It's not the same spacing Orlando uses though. Orlando ran their pick and pop higher up on the perimeter with Shard lining up for the short sideline 3 pointers. Shard sets the pick high up and Hedo drives to the free throw line area before deciding to shoot, pass, or continue driving tothe rim. Aldridge and Roy run it inside the 3 point line and it gets too congested with help defenders covering a shorter distance to challenge the shot.
You know whats really hard to figure out? When a team that is just flat out better than yours whips your butt. The game was close. Portland is still figuring things out. One of the things that Portland needs to figure out, is what I call "How to ride your horses". You will note in that game last night, Denver figured out how to ride their horse, named Carmello Anthony. It was a close game and they found a way to get him the ball over and over and over again. Last night Roy was rolling. Last night Rudy was rolling. But for some reason, when the game was close, Nate gives them both a breather in the 4th quarter, and we blow a 5 point lead into a 3 point deficit and lose the game. I didn't see Carmello Anthony taking a breather. I didn't see Chauncey Billups taking a breather. Chauncey Billups is an old player, and he played the whole time. Why are our young players being taken out, and why is our team going away from them when the other team has not shown they can stop them?
Check out both players Hot Spots from last season. They aren't as good in those areas they run pick and pop. Both players shot a higher % from the left side baseline from further out. http://www.nba.com/hotspots/
I think we really need a veteran lockdown defender ala Bruce Bowen / James Posey. An enforcer-type of player that will guard Kobe or Carmello in the clutch.
You know, I think I'd trade LMA + Miller + Bayless for Bosh + Calderon and be quite happy with a ring!
I agree! We need to figure out if we have other horses other than Roy! As soon as Nate figures this out in his own head - the sooner we will no longer be "predictable" with 10 seconds to go in a game.
MM: With all due respect: Did we win the championship with Bill Walton and Dave Twardzik (of course we did!) But I think the order of importance (by player/position) went like this: Bill Walton Maurice Lucas Bobby Gross Lionnel Hollis Dave Twardzik/ Johnny Davis it was not Dave Twardzik/Johnny Davis Bill Walton Bobby Gross Lionnel Hollins Maurice Lucas I will admit however, it was Jack Ramsay that pulled them all together. But Lucas was the Enforcer, whom without, we would not have won. Twardzik got hurt, and Johnny Davis (rookie) stepped in just fine. We need an Enforcer.
In the first quarter I think, Oden got a pass as he rolled down the lane and got nearly to the rim with the ball and as he went up he got stripped by I think Ty Lawson. They never went back to it but it almost worked and I thought at the time that they should have tried it again. ?????
Our biggest weakness is the attitude with which the team plays the game. Go watch a Boston game. They come in with a scowl on their face, every player from top to bottom of the rotation plays physical, and they don't stop when they put you down by a dozen points, they don't stop when they have you down by 40 points. They come in, kick the shit out of you, and walk off the court like they kicked some ass.
I still, for the life of me, cannot understand how someone with so much upper body strength has so much trouble holding on to the ball. One would think that he could hold it so tightly that he'd be nearly busting the seams. Is he just nonchalant with it, or am I overestimating the control he has over this issue?
Not in the critical 4th quarter they didn't. And not at the same time. We subbed in that wonderful Miller/Blake combo for Rudy and Roy in the 4th quarter, when Denver had not shown the ability to stop either. By the way, that same Miller/Blake combination has not been successful once yet, not in any pre season game (in fact they were flat out awful together in pre season) and not in any regular season game. So why does Nate continue to go to it? When Golden State had Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway and Mitch Richmond those 3 guys played pretty much 45 minutes a game if they needed to in order to win. So don't give me that bullshit that our young players needed to be pulled out. They are young and have legs to burn.
It's that easy, huh? I think this falls in line with all your other genius trade ideas. Go play NBA2K and make all the trades you want. Maybe you could simulate a championship after a certain number of tries.
110% with you on this point. Question is, how do we gain this mental toughness? 1. I think this might start with coaching; 2. I think we truly need a banger PF role player, most likely a vet, that can come in and turn momentum around with inside scoring and physical toughness. I remember Brian Grant used to provide this for the team; Kersey used to provide this by diving all over the floor (hustle); Kermit, Lucas, Neal (when his knees were still good), all were the type of players who offered "toughness" - all were momentum changers. Physical toughness contributes to a teams mental toughness. We lack both.
FYI LMA 64 minutes, 3 ORB, 10 DRB, 13 total rebounds. Luol Deng (a SF) 57 minutes, 6 ORB, 8 DRB, 14 total rebounds.
