Our offense is beautiful again. It lost some of its luster last year, but inserting Pap with the starters has resurrected what we had with Delfino. There's something to be said for just knowing what to do. Terry isn't flashy, but he knows when to shoot, when to pass, and where to be on defense. Canaan is in the perfect role right now. Don't force anything. Play within the offense. Make open shots. At some point I hope we "unleash" him, but for now he's doing exactly what we need from him. There were some very "spurs-esqe" moments in that video.
Papa looks like he has the uncanny ability to get Howard the ball in a scoring position. He even assisted JOEY DORSEY.
Hey does anyone know what PatBev is saying on that Ariza three at the end of the video when it was stolen from wade. Sounds like he is saying, "Ya'll stay down. Ya'll sit down." Is he talking to the heat bench or miami crowd. :grin:
Not all assists are created equal. Some come from passing to a jump shooter which anyone can do. Papa's come from collapsing the defense and giving our bigs easy dunks. I believe those are more valuable.
As others have pointed out, Papanikolau really knows how to pass and set up big men in the paint. In almost all the highlights involving Howard and Dorsey, I believe he's the one making the assist. Also, the Rockets seem to consistently look for Howard in the paint in the first half of games, while relying more on the perimeter attack in the second half. I wonder if it has to do with utilizing Howard as much as possible when he's fresh and keeping him from wearing down later in the game. If so, it's great strategy.
Harden is looking great on both ends of the court - far more focused. Also been impressed with that Papa guy. He's a playmaker.
So I'm watching these highlights slightly buzzed, the swarming red jerseys and suffocating defense is really something.
It's pretty common to get your big man going if they are capable scorers. It's like a boxer working the body first then lighting you up to the dome later. Getting Howard established opens up a lot more for our perimeter players.