Morey himself specifically said that defensive players were mostly underrated because the boxscores numbers were heavily skewed toward offense. I am assuming that he had some proprietary way to measure defensive value and his moves were based on those metrics.
26 to 22 isn't that big, it could very easily be attributed to his front court mates' defense allowing him to get position for boards. I've seen him play plenty, there's a reason he's 10% away and not even close to leading the league. Anyway, main point was that you can't call a guy a two-way player if his one defensive strength isn't even close to league-leading caliber. It would be like calling KM a great offensive player if his TS% wasn't elite. Oh and I used this list: http://www.basketball-reference.com...c5comp=gt&c6mult=1.0&c6stat=&order_by=drb_pct Everyone ahead of him is a regular so I didn't narrow it down anymore.
da **** ever. After that trade, we were having the WAAAAAAY better season for ourselves. Get outta here dood! Worse and worse, da hell?
It's silly to try to compare our teams and the idea of two-way players isn't real. Every player in the league is a two-way player just that some are better on offense and some d. Memphis is winning because of two dominant big men while the Rockets have 0 (simple enough).
He looks worse and worse but it has nothing to do with Memphis. Giving them Battier helped them make it as much as taking Thabeet off their hands did.
Memphis has pieces that fit, they have chemistry. They all know their roles, accept them, and do them well, and they are young, athletic, and hungry. Good for them.....I am sure Morey is watching intensely and will take notes where appropriate. DD
they have 5 times more talent than Rockets even after they threw away their Pau Gasol, #2 pick Bust Thabeet, Lowry, and rested injured Rudy Gay.
Yao's "injury" (which injury are we talking about? I've lost track) ruined a hell of a lot more than that and, arguably (IMO), leading to the current search for a new coach, when we already had one of the all time greats coaching the team.
Valid point and it doesn't always work but it still applies for this. Pau and Bynum were nowhere to be found and if they were they might've won a game. Dallas' big men played their role and credit hot shooting (Nowitzki, Peja, Terry, and Barea's driving) to the win.
I can understand that and team's don't usually recover without their star player, but it's Morey's job to provide the team with proper depth and Thabeet, Miller, Hayes, and Hill is not it. Yao didn't force Adelman out nor did he force Morey's hand on the decision.
My point about the two way player thing is this: What player on Memphis does can another team consistently exploit? ZBo may not be a defensive specialist but he's pretty tough and most people consider rebounding a part of defense. He can hold his own against most PFs and definitely won't be pushed around. Then look at Kevin Martin. I don't think he can guard about 90% of the starting SGs in the league. He always needs someone behind him to cover for him so you're basically playing 4v5 all the time on defense. Also, I disagree with Young and Allen being one way defensive players. They may not be great shooters but are great slashers and cutters.
And 90% of the SGs in the league can't guard him so it's a even trade. Aren't we always playing 4 on 5 on offense too with Chuck Hayes? Every team deals with that type of situation. If there was a true center with presence inside to cover for him it wouldn't matter. Kmart's defense will never be great but he holds his own.
Well, I can definitely think of one thing MEM did that Morey didn't. MEM signed their perimeter defensive stopper away from the Celtics for $3M/year. Morey on the other hand, used a #8 Lottery pick in a deep draft for his defensive stopper. The $Balls overvalued the "intangibles" and defense in their first big dance. Give me offensive-oriented athletes who aren't too small or too slow...teach them to play D and speed up transition at every opportunity. When the late-game slows down...let the defense struggle trying to defend a whole 5-some of shot creators. This is in reality what the Grizz have done. And what separates them from the current Rockets' roster.
You are exactly right. Taller, defense, multi faceted players. Like I have been saying. Some things that have nothing to do with stats whatsoever that these stat geeks keep stuffing in my face. Has nothing to do with being taller and having defense and being able to do more when you cant score. The only time they were on the same page ironically was when they argued for Battier. Who is one dimensional but can do multiple other things on defense. Lowry is like this and Patterson. That is why when they play alot? We win alot.
