I think Battier would be better in the starting lineup because he can anchor the perimeter defense with Brooks and Martin on the floor, and spread the floor a little more for those guys and especially Yao when he comes back. Plus Shane will be a better post entry passer when Yao comes back. Trevor's game fits in much better with Lowry, when they run and gun and Trevor slashing to the basket or trailing Lowry on the break. I think a lot of people approach this poll and vote from the standpoint of who they feel is the most talented. It's not about putting your five most talented players out there to start, but more about putting the unit that will produce the best results. I think Battier compliments Brooks and Martin better and I think Ariza compliments Lowry better. I just watched the Nets game this morning and noticed two things. If you still have it on DVR check it out if you don't believe me. Both Trevor and Shane were virtually ineffective last night. Trevor was doing a lot of standing around on the 3 point line where Shane would usually be and he was not being guarded. Shane was being guarded when Lowry was in the game but wasn't making the slashes and cuts that Trevor would normally make or running the floor with Lowry as Trevor certainly would have done.
I think it is only for this season that Ariza starts...because they want to develop him as much as possible...battier is what he is...so when they get yao back next year, battier will start, and ariza will play a manu-ginobli role
From what Adelman said: 1. If Ariza gets torched by the toughest opponent, he'll put Shane in. 2. He is experimenting the perimeter rotation to see who plays well with who. Maybe Adelman is just being diplomatic vague. It sounded like Ariza's start is not permanent, or that Ariza starting does not necessarily mean he will play more minutes than Battier.
Battier on the bench is just one more move of Adelman to change this team to all offense... I'm really wondering why they are putting Trevor to start unless they want to up his trade value this summer when they ditch the leagues worst three point shooter.
Battier on the bench is just one more move of Adelman to change this team to all offense... I'm really wondering why they are putting Trevor to start unless they want to up his trade value this summer when they ditch the leagues worst three point shooter.
Good post Rocketsmith. I've been saying this ever since we brought martin, ariza's game will improve. The offensive flow has been great with ariza, because when he is the fourth option (behind martin, brooks, scola), ariza can be efficient by getting open 3's, slashing to the basket, and scoring in transition. I have also noticed that he's a little more active on the defensive end with steals and deflections. I am certain this is because the scoring load has been lifted off his shoulders.
You might want to look at the box score, Ariza had the exact type of game we need from him. Ariza was 5-11 for 12 points, including 2 three pointers. He came down with 10 rebounds and dished out 6 assists. We now have very efficient scorers in Martin, Scola & Brooks, so we don't need Ariza to be the go to guy. We do need our SF to pose just enough offensive to keep the opposing defense honest. Ariza did a good job of picking his spots, with both of his 3's coming at opportune moments. This is way better than him jacking up shots.
Right back at you Mario, good post! We definitely have more efficient shooters, so Ariza can go back to being the great "compliment" player he was with the Lakers. Picking his spots and taking better shots will improve his effenciency. I have noticed that the addition of Martin allows Scola to get some better looks, but is it a coincidence that Scola goes for 44 when Ariza replaces Battier? Like you said, Ariza is the 4th scoring option. Opposing teams must respect his offense, thus opening up things for Scola and the other shooters.
I'd like to see Ariza come off the bench and run with Lowry and Bud. He seemed more comfortable last season off the bench and I think the same result would happen if he did with us.
Battier to start off the bench. 1) He and Hayes should not be on the court at the same time. Having good scorers does not meant having to depend on them every single possession. Its still a 5 men game. 2) Battier could be the defensive spark whenever someone gets hot. 3) Battier actually looks more energetic with the extra rest he been getting.
I agree, I could see Battier playing the role of a defensive stopper. Another good thing is that Battier won't be pacing himself to finish the game. He will come in and make his minutes more meaningful. I like him running with the second team because this will make him more agressive on the offensive side of the ball. Battier is such a team player, but he has become to passive while playing with the first unit.
Nothing personal against you, but I rarely look at box scores. I watch the game. I watch all 5 players on our team on both ends of the court. i watch plays unfold and think how they could unfold differently. just because someone put up 12 points and shot about 45% doesn't mean they had an EFFECTIVE game. It doesn't mean their presence made it easier for others to score. It could mean that one of the threes he hit was fading away out of bounds with the clock running down. Just because he had a great box score doesn't mean he had the kind of game we want from him. Jordan use to put up monstorous box scores in the 80's, but his team still lost until he became more EFFECTIVE with the players he was grouped with. But with that said, 12, 10, and 6 assists make for a very good game. But a bad box score doesn't make for a bad game.
Funny, cause I am thinking the opposite. I see it as they are trying to groom Ariza to eventually take over Battier's role down the line. Battier coming off the bench or starting this season when Ariza or Martin can't handle their defensive assignment, but mainly the organization wants Ariza to start.
You say you watch the games and not the box score. Trevor made Huge 3's in crunch time. He got easy baskets for Luis that contributed to Luis staying hot. He had 10 rebounds. 10. I understand what you mean but in this case Ariza have a good game.
Ariza showed me something last night. He was feeding Scola the ball early and often. He was grabbing rebounds like a vacuum cleaner. He didn't toss up a lot of stupid shots out of the flow of the offense. He played defense. In short, Trevor did what I had hoped he might do when we got him. As an experiment, I think it went pretty damned well. I expect him to do the same whenever we get Yao back. I think that's an encouraging thought.
With Ariza..i get the feeling the perimeter is too thin and helpless. We need Battier. If we want to start Ariza and Martin then we better start Lowry then. If we're to start Brooks, then it's better to go with Battier. There are a couple reasons for this: 1. Battier knows the offense better and been playing with the starters all the time he been here. 2. Battier defense is seriously need night in night out to guard players like LeBron and Kobe. I could be wrong and Ariza starting may make the offense even better...the bottom line is...we don't know until they play with Yao.
Im sorry if I was misunderstood. i am taking nothing away from Ariza. He had a great game. i am not advocating that he be banished to a seat behind the bench, or even that battier play more minutes than him. i'm just saying battier fits better with the first unit. Trevor hit a couple of 3's but I personally cringed every time he bent his knees to look like he was winding up for a three. I even yelled NOOO at the TV once or twice. If Ariza never takes another three point attempt in a Rockets uniform i can live with that. Conversely, if Battier never tries to beat his man off the dribble ever again i can live with that too.
It also sounded to me like a vote of confidence for Battier by Coach A. Not only does Battier have the defensive skill to be given the tough assignments, but is versatile enough that he can be put in different lineups for different purposes, especially when the team has to go small (Battier at the 4?). Regardless of whether Shane starts or not, Adelman's saying Battier gives him a lot of options - maybe more than Ariza, a less experienced player, is able to offer at this point.
