Phoenix's Bench

...is seriously outplaying our bench, and without any real "name" players. Their key guys are Dragic, Dudley and Amundson (I count Frye as a starter, really). What I love about their bench is that, like the Kings bench of yore, a key element of which was Jon Barry, they're greater than the sum of their parts and they really function as a unit. Which is exactly what McMillan has wanted from our bench, and exactly what it doesn't do. We have a Bob Whitsitt bench. I think we need to find a glue guy that can play well with others, who is all about hustle and defense. I'm thinking maybe Raja Bell? Isn't he a FA?

Of course, primary need is a backup PG.

 

You're forgetting their best bench player, Barbosa. 6th man of the year candidate every year when he is healthy.

I could be wrong but I think Portland's bench outscored Phoenix's bench in game 2.

 

Our backup center is 6'8" and 37 years old. This is what's getting us outworked by Phoenix. Howard gives them a big green light to drive and dish, and to pound the offensive boards. Without Oden or Joel, our bench is comprised of a bunch of wing players and small shooting guards still.

 

I'm not. He's done bizarrely well against us, but he's been very unimportant for them recently. He's actually odd man out.

 

True. And Greg is going to be our bench center early next season, and Marcus later, so that should fix that. But actually Howard has been a very good team guy (i.e., helps the bench play as a unit), and is a better scorer than either Greg or Camby.

James Jones was a player for us who seemed to have that magic glue-ifying effect of making a unit out of a bunch of guys. I don't know if he was a great talker on defense, but, even though he was a mediocre defender, the team played great D when he was in there.

(Which goes to show that this effect may be team specific, because he's getting zero PT in Miami.)

 

I was under the impression that was due to him being hurt and they have been bringing him back slowly. I could be wrong. (First time)

 

I disagree. He's a huge threat on offense, and easily their best offensive player off the bench. He's lightning quick and can shoot the 3. He's just working his way back from injury, that's all. He plays as many minutes as the other starters minus Frye, but Frye is basically a starter in this series. Fully healthy he's a guy that usually plays 25min a game or so.

 

I'm biased, because I've never liked his game, but here's my evidence that he's been a minor part of their success: Phoenix went 30-11 in the second half of the season, in which time he played in only 18 games, averaging 15mpg.

 

I'm doing the math (Team minus injured players, minus 5 "starters" = bench) and I come up with Bayless, Webster and Howard, and 4 guys who have combined for a total of about 1200 (about 5 games total) minutes this year.

Not really a fair comparison. Our 3 best bench players are currently starting due to injured starters, and a fourthn (Joel) is out also.

 

Howard is a better scorer than Oden? He's a better jump shooter than Oden, but the lack of second chance points from Howard is obvious when the second unit is in the game.

 

Martell-if Batum can't go tonight.

 

Okay, perhaps I should have said "has more offensive moves and a better jumper". Oden can obviously score more by the simple method of getting the ball off the glass and dunking it.