I spit up my oatmeal! Rubio, are you kidding me? Oh yes, the hornets are rolling and they will just trade the rockets paul.
Leeb, you can't get a shot up at the YMCA at game point in that situation either...lol..... It is a make or miss league...JVG gets this, not sure why some Clutchfans don't. DD
It will be interesting to see how Lowry fares against Derek Rose in the next game. How will he match up against the league's elite PGs as opposed to backups? As for the Brooks vs. Lowry question, regardless of how they play, either will be traded if the deal brings in the franchise player this team needs. No one on this team is untouchable.
So what is the difference between Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Derrick Rose, Steve Nash, Rondo, Westbrook, Tony Parker, Tyreke Evans and Aaron Brooks in the clutch?
Let me say this, i love guys who can get to the line, but in tight games and in the playoffs, its about shot makers. Now if you believe the theory like morey that good teams don't play close games, they avoid them, then ok. The truth of the matter is when good teams play other good teams, its going to be a close game. More time than not, then 2 good teams are goo defensive teams also. That means shooting baskets under stress. Getting to the line is cool, but just like in streetball, no one is giving up a layup. The game winning shot is coming from a jumper of some sort.
So do you think Morey's approach of finding high efficiency guys (who are efficient because they get to the line so much) is flawed? Also, do you think Brooks should be the guy to be taking last second shots?
Late in games when you need a bucket does not indicate starting the game and playing major minutes. Yao? He's not playing. And when he does come back, he should be finishing off quarters, not starting them, since he is limited to 24 minutes. Is Brooks the better fit with Yao? You could make that argument. I'm not for sure I'm going to buy it until I see more of Lowry with Yao, which may be a while. But my counterpoint is Yao should be finishing off quarters, against the 2nd teams, after Lowry, Martin, and Scola have gotten us in the bonus early. You can then bring in Yao and Brooks with the idea being get Yao the ball low and he either gets the shot and foul, or if the D collapses he throw it out to Brooks for the easy J. But once again, that is after Lowry, Scola, and Martin have done the heavy lifting to create that situation. We are lucky to have them both...when they're both available to play. But, by the same token, if we just had one or the other, we would be luckier to have Lowry because of all the different things he does throughout the course of 48 minutes of a game. Lowry is more valuable over 48 than Brooks is for the last 5 minutes of a game.
Agreed. In winning time, you can't rely on refs to bail you out when you need to make a big play. However much people might dispute Brooks' value through the first 3 quarters, he's easily our best closer. Even against the Knicks, again Martin couldn't make plays in the final minutes to really put the game away. It shouldn't have even been that close.
Paul,williams,and nash are in a different class with rose and westbrook getting there. The first 3 are not only play makers, but shot finishers. Rose has improved his shot and westbook is settling down also. Parker is a shot maker from 17 ft along with evans. brooks is in parkers class as far as finsihing games and he's on a better team with duncan and manu. If you've watched the spurs besides when they play the rockets, manu does alot of the late game work. Rondo is neither. They set up a play for allen or pierce.
On this team yes because he is the only triple threat they have. I'm not against effecient free throw guys, but much like baseball and the moneyball approach, in the playoffs you find pitchers who throw alot of strikes.
Yao will never be a closer and its not really his fault. His mobility is too much to try to overcome. Now if the opposing team has to start to foul, he can get to the line for freebies unless he has a flashback to the dallas series when he was bricking free throws.
C'mon, Parker is way better than Brooks in terms of finishing around the basket, in fact I think he led the league in points in the paint one season. If Brooks could finish like Parker, he would be an ALL-NBA selection.
Didn't you say in the clutch? Where in your response did you say finishing around the rim or did i miss something? Parker is one of the best finishers around the basket in the nba regardless of position and thats not something I will ever argue. We were taliking about late game situations when you need a shot. Late in games, parker doesn't get layups either and most times its manu with the ball. What parker has developed is that shot from about 18ft behind the screener(duncan).
I think a true closer is a guy who can create his own shot AND get to the line. Most of those guys are locked up for many years and are called "superstars." Brooks may have to do for now, but that's why Morey is looking for that star.
No one gets to the line late, refs don't blow that whistle, you have to be able to make your shot. You know what they call teams whose players rely on the refs to make a call when they need a bucket? More often than not....losers. Relying on the referees to help you win a game when you need a bucket is a terrible strategy, and not at all effective. DD
Thats the point, but a closer doesn't have to be a superstar, he just needs to be able to create a play off the dribble under stress. Cassell,billups,and Baron were all considered closers or shot makers. neither of those guys where superstars and neither really got to the line, especially late. What they did have was confidence,conviction, and the ability to take and make shots in the fire. Brooks is not a finished product in that capacity, but he's good enough to trust him to get a good look. He still needs work, but alot of those player i mentioned also needed work to get good at it. Where was Mr Big Shot his 4th yr in the league?
Hmm...Baron doesn't have a ring. Cassell won rings because he played with Hakeem and then with Pierce/Garnett/Allen. Billups is WAY better than Brooks. Brooks has to be our closer for now, but ultimately we'll need someone like Carmelo to be a serious contender.
Billups in yr 4 was not better than brooks in year 4. See, posters are comparing a finished product to a developing one. http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/billuch01.html In regards to getting carmello, they need alot more than camello in my opinion.
