2017 Western Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

[CaseIH]

Re: 2017 Western Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

I think the reason you don't see Kawhi on Harden is because he's your team's best offensive player as well as defensive. And so the fear is that he gets into foul trouble and you have no one to run the offense. I'm betting the plan (and it's good coaching) was to have Kawhi lock him down in the 4th but the game was over by that point. It'll be interesting to see if they go with Kawhi on James earlier in game 2.

Yeah, Im sure that was the case, Pop just trying to save Kawhi's energy by not guarding Harden. Only way Spurs win this series is if Kawhi locks up Harden, and goes off Offensively.

It was still shocking to see the Spurs look so bad last night. Kawhi's got to have some help. Its not like any of Dantoni's teams are tough and physcial on defense, so LA has to be a force, and man up.

I figure it was just 1 of those nights, it can happen, but it just odd to see the Spurs look that bad in the playoffs.

If I was a Spurs fan, I would be a tad bit concerned that my team was the team that looked old and slow, let alone looked liked the softest team on the floor, when your playing a D'antoni team.

[CaseIH]

Re: 2017 Western Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

Wait til they play the warriors.

The rules changes have everything to do with this working right now anyway...

Still, i don't consider that fat dude a genius or anything close to it.

Yeah rule changes allow this style to be more successful now days, than in the past. With that said D'antoni's system hasnt proven anything yet, none of his teams have ever reached a finals. You still have to value defense to some extent.
I thought it was funny when I seen D'antoni when he got hired, say watching the Warriors the past couple years, made him know his way can win championships. I guess he neglected the fact that the Warriors still value defense, and if it wasnt for that defense they wouldnt have even made it to the finals, let alone winning it all.


If the Rockets due beat the Spurs, and play the Warriors in the WCF, it will be entertaining from a offensive standpoint with both teams running and gunning 3's.

[23]

Re: 2017 Western Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

Yeah rule changes allow this style to be more successful now days, than in the past. With that said D'antoni's system hasnt proven anything yet, none of his teams have ever reached a finals. You still have to value defense to some extent.
I thought it was funny when I seen D'antoni when he got hired, say watching the Warriors the past couple years, made him know his way can win championships. I guess he neglected the fact that the Warriors still value defense, and if it wasnt for that defense they wouldnt have even made it to the finals, let alone winning it all.


If the Rockets due beat the Spurs, and play the Warriors in the WCF, it will be entertaining from a offensive standpoint with both teams running and gunning 3's.

Sometimes that style isn't fun at all to watch.

Even with the Warriors when that stuff isn't dropping these kinds of coaches don't seem to have a plan B.

I'd like to see some guys work in the post/high post area sometimes to mix it up, open up space for others on the perimeter, not just by chucking 3's all game.

That can definitely come back to bite you.

[wwharton]

Re: 2017 Western Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

Yeah, I get that. But don't forget the Spurs have Danny Green. I don't care if it's the 1st quarter or the 4th, LA/Gasol don't belong in the vicinity as James Harden.

Employ Danny Green, Jonathon Simmons at times and Kawhi in the 4th. But Gasol and Aldridge are probably one of the worst perimeter bigs on the defensive end, and you put them on the best offensive player in the league.

Pop is the truth, but that's a comical gameplan or bad execution on the team's part.

You don't really think Pop EVER assigned LA or Gasol to guard Harden, do you?

[Nevertheles109]

Re: 2017 Western Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

You don't really think Pop EVER assigned LA or Gasol to guard Harden, do you?

Not at all. But I think his gameplan was to switch, which puts a big on the offensive player 70% of the time. And Houston runs mostly pick n rolls.

Do you think that is a good gameplan?

Edit: Why not trap Harden on pick and rolls or hedge is where I'm lost.

[The 24th Letter]

Re: 2017 Western Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

Beside cutting down on the cheap fouls, what rule changes would y'all say has allowed the style to be successful all the sudden? I can't really think of a rule within the last couple years that would stop the Rockets from spreading the floor or Harden from being efficient on the pick and roll. I think players have just become a lot better at hitting
the semi contested 3 which used to be a shot you would take 9/10...

[23]

Re: 2017 Western Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

Beside cutting down on the cheap fouls, what rule changes would y'all say has allowed the style to be successful all the sudden? I can't really think of a rule within the last couple years that would stop the Rockets from spreading the floor or Harden from being efficient on the pick and roll. I think players have just become a lot better at hitting
the semi contested 3 which used to be a shot you would take 9/10...

