Is this the new method to winning basketball games? It has worked with the Suns, I see the Celtics played small last night. Are more and more teams going to use this playing style?
Yeah the Celtics play it, but that's because Doc Rivers is a blithering idiot. We aren't going anywhere with Telfair and Delonte starting together, and Pierce at the 4. Granted, Pierce did pull down a career-high 19 boards, but he we played against the Hornets young front line and David West fouled out. We play Detroit tomorrow night, and if Pierce starts at the 4 against them I will either cry or hire a hitman to shoot Doc Rivers in the middle of the game.Personally, I think small ball can be effective, but you can't use it all the time. Now, I understand why Big Al is forced to play center (Theo Ratliff is out) for now, but you can't play effective small ball all the time with a young team like the Celtics. In certain situations, sure. But in preseason Doc went as far as having Tony Allen (6'3''-6'4'') at the 5, Delonte West (6'3''-6'4'') at the 4, Allan Ray (6'2'') at the 3, Sebastian Telfair (6'0'' on a good day) at the 2, and Rajon Rondo (6'1'') at the point. That's just absured.Phoenix can play small and win, but look at the PG they have and look at the athletes they have. I notice a lot of teams are starting to put in small lineups and win, but it's hurting them more than helping them because they abuse it, and use small ball at the wrong times.
I'm not a fan of small ball at all. As if the game weren't guard dominated enough...Now three guards will be starting and in some cases four? I've noticed a few teams going small but right now teams can't afford to do it more than half of the game. The only good thing that can come out of small ball is the demise of so many of these terrible centers/big men that have no right being in the game. I like the traditional way with 2 bigs..won't matter much for me Milwaukee will have two of the best with Charlie Villanueva and Andrew Bogut.
In the next few years you will be seeing more and more teams going small and trying to run a similar style to the one Phoenix does. Of course they'd need the right personnel in order to be successful... Why is the league moving towards small ball? There are two big reasons:1. The lack of true back-to-the-basket big men in the league right now, and entering the draft.2. The new rules allow perimeter players to dominate games, and a smart GM will build his team to take advantage of the new offensive-oriented rules.
Judging by the past championship winners, it will win you games in the regular season. But come postseason, it's not a winning formula imo.
As a fan, I'm loving this style of small ball play. Suns game are a lot more fun to watch, than say, the Spurs.It is much more exciting, better in every way..
Golden State has definately played a lot of small ball recently.PG Baron DavisSG Monta Ellis/Jason RichardsonSF Jason Richardson/Mikeal PietriusPF Mike DunleavyC Troy MurphyAs BigMo said, it will win you games, but it won't win championships. The main reason Phoenix will never win.
It could help on the offensive end when you want to run, and score some easy points, but it definately wont help when a 6"6 guy has to guard Tim Duncan or KG.
Small ball is always more exciting, but a more 'substantial' game has the complete package - and it seems like the big men are the bow of the gift more and more - is a better method to win.
Well, ive seen it in preseason, and I saw it last night, our lineup for a long time was...PG-LowrySG-AtkinsSF-MillerPF-GayC-WarrickThats pretty damn small and it works very well for us. So I guess the NBA really is changing.
I HATE small ball with a passion. I hate watching smaller guys getting dominated on the boards and in the post.F*ck small ball.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SunnyD @ Nov 2 2006, 01:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Golden State has definately played a lot of small ball recently.PG Baron DavisSG Monta Ellis/Jason RichardsonSF Jason Richardson/Mikeal PietriusPF Mike DunleavyC Troy MurphyAs BigMo said, it will win you games, but it won't win championships. The main reason Phoenix will never win.</div>I think if you play small you can win a championship, but you have to have a mix of everything. Teams with good big men who are only good on D but can't score will not win either. If you're a small ball team you can still win but you have to have some form of D which I think the Suns will. The only setback to it is it seems to cause some more injuries to players with all that running but besides that it's a good way to play if you can be more of an all-around team that can score inside, outside and play solid D. It's not the reason the Suns haven't won one yet. The Spurs were a great team two years ago and hey, if the Suns didn't lose Raja they may have won it last year. I think they will win one. Having both Amare and Kurt is very important though because they need rebounding and defense to push the offense. But for the other teams who don't have the players to be as dominant on offense or play defense it is just a way to win some games, sell some tickets and eventually build a better team for the future.
Ilike it. But some teams that try it dont succeed. The reasn is that the mistakenly think if they throw an extra guard on the floor and push thier sf ->pf and pf ->c it will work.WRONG!! that it kn=inda what you have to do but you also have to have athletic men at the 4 and 5. You hacve to get q pg who will run run run. Phoenix is the most successful at it because Marion is a flat out athlete abd NAsh wilh run his canadian bacon off.
Smalll ball is teh way that the NBA ball will be played from now for a while. Shorter more athletic centers are stating to be seen around the league and they are having great succes. Just look at Dwight Howard, the kid is a beast, and arguably the best center/power foward. He si completely different than the big men we are use to seeing, instead of being bulky and tall, he is shorter extremely athletic and more agile which gives him an advantage over guys such as Yao Ming who are larger and can not move as easily and majestically as Howard and Stoudamire can.
I cant say he's not a 2x mvp. But I can say he not a desevring 2x mvp.Dantoni was the guy behind small ball in phoenix wasn't he? Well a coach anyway, not Nash.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Clangus @ Nov 2 2006, 10:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I cant say he's not a 2x mvp. But I can say he not a desevring 2x mvp.Dantoni was the guy behind small ball in phoenix wasn't he? Well a coach anyway, not Nash.</div>So? DAntoni set up the system, but who runs it? It didn't work the first season the was here, it took Nash to run it properly.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Something-To-Say @ Nov 3 2006, 01:15 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>So? DAntoni set up the system, but who runs it? It didn't work the first season the was here, it took Nash to run it properly.</div> Mike D'Antoni was brought in after 20 games had past...it's kind of hard to make that big of a change when your in the season...
