30).

Piatkowski has been considered day-to-day for a week, but he still hasn’t played. Maggette and Richardson have split his minutes.

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME

The substitution shuffle is an interesting phenomenon. Is Gentry forcing the individual matchups or is the opposing coach?

Typically, the only time opponents go out of their normal rotations is to stop Brand. But even he doesn’t often force teams to change their personnel. The major change is that he often draws a double-team.

The Clippers are more apt to make their substitutions based on their opponent. It sometimes is pretty obvious what is happening.

When Vince Carter was in town, Maggette had a season-high 44 minutes against him. Maggette was playing because of his defense. When the Clippers were in Denver, Olowokandi played a season-low 12 minutes because he didn’t have the perimeter game to match up with Raef LaFrentz.

Actually, within the substitution shuffling Olowokandi’s role is the most interesting. Sometimes he plays because he has the size. Other times, however, he sits because other teams have more quickness than size.