Post by ankstotle on Oct 8, 2015 2:59:52 GMT
The San Antonio Spurs seem to have provided a home for Henry Bibby.
On surface, it seems like a great fit. A skilled guard entering his prime. A guard who can score, pass and defend well which is evident in his season averages of 12 ppg, 4 rpg, and 6 apg. He has even shown flashes of stardom with scoring outbursts of 20+ points on a consistent basis.
You may wonder why such a reliable player in a league hurting for starters has not cemented himself as a starter with a team. Since being drafted in Round 6 of the creation draft, Bibby was slated as the go to player on a rebuilding Generals Team. He said all the right things and he certainly did all the right things when he joined the Generals. But, there was more to it. The cracks in the armour showed quickly when Bibby wanted to negotiate his contract after a solid preseason appearance. While the Generals management was committed to Bibby, he seemed to take advantage of their generosity by demanding preferential treatment. He requested that his uniforms be washed separately from the rest of the team because of his skin condition. The medical staff quickly dismissed his claims but the demands continued. The Generals got off to an 0-16 start with Bibby as their star player. While Bibby was enjoying personal success with the ultimate green light, the team was just not winning. In addition, Bibby got in continuous arguments with the coaching staff. When the Generals lost to the Bulls on a night Bibby had a near triple double with 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists; Bibby reportedly lost his cool after the game and threatened to quit the team after the loss. He was withheld from practice the next day. Bibby followed that great outing with a 7 point, 6 turnover appearance to the Knicks. The team had seen enough of his antics and shipped him out quickly to the Spurs.
Spurs were looking to contend and welcomed Bibby with open arms. While there was a log jam at the spurs backcourt, they let Bibby know that they were committed to him. Bibby did not see many minutes for the first few games and immediately demanded a trade. The Spurs were hesitant but accommodated the troubled player and traded him to the Globetrotters before he even played a game for the Spurs.
The Globetrotters were looking for a point guard at the time and thought he would be a great fit to their team. That experiment went south quickly when Bibby took over the offense. On a team with stars like Dr. J, Noah and Tisdale, it was evident Bibby was still stuck on his Washington Generals way and felt that he needed to be the focal point of the offense. The team chemistry quickly depleted and the Globetrotters found themselves out of a playoff spot. Bibby was taking more shots than Dr. J and Tisdale in some games and the team was losing on a consistent basis against weaker teams. In the meantime, the Generals finally started winning. It was addition by subtraction.
The Bibby experiment in Harlem quickly came to an end and he was shipped out along with Tisdale to the Spurs. Spurs were in a position to make Bibby their focal point. While Tisdale added stability to the Spurs lineup, Bibby continued his habit of jacking up jumpers instead of running an offense. While Harlem quickly gelled without Bibby and stabilized their lineup, Spurs are left with an enigma. Bibby is a talented player with a lot of skill. No one questions the ability but his antics, both on and off the court are wearing thin on the franchise and the league. While the Spurs are committed to Bibby, is Bibby committed to his teammates. Is he committed to winning? Or is he the Silent Killer of a storied franchise like the Spurs. Even the Greats like Popovich may not have an answer to this enigma. Get your popcorn ready!
On surface, it seems like a great fit. A skilled guard entering his prime. A guard who can score, pass and defend well which is evident in his season averages of 12 ppg, 4 rpg, and 6 apg. He has even shown flashes of stardom with scoring outbursts of 20+ points on a consistent basis.
You may wonder why such a reliable player in a league hurting for starters has not cemented himself as a starter with a team. Since being drafted in Round 6 of the creation draft, Bibby was slated as the go to player on a rebuilding Generals Team. He said all the right things and he certainly did all the right things when he joined the Generals. But, there was more to it. The cracks in the armour showed quickly when Bibby wanted to negotiate his contract after a solid preseason appearance. While the Generals management was committed to Bibby, he seemed to take advantage of their generosity by demanding preferential treatment. He requested that his uniforms be washed separately from the rest of the team because of his skin condition. The medical staff quickly dismissed his claims but the demands continued. The Generals got off to an 0-16 start with Bibby as their star player. While Bibby was enjoying personal success with the ultimate green light, the team was just not winning. In addition, Bibby got in continuous arguments with the coaching staff. When the Generals lost to the Bulls on a night Bibby had a near triple double with 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists; Bibby reportedly lost his cool after the game and threatened to quit the team after the loss. He was withheld from practice the next day. Bibby followed that great outing with a 7 point, 6 turnover appearance to the Knicks. The team had seen enough of his antics and shipped him out quickly to the Spurs.
Spurs were looking to contend and welcomed Bibby with open arms. While there was a log jam at the spurs backcourt, they let Bibby know that they were committed to him. Bibby did not see many minutes for the first few games and immediately demanded a trade. The Spurs were hesitant but accommodated the troubled player and traded him to the Globetrotters before he even played a game for the Spurs.
The Globetrotters were looking for a point guard at the time and thought he would be a great fit to their team. That experiment went south quickly when Bibby took over the offense. On a team with stars like Dr. J, Noah and Tisdale, it was evident Bibby was still stuck on his Washington Generals way and felt that he needed to be the focal point of the offense. The team chemistry quickly depleted and the Globetrotters found themselves out of a playoff spot. Bibby was taking more shots than Dr. J and Tisdale in some games and the team was losing on a consistent basis against weaker teams. In the meantime, the Generals finally started winning. It was addition by subtraction.
The Bibby experiment in Harlem quickly came to an end and he was shipped out along with Tisdale to the Spurs. Spurs were in a position to make Bibby their focal point. While Tisdale added stability to the Spurs lineup, Bibby continued his habit of jacking up jumpers instead of running an offense. While Harlem quickly gelled without Bibby and stabilized their lineup, Spurs are left with an enigma. Bibby is a talented player with a lot of skill. No one questions the ability but his antics, both on and off the court are wearing thin on the franchise and the league. While the Spurs are committed to Bibby, is Bibby committed to his teammates. Is he committed to winning? Or is he the Silent Killer of a storied franchise like the Spurs. Even the Greats like Popovich may not have an answer to this enigma. Get your popcorn ready!
