If you want to get really picky and go 82-0, then yeah they're all siginificant no matter how small. You fix all the problems and you're practically perfect and on your way to an unbeaten season and a ring, but let's face it, that's not realistic. You have to address the big issues and control he minor ones, that can get you a ring as well. The spurs dont win any rings if they let TD shoot a lot of FTs or Parker shoot a lot of 3s. They control those problems because they know they'll be present almost every game, so the best you can do is limit them. But of course TD's free throw shooting is always going to have some kind of effect, whether he goes 1 for 4 or 4 for 10, like you stated, so I agree with you there. However, unless you're in a perfect situation, you have to change what you can, limit the rest.
I don't expect perfection at all. The margin for error is smaller for less talented teams like ours,which is obviously hard to overcome.We have to see how well they respond to the pressure of the playoffs. If they can limit their mistakes to a fair extent and overachieve when the post-season starts,then we might see them getting into the 2nd round.
Not a Battier hater, but Rudy Gay would've been better suited to the team with all T-Mac's drama... One thing I noticed about Battier, in all his years at Memphis AND at Houston, he's never really stepped up in the playoffs..and he doesn't exactly have a star wing player to guard against Utah...hence our shortcomings against Utah Jizzols We did offer Battier for Rashard Lewis after all...
a new flashlight, a broken flashlight, but still no battery.. Basketball-reference.com should be your new best friend, as well as the rockets' injury report the last two years.
Yeah, minus finishing on the break, catching alley's in traffic and making big shots and plays in the playoffs. He a po mans horry, he doesn't deserve the or.
Oh yeah horry is great, good thing he carried his teams deep into the playoffs and put himself in a position to be able to attempt big shots deep in the playoffs....oh wait..Dream did that for him, and shaq, and kobe, and TD, and Parker...must be nice to have reliable, hall of fame superstars.
What about watching the games? I've noticed that people have to write about battiers contributions vs turning on the tape and watching. I didn't know smart was letting your man measure yao's johnson while you stand in the corner and look crazy. I didn't know smart was passing up wide open shots because you're scared of impacting the game with a make or miss.
Go look at 95 playoffs especially in the finals when horry was actually being considered mvp of the finals because he was filling the box score. Go look earlier or after the trade when we traded our double-double pf and horry had to guard barkley,malone,rodman and horace grant.
I'm not understanding the point of your first sentence. Are you refering to posters or the media? Or both? Does the media not write about what they're watching? I'm pretty sure they do. Posters tend to speak without watching games, but that goes both ways, battier bashers do it and battier supporters do it also. That's exactly why I always look for facts, stats, and specific plays (like i did in the video thread i started some weeks back). And you're doing the same thing a lot of his critics do, attack him over things he doesn't have full control of. I think it's clear Adelman had a role in Shane being in the corner all the time. As far as passing up shots, he passed up shots to give others good looks also. The idea that he passed up shots he had to take ALL THE TIME is overblown. He passed up a lot within the flow of the offense, but the shots where he was clearly wide open or with the clock running down he usually took, with exception of once or twice, which people refer to "as always". I guess you'd rather have him take the Rafer approach.
I know Horry had a better overall game than Shane, that's not being disputed. He also had 2-3 inches of height and several inches of arm reach on Shane, played a different position and during a time where most PFs were post guys, which was a disadvantage, but also an advantage. That's why I it's ridiculous to compare them. You took what you wish Shane did and looked for someone who's done it, and compared them. That's not verry logical comparison. What's next, Yao compared to Shaq? Dream? And horry's career isn't defined just by his years as a Rocket, but as a laker and Spur. My statement still stands, he had superstar help to get the team in those positions. Yes Horry contributed, but the majority of his career he was a role guy who was put in important situations and came through. When we get to the finals or conf finals and Shane doesn't hit his open shots or takes last second jumpers when the ball comes to him, THEN talk about him not stepping up or hitting big shots. I promise you if Horry's heroics all came in the first round and regular season, very few people would remember.
Its like whomever has to go out their way to talk about his hidden contributions when if you're a student you know what he brings and what he doesn't. Based on compensation, draft selection, salary, and production, he's not living up to what he should contribute. If think he's a avg nba who should play more than 20 mins on a chamionship quality team. He's a younger version of Bowen except not as good defensively.
leebigez showing up in the thread to hate on Battier: check Still waiting for Kwame...isn't it ironic...the name of the guy who was drafted ahead of Battier...whom would you rather have...
You can be a basketball expert, but if you're not on the court, in practice, in the locker room, or with the team, then there's no way you can measure his production or worth to it's fullest. Does dissecting plays not produce positive results for the team? Sure does, but you wouldn't know that unless you mic'ed Battier yourself. You'll only have what you see during games to work with, and that's not the full story on him.. I dont see how that's disputable. Anyone who's consistently worked with him will tell you the same thing. Draft selection is almost irrelevant because it's beyond his control (see how this keeps coming up). Like i stated earlier, his draft was weak or else he would have slipped further down like Reddick did, even after having such a successful college career. This is similar to fans not understanding what Barry brings to the team. They think he sits on the bench quietly, waiting to come in, comes in, spots up for 3s, then sits back down quietly for the remainder of the game. They dont realize how much he brings off the court or away from plays as well, which is why writers have to write about, because some fans/students only lock in for exactly 48 minutes, if that much. And what's the difference between compensation and salary?
I know you're his limo driver/publicist, its cool. You can talk about the extras all you want till your blue in the face, but fact remains that he's a bench player on a championship quality team. By your standards, teams shouldn't ever draft playersin their franchise history. The fact that Roy,Brewer, and Gay are on rookie contracts and are getting better every year and Battier has declined every yr doesn't make it any better. The fact that wafer was brought in and white was signed clearly show they made a mistake. Its basically a do over that they're trying to correct. Hopefully adelman gets the type of wing player he likes and battier can take his play calling to the bench or on another team.
there is no way you'd appreciate or even like battier as a player, i see. but can you elaborate on that one in particular pls?
I remember Horry's heroics. What people fail to remember is all the little things he did. Get a rebound over Barkley in a game 5 in Phoenix. Get all those steals vs the Magic. Getting key block shots. The problem with Horry was that people's expectations here for him was being a superstar, which he was not. His role was HERO. He KNEW how to play the game and could handle the pressure. How good would have Horry been on that early Rockets team vs the Jazz/Mavs? We would have made it past the first round. That's written in the bible and the all those other books. I remember Kobe doing an interview about the Lakers championships and he couldn't stop talking about how awesome Robert Horry is. Look, I like Shane and his defense, but Horry had size and length. Horry was the guy guarding Duncan, Barkley, Grant, Sheed etc So his career is over, but he is of Legendary status in the universe of the NBA. Will Shane prove himself to be Horry?
I find it amusing how you talk about actually watching games and tape rather than just talking, yet all you do is talk and you present your talk as "fact" without providing any specifics other than illogical comparisons. You're right, they definitely brough in Wafer and White to cover their Battier mistake, it's not like they were brought in to fill the shoes of anyone who's injured
no more horry-shane comparisons, i'm not trying to take anything away from horry, but it's ridiculous to compare a guy who was primarily a lengthy power forward going back to the early 90s to a guy who's primarily a SF still playing now. It's apples and oranges, regardless of which one is better, it makes no sense to compare their accomplishments, they're not even in the same role, heck, our PFs can't even be compared to him, their game is too different, but if you want to compare his production, then compare it to scola. Horry was like the 3rd in line after dream and clyde, sometimes 4th. That's more like Scola than Shane. I guess that's mostly a reponse to leebigez's comparison though
