you hit it on the nail. the kings had MUCH MORE talent from top to bottom on paper then the lakers did, bar none. they had a better offensive efficiency -> score easier, less 1-on-1... there's a reason dallas didn't win v. the heat (dwade took over); or suns. but why did they lose? can't defend, rebound as well, and have no go-to guys. when the game is down to 2 minutes, it's gonna be in your best player's hands and that guy controls the plays. you throw away the offensive sets basically and let your best player takes over. why? teams can't game plan for individual greatness. they can gameplan for plays (that they see in video tapes). but they can't game plan for a guy exerting his greatness.
well, that's why they're role players. the reason the reg. season is called the reg. season is b/c it's "regular." there's really no pressure to play well EVERY possession, EVERY minute, EVERY quarter of every game. you lose one playoff game and the momentum really shifts. you lose one reg. season game and you say, "we'll win one next time." you can't have that in the playoffs. and our role players really haven't been able to step up to that pressure. luther head is a perfect example. dude was MONEY under JVG in 06-07 and made a ton of clutch shots. we all thought he'll be that ex-factor going into the jazz series. and what do we know? dude can't handle playoff pressure -> missing shots he usually makes, missing layups... i mean, yea you can get destroyed v. denver and then come back and play 2 horrible teams in the clips and warriors. that won't be the case in the playoffs.
I agree with you, except for the bold. The Celtics game-planned for Kobe's individual greatness. They mauled him with double/triple teams and forced the others to beat them. Long story short, Celtics win in 6. The role players didn't step it up. It doesn't matter if it's triange or motion or anywhere in between, your offense looks damn nice if everyone is making their shots. The reason defense wins championships is because a team can bring it every night. You can't say that abot a jumpshot. I am skeptical of the Adelman offense, but I am willing to believe in this team and am willing to believe in Adelman. But really, it depends on if people make their shots or not. Simple as that.
well, if you're playing 1-on-5, it's easier to shut down a guy's greatness consistently (i mean kobe still put up 25 ppg). and that's why we got ron artest. if teams are willing to double tracy and yao, ron is gonna shoot the ball. he has the balls to shoot and shoot with confidence, unlike the other role players. time and time again, we see teams just URGE rafer to shoot in the playoffs on his way to 32% or luther on his way to 7% and so on. if teams URGE ron to shoot, he'll shoot. and i have confidence he'll step up. and when he does, they have to play tracy and yao honest again. and i take tracy or yao in 1-on-1 coverages every single time.
furthermore shady, why are you giving it a chance? the kings ran it to PERFECTION and they never won anything. if we want to win, offensively, role players just gotta make their WIDE OPEN SHOTS. it's simple as that. you really think those shots rafer and luther missed, derek fisher wouldn't make at a higher rate? or pargo? or even mike james of 04-05? u just gotta make them. simple as that. tracy and yao get you those shots, you better make them. but our identity have to continue to remain: tough defense and dominating rebounding.
Yessir. I'm not worried about Ron. But I do say that if he goes cold too, somehow, we ain't getting out of the first round. This season, we'll have Yao and Ron healthy (hopefully) and T-Mac too of course (hopefully). That's 2 new dimensions Utah or any other team has to deal with. If those 3 get it rolling, we're good to go. Even if 2 of the 3 do, we should be OK. But if only 1 of the 3 can, then the role guys gotta step up.
LOL, you're contradicting yourself. You state that defense always wins championships, except when your big time offensive player steps up. So big time offense beats defense, except defense wins championships? Make up your mind. If the Rockets get back to letting T-Mac hold the ball and stare down his defender they're going to lose, pure and simple. I don't know if you've been watching the Lakers this season but what makes them so scary, besides the fact that they play defense, is that they're doing such a good job of running Jackson's motion offense, the triangle.
First of all, no choice. Second of all, we're not exactly like those Kings. We do have 2 superstars. Adelman is slightly modifying his offense to deal with that. Although a part of me wishes to see what JVG could have done with a healthy Yao, a healthy T-Mac, AND a healthy Artest (monster defensively). With Shane, that's a beast defensive combo and you know JVG had us on our defensive game. Although JVG had his shortcomings (never devoloped talent worth a bean) and he couldn't get us over the hump (I still contend he did very well with lacking talent) and that's why he's gone. But yes...you just gotta make those open shots.
