A Secret Weapon to Slowing Down Aldridge and Lilliard

This.

LBJ will put himself on Durant, ditto Durant on LBJ. Harden needs to want to guard their best perimeter defender and Howard their best big. Otherwise we're going nowhere. Hopefully Game 1 and that video that's been floating around can finally light a fire under Harden's ass to become a better defender. We will literally go nowhere without him learning some defense. See Anthony, Carmelo.

 

it's not that Dwight can't guard LMA, it is that we would lose Dwight's presence in the post getting blocks and rebounds, if we did that.

I would try DMo ... but it's a very tough call. TJones, DMo and Asik all bring something different.

 

Mchale didnt realize LmA had 46 points. He thought there were two guys that had 23 each...

 

I like McHale, and want to see him succeed. But I had a gaah moment when he said in a post-practice interview this week that of course they would switch up their strategy against LMA given that LMA scored 46 on us. I was thinking ... where was that thinking during the game -- when LMA was racking up points, and it was clear he was in a zone. couldn't we have made adjustments to make him uncomfortable then?

 

DMo? sigh.

This is the equivalent of POR fans claiming Barton can stop Harden.

Come on, man.

 

LMA scored on Garcia twice. You can watch all 17 of his baskets here: http://on.nba.com/1js8uXn

 

I'd like to see D-Mo get some time guarding LMA as well. I also would like to see the unthinkable - D-Mo's number get called a few times on offense for post-ups on LMA to make him work a little on that end. I probably overrate D-Mo a little, but I'd still like to see it and be proven right or wrong.

 

Agreed. Asik and Howard are probably our best option in guarding LMA. But we need someone to protect the rim and the defensive board. So you either play the TT or put DMo in.

 

Dmo won't stop him but will bother him more than Tjones will. He should be an option. I do re-call one game where he was put in to guard a PF (I forget who, may have been LMA, Zack Randolph or Al Jefferson) and he actually slowed them down.

 

I'd put Harden on LMA. Harden is long and heavy and plays well against PFs in spot minutes.

 

Wish we had Charles Jones just about now...the way he man-handled Shaq, LMA would be "bbq chicken" to CJ27

 

Unleash.... the FLYIN RYAN!

 

Where's Camby when you need him….lol

 

If DMo tries to guard LMA, it will be a series of and 1's. Keep his butt glued to the bench where it belongs.

 

I'm worried that Howard will get in foul trouble if he guards Aldridge.

 

Isn't funny how we had the most success against Portland when we played small ball? All of the sudden we forgot that as soon as we made that run with our small lineup McHale went away from it and Portland once again made their run to tie up the game witch eventually ended up winning in OT

 

how bout harden on LA. might sound crazy but hardens probably a better post defender than he is a perimeter defender. plus we dont have delfino to play PF for us anymore so why not give it a shot.

 

Use them all, keep them fresh and have them get physical with him and wear him out.
Asik, DMo, TJones and Harden should all take turns guarding him. If he starts killing it send a double or fake a double.

Harden is much better guarding the post then chasing players on the perimeter, but he will get worn out if he's asked to do it for too long.

 

Put DMo on Lopez and Howard on LMA. Have DMo take lopez out to the 3 pt line.

 

Harden's best defensive possession of the entire first game was when he shut down LMA