Punk'd night in the NBA!

[WayOutWest]

The Bulls and Spurs got owned tonight, and while the scoreboard may not indicate a man-handling, the Jazz definately out muscled the Lakers.  Lakers looked like a bunch of wusses out there tonight! 

[WayOutWest]

With Boozer having such an incredible series what are the Jazz to do this offseason?

Seems to me the Jazz have one too many PF's on the roster.  While Milsap may be a fan favorite, no amount of effort is going to offset his short commings in the size department.  The Spurs should be taking a hard look at the Jazz's left overs because I don't think they will resign both their PF's and TD needs some major help in the front court.

[Derek Bodner]

While Milsap may be a fan favorite, no amount of effort is going to offset his short commings in the size department.

In what regard? 

IMO he's a much, much better defender than Boozer, which is typically where size concerns come into play. 

I wouldn't be overly concerned about Millsap's size.  Boozer is literally one of the worst frontcourt defenders I've seen.  That, combined with his unreliability, and I think I'd pick Millsap quite easily actually.

[WayOutWest]

While Milsap may be a fan favorite, no amount of effort is going to offset his short commings in the size department.

In what regard? 

IMO he's a much, much better defender than Boozer, which is typically where size concerns come into play. 

I wouldn't be overly concerned about Millsap's size.  Boozer is literally one of the worst frontcourt defenders I've seen.  That, combined with his unreliability, and I think I'd pick Millsap quite easily actually.

Millsap will not carry a team to victory on offense, especially in the closing mintues, and Millsap will not get away with single coverage on a lot of the PF's in the league.  Boozer may not be a stopper but IMO he doesn't require constant help to keep it respectable.

[SPURSX3]

With Boozer having such an incredible series what are the Jazz to do this offseason?

Seems to me the Jazz have one too many PF's on the roster.  While Milsap may be a fan favorite, no amount of effort is going to offset his short commings in the size department.  The Spurs should be taking a hard look at the Jazz's left overs because I don't think they will resign both their PF's and TD needs some major help in the front court.

The Spurs need a lot of help.   

[WayOutWest]

The Spurs need a lot of help.   

IMO if you give TD enough help in the front court the Spurs do NOT have to land another Manu to make them a contendor.  If TD can get back to his pre-08 form then the Spurs can make a run with TD/Parker and role players.  The problem is the Spurs can't run the offense through TD if he's not 100% and that exposes the role player's limitations.  Obviously the Spurs have to look at replacing Finely and Bowen but the key will be a solid center or PF to play along with TD.  If Manu comes back healthy then that is just the icing on the cake.

[rickortreat]

Doesn't Phil Jackson know how to manage a clock? Seriously, he had every chance to set up a play so that after a made shot there would be no time left on the clock ensuring that your shot would be the last of the game.  A miss would send the game to OT, and a make would end the game.  But after Pau's shot, there was plenty of time for the Jazz to make a shot, and with only 2.2 sec. after that, LA never had a chance.

So you can throw everything else out the window.  The Lakers should have had that game, and would have if their coach didn't make bad decisions.

Maybe I don't see things right, but I like Boozer as a player and think he is a difference maker.  If I was Phila. I'd give them Dalembert and Evans and Green right of the top in exchange!

[WayOutWest]

Doesn't Phil Jackson know how to manage a clock? Seriously, he had every chance to set up a play so that after a made shot there would be no time left on the clock ensuring that your shot would be the last of the game.  A miss would send the game to OT, and a make would end the game.  But after Pau's shot, there was plenty of time for the Jazz to make a shot, and with only 2.2 sec. after that, LA never had a chance.

The Lakers where down 2 points on their last two possesions so the Lakers needed to take the first good look they got.  At worse they needed to shot with some time left on the clock in case you miss the shot you at least have a chance at an offensive rebound and put back.  You can't make the assumption that your last shot is going to go in and tie the game with no time left on the clock, THAT would be bad coaching and clock management.

IMO 2.2 seconds is PLENTY of time for Kobe.  Give the Lakers and Kobe 2.2 seconds and their chances are just as good as most any team in the league with 24 seconds.  The problem was they executed the play poorly and/or good defense forced Kobe out 2 feet further than he wanted and caused him to take a much more difficult BUT makeable shot.

[Derek Bodner]

Millsap will not carry a team to victory on offense

Not going to debate that.  But I do think he's an 18/10 guy.

