A running system can win. Mike D'Antoni wont win because his teams are poor defensive teams. You can run and play defense. Coach Nate ran an uptempo team in 2004-2005 and that Sonics teams looked great in the playoffs. That 2nd round playoff series between the Spurs was surprising. The Supes played with the attitude that they could beat the powerhouse Spurs to win the series. During the regular season that team averaged 99.0 PPG (44 fg%) and held their opp. average to 96.7 PPG. You can run-n-gun and play defense, Nate McMillan has done it before. There is no reason why he can't do it here. We have shooters, we have smart players. Come on!
I love how you say something and it's immediately disproved. You then say, "Thanks for proving my point" and when the logic of your "point" is immediately showed to be flawed you switch gears again. It must be nice to have immutable opinions. It's annoying for the REST of the world, but it must be nice for you. Ed O.
Dirk had better stats and won the game, and Zach gave up 12/7 to Brandon Bass, who is apparently still in the NBA. My opinions are backed with facts. No wonder they anger you.
No, he didn't. Per basketball-reference.com: 2004-05 Sonics' Pace Factor: 87.9 (27th of 30) http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/SEA/2005.html So, only three teams played at a slower pace. That's not uptempo.
Actually you claimed that Zach guarded Dirk when he went off, and that was wrong. Facts should generally be accurate if you want to use them as part of an argument. You then claimed that Zach guarding Bass, rather than having to guard Dirk on the perimeter, proves that he's bad because max players don't guard Brandon Bass and lesser players. When I asked you who Dirk guarded, you didn't answer. Presumably you couldn't answer because you didn't know. What you DID do was switch gears again, pointing to the final score as a damnation of Zach. Now you're grasping at straws by showing your ignorance about Brandon Bass, who averaged 11.6 points and 6.8 rebounds a game in the playoffs last year at age 22. Good work. Ed O.
Bass is a 6/2 player over a much larger sample over four seasons, and he was a 5/2 player coming into tonight this year, regardless of playing New Orleans in the playoffs last season. He more than doubled that tonight alone. Looks like his above the norm effort against Randolph put the team over the top. Also, my "switching gears" was actually an early call if you look at the time stamps of the posts. Z-BO went off early, I rightfully said his offense needs to be compared to his defense, and now we are quibbling over Brandon Bass' stats from the playoffs last year. Good work!
We agree then. I said a Mike D'Antoni coached team will never win it all because I was getting the impression that you thought the Blazers should install a Mike D'Antoni style of offense and de ... d ... d ... d (sorry I guess that word won't allowed itself to be typed right now). I think there's a chance we'll see more transition baskets with Greg on the court, but I highly doubt we'll ever see this team play the kind of helter skelter running game that made Nellie famous, for instance. If anything I think we should see Greg's ability to force blocks and perimeter shots lead to a few more transition buckets, or guards being able to gamble a little more on steals, but the bread and butter is always going to be pick and roll basketball and half court sets because that (coupled with stout D) is a proven formula for winning rings.
I watched part of the game. Zach was incredible. There was a great where he kept following his shot until it went in. It was very impressive. And the Knicks have the same record as us!
Brandon Bass is a hell of a young player. Questioning whether he should still be in the league or not is a great indicator of your basketball knowledge level. Quick to make a strong opinion about something just to feel like you "told them so", again.
There are a lot of players in this league who should give Mike D'Antoni half their paycheck. His system increases their stats, and they get a load of pay to go somewhere else and be mediocre at best.
Zach is a good PF. I still think we'd be better with him right now, and in a decent postion financially when his contract runs out. and Rudy was bought for cash.