Last nights NBA

[Reality]

Deke Mutumbo at 40.
Still effective last night vs Spurs in 12 minutes last night.  In fact Rockets with Deke were up by 15 before melting down in the late 3 & 4th qtr.

6ers, I say you would take back Mutumbo and his now minimum salary in a heartbeat for Dalemberts exit.

Bulls.  Pretenders or contenders?  Got run by Dallas last night.  Opening night 42 pt blast over The Heat has worn off to 3-4 record.

PEJA  STOJAKOVICs head seems to have been excavated from his last night, or is this a one game abberation vs Charlotte PuppyCats?  Career high 42.

And is Utah for real?

[westkoast]

Utah I believe is for real.  Jerry Sloan has them playing great TEAM ball and they just kicked the living crap out of the Clips without AK-47.  Very impressive!  The Clips on paper look like a much better team but that surely was not the case.  Did anyone catch the game?  Brand looks like he is tired.  I am wondering exactly what is up with him.

Peja went nuts last night.  Give some credit to the poor defense that decided to let him take jumpers with plenty of space when he was on fire!

[Skandery]

And is Utah for real?

Well, lets see here; the last time Utah started the season 7-1, they reached the NBA Finals.

[westkoast]

And is Utah for real?

Well, lets see here; the last time Utah started the season 7-1, they reached the NBA Finals.

Do you believe they can get to the finals though?  Cuz then they had two players that were okay, not very popular, not very known by the name of John Stockton and Karl Malone.

I think they will be a tough team this year because Jerry Sloan is the man and they have the right TOUGH players to make them a good defensive squad.

 

[Skandery]

No I don't honestly think they'll reach the NBA Finals but I was responding to Reality's question that, yeah, I tend to think they're for real.  Especially after the complete dismantling of the Los Angeles Clippers -- who I think is a strong basketball team.  

Speaking of which, who here thinks Dunleavy is going too small playing Maggette and Thomas when he should be going more Kaman?  Westkoast touched on this tidbit, Brand looks tired after a long playoffs and his summer committment to USA Basketball and the Clippers are STILL atop the Pacific at 5-2.  

[westkoast]

No I don't honestly think they'll reach the NBA Finals but I was responding to Reality's question that, yeah, I tend to think they're for real.  Especially after the complete dismantling of the Los Angeles Clippers -- who I think is a strong basketball team.  

Speaking of which, who here thinks Dunleavy is going too small playing Maggette and Thomas when he should be going more Kaman?  Westkoast touched on this tidbit, Brand looks tired after a long playoffs and his summer committment to USA Basketball and the Clippers are STILL atop the Pacific at 5-2.

I want to see more Kaman, he's my starting center in FB!!

Honestly though, I think he is going too small.   That seems to be a trend in the NBA right now...try to go smaller and run up and down.  Kaman and Brand could pound the paint and get great shots but...ya well I dont coach the Clips and they are still 5-2 so.....

Plus Dunleavy is not really giving Brand the support he needs in the paint for long periods of time.  Brand is the #1 offensive weapon, #1 rebounder, and is asked to guard the paint.  That is alot to ask of any player, especially one who has not really stopped playing basketball since training camp LAST season.  If you have a player like Kaman who can rebound and patrol the paint, why not playing him heavy minutes?  It will only make Brand's life easier and if he is tired now then an adjustment needs to be made now.  The Clippers will go nowhere if Brand is not 100% by the end of the season going into the playoffs.

[Lurker]

Brand is the #1 offensive weapon, #1 rebounder, and is asked to guard the paint.  That is alot to ask of any player, especially one who has not really stopped playing basketball since training camp LAST season.  If you have a player like Kaman who can rebound and patrol the paint, why not playing him heavy minutes?  It will only make Brand's life easier and if he is tired now then an adjustment needs to be made now.  The Clippers will go nowhere if Brand is not 100% by the end of the season going into the playoffs.

Substitute San Antonio & Duncan in this paragraph and you have the major Spurs dilemma since DRob retired.  And with recent rule changes (enforcement?) the game is being pushed by the league towards small ball dominated by athletic swing players.  A defender can't breathe on a perimeter player without being called for a foul.  Whereas the Shaqs, Mings, Duncans, Brands of the league are physically pounded night after night.

[westkoast]

Brand is the #1 offensive weapon, #1 rebounder, and is asked to guard the paint.  That is alot to ask of any player, especially one who has not really stopped playing basketball since training camp LAST season.  If you have a player like Kaman who can rebound and patrol the paint, why not playing him heavy minutes?  It will only make Brand's life easier and if he is tired now then an adjustment needs to be made now.  The Clippers will go nowhere if Brand is not 100% by the end of the season going into the playoffs.

Substitute San Antonio & Duncan in this paragraph and you have the major Spurs dilemma since DRob retired.  And with recent rule changes (enforcement?) the game is being pushed by the league towards small ball dominated by athletic swing players.  A defender can't breathe on a perimeter player without being called for a foul.  Whereas the Shaqs, Mings, Duncans, Brands of the league are physically pounded night after night.

And the same thing has been said about SA and Duncan...find him someone who can patrol the paint so he can score and rebound without wasting all his energy.  Much like the Clippers they need him to score in the post moreso then anything else.  I mean its great to have Duncan and Brand control the paint on the defensive end but they are better suited to dominate and get shots that are high %.  Since the league is going to all run and gun jump shooting any team that has a serious post game is automatically going to move up the rankings for the simple fact it is more consistant and a high % to score.

You don't fully understand how bad the post players get bumped and beat up until you sit close enough at a game.  I remember a few years ago I sat super close at Staples and you can hear the thuds, bumps, OWs, and all that.  That sound you hear when someone gets punched...you hear that when players are bumping and fighting for position.  It takes a hell of alot out of a post player to play defense and rebound well.

Bottom line, Kaman is a really good player and Dunleavy needs to find a way to stop relying so much on Brand to do EVERYTHING for this squad in the paint.

[Reality]

Substitute San Antonio & Duncan in this paragraph and you have the major Spurs dilemma since DRob retired.

Pop may think he's all novel and smug by starting Fabs and being 6-1.
Last night he smelled the coffee and put in Elson.  Or did he?  Fabs had 4 fouls vs Yao in 5 minutes.

Sweet comeback last night.  Bob Horry lives and maybe Beno does deserve a roster spot. :up:  27 minutes for Elson, 6-8 and 7 boards.
Are Pop and Michael Finley dating?
Lurker characterize last night.  Great Spurs comeback or Van Gundy Houston meltdown?  Combo?  Sounds like a combo, i saw nothing.

If he continues his small ball love affair and gives Fabs big minutes over Elson look for SpursDome security to be leading me out after i go upside Pops head.

 

[Lurker]

Lurker characterize last night.  Great Spurs comeback or Van Gundy Houston meltdown?  Combo?  Sounds like a combo, i saw nothing.

 

Pop plays Fabs/Elson depending on matchups.  Or whichever one seems to fit into the flow of the game better.  Neither one really has an edge over the other.  Pop is also using a Duncan/Horry frontcourt for several minutes in each game.

I would say that the comeback against the Rockets was a result of the Spurs being a deeper team.  And the ability to step up another notch as a team...something that only success in the playoffs can really teach.  Sean Elliott (commentator on Fox SW) also pointed out that outside of Yao/McGrady the rest of the scorers for the Rockets are young guys who haven't been in pressure situations often.