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TheGoldenChild
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 Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 11:32 am Post subject: Kwame's Hands + New Ball = Improvement? |
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What do you think?
Seeing as how the new composite ball (with Stern's signature on it twice  ) will be easier to grip and hold onto..
Will we see an improvement with Kwame in regards to fumbling the ball on passes and post up moves..?
He'd also be able to hold onto it a little tighter on the way up for dunks, or maybe not launch it off the back board and into the stands when he releases it on lay ups..
So, can we expect an improvement..?
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Forget Denzel, Lamar will be the real Man on Fire this year. Not to mention K.O. Kwame and what he's going to be doing this year. Kobe.. well you don't have to worry about Kobe. |
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Omar Little
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 11:34 am Post subject: |
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Does the new ball work well with Stick'em?
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TheGoldenChild
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 11:42 am Post subject: |
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Ball bearings inside the ball + Magnets under skin of Kwame's palms =
BOOYAH FOOS!!!
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Forget Denzel, Lamar will be the real Man on Fire this year. Not to mention K.O. Kwame and what he's going to be doing this year. Kobe.. well you don't have to worry about Kobe. |
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Socks
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 11:42 am Post subject: |
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| I hope he's working on his hands this summer rather than relying on the new ball... |
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Arsenal
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Joined: 26 Jun 2002
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 12:00 pm Post subject: |
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My thoughts exactly. I'm also hoping Kobe has better success around the rim w/ the new ball akin to DWade and Bron in the past. I also notice Kobe has been palming the ball differently while dunking for better control.
As for Kwame, it can't hurt. |
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pjiddy
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 12:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Socks wrote: | | I hope he's working on his hands this summer rather than relying on the new ball... |
How do you "work on your hands"? The guy's hands are too small. I honestly don't see Kwame improving, it got to the point last season where every Laker knew they couldn't give Kwame passes with any kind of zip on them lest he fumble them out of bounds. He can only catch dump off passes, which makes for a limited offensive game. It's hard to get a handle on it, I've never seen a player that had as hard a time holding onto the ball as Kwame. |
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Socks
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 12:17 pm Post subject: |
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| pjiddy wrote: | | Socks wrote: | | I hope he's working on his hands this summer rather than relying on the new ball... |
How do you "work on your hands"? The guy's hands are too small. I honestly don't see Kwame improving, it got to the point last season where every Laker knew they couldn't give Kwame passes with any kind of zip on them lest he fumble them out of bounds. He can only catch dump off passes, which makes for a limited offensive game. It's hard to get a handle on it, I've never seen a player that had as hard a time holding onto the ball as Kwame. |
It is possible to improve catching abilities. Mikan reportedly had really bad hands too and spent lots of time in drills where he would catch hundreds of tennis balls with each hand and then move to basketballs and catch hundreds more. Wide receivers in the NFL do it all the time - repetition repetition repetition. We can't blame his struggles here purely on his small hands - he can work on this. |
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angrypuppy
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 12:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Kwame's working with Eddie Griffin, who is teaching him how to make things stick to his hands. |
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Fan0Bynum17
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Joined: 30 Nov 2005
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 12:25 pm Post subject: |
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| they need to shoot basketballs out of a cannon at kwame until he can catch it. |
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Bergamotichek
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 12:29 pm Post subject: |
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| pjiddy wrote: | | The guy's hands are too small. |
And just how small do you think his hands are?
They're bigger than a considerable number of other NBA players, that aren't labeled as having "bad hands". |
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frijolero01
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 12:47 pm Post subject: |
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| angrypuppy wrote: | | Kwame's working with Eddie Griffin, who is teaching him how to make things stick to his hands. |
 ....that's wrong!
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Wolverine
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 12:48 pm Post subject: |
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| angrypuppy wrote: | | Kwame's working with Eddie Griffin, who is teaching him how to make things stick to his hands. |
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mike_dee23
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 12:49 pm Post subject: |
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| I think Kwame needs to practice catching the ball before we can say the new ball will make him better. |
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Mark_in_Tulsa
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 1:19 pm Post subject: |
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| pjiddy wrote: | | Socks wrote: | | I hope he's working on his hands this summer rather than relying on the new ball... |
How do you "work on your hands"? The guy's hands are too small. I honestly don't see Kwame improving, it got to the point last season where every Laker knew they couldn't give Kwame passes with any kind of zip on them lest he fumble them out of bounds. He can only catch dump off passes, which makes for a limited offensive game. It's hard to get a handle on it, I've never seen a player that had as hard a time holding onto the ball as Kwame. |
His hands are not small. That statement which I have read way to many times on here is one of the dumbest ever.
