After going through this last season, let's hope our guys are more mentally prepared this time around. Having Battier and Bonzi, two legitimate starter-quality wings, and also Snyder coming back in a few weeks will put us in much better position then we were last season. We have better perimeter shooting, and I think our ability to create shots for eachother will be somewhat improved (which isn't saying much). Still, our FG% will go way down, and our rebounding will also likely suffer. We're going to be physically outmatched each night, which could mean we try to shorten the game by slowing it down (fewer possessions). We're at about 90 possessions a game right now. That might drop down to around 85. Then again, without great offensive options in the half-court, maybe we'd be better off looking to run. I can see that going either way. We should run more post ups with Battier and Bonzi (and of course T-Mac, when he comes back), instead of those Alston pick and rolls that rarely yield good percentage shots. It sucks that we're going to be losing a lot more, even when we play to the best of our abilities, but it should still be interesting to compare how he handle this situation this year compared to last year.
If Yao and T-Mac were both out for a long, long time, I'd definitely say roll out the "developing players" and rack up some 'L's ... but if they can stay within striking distance in the West and Yao and T-Mac can come back healthy (which is a huge if ... like font size +12 "IF"), then they could be extremely dangerous in the playoffs. Yao is only out 6 weeks .... it could go fast. Also, with regard to heading south: When you consider the top 2 prizes in the draft and that we've already got 16 wins under our belt -- a number that Philly, Charlotte and Memphis are hoping to avoid for the year -- I don't think we have a realistic shot at a top, top player. We also have the wrong coach to ever give younger players NBA time they haven't "earned" yet. JVG would play Mutombo 40+ minutes before he gave Novak 10.
ha ha, no it was real deal Nippon - midtown east NYC near the UN, and even closer to all the hostess bars - trust me it is legit. I even know the chef (from Osaka, IIRC) fortunamente.....as awful as Novak is...this (mutumbo playing) will get us closer to "tank" than it will to "contention" btw -- good post durvasa... I either hope you're right, or hope I die...color me a pessimist.....
Yeah, I happen to know some hot Chinese chicks work for a Japanese restruant owned by a guy from Taiwan. Customers pay doulbe of what they would pay in a Chinese restruant for more blend food. Just kidding. I am sure you enjoyed it. That's all it matters. Me a big soba and roast duck fan too.
Yeah I used to go out with a Malaysian Chinese girl who worked at a sushi bar, very japanese, ha ha ha.......
Totally agree. One thing I am worried about though is the toll its gonna take on Tmac to carry this team for 6+ weeks. With him being so fragile, the chances of him breaking down in the playoffs is very high due to this burden. This is assuming that he would be able to handle the burden of being a big scorer night in and night out for the next 2 months while Yao heals. So far, he hasn't shown that he can do that anymore. Most troubling to me, is whether or not Yao will completely 100% heal from the tibial fracture. Tibial fractures are supposed to heal very slowly and sometimes not well at all due to poor blood supply in the lower leg region. The worst possible thing for us would be a career ending injury for a dominant center before his time. Either way, unless luck completely falls our way for the remainder of this year, I think it is to say the Yao-Tmac experiment was a failure.
Hah, all kidding aside, considering the top 5 teams in the West currently, I think the 8th seed is the team's best chance at possible play-off success. And considering the quality of opposition vying for 8th seed, the team should be able to clinch it, once Yao and T-Mac come back.
When do we say, tank the season? I say if were under .500 after the next ten games, tank it. This is as good of a year to tank as any, with the strong draft. T-Mac most going to in and out of the line-up for the rest of his career, and his contract is going to be eating 1/3 of our cap space. Only way to build a championship team for the near future now is drafting immediate impact players. Even if we don't get Oden, either Durant and Noakim could look good with Yao almost immediatly.
Keep fighting, who know what will happen next season? From now on, every game counts. Every winning game makes us closer to the playoff. Yao will be back.
Sura said in his last published interview(on video actually) that he was gonna give it one more shot, and if it didnt happen, he would retire. His comeback was going well till that last setback, so it is possible he might be reconsidering by now if he hasnt made any progress since we last saw him. Sammy parting note before I retire for the night... at least we arent as deeply screwed as we were last year.....it doesnt look good right now, but at least this time we *do* have options. Bonzi, Luther, Battier, Kirk (and dare I even say it?) a semi-productive Juwon Howard. It could be far worse. btw...I like that Harryasz idea...where did he go I wonder?
JVG will give more minutes to Deke and Juwon. Use 8-man rotation unless someone is in foul trouble. Win over some crappy teams and lose to most good teams. Will ask CD to sign some retired/jobless veteran to "help" this team. Tell media after game: "no Yao & TMac is not an excuse and we can win the game if we play hard on defense." If he can survive until draft, he will trade the pick for a JVG-type player.
nice. clutch is right, it'd be pointless to tank when we've already got 16 wins, might as well give it all we've got. though yao may be the mvp of the league thus far, i think the team as built can withstand an injury to him more than to tracy. so if by longshot, tracy comes back and again longshot, steps his game up, we'll be ok till yao comes back.
