If you want Wafer in down the stretch, who goes out?

For what it's worth, I share your optimism - and for the same reasons.

 

I feel very confident we will beat them by double digits Friday night. Not a doubt in my mind that they will not be able to handle us at home.


That is hilarious people think they didn't play well last night. My God, in the 2nd quarter Aldridge didn't miss a single jumper. Everything was falling for them, they didn't hit many threes... but nobody did really.

Sure they could have shored up their defense to stop the penetration... but then they wouldn't have been able to neutralize Yao so efficiently. Brandon Roy draws body contact from Yao and finishes more often than not, but I'd rather take his tough layup than a foul on Yao.

I will be shocked if Yao gets that few touches again combined with Roy and Aldridge exploding offensively.

Shocked.

 

second that!! Not sure what RA is thinking, or not.

 

Couldn't of said it any better.

Excpet I think they have Rudy at SF instead of Outlaw.

This is how I would put it.

Lowry-Blake
Battier-Roy (batman did a great job last night on him)
Von-Rudy
Scola-Alridge (if Alridge is hot, put Hayes on him)
Yao-Flopzilla

 

I love Wafer, and I love how he attacks the basket. But, my word, the guy gives up at least 3 or 4 threes a game against the man he's guarding, it drives me crazy. He helps when he shouldn't, and you do not help off Outlaw or Fernandez.

Other than that, I loved the way he played last night, when everyone else was just standing around, he took it upon himself to make something happen. Hopefully we won't have to rely on that in game 3.

 

I sit Shane. I'm a huge fan of everything he does, but he's a liability on offense. And, at the end of the game, we don't just need to play hard defense; we need guys who are looking to score. Nobody had any idea who was supposed to shoot at the end of the game. That's why Brooks stuttered in that crucial play and tried to throw a backwards pass to Scola. (To Scola?! Last night?! He was horrible.) We needed creators at the end of the game. Lowry, Brooks, Wafer and Artest were all looking to make something happen. Battier wasn't. And Scola didn't have it.

The funny thing is I think Shane could be a perfectly fine offensive option if he'd just think of himself that way. But he doesn't.

The thing I couldn't believe last night was that Adelman played Hayes and Battier together for extended minutes TWICE. That's one guy they don't have to guard at all and another that only shoots threes (and barely does that). No wonder we couldn't get any offense going.

Both times Wafer came in for Shane and turned it around.

What makes me nuts about Adelman is he repeats substitution mistakes in the same game. Twice Battier for Wafer didn't work. So what does he do for the final five minutes? Battier for Wafer. It boggles the mind.

It's just like the way he went back to Scola on Dirk when he'd clearly found the solution with Landry/Hayes.

Also, you won't find a bigger Scola booster than me but he just didn't have it last night -- on either end. And Aldridge did. What the HELL was RA thinking sitting Landry basically through the whole game?

I love Battier, I love Scola and I really love Adelman. But sometimes his substitutions are just stupid as hell.

 

Basically when you have Battier and Artest on the floor together you have one guy who cowers in the corner and is too scared to shoot (Battier) and another who thinks he's Jordan and jacks up bricks (Artest). This plays exactly into Portland's hands when they have Yao doubled.

Meanwhile, Wafer sees this and attacks the basket with authority over and over again. Exactly the kind of player we need against the fronting D on Yao.

 

My lineup for the end of the game:

Lowry or Brooks (depending on who's scoring well that night)
Artest
Wafer
Landry
Yao

 

Scola Battier or Ron. Someone has to sit when he's on like that.

 

The answer to the Wafer question is.............he should be put in the game as soon as the defense starts to front Yao. There is no one more effective at getting to the rim and using the fronting defense on Yao as a screen to get a step on his man. He should be playing, and either getting the jumper off the double of Yao, or getting the drive off the fronting defense on Yao. Then when the defense adjusts to stop him, you can take him out in favor of Shane and get Yao the ball. Or if Yao goes out, get Wafer out and bring in Artest to create in the post more.

Logically you have to replace Shane with Wafer .................... unless............ Artest is going helter skelter and throwing up a ton of junk off the dribbble and trying to be a one man wrecking crew. When that happens Artest needs to have a seat for Wafer.

We also need to put in the smaller lineup with Artest at PF and Scola at center to create spacing. You have: Brooks/Lowry at the point, Wafer at SG, Battier at SF, Artest at PF, and Scola at center. That would be a pretty fast lineup that creates a lot of space with good shooters and drivers.

 

I don't think that Landry matches up well against The Marcus. I thought Scola's done a decent job on him, but he was just on fire in the 2nd quarter. Those shots didn't fall in the 2nd half.

