If number of championships is all that matters, Paul Allen should be sending Phil Jackson cash as we speak trying to lure him away. I am sure that old hippie wouldn't mind Portland. Oh wait, didn't he have MJ and Pippen and Shaq and Kobe? Yep, it was all Phil though.
Dallas gave us four free free-throws on Thursday. Didn't seem to hurt them even though Carlisle got one.
Oden is what he is: An inconsistent rookie coming off MF surgery with a ton of potential. If people are bashing him now, they might as well jump off the bandwagon.
Anyone else confused like me that he had 14 pts on 4-6 shooting (and 6-6 FT) in the first half, and got one single blurbin' shot in the second?
You mean Carlisle's tech didn't matter because it fired up his team AND he teaches his players how to grab loose rebounds instead of letting guards not box out their own man! FASCINATING! What amazing things happen when getting a tech doesn't cost your team a win because you can teach them fascinating things like fundamental basketball skills and have more than two offensive plays. Color me impressed.
Your points don't address my point because my point had nothing to do with winning or losing because of a technical foul. You brought up the win/loss ratio, pre-tech and post tech ratio - not me. If we lost by one point because Nate got a technical foul protecting one of his players I'd be pretty okay with that. Especially during this season. You seem to be misunderstanding that I want Nate to get a tech just for shits and giggles or to fire up the team entirely. That isn't what I want. What I would like is for Nate to get a tech to protect his rookie big man who has been getting hit in the head and arms on the offensive end and not getting a call while barely touching someone on the defensive end at times and getting an immediate foul. I want Nate to send a message to Greg that he has his back (despite having his players switch screens and leaving Greg on the perimeter to pick up ticky tacky fouls against much quicker players at this stage in his development) and he'll stand up for him when he's getting shit treatment from the refs. As for putting words in your mouth you are the one that initially brought up giving free points with a tech as if it would cost a team a win - I then pointed out Dallas had four technical fouls in Thursday game, including one from Carlisle and it didn't cost his team anything. You then pointed out that those possible free points meant nothing because one of Carlisle's players was able to grab a high amount of rebounds. I then pointed out that Carlisle's team was able to over-come free points because of sound play and being able to exploit Blake, Brandon and Travis not boxing out their men when Greg was affecting shots and tipping out rebounds towards his teammates (only to have JJ and Kidd run by and grab them as the aforementioned three players kinda stood around flat-footed). My point in that statement was that you argued that the Mavericks were able to over-come free points off technical fouls because one of their players got a large amount of rebounds - I was counter-arguing (in an admittedly very sarcastic way) that if Nate taught his guards how to box out in that situation (along with many more things like having more than three or so offensive plays) that in the future if he were to get a technical foul that the Blazers would be able to over-come that free point he gave them if he taught them how to do little things like boxing out a 5'9 guard. To sum it up: Carlisle gave us a free point, it didn't hurt his team due to sound coaching. If Nate had sound coaching, he wouldn't have to worry about getting a tech standing up for his rookie big man.
YES!!! I don't understand the play calling. I can only assume it's the coach's decision to setup that Brandon Roy one on one play for most of the fourth. They absolutely did not involve Oden in the second half. It was frustrating to see, because of the solid first half and his lack of foul trouble.
Also -- they finally passed to him on a pick and roll -- of course they only did that once, but it might be the first time this year.
I think it's the second time. lol. I believe Blake has dropped it to him a couple of times and it usually ends in a dunk.
The major malfunction of the team right now is they are not throwing it to the bigs in deep. Not often enough anyhow.
Blake seems to find the ever stone-handed Przybilla in the perfect place to where Joel never seems to miss anymore, I wish he and Oden would work on the same type of gives.
I was at the game last night courtside - A friend of mine has front row season ticks. I've been on GO pretty good recently - I'll admit it. Last night was a breakout night for him. I saw a few things last night that I haven't seen from him before. He was quicker and more aggressive with his post moves. Early on when J O'Neal blocked his baby hook . . . Oden took it back up and packed it. I thought, "where did that come from?" Last night was the best I've ever seen Greg Play, and was the best BY FAR against a quality big man. He still makes a lot of mistakes, and can't guard anybody who faces up (Last night whether he was guarding JO or Bosh - they would pop out to 15-16 ft and drain jumpers over and over. When GO closes out on that, he picks up fouls. When he doesn't, it leaves an open 15 ft'er.) I'll live with those mistakes all day long if he shows the kind of determination, effort, and focus he had last night and continues to improve on his weaknesses. I'll admit that I was perhaps too critical of GO the last few days. I say this knowing full well he has PLENTY of 2 point, 3 rebound, 6 foul box scores in his future. At least I saw something last night that gives me hope. He went toe to toe vs quality big men and held his own. He looked like he belonged - the speed of the game didn't overwhelm him, he played hard and showed heart/aggression, and he didn't get down on himself when he made a mistake (s) Like I said, best I've ever seen him play. The best thing about the win last night was that it just might kick start GO's confidence. He went toe to toe with JO and I think you can say it was a push. I didn't think he had a game like this in him (at this point) and I was wrong.
I understand what you're trying to say - and I will agree that the execution seems to get even worse under Dean than it is with Nate and would not want Nate to get ejected. We'll just have to agree to disagree on getting one tech (I agree on not getting ejected) to stand up for your player.
I didn't say anything about Oden,(second time I posted that SMH) I said you guyz are making a big deal off of Horford's numbers, and they don't indicate how vaulable he is.
