Terry Stotts has transformed Trail Blazers into elite defensive team

Those losses mean nothing on the whole. So your'e saying that when the Lakers, Nets, and Jazz beat the Warriors that determines whether or not they are elite defensively? You're logic is flawed...

 

Agreed. The Spurs lost to the Knicks yesterday and yet I think we'd all agree that they're a pretty good defensive unit.

 

Huh?? Kobe, and Lamarcus among others have copied Dirk's 1 foot step back fadeaway. Dirk has excellent footwork.

 

Top 10 Defense in the league is Elite. I don't care what you say...

 

No, I don't thing he did. I would speculate he is objecting to the use of the word hate, being used to chastise him for not sticking to the group speak talking points.

 

Wow! I always thought Dirk's footwork was excellent, almost unigue and the main tool that enabled an otherwise gangly 7 footer to put up an accurate shot against anyone.

 

I never thought jump shooting technique was the same as good footwork. I never thought Dirk was good at spinning off a defender or creating in traffic. He always looks really awkward in the paint to me. He has improved defensively in recent years. Great great shooter if he keeps the ball off the floor though. Dirk could learn from Kobe and Lamarcus in the paint in my view.

 

Yep. That would be a disaster if it were the plan. Can you imagine how often and how fast Dirk would get the ball?

 

I think Dirk copied Reggie Millers kickout from deep.

 

I think my post was taken out of context. No, I wouldn't use Blake as a plan to guard Dirk but Blake can guard bigs as good as any guard we have and when we blew them out early in the season, Blake frustrated Dirk taking away the mismatch.

 

Talking points? No... when you say stuff that blatantly isn't true and you disparage a top 10 Defense in the NBA using the "logic" that we aren't elite due to our losses to Minnesota, to me that's hating. That's being negative just to be negative. Something that you usually are a part of Marz which is probably why you can relate. It also flies in the face of the numbers.

 

smh... You gotta be kidding me... One shot is from the post (Dirk invented this shot) the other is simply a kick on the shot. Miller's wasn't off of one foot? What are you talking about?

 

Also if what you're saying is true (it's not) then Dirk having footwork like a guard would be making our point that he has excellent footwork.

 

Logic is not flawed. But I can definitely see "elite" means something entirely different to you than me.

3rd in the West (but not out of all teams), and Top 5 in 'some' doesn't cut it as "elite" to me. Maybe above average...or good/great.


Glass half empty? Depends what I'm drinking....

 

I think Dirk did get up set. Perhaps you misread the reason why. I have to believe, having Steve Blake guard Dirk would normally result in a big night for Dirk, depending on how fast his mates would get him the ball. But I could be wrong. Maybe we should try him on Duncan in the 1st round.

 

smh...I never liked Dirk's all around game but loved the arc in his shot and his height made it easy. the step back with a foot out jumper wasn't invented
by Dirk. We disagree about his style of play. Malone used a similar technique to create space. Sorry to the Dirk fans out there, I was never one of them.

 

I was using Minnesota as an example, and it's a fine one if you put down your kool-aid.

We're not being negative to be negative. I am being neutral. I believe that we are not elite. But that doesn't make a person a "hater". That is "SMH" worthy.

 

I'll be neutral and use our wins against the Spurs as an example, and they lost to some lottery teams as well. We are one of the top teams in the world right now and that's elite...why wouldn't that deserve some love from the fans?

 

I guess if you insist this is the definition of hate, it is your opinion. However, to me, the man appeared to simply disagree with the proferred evaluation.

 

I never said he invented the step back jumper... goodness. I said he invented HIS version of it. That one legged step back was invented by Dirk. Malone's was nothing like it and it wasn't a step back. It was simply a fadeaway.