Via lobs and penetration from Paul. Where is the low-post game you're referring to? I agree, though I don't recall anyone saying that. Comparing the regular season and playoff pairings for all teams that reached the post-season and faced each other in both situations, there were sixteen instances in which teams averaged fewer points per game against their opponents in the playoffs than they did in the regular season. There were five cases where teams saw no change in the number of points they averaged against a particular opponent, and there were nine instances in which teams averaged more points against an opponent compared to the regular season. --Captain Decker The game does not change in the playoffs. It's just something the media likes to spout to make things more interesting. You have a looooong NBA season to establish your offensive & defensive identity and a 7-game series isn't going to change all of that.[/QUOTE]
Like I said, Blake scores most of his points on the interior, and much of that offense comes from being handed the ball in the mid-post and either facing up and beating his man off the dribble or backing him down. He does not have a spectacular low-post game but it is perfectly adequate and comparable to anyone on any of the Western contending teams. This era has not produced dominant low post players. Duncan is the last of the old guard and he's not scoring much anymore. Someone said exactly that just above, which is what I thought started this discussion. So if I'm reading you right, in 16/30 pairings, the defense got better. That's not all that statistically significant to me, given the small sample. I would contend that since the top players are going to be playing more minutes, that would improve the defense slightly (you can see this in extreme examples such as game 7s, which tend to be very sloppy probably partially due to this factor). My point is that high scoring teams are still high scoring, gritty teams are still gritty, and so forth. A team establishes how they play in the regular season and that is what you can expect in the playoffs. Sometimes the matchups aren't so great, but, again, you can look to the regular season as a predictor (eg, GSW vs Dallas in 2007). Most of the time, teams that are great in the regular season will be great in the playoffs too.
So far the problem is just their bench, which has been terrible. Not just the big man depth (don't know why Mullens is getting minutes over Jamison or even Hollins for one), but the guard depth is disappointing thusfar. I expect Collison to do better though. IN every game so far, the Clipper starters have done well and the bench has blown it. But, again, this is just a 5 game sample, nothing important.
Collison should get better. Crawford + Barnes should be fine anyway in the playoffs where only good players play.
Warriors! ...Klay thompson looks really better this season...but Stephen Curry again got hurt ... tweaked his right knee, a light left ankle sprained. Harrison Barnes played his first game tonight. In 14 minutes, he scored 14 points off the bench. Good to see him back. David Lee 22 points 15 rebounds. Warriors vs Rockets this season is going to be fun!
Adams look better than Perkins already as a rookie. More active, more energy, and he's pretty tough kid. OKC seems to really know how to draft. They look at guys with size and length. Their big and lanky at every position.
im waiting for someone to say "okc did allright in the harden trade" because man, lamb and adams are playing well
