What Happened To Stevenson?

[dlts20]

Im a huge boxing fan and have alot of fights on video. I was looking through some tapes yesterday and came across a Wiz game from DS 1st year. Gil's speed & burst stuck out to me as did how explosive we were in that Offense but the #1 thing that stood out was Deshawn. He seemed so night & day from the guy that has played since Gil originally went down. On that tape he seemed alot faster & more athletic. His D was just as I remembered. Dude looked literally like the best perimiter defender in the league. You shouldve saw the way he was harrasing Jason Richardson. They couldnt do anyting on him. He was quick with good leverage & toughness. He was a very good passer who I thought was the best one on our team at the time and then Caron & Gil started to pass better. His shot was also much smoother & confident. Back then he was like Mike Miller with the J except he didnt hesitate. If he was open then he was letting it go smoothly with mad confidence. Now he wont ever shoot unless he has to and thats the way we all want it because he's going to miss 90% of the time.

His D recently has picked up again as I thought he had been passed by NY and was only average if that. Lately he's been better but still nothing like the guy I saw on that old vid. Do we not give him the same sympathy for injuries that we give others around the league? He's had alot of injuries and maybe he just broke down. He played a long time with them which probably made it worst. Seriously though, I think people forget how good he was. I talk about it sometimes but even I didnt remember until I saw that tape. He was shooting over 50% from the field, 40% from 3, was one of the best defenders in the league, and maybe the best passer on our team and overnight it was gone. Sure Gil got hurt but it never came back. Now that I think about it, Gil was hurt for a very long time so maybe that was the primary reason. Flip said he will probably start the next game so maybe he can get back right but the last time he started was awful. He literally looked like the worst starter in the leauge.

Could that one season have been a fluke? He had horrible shooting percentages before then and since but its hard for me to believe it was a fluke because he was good for so long. It wasnt like a 2 week stretch or 20 games. He was damn near a perfect role player for about 60 games. I remember he started very slow in like the first 10 and still put up those beast numbers until Gil went down. He probably shot like 55% in those 60 games and 45% from the 3 when you consider how bad he was in that first 10 or so. Its just weird that he just seems like a total shell of that guy now

[TheSecretWeapon]

First -- Stevenson was never close to being the best perimeter defender in the league. He was pretty good defensively, but never more than that.

Second -- That season probably was a fluke -- it was the best of his career by a fair margin. He never shot that well before. Testament to what feeding on wide open looks created by three potent teammates (as well as Eddie Jordan's offensive system) can do for a guy.

Third -- He got hurt. It's tough to know how much that cost him exactly, but his back injury was serious. He's also had a chronic knee problem.

[dlts20]

First -- Stevenson was never close to being the best perimeter defender in the league. He was pretty good defensively, but never more than that.

Second -- That season probably was a fluke -- it was the best of his career by a fair margin. He never shot that well before. Testament to what feeding on wide open looks created by three potent teammates (as well as Eddie Jordan's offensive system) can do for a guy.

Third -- He got hurt. It's tough to know how much that cost him exactly, but his back injury was serious. He's also had a chronic knee problem.

I disagree about his D. I think he was very very good that year and even before that. His O sucked before that but I do think he was one of the best in the league that year

[Donkey McDonkerton]

..as TSW stated... but basically anyone slows down from age and injuries.

BLOW IT UP

[TheSecretWeapon]

I guess it depends on what you mean by "one of the best" perimeter defenders that season. If you mean one of the top 5, Stevenson wasn't that good. If you mean one of the top 20, then maybe.

I hand-tracked individual defense for a good portion of that season. Stevenson was the team's best perimeter defender, which isn't saying very much. He was good, but not an elite NBA defender nightly, which is what you seem to be suggesting.

[dlts20]

I guess it depends on what you mean by "one of the best" perimeter defenders that season. If you mean one of the top 5, Stevenson wasn't that good. If you mean one of the top 20, then maybe.

I hand-tracked individual defense for a good portion of that season. Stevenson was the team's best perimeter defender, which isn't saying very much. He was good, but not an elite NBA defender nightly, which is what you seem to be suggesting.

I do think that he was a top 7 type guy. Like you said, the numbers dont prove it all even in his defense. The rest of our guys were so bad that its bound to drag his numbers down

[Dat2U]

DeBrick stinks and has always stunk. He was never a "perfect role player". A best, he was passable, at worst, he's historically one of the worst ever at his position. In Ernie Grunfeld's eyes this earns you $4.0 mil per.

He'll never be passable again b/c of injuries. I suspect he might be out the league when his contract is up.

[MJG]

I think the key thing to realize is that Stevenson was never a good player. At his absolute peak, he was a passable role player. Give someone like that continual nagging injuries, and they're going to be pretty bad.

Like Dat, I think there's a very good chance that next season is his last in the NBA.

[fifthstop]

Surprisingly un-suck of late.

DS seems the most distraught over the whole thing but he's been relatively inspired on the court. Best of all, he's been very much in-role during the stretch.

[pancakes3]

ironically the OP still stands. what's happening to stevenson?

[hands11]

DS must be taking performance enhancing drugs or something.

He was as system type guy when he was playing well. Thats for sure.

He has to have more confidence now after shoot 25% for the year and now going
6-8 FG and 3-4 FG over the last two games.

[cavsfan_osiris]

That season Stevenson was one of the best on ball defensive SG in the NBA. He was a very underrated defender.