I wasn't talking about Harden

I was talking about the high scoring- lack of defense- chucking 3's pass it aroung the perimeter type of ball we see now more akin to Dantoni's coaching style.

Harden always was a good player....only one's who didn't care about that was OKC.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: 2017 Western Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

Beside cutting down on the cheap fouls, what rule changes would y'all say has allowed the style to be successful all the sudden? I can't really think of a rule within the last couple years that would stop the Rockets from spreading the floor or Harden from being efficient on the pick and roll. I think players have just become a lot better at hitting
the semi contested 3 which used to be a shot you would take 9/10...

Only one I can think of is MAYBE the hand checking but that was years ago and we didn't start seeing Offenses like this(predicated heavily on ball movement and guys moving around)until the last....4-5 years when it started trending away from being just exceptions to the rule to basically becoming the norm. Which also happens to coincide with the rise of analytics.

But other than that, I can't think of any either.

[CaseIH]

Re: 2017 Western Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

Beside cutting down on the cheap fouls, what rule changes would y'all say has allowed the style to be successful all the sudden? I can't really think of a rule within the last couple years that would stop the Rockets from spreading the floor or Harden from being efficient on the pick and roll. I think players have just become a lot better at hitting
the semi contested 3 which used to be a shot you would take 9/10...

Well 1 of the major ones, which has been gone for a while now, is being able to Hand check your guy. With as big as Harden is, Im not sure it would effect him as much as it would have with Nash, but it would have some.

Just the whole flagarant foul issue these days, allows the lane to be open much more. Take away the fear of being ejected along with a fine, lets guys drive much more. If they were getting pounded constantly, they wouldnt be as eager to drive the ball. Now days its drive and kick, get a layup, FT, or 3pt shot.


Im not saying you should be able to clothes line a player, although I miss those days when the game was rougher, they have gotten ridiculous with these flagarant fouls and such.

As a whole the game goes thru cycles and this is where were at right now. There was a time back in Wilt/Russell/ Jerry West days teams were jacking up over 100 shot per game, talk about pace of play,lol. In the 90's we started to see defense become a focal point, to the point of scoring dropping. Now were back into this phase where its shoot layups or shoot 3's, or get to the foul line. 20 yrs ior so from now it will be something different probably,lol.

I know we wont ever see a more physical game, thats not going to happen, people in general are just softer these days, so that wont happen, anyone wanting that to come back is SOL on that sadly.
I wouldnt mind seeing them widen the court some, and move the 3pt line back some more and make it the same distance in the corners as everywhere else on the floor. Then maybe we would get the mid range game to come back some.
Although I believe everything tends to evolve around how the game is officiated. You let the players play without worry of being called for a foul, or a flagrant foul I think you would see a little bit different game than what we seeing.

I also just think were back to a time when offense is valued higher than D is. While the game was more physical back in the 80's, it was also more wide open, and you didnt really see the evolution of defense till the 90's. Then scoring got low, and rules started to be changed, and now were here right back to our scoring the other team. Still though you have to have some value on the defensive end to win it all, it always been that way, and it always will be. If its not then I might quit watching it,lol.

[ojandpizza]

Re: 2017 Western Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

But players are still routinely hand checked in the playoffs anyways. The rule is there, it's rarely enforced though.


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[CaseIH]

Re: 2017 Western Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

But players are still routinely hand checked in the playoffs anyways. The rule is there, it's rarely enforced though.


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You do see it some in the playoffs, but its not like it was in the 90's. Come playoff time, the farther you go the more physical they tend to let you be. I think its why in the finals you saw Curry struggle some, Cavs were able to get physical with him. I know last yr he wasnt fully healthy, but the yr before he had some issues at times too against the Cavs.

[ojandpizza]

Re: 2017 Western Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

Mehh, hand check wasn't that bad then either. You could keep contact but not so much that it impeded any player movement. They banned that back in the 70's.


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[JazzMan]

Re: 2017 Western Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

Those shirts are hideous.

You're hideous

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[lilteapot]

Re: 2017 Western Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

You're hideous

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Oh yeah, well Gordon Hayward's hair sucks.

Come at me.

[JazzMan]

Re: 2017 Western Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round Discussion Thread

Oh yeah, well Gordon Hayward's hair sucks.

Come at me.

Now you're just out of line.

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