 

I want Ron Artest out, no question. I feel that Shane is the better defender (especially for someone like Roy) and he works less on the offensive end, so he probably won't be as tired at the end of it as Ron.

Personally, I feel that Von is more valuable on the offensive end. For some unknown reason, Artest completely forgets that there are other ways to get a shot up besides shooting a horrible jumpshot. Wafer understands that if his shot isn't falling the way he likes, he can drive to the basket. Yes, some of his shots around the basket are ill-advised and actually kind of bad... but I would take a shot next to the basket over a horrible jumpshot from 20-feet away. Not only does it force the defense to converge together, but it also forces Yao's man to help out, which can free Yao for an offensive rebound and a bucket.

 

He matches up a hell of a lot better on offense than Scola did last night. It doesn't happen often but there are guys Scola just shouldn't be playing. Dirk is one. Aldridge looks like another. If we don't have a good defender for Aldridge, we could at least make him work on D. Scola was missing his favorite shots, wide open with time to think about it. He was missing FT's like crazy too. What he and Battier were doing in the game at the end of the night while Wafer and Lowry and Landry sat on the bench is totally baffling.

 

Whomever is missing, but mostly I would think it would be Ron.

DD

 

Ron drives me crazy a lot of the time trying to play 1 on 5 but with T-Mac out the main thing we're missing is a go to guy. Artest can be that, Wafer can be that, Landry can be that, Lowry can be that, Brooks can be that, Scola can usually be that (except when he's snakebit). Battier can NOT be that.

Frankly I don't care who sits. Just get Wafer in there. Battier in Wafer's place (especially with the Wafer we had last night) is a stone cold mistake.

 

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO !!!

Ron THINKS he is a go to guy, but he SUCKS at it, the only time he is even remotely efficient is when he is playing within the system.

Give me Von with the ball or Brooks late in the clock 100 out of 100 times.

I do not buy into the Ron as any type of closer.

Ron "PUT THAT COFFEE DOWN !!!!"

Coffee is for closers !

DD

 

Either Scola or Landry are fine with me at the end of the game. The problem is that Landry gives up a little too much height and isn't as disruptive on D as Luis. You're right that the missed FT's last night were inexcusable though.

One thing about Aldridge (and he was like this in college too) is that he's not physical, and you can push him around a bit on D. Problem is that last night's game was being called way too tight resulting in all those damn ticky tack fouls.

 

Totally agree with this. I would rather have Barry then Ron in the last minutes of the game. Again I will say that I love Ron Artest on this team but you gotta know when to play him and he isn't that great in the clutch.

 

Favorite general, all-purpose lineup in Clutch Time:

Yao
Scola
Shane
Wafer
Lowry

Others who might play:
Artest (coach's instructions: play strong/smart defense, post up or cut without the ball for offense, hit shots if nice and open).
Brooks (coach's instructions to be aggressive- score or pass, period. Be fearless. No aimless dribbling). Comment: Brooks is a clutch shooter, but must get into killer mindset. He's so fast, so good at getting to rack, mid-range jumpers, and 3 point shooting. Complete offensive game. Must get the ball to other players though if no openings apparent.
Landry (instructions: look for offensive rebounding opportunities. Roll to the rack and get easy buckets). Comments: Solid on both ends of floor.
Chuck-Wagon (instructions: do your thing, man. Play fierce D. Hustle) I'm least worried about Chuck screwing up out of these players, but his offensive game is obviously lacking. His D might be good enough to sustain you though, especially if Wafer is in.

Adelman (instructions: Call GOOD plays down the stretch. Don't have Aaron Brooks in instead of Lowry in clutch time unless Brooks is torching the other team. Don't rotate so much on defense late in games, leaving 3 point shooters open. Teach everyone to stay in front of their man - make the other team shoot over the top with a hand in their face, and if they hit they hit, and we'll go get ours on the other end). Comment: If coach calls sucky offensive schemes in clutch time, I love Wafer and Lowry abusing the opposing guards, but we have to know what we are doing out there, and look for precious opportunities to get Yao and even Scola the ball deep. The Rockets seriously have so many weapons, it's tough to contain this team. It's like "pick your poison" and whatever you take, it'll be enough to kill you dead. Any one of our players can hit you for 28 any given night.

 

If Wafer's playing well he should be in instead of Artest. In pressure situations it seems Artest just can't figure out how to play team ball. His offense is dribble, dribble, fade away jumper. Also Shane is better at guarding Roy.

This of course won't happen. RA can't bench Artest down the stretch in favor of Wafer. Also if they go big that would create major matchup problems with whoever Wafer is gurading.

I really hope we resign this guy.