In the middle of the 4th quarter we had several unproductive offensive segments where Mavs players doubled up on McGrady on top of the three point circle. Usually Yao or Mutombo will step up to make a great pick, freeing up McGrady for a drive or a dirve and kick out. But somehow the Mavs were smothering McGrady so hard that he wasn't even able to get to the picks. Maybe it is partially due to the fact that the refs called Yao for the moving pick so Yao became more tentative about setting good picks. Another reason the Mavs were able to shut down the P&R is because Mike James was taking bad shots. McGrady had to bring the ball up the court himself, fighting off double teams all the way through. If James did what he was suppose to do--which is to bring the ball up and get McGrady and Yao the ball in the right spots--maybe we wouldn't have to rely on the P&R so heavily. This trend worries me a little. It seems our entire offensive scheme is built around the P&R. If Dallas has found a good way to defend against it (with a little help from the refs & MJ), JVG has to find other offensive schemes to compensate.
Mike James did his best Steve Francis imitation... He played iso ball pretty much the whole game and was 3-11 I was getting pissed off watching his shots not fall when he could have passed it out...
I wonder why JVG did not control MJ better? Is he taking the Phil Jackson approach to let players "figure it out by themselves"? Did JVG address this in the post game interviews?
Yeah, but when Terry went on his huge tear, it was James that was guarding him. I just can't believe James was pulling off on him to double-team after he had hit his last 3 threes. In normal situation, I'd double off of him to help out on Dirk, but when he is lighting you up, you have to change your game plan. That change was not made.
Mike James was ridiculously bad..when Tmac was not involved..he just stood there..and everyone else ran around..that's not an offense. Tmac needs to be involved everytime. And wtfi s Yao for? Not one post up? Well they quadruple teamed him once lol. Seriously well game 3 we should have tried to give Mike James more chances to score..this game Tmac should have controlled. :/ Mike James is not too short for Terry. Terry just gets open and shoots. Mike James has to help out..Sura does too but wow Sura helps out at wrong times sometimes..:/ We should not have let Terry make that many shots though. Oh well
I think we should get a good shooting guard..but not like a star..just a good role player..like Ginobili or a shooter like Mobley or a hustler like I don't know...Stackhouse or Finley would be nice..really nice with Tmac. Or move Tmac back to the 2 and get a 3..Toni Kukoc would have been nice but he's too old now. Nachbar haha. Radmanovic or Eric Williams. Mike Miller. I like Larry Hughes but I don't think we can get him.. Just don't get any Jailblazers like Darius Miles. Horrible detrimental players.
Other than T-Mac we have no one that can create his own shot. Mike James thinks he can but I have seen so many of drives result in misses. I don't think I have seen any of our guards go to the hole and jam it this year, I don't think they can and that is a statement of our athleticism, every other NBA team I can think of has one athlete that can jam it home. I hope they address this next year as well as the sitution at PF. Anyway, like in the regular season when the role players go cold we don't win. T-Mac and Yao can't games by themselves, the role players need to show up the next three games otherwise its going to be tough.
I still have confidence that we'll win..but role players must stpe up and our two stars have to continue to play their best. I really hope we can get a guy like Jerry Stackhouse next year. He's tough..plays defense..makes free throws..can rebound..can drive and create..can score..he can shoot the open shot..can we get him? He'd be great with Tmac and Yao. PF the other issue.
