t0rchy
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Dass man eine Partie unter dem aktuellen Zugzwang gegen die Nets in die OT zittern muss, hat überhaupt garkeine erfreulichen Aspekte, finde ich...
t0rchy mit Hoffnungsschimmer!
Rich Anthony, (KJL) // Today at 1:08 am (13 hours ago)
Michael, (and Tyler, and Mike), I know you guys have to write it and do your best to put a positive spin on it but lets be real.
This team is a +/- .500 team, (whether they finish a few above or below .500 will be the question at this point).
The philosophy and style that Gentry and Nash are trying so hard to keep in place cannot be done simply because the personnel in house now cannot deliver it.
It’s a contrast of what the team should be versus what Gentry, (and possibly Sarver), are trying to do to keep the team as it used to be.
What this team should be is what the bench mob was last year. That is what the pieces of the current puzzle warrant.
Grit. Hustle. Trapping. Crash-rebounding with more points scored at and around the rim than on the perimeter alone.
You look at the current roster minus Steve Nash and Vince Carter. I’m not counting Grant Hill in that because he has always shown that he can get down and do the defensive work.
Minus those two names I just mentioned, this team looks vastly different and they would absolutely attack the rim, (which would still get JMZ, Frye, and Pietrus open 3′s), they’d have the work in to be in the passing lanes and the on-ball defense would be stellar.
Gentry knows how to adapt year to year. He has always worked with what he has especially last year when he basically had a SSOL starting 5 and a stalker-like defensive minded second unit.
This year he has more of the latter, but continues to try and keep that open-spacing-bombs-away offense rolling, (for Nash).
It will continue to be a disaster with uninspiring showings against bottom feeders because the team simply cannot maintain the style in place.
I understand playing VC in hopes of trading him, but a few good games, (and a couple of sick dunks), isn’t going to fool any other team around the league at this point. If they want him eventually, they’re going to want him regardless. The only thing he’s doing out there is slowing down the evolution of Dudley at the 2, (and also the evolution of what the team’s soon-to-be identity-anyway should be).
That’s probably why I’m so sick of reading about how “all PHX needs is that talented 4 to replace amare and bring back the Valley’s euphoria.” Honestly, unless it’s Amare who was raised in the system, it’s not going to bring the results needed.
I think that the acquisitions, (minus Hedo), and the young Suns already in house spell out the writing on the wall and I think that preparations should be made going into the future to get that mindset switched as soon as possible.
Childress and Pietrus are sitting there waiting to be used properly, (and no that is not at the 4). Dudley just puts up the numbers and even when the points aren’t there, for the most part even in the midst of such an erratic season, when he’s on the court things are just better. He sits behind Carter, which pushes Childress all the way out.
***** By the way. No, this is not me saying that Nash needs to go or that this season so far is all his fault. *****
Lets tell the truth though. Nash + Carter as the starting 1 and 2 spells DEATH. It’s hard enough to cover for Nash’s on-ball defense, (which we’ve done pretty well over the years), but when you put Nash AND Carter out there as the “front line” defense… You just can’t stop anybody.
At least before if Nash got screened off or a switch was called, Raja was there. Dudley was there. Even J Rich was there, (I’ll take his defense 15 times over Carter’s). Now it’s basically a free ride into the offensive set for any team we play.
And I know that what I type next will be highly unpopular, I think that with the fast-rising Gortat on the scene now it might be prudent to force RoLo into a bench role or even see what kind of value he would bring back.
Before you spit hatred at me, ask yourself: What has he really brought to the table minus a short stretch last season? If he is to come off the bench with Dragon and crew, how much of a force would he be? How much has he been missed whenever he is out due to injury or 3 fouls in the first 5 minutes of a game?
Seriously, I think that when you look at the future of the franchise with the pieces in place right now there’s a real brightness there.
If we make the playoffs, we’re falling in the first round anyway, so why not start heading in the direction that is being painted in vivid clarity by the players currently in house?
I’d send Carter to the bench for JMZ, give Gortat the starting job, period. Only Frye should be near 40 minutes per as long as he isn’t in foul trouble because he is the team’s greatest threat after Nash.
I’d let Nash run it, but more in the aggressive probing style he used to use and not so much of the PnR cause-and-effect style currently in place.
I’d organize the bench to mirror what is in place with the starting 5 while telling RoLo to go hard every second and try to grab / swat everything. I’d get Pietrus, Childress, and Warrick proper run with Dragon, Lopez, and Frye, (again – the 40 minute man). Vince can play the 6th man if I can’t get rid of him.
I know we’ve been spoiled by decades of the NBA’s version of a run and shoot offense, but the current crop of players suggest something else.
I loved the bench mob last year; I think that is where the team is headed. I would gladly watch that every game because even if it brought a 45-37 record the first year, the growth would be phenomenal and perhaps we draft the next star or a frustrated star can look in and see himself as that finishing piece of a promising future.
Losing to the Pistons, Sixers, and having to “fight off” the Cavs is not something I’m interested in.
I think the direction is clear. I think that the team needs to start heading there now.
Read more: http://valleyofthesuns.com/2011/01/...ne-step-forward-two-steps-back/#ixzz1C5LJUNiq
Spätestens als Nash mit dem Druck von Will Bynum nicht klar kam und das unsere Offense komplett lahmlegte (weil der Rest der Suns es gewohn ist Nash zuzusehen im Halbfeld) hätte Gentry Dragic bringen sollen um ihn Nash zur Seite zu stellen und ja, auch Childress! Nicht wegen seinem tötlichem Wurf, sondern weil er ein Slasher ist und auch an einige Rebounds im Angriff kommt. Die letzten Spiele spielte doch Dragic einige Minuten zum Ende der Spiele zusammen mit Nash, hat doch auch funktioniert.