I've noticed in tonight's game that near the middle of 4th quarter we just start letting the shot clock run out and stopped making plays. Sure, we did play good defense on the other end. That's fine against a bad team when we're up by 15+ points but against a good team in a close game, we need a better plan than that. I'm hoping to see more touches for scola in the 4th quarter. He's very good at draw double teams and sensing who's open on the floor. In fact, I think he's better at passing out of double teams than Yao. If no double teams, he'll go to work 1v1. If double comes, he'll make the right pass to the open man.
Not really. If that was the case, we coud've won some of those games we lost close in the 4th quarter.
Who else would be? Ish Smith? Martin is good but you can't expect him to be that go to guy, its exactly why the Kings let him go for Landry. Scola is one of the trickiest PFs in the NBA, he can get in down low and unless you are a excellent defensive PF, you can't stop him from scoring. You go to the proven guys, this year, had everyone been healthy, it would have been Yao, Brooks, Scola and Martin in that order and with injuries Scola it is.
I've been saying this for awhile now. Crunch time you want Scola to have the ball. There have been threads condoning trading Scola, threads talking of moving him to the bench (for none the less Hill), and threads talking about we need a superstar to close. Imo we have a closer, we have a star, his name is Scola.
Scola has been our best 4th quarter performer all year, if he had anyone to help him in the fourth against the Spurs and LA we would be 5-4 right now at least.
These last two wins were against teams with poor interior D. Scola is definitely one of our options down the stretch, though.
Right now, with so many injuries, the pgs need to make sure Scola and Martin are our the go-to guys in the 4th. They give the team the best chance to close a tight game. When Yao comes back, unless he proves during the game he is able to get deep position in the paint, I would still go to Martin and Scola. Defenses get very aggressive with Yao in the waning minutes of the 4th quarter, many times resulting in devastating turnovers.
In that order? how come? Scola has among the highest Basketball IQ of the team, with Yao andBattier ...he's by far a better option in crunch time than Brooks or MArtin....He'll score, or, if double teamed, use his IQ to find the best open teammate... How can other guy of the roster do better?
Why are you discarding Scola for 4th quarter? based on what? have you seen his 4th quarters this season? Not only against the Knicks, did you rememebr him against the Spurs? what did he do wrong then? was it his fault that C.Lee missed 2 FT after he had taken the team on his back in crunch time? FYI, Scola had always been a great crunch time player in Euroleague and in FIBA competitions with his NT...it's not like he just got 'lucky'... In forced situations the oportunities that should have been given to him earlier, are given to him now, and he's showing what he always was before NBA...a superstar and great for playing the crunch time...
Scolar is great. But NBA is not Euroleague, this is a place where amazing happens, especially in the fourth quarter. Scolar isn't a person of amazing. Neither Yao. A healthy Tracy was that kind.
Many said that before Scola arrived to NBA, that he wasn't athletic enough to have a similar performance that what he had in Europe.... Even 2 years ago, he was the MVP of such playoffs, first time the Rockets advanced a round in many years, and forced the Lakers to a 7th game... His number per minute were stellar, but his playing time kept limited....after the Landry trade, he showed how good he is....and still people like you deny that he could be able to translate his full Euro performance to NBA? Are you really sure that an athletic freak would be better than Scola in crunch time? how come athleticism would be more important than Baskeball IQ, intensity, desire to win, leaderhip and fundamentals in such crunch time? Could you ellaborate why are you discarding Scola for crunch time and said he's valid only for 3 quarters?
