NBA Playoffs 2007: Up Tempo Offense REIGNS SUPREME

though that strategy has been unsuccessful for the teams that have tried it.

 

What was the score of the initial game betwen the Jazz and the Spurs again?

Two predominantly slow down defensive teams, right?

108-100......

I know it is too small a sample size but I can't help but think that some nights you are going to need to outscore your opponents to win.

Conversely there are nights that defense is more important....Clevland vs Detroit last night.

I just think balance is the key.

DD

 

Before you can model teams that have won it all, you have to have acquire enough talent to model them. We’re no where close. Those teams (SA and Detroit, in particular) have great scouts and a great management that was able to find many diamonds in the rough (Ben Wallace, Prince, Billups, Parker, Bowen, Ginobili, etc.). We don’t have their scouts so we have to find another way to accumulate talent. Running a more player-friendly offense is one method to do that.

Guess what? Our strategy has been unsuccessful.

Would you rather follow the strategy of teams that have gotten close to winning a championship, but haven’t won it all, or continue a strategy that gets us knocked out of the first round every year?

 

1. you're some real shooters away from winning using that style. have guys on the perimeter who can actually knock down jump shots, and that series is radically different. using the "phoenix-style" you're starting over.

2. that makes no sense. again..you don't model teams or kinds of teams that haven't won championships in 20 years.

 

Targeting only “shooters” is exactly why our roster consists of nothing but Yao, Mcgrady, Battier, and a bunch of scrubs. When you target only one specific type of player (real shooters) to play in a strict half court offense, you severely limit the amount of talent you can add to your team. We need talent in the worst way and there are a lot more players out there that are better suited in a faster, more up-tempo game than a slow half court game. I just don’t see the harm in running a more up-tempo game for a little while in an attempt to add more talent to this talent-starved team. We cannot be as picky as we’ve been the past couple of years, only accepting players that “fit” Van Gundy’s half-court offensive and defensive system.

You propose we follow the San Antonio method of building a team, but that is an extremely difficult thing to do. If you follow the Spurs method of building a team, you’re pretty much putting all your eggs in one basket praying that your scouts can find the next Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili in the 2nd round, a Bruce Bowen off the street, and that your superstar can continue to dominate the way Duncan has.

The Suns, Warriors, and Mavs method of building a team is easier and that’s why a lot more teams follow their model. There's not as much luck or chance involved. Play a style that players like and can thrive in. Build up as many trade assets as you can playing that style, and continue to make tweaks to become better half-court playoff teams. You continue to point out that Dallas and Phoenix haven’t won championships yet, but they’re not a finished product yet. Both teams are still very young and gradually, both teams are becoming better and better in the half court game. Plus, they now have all the trade assets in the world to acquire as many great half-court players as they want.

I would kill to be in the situation they’re in.

You do if you have as few options to upgrade the talent of the team as the Rockets do. You do if that’s what it takes to get you out of the first round in over 10 years.

I don’t know why you’re even thinking championship at this point. Baby steps. We’re at least 2-3 years away from being ready to compete for a title. Worry about accumulating talent first. Worry about getting out of the first round and getting Mcgrady/Yao some meaningful playoff experience first. THEN maybe you think about making some tweaks to model yourself after championship teams.

The short-sighted approach where we get a bunch of stop-gap “shooters”, in an attempt to model ourselves after San Antonio immediately is what has caused our development to stagnate the past 4 years.

 

I ask that you go into the GARM and let them all know that despite this move to Adelman, we are 2-3 years away from being merely able to compete for a championship.

Sadly, I agree with you. But I don't think it had to be that way.

 

I have been saying that all year long. And I get killed for it.....well, that among other things like my V-Span obsession.



DD

 

but the data has changed!!

 

San Antonio averaged 100 points per game against the Suns, and so far they are scoring 106 per game against the Jazz.

 

da da ...that seems very inconsistent with what you've been arguing.

 

Dude what the hell are you talking about? I guess maybe you are being sarcastic because all of those teams are grind it out defensivly.