Tell that to the Grizzlies, who have also refused to lose since losing their foremost star in Rudy Gay. Coincidence? If anything, Battier & Chuck both exemplify the value of veteran leadership. We're just lucky to still have Chuck, Lowry and Scola after losing Battier.
Kyle and Chuck constant effort on D. PPat emergence Budinger improved play and his D has been better. Better backup pg. Overall the team chemistry and practice time has benefit the team.
IMO we were tougher when we still had landry because thats what the rest of the league regarded us as. Before the season started barkley said we were the worst and we were actually floating around the 8th seed at the time., as good as martin is we got softer with him and another change was necessary. With it we're back to being tough.
Shane Battier was the issue, plain and simple. He was severely limited offensively, and his defensive prowess was grossly overrated on this board by his numerous apologists, who cite the severely flawed +/- system to justify his horrendous play. His reduced mobility and lack of top-end stamina severely affected his ability to consistently lock-down elite perimeter scorers. Plus, he was entirely inept on the offensive end of the floor... unwilling to pull the trigger in the flow of the offense, incapable of attacking off the bounce/cutting off screens, and a down right atrocious finisher around the basket. According to 82games.com, Battier has allowed opponent SFs to shoot 52.1 eFG% and 16.0 PER, while Budinger has held opponent SFs to 45.4 eFG% and 12.9 PER. A similar metric is the on-court, off-court opponent eFG% (a team stat instead of individual). Opponents have shot 48.2 eFG% with Budinger on the court this season, and 51.1% when off. When Battier was on the court, opponents shot 51.0%, and 48.6% when off. Since 2005-2006, Battier has never had a negative on-court/off-court net opponent eFG% for a season until this year. Lee and Budinger are FAR superior options to Shane Battier, no doubt.
1. AB gone, more Lowry, added Dragic. AB was in a slump. But even when he wasn't in a slump he was not specifically "tough". Lowry and Dragic are tough. 2. Less Hill, a little less Miller, more Hayes and 2Pat Hayes is beasting. 2Pat is arriving on the scene. And when Hill and Miller have played spot minutes they've played well. 3. Battier gone, more Budinger and Lee. This is somewhat of a headscratcher. Maybe its that we're more athletic at the three? Maybe playing tougher at the point and tougher bigs compensates? Maybe Bud was playing better D of late? Scola has been a constant. Martin has been the silent hero.
By sitting Miller and Hill on the bench. I wish we got rid of Miller instead of JJ. And by increasing Patterson's minutes plus the addition of Dragic minus Brooks. Also Martin and Bud have been paying more attention to D as well. Time for Scola to step us his D.
Developing the youth...A healthy line-up and fresh players of the bench...Rick Adelman gave PatPat/Hayes and Bud more minutes and Lee's firepower off the bench... Getting better looks on the shot and passing the ball well
Well it couldnt have been Brooks because he was injured half the time. So the one main thing was BATTIER GOT HIS BUTT TRADED AND REMOVED LIP FROM BUTT OF FANBASE AND RICK OFF BATTIERS REAR. Ever since have been not just above 500 but nearly 10 games above 500 since that trade. No matter who they put in Battiers place as long as it isnt Battier himself.
Some guys just aren't starters. You need guys who like coming off the bench. Hill accepts his role and now seems to be thriving.
I think Miller has been coaching chuck on RA's offense. Chuck's new found passing ability has changed us and allowed us to have your "tough" team on the floor and still be efficient on offense instead of playing 4 on 5. That and having Lowry as our point instead of Brooks. Because this team doesn't have a "star" that provides us with an identity, having Lowry as our point is the next best thing.
You're clueless, you say plus minus is flawed and then you give us garbage stats like FG% and PER, on individual "defense" no less, LOL. Fact of the matter is that both the Battier and Budinger versions of the starting lineup have produced most identical results. This is irrefutable evidence that Battier leaving has had nothing to do with the changes with this team.
not to mention battier's limited offense has absolutely nothing to do with toughness, which is the topic
We may be tough but still don't have any consistent inside play. I think Patterson will have to develop a game where we can just pass it to him inside every now and then between now and the PlayOffs. If not we need at least 30 pts in the paint from put back threats (Chuck Hayes, Hill, Scola, Patterson, occasional Miller) to free up our perimeter guys come that crucial game 2 or 3 when they figure us out. I don't know if people understand basketball enough to know we probably will not get away with our current game plan in the PlayOffs....
Actually, it's you that doesn't understand basketball if you think we won't get away with our current game plan in the playoffs. This is plain as day for anyone to see and if you can't see that, then well, you really do not understand this game called basketball. Go learn about basketball.
Please enlighten me then. They basically crowd Martin / Lowry and Budinger for all their worth.. We jack and jack up shots like crazy.. If Hayes, Patterson, Hill, and or Scola don't get enough offensive boards we basically will have scoring droughts.
Its easy to attribute the success to Lowry and Hayes (they are playing very well), but a big reason I think is the emergence of Patterson. He is becoming this years Landry for us and that is huge.