The guy has huge hands. I'm sure they are larger than LBJ, Wade, KB, Vince, .......etc. I don't have a problem with catching the ball or palming it, and I'm just a 6'2" with avg size hands for a guy my size.
Some of you guys make it sound like he has a 9 year old girl hands.
His problem is that he is thinking ahead and trying to make his move before he has the ball. Or he is taking his eye off the ball, because he is thinking about his move.
Even if he has small hands for a 7'0", they are still plenty big. |
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RG73
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 1:40 pm Post subject: |
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Kwame does not have small hands. Phil specifically addressed this very issue before the season. He has averaged sized hands for a guy his size. Not giant catcher's mits, but not little dwarf hands either.
Since none of us has actually seen Kwame's hands up close and personal and Phil has, on this particular issue I have to go with the first hand account.
Secondly, as Socks mentioned, it is entirely possible to work on catching the ball. They did it with Mikan with great success. Drills can make someone who is below average at a particular attribute average with enough practice. Also, it was pretty obvious that Kwame's hands improved during the season. He went back to fumbling passes primarily during the latter half of the Phoenix series, after the police investigation was announced and after the rest of the team began to meltdown.
In fact, over the final 18 games of the season when he got inserted into the starting lineup, Kwame had zero turnovers in 4 games, 1 turnover in 6, and more than 2 turnovers only once--for 1.0 turnovers per game in the last 18. I think TOs to FGAs is a better metric for sure-handed for a big. So in those final 18 games Kwame averaged 1 turnover per every 7.6 shots. By way of comparison, Jermaine O'neal averages a turnover about every 5.5 shots (admittedly he touches the ball a lot more than Kwame). But we can see that over the final stretch of the season that Kwame's hands improved.
Obviously the coaching staff was aware of his problems catching the ball, obviously they worked on it with Kwame during the season and had success, and I'm sure they'll work with him during the offseason and throughout the season to continue his improvement. |
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The Dagger
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 1:43 pm Post subject: |
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| We used to do egg drills in baseball. We'd throw raw eggs to each other using just our hands over and over and move further and further away from each other. Goal was to never break the egg. After doing that for about 15 minutes every day for months our hands were as soft as charmin. |
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postandpivot
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 1:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Socks wrote: | | pjiddy wrote: | | Socks wrote: | | I hope he's working on his hands this summer rather than relying on the new ball... |
How do you "work on your hands"? The guy's hands are too small. I honestly don't see Kwame improving, it got to the point last season where every Laker knew they couldn't give Kwame passes with any kind of zip on them lest he fumble them out of bounds. He can only catch dump off passes, which makes for a limited offensive game. It's hard to get a handle on it, I've never seen a player that had as hard a time holding onto the ball as Kwame. |
It is possible to improve catching abilities. Mikan reportedly had really bad hands too and spent lots of time in drills where he would catch hundreds of tennis balls with each hand and then move to basketballs and catch hundreds more. Wide receivers in the NFL do it all the time - repetition repetition repetition. We can't blame his struggles here purely on his small hands - he can work on this. |
^^exzaactly. "but Kwame's hands are small" (in a whiney voice).
What ever Kwame, I bet my hands are smaller then Kwame's and I play ball like once a week. and I still can catch that puppy better then he can, with zip on it. and I could never truly palm a ball, especially the Official NBA ball, which was very hard and somewhat slick when brand new and pumped to official size and weight.
No excuse for kwame. i didn't ask for kwame to do a James worthy and palm it over someone's head, and all. Just catch it. just like you and your kid outside in the backyard. no difference. I know this guy that played for my old college, that has a few fingers missing on one hand. and he could catch better then kwame. So i can't hear kwame with the, "i got small hands". Someone tell kwame, postandpivot has a Hands Camp starting up next week. Free of charge. pay me when you get to the allstar game.
but as for the change of ball. it could help a lot actually. because like i stated above. that NBA ball was Huge, hard, and Slippery when brand new. These new balls are not even close to the same slippery or hard. which makes it easier to catch passes that have that extra zip on them.
especially for guys like kwame that dont catch the ball by squeezing. they Pat the pass downward toward the other hand. this is why he fumbles anything thats to hard to pat down. its something you do when you have a sprained thumb, and the ball gets thrown to that hurt hand. you pat the ball towards the other hand or the ground to avoid the full brunt of the blow. |
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postandpivot
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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ha ha. leave it to me. and I would be kwame's mr. myagi. We would be out to dinner at 8 O'clock at night. and I would Fling a medicine ball right over the table, while he's putting food to his mouth. if he doesn't catch it..... He will get hit in the face with it, busted lip, broken whine glass, looking foolish in front of people. He would learn how to catch one way or another with me.
