http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/play...?columnist=hollinger_john&page=PERDiem-100420 Hope I'm doing this right and I don't get banned! Blazers-Suns After talking with both Phoenix and Portland on Monday, the expectation on both sides is that the Suns will do a few things differently in Game 2. Expect the Suns to start Jarron Collins but replace him much earlier than they did in Game 1, when he played the first six minutes of each half. On Tuesday night it might be more like three. My Suns spies compared it to starting a game with a middle reliever ... Phoenix is just trying to get the game to Channing Frye. During the regular season Phoenix didn't like the idea of Frye and Amare Stoudemire playing extended minutes together because of their defensive shortcomings -- hence the use of Collins once Robin Lopez went out. But in this series, it's probably the best frontcourt combination. "Just because of the spacing issue," said Suns coach Alvin Gentry. "Obviously Channing gives us another shooter on the floor especially with the help defense they had. So that's something we'll definitely consider." Portland knows the Suns won't stand still on the matchups against its guards, either. Andre Miller scored 31 points in Game 1, and the Blazers seemed a little surprised that Jason Richardson guarded Miller rather than usual Suns ace Grant Hill. That matchup may change; in addition, what will certainly change is that Phoenix will defend Miller's post-ups and drives more aggressively. Of course, Portland will make changes of its own. As Miller noted, if the Suns do use a bigger defender like Hill or Jared Dudley against him, "That's what pick-and-roll is for." Moreover, any move of pieces on the Phoenix side will cause an equal and opposite reaction from the Portland bench. Blazers coach Nate McMillan pointed out that much of the real chess will happen after tipoff, because that's when he and Alvin Gentry can respond to each other's maneuvers. One thing that's not likely to change, however, is the Suns' inability to get out in transition against Portland. Phoenix will keep trying, of course, but the Blazers' offensive style is a pretty good foil for the way Phoenix wants to attack. Because Portland runs so many basic isolation plays, its players are rarely out of position and can easily fall back into a proper defensive alignment. Additionally, the Blazers had the league's second-lowest turnover rate, eliminating another common source of transition buckets. One other note from the Suns-Blazers series: If you're looking for reasons behind Marcus Camby's suddenly energized extension talks with Portland, one big one is the recent salary-cap guidance from the league's Board of Governors meeting this weekend. Because the league said it expects a higher than expected cap number -- and in turn a higher than expected luxury tax line -- it should enable the Blazers to add Camby at roughly $10 million a year without going over the tax threshold. That didn't seem to be the case a few days earlier. With that out of the way, let's move on to the other three games Tuesday night.
Nice stuff HCP. I'm pumped for the game, I think if any team is mentally tough enough to overcome an early Phoenix surge on the road, short handed, it's our Blazers. They just need to stay stubborn in the game plan, don't get sucked into Phoenix's style and execute. And I think we have a great chance of winning another game in Phoenix. (b'.')b
Yea this is going to be interesting. That is a nice read. What I didn't see talked about there though, is that if Hill guards Miller, that means that Nash is guarding somebody, my guess is that they will make it one of the guys they don't think can burn them, being Batum, Webster, or Bayless. If any of those guys find Steve Nash on them, they have to punish him. Straight to the rim.
I think the Suns will play more zone in game 2 and force the Blazers to hit shots. The Blazers scored 44pts in the paint and shot 31 FTs. I see them trying to keep the Blazers out of the paint in game 2. Thing is though, their big guys are Amare and Frye. Not exactly guys that protect the rim, not too mention Steve Nash is one of the perimeter defenders. The Suns just aren't built to win a championship. edit - And the Blazers can't let the Suns have another 17 offensive rebounds. That's playing with fire.
Defending the post-ups and drives of an excellent passing point guard more aggressively? Please do. Now the Blazers just have to hit all the wide open shots and layups that Phoenix will be giving them.
exactly what I'm thinking. So happy we stole HomeCourt... but now I wanna rip their pride from them. I want to steal their souls! The time to be greedy is now Blazers!
The key is to continue to take it to the rim! We don't want to have a jump shooting/ 3-point shooting contest with these guys. Long misses lead to long rebounds which leads to fast break opportunities for Nash to work in the open court. We don't want that. Keep dumping it down into LA, have JB attack the rim and have Dre' work in pick and roll situations. We have to get to the line a bunch tonight if we want a chance at winning!
I suspect Phoenix will try very hard to establish Amare early. I also think that the Blazers will look for LMA again. Establishing LMA forces the Suns to double, and then our guards can pick them apart. That's what won us game one, and if we can do it again in game two, it might lead to another "W".
I'm hoping we attach Amare more. I loved watching him foul out of the last game. Without Lopez, they are wafer thin, and without Amare there's nobody left to block shots.
Anyone listening to the game, one of the PHX broadcaster guys says Gentry is considering putting Earl Clark on Dre to contain him, if they're resorting to something like this they're fucked.
Yeah, that was absolutely HILARIOUS! Pick-and-Roll "all day, e'ry day!" This is going to be a fun one! We've got 'em shook, questioning their team-identity, and they're supposedly considering making the types of "adjustments" that only a desperate man would even consider!
Hahaha... that would be desperation. God I hope Rudy has a better game. We really need either Rudy or Martell to have a hot streak.
The main thing to watch will again be the pace of the game. If the game appears sluggish, somewhat low scoring for a PHX game, then we will know the Blazers are doing their job. Even if the game is only close at that point, the pace level of comfort for the Blazers will be in their favor. What I think a lot of folks don't want to admit, is that the Blazers have forged an identity. That identity is a team that controls the pace of the game, and takes you out of your comfort zone, and in general, makes the game FUGLY.
Yup, and to sum it up, hasoos: that type of ball tends to have much better success in the playoffs, than the weak-shit that the sissy-Suns play! Oh, and I'd originally predicted the Blazers to win Game #1, then drop Game #2 (with the Blazers eventually winning in 6 games)... but I'd like to amend that and say that I think the Blazers will find a way to "steal" Game #2, as well, after seeing how we imposed our style of play in Game #1.
It's not "greed," when you have one win in your back pocket already. It's now about taking Game #2. Had they gone in there and actually played what a bunch of National media members called "the perfect game" and still barely managed to squeek out a 'W', then I might be a little less confident. That said, the Blazers went in there Sunday night, smacked them in their collective fucking mouths, made them play at the pace/tempo they wanted to play at, and essentially imposed their will on the Suns. In these playoff series, those are the types of things that tend to carry over well from game-to-game and I don't see Phoenix as a team that's well-enough equipped to take us out of what we want to do. Unless, of course, Earl friggin' Clark is their "secret weapon"... *snicker*
