The Warriors clearly have taken a step back since getting to the second round of the playoffs two seasons ago.
At first it looked like at least statistically that they were able to make up for the points and rebounds they lost with the departures of Baron Davis and Matt Barnes. But with Monta Ellis and Al Harrington out and the front office in disarray, the Warriors appear to be in a rebuilding mode around center Andris Biedrins. Steven Jackson is also a nice player as a complimentary man, but aside from Ellis there are no sacred cows on this roster.
They are in such a position right now that Don Nelson is actually forced to play younger players like C.J. Watson. He’s always been a man that prefers the veteran talent and it’s a wonder how he’s been able to stick around in this league with a philosophy staunchly opposed to playing rookies. Not only that, he’s never put together a team properly built for the postseason.
The Warriors two years ago happened to matchup well against a Mavericks team that also wasn’t built to win in the playoffs. Neither wanted to play a half court game.
Corey Maggette was supposed to be the main piece acquired to replace Davis’ production, but he’s been slowed by injury this season and hardly dominated in the 23 minutes he played in a loss to the Pistons on Thursday.
Biedrins with 17 points and 19 rebounds looked to be the real deal, but he also ran into a team in Detroit that has struggled at times with its post defense this season. In Tuesday’s 100-92 win over Sacramento, Kings reserve forward/center Spencer Hawes made several nice moves and was the most effective post player for either team when he was in the game.
MyDyess’ absence is hurting the Pistons, especially with Amir Johnson’s apparent lack of understanding of the game. Johnson didn’t even start last night against the Warriors and Biedrins had his way against the slower Kwame Brown from the start.
C.J. Watson appeared that he’s going to be a quality player for the Warriors and perhaps if there’s any bright spot to Ellis being injured (and suspended) it’s that Watson is getting a chance to learn how to be an effective player. Lord knows Nelson is only playing the second-year pro because he absolutely has to. That, more than anything, should tell people this team isn’t going anywhere this year. If the team was in contention, Nelson would probably have been content signing a Sam Cassell or similar player to play the point.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Half-court eventually answer for Suns
Going into last night’s game against the Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash sounded like a kid whining about taking his vitamins.
Nash’s is having trouble making the necessary adjustments to Terry Porter’s style, saying to the Arizona Republic that the offense lacks “creativity” and “flow.” Ideas valued in Nash’s basketball philosophy.
But more than winning?
Nash might want to concentrate on not getting wiped away every time he gets screened and let Porter have control of this team. The Phoenix Suns now have a calculated attack.
Phoenix is going to have to get used to the fact that learning to play playoff basketball is sometimes a tedious task. For years the Spurs have been derided for their matter-of-fact, uninteresting style of play. But when the playoffs come around the Spurs are a tough team to beat because they start playing that slow knockdown, drag-out style in the preseason and don’t change all year.
You’re going to see things like an easy bucket in transition getting passed up in favor of setting up the offense for a high-percentage shot.
Running and gunning is one thing, but in the end the team that wins is the team that does the most with their accumulated possessions. Why not slow down and think about getting the highest percentage opportunity each time you have the ball? That’s the way teams win championships in this league.
Also, if there’s one thing the other top teams have over Phoenix, it’s overall team athleticism and a good half court offense can neutralize the athletic advantage of a good defense.
Posting up Shaq with Steve Nash on the wing feeding him the ball is about as good an attack as any team has in the league. The defender guarding Steve Nash really can’t sag off of him to help out the man guarding Shaq. Nash is prone to shooting over 50-percent from the field and with those two on the same side of the floor, coaches know exactly where the two players guarding them are. Neither can afford to leave their man. A third defender would be needed to help double-team Shaq and then the Suns are playing three-on-two on the other side. That is why you play half court basketball. It's getting fast break numbers without running.
Every good team in the league has a combination like Shaq and Nash, a combination that forces three defenders to guard two players. Rasheed and Iverson is one. Garnett and Allen is another. Duncan and any one of the Spurs’ perimeter players can force a double team.
Be patient, Phoenix. The wins totals aren’t going to be what they were, but the team is going to be rougher and tougher and more ready to stand up to the big dogs in the Western Conference.
Nash’s is having trouble making the necessary adjustments to Terry Porter’s style, saying to the Arizona Republic that the offense lacks “creativity” and “flow.” Ideas valued in Nash’s basketball philosophy.
But more than winning?
Nash might want to concentrate on not getting wiped away every time he gets screened and let Porter have control of this team. The Phoenix Suns now have a calculated attack.
Phoenix is going to have to get used to the fact that learning to play playoff basketball is sometimes a tedious task. For years the Spurs have been derided for their matter-of-fact, uninteresting style of play. But when the playoffs come around the Spurs are a tough team to beat because they start playing that slow knockdown, drag-out style in the preseason and don’t change all year.
You’re going to see things like an easy bucket in transition getting passed up in favor of setting up the offense for a high-percentage shot.