Wax on, Wax off |
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Legacy
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:00 pm Post subject: |
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Maybe if the ball had lights, reflectors and speakers on it, Kwame would be able to anticipate a pass better. 
But to be serious, if Kwame didn't fumble the ball so much, I would feel alot more comfortable watching games. Then I could sleep better at night in my Kobe PJs. |
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postandpivot
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:03 pm Post subject: |
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| kobesNBA wrote: | Maybe if the ball had lights, reflectors and speakers on it, Kwame would be able to anticipate a pass better.
But to be serious, if Kwame didn't fumble the ball so much, I would feel alot more comfortable watching games. Then I could sleep better at night in my Kobe PJs. |
and Odom under-roos.  |
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Legacy
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:08 pm Post subject: |
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| postandpivot wrote: | | kobesNBA wrote: | Maybe if the ball had lights, reflectors and speakers on it, Kwame would be able to anticipate a pass better.
But to be serious, if Kwame didn't fumble the ball so much, I would feel alot more comfortable watching games. Then I could sleep better at night in my Kobe PJs. |
and Odom under-roos. |
And Odom under-roos.  |
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TLT
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Unless doctors have developed the cure for stonefingers, what does a ball have to do with it. The disease has also spread to his brain. Eldon Campbell had it and could never find the cure. |
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RJBaca
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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| postandpivot wrote: | ha ha. leave it to me. and I would be kwame's mr. myagi. We would be out to dinner at 8 O'clock at night. and I would Fling a medicine ball right over the table, while he's putting food to his mouth. if he doesn't catch it..... He will get hit in the face with it, busted lip, broken whine glass, looking foolish in front of people. He would learn how to catch one way or another with me.
Wax on, Wax off |
I'll follow that up with having him repeatedly immerse his hands in scalding hot sand - the Shaolin way! |
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DicksHutnick
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Joined: 09 Sep 2005
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:32 pm Post subject: |
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| TLT wrote: | | Unless doctors have developed the cure for stonefingers, what does a ball have to do with it. The disease has also spread to his brain. Eldon Campbell had it and could never find the cure. |
I don't know who "Eldon" is, but when Elden Campbell played for the Lakers his hands improved yearly. By the latter portion of the decade he was starting for an injured Shaq and averaging 17 ppg. He scored 40 on Pat Ewing and 38 on Muresan (before his knees went - when he could still play and people thought he'd be something). If Kwame has the same hands "Eldon" did we're actually in for a treat. |
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Arsenal
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Joined: 26 Jun 2002
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| Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:49 pm Post subject: |
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| RG73 wrote: | Kwame does not have small hands. Phil specifically addressed this very issue before the season. He has averaged sized hands for a guy his size. Not giant catcher's mits, but not little dwarf hands either.
Since none of us has actually seen Kwame's hands up close and personal and Phil has, on this particular issue I have to go with the first hand account.
Secondly, as Socks mentioned, it is entirely possible to work on catching the ball. They did it with Mikan with great success. Drills can make someone who is below average at a particular attribute average with enough practice. Also, it was pretty obvious that Kwame's hands improved during the season. He went back to fumbling passes primarily during the latter half of the Phoenix series, after the police investigation was announced and after the rest of the team began to meltdown.
In fact, over the final 18 games of the season when he got inserted into the starting lineup, Kwame had zero turnovers in 4 games, 1 turnover in 6, and more than 2 turnovers only once--for 1.0 turnovers per game in the last 18. I think TOs to FGAs is a better metric for sure-handed for a big. So in those final 18 games Kwame averaged 1 turnover per every 7.6 shots. By way of comparison, Jermaine O'neal averages a turnover about every 5.5 shots (admittedly he touches the ball a lot more than Kwame). But we can see that over the final stretch of the season that Kwame's hands improved.
Obviously the coaching staff was aware of his problems catching the ball, obviously they worked on it with Kwame during the season and had success, and I'm sure they'll work with him during the offseason and throughout the season to continue his improvement. |
Kwame's hands are small. Kobe's are normal. |
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