Boozer may not be a stopper but IMO he doesn't require constant help to keep it respectable.

I disagree.  I think Boozer's pretty much a constant liability on defense, in the post, on denying penetration, on the pick and roll, and obviously weakside.

[rickortreat]

Doesn't Phil Jackson know how to manage a clock? Seriously, he had every chance to set up a play so that after a made shot there would be no time left on the clock ensuring that your shot would be the last of the game.  A miss would send the game to OT, and a make would end the game.  But after Pau's shot, there was plenty of time for the Jazz to make a shot, and with only 2.2 sec. after that, LA never had a chance.

The Lakers where down 2 points on their last two possesions so the Lakers needed to take the first good look they got.  At worse they needed to shot with some time left on the clock in case you miss the shot you at least have a chance at an offensive rebound and put back.  You can't make the assumption that your last shot is going to go in and tie the game with no time left on the clock, THAT would be bad coaching and clock management.

IMO 2.2 seconds is PLENTY of time for Kobe.  Give the Lakers and Kobe 2.2 seconds and their chances are just as good as most any team in the league with 24 seconds.  The problem was they executed the play poorly and/or good defense forced Kobe out 2 feet further than he wanted and caused him to take a much more difficult BUT makeable shot.

2.2 sec. is barely enough time to do a catch and shoot, there's no time to make a move, even for Kobe.  If you need the shot to tie the game you do want to leave a little bit extra for a 2nd shot, but really thinking that way is self-defeatist.  You make a play and expect to make the shot and finish the game, just like Iguodala did during the regular season against the Lakers.

Same situation here. Behind by 2 and needing a 3 to win or a two to tie, less than 24 sec. on the clock and you're on the road in a hostile environment.  A win is better than going to OT. You have enough time to push and pull the defense as well as you can, run Kobe off a screen so he starts with some separation and set-up for the shot.  

You don't have Pau go in and slam it and leave the other team with 11 sec. and only a point needed to win the game.  That's asking for trouble.  That's giving the other team a chance to set up a shot, when they've been making them all quarter, and your winning strategy is to gamble that you're going to stop them?  No way.

Still the Lakers should go on to win the series, this was a very narrow win by Utah, on a night when Kobe was having trouble shooting.  (Sorry Ted!)  For a while the Jazz looked very good, and the Lakers could not keep them out of the lane.  I still wonder why they didn't put Kirilenko back in at the end. I thought for sure the game was over after Bynum fouled out, but the Lakers stood up and played great. That three by Fisher was very ballsy!   The Jazz still have a shot now that they have won a game, they know that they can score effectively even with Gasol, Bynum and Odom on the front line. Sloan is too good a coach to give any chance to. Well, at least it makes this series a little more interesting.

[WayOutWest]

2.2 sec. is barely enough time to do a catch and shoot, there's no time to make a move, even for Kobe.  If you need the shot to tie the game you do want to leave a little bit extra for a 2nd shot, but really thinking that way is self-defeatist.  You make a play and expect to make the shot and finish the game, just like Iguodala did during the regular season against the Lakers.

It has NOTHING to do with "self-defeatist", it's good strategy.  Igs will not make that shot normally, I'd give him that shot most of the time, using 1 or 2 examples and think that is the norm is very short sighted.  In fact all players will miss more last second game winners than they will make.  Even MJ missed more game winners than he made.  One of my pet peeves against Kobe is that he does that a lot, taking the shot with no time left on the clock IMO is poor coaching or poor execution.

Same situation here. Behind by 2 and needing a 3 to win or a two to tie, less than 24 sec. on the clock and you're on the road in a hostile environment.  A win is better than going to OT. You have enough time to push and pull the defense as well as you can, run Kobe off a screen so he starts with some separation and set-up for the shot.  

Going for the win on the road is a situational choice.  I agree that you go for the win on a 3 point shot on the road but there are certain situations where that is not the right choice.  For example, if you're the team with the momentum or if the home team is in foul trouble you might play it safe and go for the higher percentage shot and a tie.  It's not as simple as you think rick.

[WayOutWest]

Millsap will not carry a team to victory on offense

Not going to debate that.  But I do think he's an 18/10 guy.

Boozer may not be a stopper but IMO he doesn't require constant help to keep it respectable.

I disagree.  I think Boozer's pretty much a constant liability on defense, in the post, on denying penetration, on the pick and roll, and obviously weakside.