Running and gunning is one thing, but in the end the team that wins is the team that does the most with their accumulated possessions. Why not slow down and think about getting the highest percentage opportunity each time you have the ball? That’s the way teams win championships in this league.
Also, if there’s one thing the other top teams have over Phoenix, it’s overall team athleticism and a good half court offense can neutralize the athletic advantage of a good defense.
Posting up Shaq with Steve Nash on the wing feeding him the ball is about as good an attack as any team has in the league. The defender guarding Steve Nash really can’t sag off of him to help out the man guarding Shaq. Nash is prone to shooting over 50-percent from the field and with those two on the same side of the floor, coaches know exactly where the two players guarding them are. Neither can afford to leave their man. A third defender would be needed to help double-team Shaq and then the Suns are playing three-on-two on the other side. That is why you play half court basketball. It's getting fast break numbers without running.
Every good team in the league has a combination like Shaq and Nash, a combination that forces three defenders to guard two players. Rasheed and Iverson is one. Garnett and Allen is another. Duncan and any one of the Spurs’ perimeter players can force a double team.
Be patient, Phoenix. The wins totals aren’t going to be what they were, but the team is going to be rougher and tougher and more ready to stand up to the big dogs in the Western Conference.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Iverson also changes Detroit's defense
The Detroit Pistons’ 100-92 win over the Sacramento Kings last night was closer than what one would reasonably expect from an Eastern Conference finalist going against a Western Conference also-ran that was missing two of its best players.
It’s still quite clear the Pistons have a lot of work to do with Iverson, but the adjustment is not only on the offensive side. The defense also has an adjustment to make.
Detroit has never had the type of guards that team’s would look to post-up the way they’re going to look to post-up Iverson.
Kings guard John Salmons took Iverson down low several times and it nearly won the Kings the game. Pistons first-year coach Michael Curry had a lot on his plate before Joe Dumars traded Chauncey Billups for Iverson, but now he has a lot more. Maybe all this new responsibility took hold last night and Curry was distracted by it as Salmons kept posting up Iverson and making plays for his team. Lets not forget, last night’s game was Curry’s seventh as an NBA head coach. He still has some things to learn, especially on the game-management end.
Detroit gained the advantage once Sacramento started breaking down in its half court sets.
The change in feel defensively may have led to Spencer Hawes playing as well as he did in the limited minutes he had. He always seemed to be working in space. He was hitting open mid-range jumpers and once, working one-on-one against Rasheed Wallace down low, he made Wallace bite on an up-and-under fake and then finished with a two-handed slam.
The only thing that seemed to keep him from dominating the game was that he was in foul trouble. But while he was in there he showed he was both big and quick. He looked a lot like Kevin Love did at UCLA last year — and this was against a Detroit front line that has no slouches.
The Kings lost by eight points without two of their big guns in Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia. Had they played, perhaps the Pistons would have never been able to lull the Kings into the half court style as much as they did and maybe that would have been enough to get a win.
Either way, the Kings didn’t seem as sorry as they might at first glance appear to be.
But was it Detroit’s defense that made them look that way?
The Celtics shredded it in their 88-76 win over Detroit Sunday and Devin Harris looked like a franchise player two nights before in a 106-93 win over the Pistons in New Jersey.
It’s still quite clear the Pistons have a lot of work to do with Iverson, but the adjustment is not only on the offensive side. The defense also has an adjustment to make.
Detroit has never had the type of guards that team’s would look to post-up the way they’re going to look to post-up Iverson.
Kings guard John Salmons took Iverson down low several times and it nearly won the Kings the game. Pistons first-year coach Michael Curry had a lot on his plate before Joe Dumars traded Chauncey Billups for Iverson, but now he has a lot more. Maybe all this new responsibility took hold last night and Curry was distracted by it as Salmons kept posting up Iverson and making plays for his team. Lets not forget, last night’s game was Curry’s seventh as an NBA head coach. He still has some things to learn, especially on the game-management end.
Detroit gained the advantage once Sacramento started breaking down in its half court sets.
The change in feel defensively may have led to Spencer Hawes playing as well as he did in the limited minutes he had. He always seemed to be working in space. He was hitting open mid-range jumpers and once, working one-on-one against Rasheed Wallace down low, he made Wallace bite on an up-and-under fake and then finished with a two-handed slam.
The only thing that seemed to keep him from dominating the game was that he was in foul trouble. But while he was in there he showed he was both big and quick. He looked a lot like Kevin Love did at UCLA last year — and this was against a Detroit front line that has no slouches.
The Kings lost by eight points without two of their big guns in Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia. Had they played, perhaps the Pistons would have never been able to lull the Kings into the half court style as much as they did and maybe that would have been enough to get a win.
Either way, the Kings didn’t seem as sorry as they might at first glance appear to be.
But was it Detroit’s defense that made them look that way?
The Celtics shredded it in their 88-76 win over Detroit Sunday and Devin Harris looked like a franchise player two nights before in a 106-93 win over the Pistons in New Jersey.
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