We are currently 21-3 when we win or tie the rebounding battle. Of the three losses, one was the overtime loss to Washington where we fell apart despite Harden's 54 point game. The other two happened in November when we sucked and/or CP3 was injured. We also won the rebounding battle with GS, 2 out of 3 games. The third game, we were only slightly behind in rebounding, 44-41 rebounds. This is why having Faried is so important to our chances. If we have equal opportunities at the basket, we will beat everyone.
and thats why you need size and length in your front court positions.... faried at least gives us a few inches over PJ and his motor helps offset some of the size we typically give up at the position.... Morey and his undersized pfs... and small ball...
The Rockets were 3rd in defensive rebounding percentage last season. This season they are 29th. There is NO QUESTION that rebounding is a high priority. Defense and rebounding is what sets this team apart from last year and will dictate how far they go in the playoffs. House at the SF helped the rebounding. Faried, coupled with Tucker helped the rebounding. And CP being back after the injury helps the rebounding.
Until they drop a player under the rim in the playoffs, completely destroying our offense. Warriors could feasibly drop Cousins and Draymond in the paint, which would really make it a struggle for James.
Ariza and Luc were both better rebounders than what we currently have. Clark is actually our best sf rebounder
I welcome the Warriors to try and use Cousins in a defensive role. Also, every shot Cousins takes for them takes a shot away from an MVP level player, or Thompson. I love that they added Cousins. Draymond did a great job of nullifying Clint last year, but he can't do Clint and James at the same time (though he can punch them in the throat or kick them in the plums). In the WCF, they elected to completely shadow Clint man-to-man with Draymond holding and grabbing, and let double teams or another big man deal with Harden as much as possible. We countered by just using Clint as a Draymond magnet and keeping him out from under the rim. Adding Cousins to the equation doesn't necessarily work in their favor in that scenario because they're losing rim protection. Cousins is soft in the middle, not a goon like Bogut or Zaza. Two goon front-courts were the ideal complement to Golden State's featherweight backcourt.
I don't think it's a coincidence that rebounding has led to better results. We are a team that depends on taking the 3 and just assaulting the opposing team with the barrage of them. Getting those rebounds it's absolutely crucial to our success because of our reliance on 3's. Faried brought that energy to the team we've lacked since last season's run (if only we had him last year...) and I hope we can bring House back to add to this collective effort. I really believe this team is better than last, just need to stay healthy, and need to get them boards.
Yep! That’s why I say that I don’t care if he can shoot the 3 or not. We need size and athleticism for defense and rebounding. He can also score in other ways so the defense still has to guard him. He can set picks for our guards and roll to the basket too. Size matters. This 3>2 philosophy has its place but it shouldn’t be implemented unchecked.
I agree with just about everything here, but it doesn't change the fact that Faried does not need to be defended outside of two feet, killing our usual spacing. I suspect D'Antoni will pull the plug in the near future.
I really hope it works man. I just wish Faried wouldn't get shy If he clunks a few. Keep shooting the threes with confidence. Take 10 a game If you are open. Let's go full green light with Faried and see what we really have. Can he make teams pay for not guarding him from 3?
It's all part of the high risk/high reward mindset... sometimes it works - and sometimes it dont... if you have a sizable lead and the other team is chucking hurried long balls you typically get longer rebounds where quickness can offset a height disadvantage... It also plays into the greater focus on offense rather than defense... an undersized stretch 4 helps your offense - but it can be detrimental to your d... if you have other defensive components on the floor it can be offset... but if you got lesser defensive players it is a bigger factor... its all interwoven... Hopefully Faried gets us back to a higher level of defense like we had last year...
absolutely not true.... he has a long step, long arms and a quick dribble which he is very good at..if you leave him open at 3, all it takes is a 1 long step and a 1 quick dribble and he is at the rim where he finishes with high % ready to rebound even if he misses rewatch gsw game what i said is there on clear display....i mean i noticed it even before but i rewatched it today so its confirmed for me... he cant be left wide open at 3 even if he couldnt shoot
look at this, hes terrific putting it on the floor, its one dribble and hes at the rim, they cant leave him open and it has nothing to do with shooting 3s....3LESS SPACING BABY
When it comes to the "math battle" we exploit, having more shots than the opposing team is imperative. It's why we focus heavily on steals and jumping passing lanes. Last year we were so dominant because of our defensive rebounding. If we already have a 4-5pt Ortg advantage that's awesome. But this ebs and flows from game to game. In order to make the team even more powerful than just having a math per shot advantage is to take more shots also. A couple more shots per game than the opposition is much more important than most realize. . . . [Spoiler Alert] rough calculations I made as I went . . . So say we face the warriors who shoot 90 times a game at a 115.8 Ortg. We shoot 87 times a game at a 114.2 Ortg. That right there shows you we need to shoot more than them in order to beat them based solely on math of averages. 90 x 1.158 = 104.22 87 x 1.142 = 99.37 We are losing by 5 pts if you go by the averages of each team. BUT if you reduce their attempts by 3 and increase ours by 3 87 x 1.158 = 100.74 90 x 1.142 = 102.78 That's the power of rebounding and winning that battle. So you see why it's so obvious why we play at such a methodical pace (to reduce their attempts) and why defensive rebounding was so important last (further reducing their attempts).
its should all be situational... MDA likes to 'just play our game'... but really, you gotta play the opponent in front of you... Having a small ball set is fine... but when its out of necessity (bc you dont have a lengthier option) - then its concerning... cause its not maximizing your differentials to play the GSW the same as the Pelicans the same as Utah the same as 76ers...
actually... I've had that argument a number of times in previous years... lol Prior to last year - where defense was an obvious differential... people wanted to argue with me that defense didnt really matter... "in 'today's NBA' its all about scoring points..." and "its all about offensive firepower bc you're not gonna slow down GSW - you've gotta outshoot them.." it was back when people had to white knight Harden for his lack of defensive effort... and focusing on offensive fa's - rather than defense... just like now people are all about the stretch 4 bc it helps the offense - with no real concern to the defensive ramifications... and there needs to be a middle ground... so yeh, seems silly and remedial... but some folks dont see the bigger picture - just boxscores... lol...
