For about 5 seasons now, we've been looking for a 3rd scorer. First it was supposed to be Stromile Swift, then it was supposed to be Battier, then it was supposed to be Artest (but then he got upgraded to #2 scorer when Tmac had a crappy season). I think now we can finally say we've found our guy.... Luis Scola. The dude has been averaging 14 and 10 on 55% shooting in 2009.
this system, we have 4th and 5th scorer. Everybody on the floor can score. Even Chuck Hayes gets some points...
Actually, we have two groups of 3rd scorers: 1. Streaky: AB and VW. 2. More Consistent: LS and CL. Also, I should mention KL and BB. They may surprise us in the playoff. Indeed Rox offense moves much quicker and has more shooters.
He's not just "hustlin'". The dude is averaging 12 pts and 8 rebs per game despite sharing court time with Landry. Luis Scola is a bonafide star in this league, and we're really lucky we got him just for some dude's contract and V-span
Scola has been our BEST player this season. This guy is unbelivable and it is not only about offense. He makes plays and he gives you 150% effort every single night. It is unbelivable. He is hitting his jumper and now he is pretty UNSTOPABLE on the block. I am glad that guys are passing the ball to him on the block. It is kinda weird. Two seasons ago our BIGGEST problem was the PF spot. We had Chuck Hayes (I love the guy but he can't be a starter in the NBA) as a starting PF and old, useless in the playoffs Juwan Howard comming off the bench. Right now, power forward is probably the most productive position on this team. MVP, MVP, MVP !
Without Tracy........... we have at least 6 guys that can give us 20 on any given night (Yao, Ron, Luis, Carl, Aaron, Von). If you throw in Lowry, that is 7. We have 9 guys that can give us double digit scoring on any night. And that is all sans McGrady.
Brooks is averaging around 13 a game on about 42-43% shooting. So you could make an argument for him being the 3rd scorer too. Remember the days when we would have Tmac averaging 25 points, Yao averaging 25 and then the next guy averages like 9 points a game? Yao and Artest are pullin like 20 a game, but then you also have 2 guys at about 13 a game and a few guys off the bench at close to 10. The thing I like about Scola is you can just give him the ball in the post and sometimes he can create his own shot depending on how deep he gets it and what the matchup is.
scola has improved so much in his 2nd season. we can actually go to him in the post and he converts most of the time. plus his outside shot has been consistent this year.
He really is. The guy can't go left, so he always goes right. Everybody knows that and yet, they cannot stop that. He has a lot of quick moves around the rim.
Brooks is the third scorer. Or, at least, he should be. Scola's a good post up threat when the other team is playing small at the 4. Otherwise, the bulk of his points should come off the mid-range jumpers others create, running in transition, and collecting garbage buckets at the basket.
I'm talking 3rd scorer as in like... you actually have to worry about him in the playoffs. Guys like Aaron Brooks, Von Wafer will have 20 point games and then 8 point games. Scola you can generally mark down for about 14 a game every time. You don't see too many 20 point games from him or too many 6 point games (of course I say that after he has a 4 point game yesterday). At the beggining of the season when we got Artest I remember thinking how cool it would be to move Artest to the 4 to be able to play Battier at the 3 and Tmac at the 2, but now you want Scola playing as many minutes as you can give him.
But I've seen him go left when they shade his right side. What he needs to do is use a turn around fade away when they shade his right side. Normally I would say switch to his left and you have a layup, but I dont' think he is comfortable with his left. It would be easy enough to fake going right, then pivot back and you have an open jumpshot.
I'm not doing that. I like McGrady. I feel like he was injured most of this year and it rendered him ineffective. I'm just showing the roster turnover has taken us to a roster where we can get points from almost anywhere depending on who has the matchup. Not only that but we still have all our defensive stalwarts in addition to Artest. This roster has the flexibility that Adelman wants to be able to matchup and force the opponent to matchup. I think we are going past the first round and if not the 2nd round, we will be a very tough out for somebody in the 2nd round..........all without McGrady. With McGrady, or with the player that we trade him for next year, we are going to be very difficult to deal with.
I don't know if we have a 3rd scorer, rather we have a team of 3rd scorers. Any given game, AB, VW, LS, KL, and CL will put up some good numbers, but none of them are out go to guy, unless they are hot. Which, is actually great, since the other team has to defend everyone.