Running a motion offense is not molding it to the role players. Phil Jackson's triangle is a motion offense and it worked pretty well with Shaq and Kobe. So far as being cold goes you know what the best cure for that is? An uncontested layup.
really? you get uncontested layups in the playoffs? wow teams don't play defense i guess in the playoffs? dude even the methodical spurs scored 130 pts v. the warriors. we're not playing the warriors in the playoffs.
Dude why are you only singling out T-Mac? T-Mac is not the only ball stopper. You are saying you don't want Yao to iso 1-on-1 just because he'll be holding the ball? If T-Mac is covered he will pass. But I WANT either him or Yao stopping the ball when it counts. That's all i'm saying. Because I will put my money on those 2. Not on Rafer Alston. Not on Luther Head. Not on Von Wafer or Chuck Hayes or even Carl Landry. The Lakers failed in the playoffs. Did you watch that series? Their triange offense couldn't get the role players to make shots and Kobe was contained. They lost in 6. It doesn't matter what offense you run, if the role players make shots, you'll win. The main guys have to step up in the clutch of course, but you're not going anywhere if guys aren't making open shots that the superstars are getting them.
I will donate $50 to the tip jar if we get one in the last couple minutes of a close playoff game. You can write it down and hold me to it. I won't be a poon about it. If we get one with 2:44 or whatever I'll drop in $50. As long as the game is close.
You get uncontested layups in the championships. NBA teams aren't made up of robots and there are defensive breakdowns, even in championship games. I tell you what, if they were robots you might be able to throw them into an infinite loop by telling them that defense wins championships and that's why you need great offensive players to beat great defenses.
Who said anything about the last minute of a game? It should be obvious that that the way you get somebody rolling when they're cold is to get them easy baskets.
seriously, i watched those ESPN classics games of the lakers' championship days. i see kobe or ron harper penetrate and kick, and what do you see, dfish, horry, rick fox... make their open shots at a good rate. those are THE SAME SHOTS rafer, luther, battier... have missed at a high rate in these past playoffs. but fortunately, we'll have brooks, or wafer, or ron, or landry taking those shots this year.
Actually, uncontested layups can be the result of steals, long rebounds, and quick outlet passes. Its arguable that more uncontested baskets are the result of good defense as opposed to defensive breakdowns. Are you an idiot?
Phil Jackson's motion offense worked pretty well for the Lakers for three straight championships. I'd say that's a pretty good pedigree. Yao may hold onto the ball but he's more than willing to pass out of the double team, maybe even too willing. What's more it's not like I'm the only guy talking about T-Mac. Last year Magic Johnson said the Rockets offense looked better when T-Mac was sitting.
really, count how many the celtics gave up last yr? 2-3 all series? exactly, GREAT OFFENSIVE players do beat great defenses. why do you think we have legends call MJ, dream, magic, bird... you ever hear we hail great offenses? . however, we DO hail great defenses though. and MJ beat a few of those great defenses. dream beat a few of those as well (remember that knick series where basically EVERYBODY from both teams struggled to break 40, and only our great hakeem still put up 50%+ shooting. that's where individual greatness takes over bro).
in the 4th quarter, you sure they still ran the triangle? or just clear out for michael jordan? or just clear out for kobe bryant? remember that pacers game when shaq fouled out in game 4. they just gave kobe the ball at the top of the key and unleash him. PS - badgerfan, TONS of media people said we should trade yao b/c we win at a high rate without him last yr. i'm sure you remember that (from ESPN to TNT to newspaper outlets). what are you saying we should do then? do we change our game plan when yao returns? lol
LOL, so I guess defense doesn't win championships? And again you're missing my point. The best way to get somebody rolling when they're cold is to get them easy shots. The easiest of all easy shots is probably an uncontested layup, but open looks from 12' feet away aren't too shabby either.
