I think Tmac should pass more to Stro.In the Denver game,there were times times Tmac should have pass to him even if he make mistakes so he can get the feel of the game.i think he should be given more plays or post up more often.We want Tmac to rely more with his teammates so he wont have to exert more and not be prone to injuries.Stro need touches.If you look at the game,most of his points come from loose balls or rebounds or free throws.he needs to be intentionally be given the ball.Tmac should Pick n Roll with Stro more often.
they need to run plays specifically for him. play it like denver had been doing when camby was getting all those alley-oops.
There were a couple plays where they missed him going to the bucket. On one TMac drive, Stro drove for the bucket and TMac went up and passed it out to the perimeter. If he had thrown the little alley oop ala Francis and Cato, Swift would have an ESPN bucket. Later in the game, I think it was Wesley that missed seeing him as he faded to the bucket and Wesley didn't pull the trigger. But, I'm sorry, Swift is his own worst enemy. He's Fumbleina down low in traffic. They're not consciously looking for him because he is screwing up too much on both ends of the floor. There is no trust to get him the basketball until he gets his head out. Van Gundy did design that one play where Stro comes down on the right side of the floor and curls to the low left block while the guard is dribbling up from the left side. Guard feeds Stro and then Stro either take the turn around or dribbles into the lane or passes out. Then the other play where Stro circles down low and then curls up as the second man off the high screen for the 17 footer straight on. Of course, he's hit and miss on that too. You don't know whether he's gonna swish it or crack the backboard with the shot. Way too inconsistent right now. Van Gundy is giving him enough touches. He needs to earn the rest.
Imagine if Yao is in tandem with Swift...we've got 2 fumbling frontcourts. I sometimes see Yao being stripped off the ball.
Well, remember there has been threads discussing whether Yao should get more touch due to his turnovers down low? How long did it take for his teamates to trust him enough to pass him the ball? If it makes guards hesitant to pass Yao the ball, it surely will take longer for them to trust Swift. That's why I think now is a good time for Swift's development simply because there are NO other options left.
how can you compare Stro or Yao tendency to fumble with a garnett,amare or any top power forwards?I thinkStro tend to make mistakes bec of probably lack of plays,touches, or playing minutes.I think he is not given enough touches during his short playing time.i think we need statistics to determine if he is actually doing well or is he given enough touches.If he gains the confidence,he wont worry about being conscious of committing mistakes.If you look at the Pick n Roll of Nash/Amare, three guys are on the wing or three point area.If you execute it, for sure amare would get the ball.If do that to Stro more often with a clear lane to the basket who knows the success or failure of his shot but at least its a shot near the basket than a contested/uncontested jumper
I have given up that Stro will ever be as good Juwan, so as long as JH is around expect SS to carry Juwans golf bag. Juwan's post game, outside shooting and FT shooting is way better than Stro's. Only thing Stro does better than Juwan is jump higher. Too bad because Stro would have been a critical piece of the puzzle but if he keeps playing at this level expect him to be traded.
I think Stro's constant fumbling is a product of his lack of knowing what's going on. I honestly think Swift just doesn't really know the ball is coming to him a lot of the time. Yao on the other hand knows where the ball is going to be. He just has trouble catching it/hanging on because of a few bad habits. He backs up toward the basket when the ball is coming toward him. He thinks it helps him establish better position, but in reality it just moves him away from the ball, allowing for an easier steal. Moreover, he still brings the ball down a lot after catching it...making it easier for for guards to strip him. Stro just needs to familiarize himself with plays and pay attention. Yao needs to break his habits.
Stro is just...uncoordinated. He's a more talented/athletic version of Ryan Bowen in that respect. I think he's dumb too, I don't know why but I get that impression from him. If he's dumb, then he's a lost cause, because you can't teach b-ball smarts to guys like that; he reminds me of Cato in that aspect. But bless his heart, he does put in the effort and plays hard, but even when he scores 15-17 points with 10 rebounds or something like that, he still looks unimpressive. I must say, my expectations were too high for him, and I made the same mistake with Yao in his first few years. Now, however, I have learned to appreciate those guys for what they can do and what they do rather than some ideal I am holding them to. So see? Free your mind and lower your expectations and your arse will follow.
Yea, Stro looks real uncordinated when he's knocking down those half hooks with his left hand. I think Stromile's problems are not skill or talent because he has alot of both. His problem is flat out consistent intensity.
ding ding ding, we have a winner. I don't even think he's as dumb as people make him out to be. Is he the brightest bulb in the box? Far from it, but he doesn't strike me as so dumb that he can't learn. I don't care how much you "underachieve" you can't get on an NBA court (especially for JVG) if you're unteachable.
long time, no post. stro's problem in two words: poor footwork. drives me insane how "athleticism" allows post players to become fundamentally inept.
How many times have we seen him miss an attempt at a "monster jam?" That stuff drives me crazy. He needs some maturity. I agree with you about his footwork. Man, would I love for Dream to spend some time with the guy. It could do wonders. He has the physical tools, and he uncorks a damned good pass, or a jumper, or a good defensive play from time to time. Swift needs good coaching and most of all, some bloody consistancy. Glad to see you back, verse. You've been missed.
dream teaching stromile about footwork? that's like teaching my 3 year old about trigonometry. dream's footwork cannot be duplicated by swift. not only was it complex in movement/speed, but requires an extreme amount of balance. the only reason dream could pull off the footwork that he utilized was because he had short legs and long torso, which equals out to a low center of gravity. that makes balance much less of an issue. stro's feet get tangled up almost every time he gets in the post. imo, that's a matter of: a) not being taught basic fundamentals in the post and; b) being too damned much in a hurry to get past his man and explode to the bucket. post play is a dance, not a sprint. watch the best in the nba. there's duncan, who is FAR from quick in the post, but understands the entire purpose of being a post scorer: gaining separation from your man while seeing all of your options with your back to the basket. gaining separation? get your man off balance. it can be with speed, but is bettter accomplished by getting a wide base, turning with your shoulders and elbows and hips brushing off your man. excessive post speed encourages excessively poor decisions. while i'm ranting...can someone PLEASE tell yao to stop pivoting off of his outside foot???? when he's in the post (b4 injury), he'd consistently pick up the foot closest to the body of his defender. WTF is he thinking? why has no one corrected this?!! all it does is allow the defender to body up (chest first) to an offbalance yao. 7'6" or not, nba defenders can distract, if not block, yao's shot with that little separation. pivot off the inside foot, then, if you can't gain separation using your butt, hips, shoulders, and/or elbows, step back to the outside foot (off the dribble) to get open. blows my mind.... ...oh and thanks for the warm words. missed you guys, too.
Completely agree that Stro can't learn to duplicate Dream's footwork, but he could learn the basics, as you pointed out. You would think he could manage that. The guy is a tease.
that said... stromile swift would be a monster in phoenix. think about it. this is what interests me about this team. we have running players (head, tmac, alston, stro), focus on defense (allegedly) and rebounding, yet do not run the fast break, which is predicated on defense, rebounding, and running. it's a conundrum. maybe one day we'll develop a running mentality. somehow, i think that'll be the day after yao ming is gone. after all, why neutralize your second biggest weapon by not playing his style of game (halfcourt)?
I'm of the opinion that Yao could thrive in an uptempo offense, given the right coaching. Remember Jabbar with the Lakers? Of course, Yao would have to learn to throw a good outlet pass, but I think he can. (if he can hold on to the ball)