[hands11]

Poor Flip. He must be holding on to his sanity by a thread.

So what's the record of games for a starting SG making zero FGs ?

I know he didnt start all these games but I count like 16 game he played at least 10 minutes where he has 0 FG. He has played in 33 games including games he only played a min.

So at least 1/3 of his games, he has made 0 FG.

To funny. When we started the season we thought we had to many SGs, now we see we really don't have any. Give me Joe Johnson or someone.

Wow Nick, you really are blowing an opportunity if you can't beat out DS. Just go out a few games an only rebound, D up, pass the ball and drive when you have to if its the last second. That will win Flip over. Just wait for them to beg you to shoot instead of over shooting. Bend like the tree little grass hopper.

My dream is still that some how, some way, we get Wade

[dlts20]

Poor Flip. He must be holding on to his sanity by a thread.

So what's the record of games for a starting SG making zero FGs ?

I know he didnt start all these games but I count like 16 game he played at least 10 minutes where he has 0 FG. He has played in 33 games including games he only played a min.

So at least 1/3 of his games, he has made 0 FG.

To funny. When we started the season we thought we had to many SGs, now we see we really don't have any. Give me Joe Johnson or someone.

Wow Nick, you really are blowing an opportunity if you can't beat out DS. Just go out a few games an only rebound, D up, pass the ball and drive when you have to if its the last second. That will win Flip over. Just wait for them to beg you to shoot instead of over shooting. Bend like the tree little grass hopper.

My dream is still that some how, some way, we get Wade

WRONG!!!! The answer is for the idiot Flip to go big. FHe goes big 1 game against by far the hottest team in the league at the time in the Spurs and thats it? Not only that but we were playing well until the 4th when he came in with that same stupid small lineup that we lost all the other games with. Flip dont get no pass from me. This isnt all on the players. His system looks like a crap fit with these guys. Even Caron totally sucks. Thats why I say go big. I think going big fits his sytem better and I think Caron would be alot better at the 2 spot. Blatche played so well that I was sure he was going to start the 2nd half but ofcourse Flip started DS again. It was the same last game. Miller played so well that I was sure he was going to start the 2nd half but it was DS again and both games we went down fast in the 3rd as he looked awful. He shouldnt be playing at all. Lets see how going big works. I think we would be better and we are about to play some bigger teams anwways. At the least we should start Miller

[hands11]

Poor Flip. He must be holding on to his sanity by a thread.

So what's the record of games for a starting SG making zero FGs ?

I know he didnt start all these games but I count like 16 game he played at least 10 minutes where he has 0 FG. He has played in 33 games including games he only played a min.

So at least 1/3 of his games, he has made 0 FG.

To funny. When we started the season we thought we had to many SGs, now we see we really don't have any. Give me Joe Johnson or someone.

Wow Nick, you really are blowing an opportunity if you can't beat out DS. Just go out a few games an only rebound, D up, pass the ball and drive when you have to if its the last second. That will win Flip over. Just wait for them to beg you to shoot instead of over shooting. Bend like the tree little grass hopper.

My dream is still that some how, some way, we get Wade

WRONG!!!! The answer is for the idiot Flip to go big. FHe goes big 1 game against by far the hottest team in the league at the time in the Spurs and thats it? Not only that but we were playing well until the 4th when he came in with that same stupid small lineup that we lost all the other games with. Flip dont get no pass from me. This isnt all on the players. His system looks like a crap fit with these guys. Even Caron totally sucks. Thats why I say go big. I think going big fits his sytem better and I think Caron would be alot better at the 2 spot. Blatche played so well that I was sure he was going to start the 2nd half but ofcourse Flip started DS again. It was the same last game. Miller played so well that I was sure he was going to start the 2nd half but it was DS again and both games we went down fast in the 3rd as he looked awful. He shouldnt be playing at all. Lets see how going big works. I think we would be better and we are about to play some bigger teams anwways. At the least we should start Miller

Don't yell to loud my friend. I have been posting about the need for this team to go big for a long time.

Im the one who got slammed for suggesting we go with

Gil, CB, AJ, AB, Haywood or whoever the PG that was healthy at the time was. I was told CB couldn't man the SG with that line up and that AJ couldn't man the SF.

But this year, I haven't been posting for it so much. You know why ? Because we haven't had the players to do it. AJ was out. Then MM was out. Now MM they have to be slow with MM for a few more games before they get over the hump about not worrying if he get injured again.

No with Gil gone, we are down one talented player. Dont get me wrong, I dont want him here anymore but he is a talent player taking up money and a roster spot.

So with Foye, CB, AJ, BH and Blatche as the player you get mostly count on and MM only coming off the bench while he plays himself back into shape, what is this big line up you want. You do have to have a rotation. Minni is our only back up PG. Nick is not reliable as a back up SG. McGee isnt reliable as a center.

I would love to see them go big. I saw it in SA and posted that I hoped it was the start of something, but that included a healthy MM.

So at a min, you aren't going to see it again until MM is cleared to be go 30 plus back to back. But unless you have some bench players also, it is still hard to do.

We need to fill out the bench. We need a quality back up center. Then you can go big. Hell, I would take DSong at center over anyone we currently have. I didn't like the idea of moving both he and Etan with nothing to replace them. I hoped Berto was it but it's very clear he is not it.