I don't disagree but IMO Millsap is worse in everything you mentioned, defensively, than Boozer.

[Laker Fan]

While Milsap may be a fan favorite, no amount of effort is going to offset his short commings in the size department.

I wouldn't be overly concerned about Millsap's size.  Boozer is literally one of the worst frontcourt defenders I've seen.  That, combined with his unreliability, and I think I'd pick Millsap quite easily actually.

Millsap will not carry a team to victory on offense, especially in the closing mintues, and Millsap will not get away with single coverage on a lot of the PF's in the league.  Boozer may not be a stopper but IMO he doesn't require constant help to keep it respectable.

Boozer is a cancer who IMO is playing for a contract elsewhere, if I pick a player to keep and start, I go with Milsap, he has inspired a lot of confidence and played very well when he started while Boozer was hurt, he leaves it all on the floor and that matters to me, especially since he has good chops to go with the effort. The size thing is an issue but while he is not a stopper, he is more consistent than Boozer. The problem with the Jazz right now is they are not the typically tough team Sloan is known for, without Okur in the lineup they're undersized and teams like LA just overpower them. Even last night it took a horrible game by Kobe and a bad night at the stripe for them to only lose by 2.

BTW I TOTALLY agree with with you on the situational game clock management. 2.2 seconds is an eternity for LA but Kobe was forced into a bad shot, it happens, but in truth it never should have come down to that, HIT YOUR FREE THROWS PAU!!!!!

[JoMal]

Going for the win on the road is a situational choice.  I agree that you go for the win on a 3 point shot on the road but there are certain situations where that is not the right choice.  For example, if you're the team with the momentum or if the home team is in foul trouble you might play it safe and go for the higher percentage shot and a tie.  It's not as simple as you think rick.

I completely disagree as to why the Lakers failed late in this game and it had nothing to do with clock management by Jackson. It had to do with an old problem Jackson has not ever directly dealt with and once in a while it comes back to bite him in games just like this one - close contests in the playoffs on the road.

Kobe's ego dictates that final play. With 2 seconds left, five seconds, ten seconds, it does not matter - everyone on the planet knows the ball will be in Kobe's hands when the final shot goes up. In a game in which he had trouble shooting, what on earth could have thrown off the Jazz on defense in that situation? Seeing another player initiate and finish the play. The Jazz defense was completely geared on stopping Kobe. If Jackson had the balls to call another players' number instead, Kobe might have had a chance to recover his shot in overtime enough to see the Lakers win this game.

[JoMal]

While Milsap may be a fan favorite, no amount of effort is going to offset his short commings in the size department.

I wouldn't be overly concerned about Millsap's size.  Boozer is literally one of the worst frontcourt defenders I've seen.  That, combined with his unreliability, and I think I'd pick Millsap quite easily actually.

Millsap will not carry a team to victory on offense, especially in the closing mintues, and Millsap will not get away with single coverage on a lot of the PF's in the league.  Boozer may not be a stopper but IMO he doesn't require constant help to keep it respectable.

Boozer is a cancer who IMO is playing for a contract elsewhere, if I pick a player to keep and start, I go with Milsap, he has inspired a lot of confidence and played very well when he started while Boozer was hurt, he leaves it all on the floor and that matter to me, especially since he has good chops to go with the effort. The size thing is an issue but while he is not a stopper, he is more consistent than Boozer. The problem with the Jazz right now is they are not the typically tough team Sloan is known for, without Okur in the lineup they're undersized and teams like LA just overpower them. Even last night it took a horrible game by Kobe and a bad night at the stripe for them to only lose by 2.

BTW I TOTALLY agree with with you on the situational game clock management. 2.2 seconds is an eternity for LA but Kobe was forced into a bad shot, it happens, but in truth it never should have come down to that, HIT YOUR FREE THROWS PAU!!!!!

Maybe neither player is the answer for Utah.

Milsap is a terrific role player who can fill in at starting PF, but never will ring down the rafters. Boozer is exactly what Derek and others have said about him - while he can fill up the stat columns, you can not trust him on defense or more importantly, in the lockerroom.

And Dan, players miss free throws, which has always been something of an oxymoron phrase to me (I know, not quite what I mean) - they are hardly "free", but more like "rebates". Calling them "rebate throws" just sounds fishy. But even a player of Gasol's experience might feel a bit tight playing a postseason road game in a hostile environment.