Today's Game Discussion [12/05/12]

[Pacers Fan]

Originally Posted by Jace

Yeah, one of their big issues when I watched is poor outside shooting. They kick the ball out, and every time it winds up in a non-shooter's hands. I'd like to see them start something like:

Lawson
AI
Hamilton or Brewer (or Chandler when he returns)
Gallo
McGee

I know Karl has wanted to keep JaVale on the bench, but it's worth trying something crazy. Relegate the worse of Mozgof/Koufos to specialist duty.

Problem being that that lineup would get mauled on the glass. And JaVale McGee is a significantly worse basketball player than Kosta Koufos. I can see why Karl isn't starting him. I don't think I've ever seen him make a smart basketball play. But some of his clumsy, solely-athletic moves work, and he can catch a lob anywhere around the basket, which is good off the bench.

Denver's a tough team to figure out. As a coach, you'd like Kenneth Faried to play extended minutes because of his energy, but Lawson/Iguodala aren't spreading the floor. You need Gallo in there at the 4, but he doesn't want to play like a big man.

I don't think there's any way to sort this out with their current team. They're either going to have no spacing and terrible shooting or they're going to get destroyed on the glass, which we saw tonight. What makes this even worse is that they typically have at least one knucklehead (Faried/McGee) on the floor to make terrible basketball plays, although at least Faried shows signs of being able to get over his knuckleheadedness.

[Jace]

Sucks that B- B- B- Billups is out again.

[Knicks4life]

Gallo has been good at the 4, Karl has played small ball a lot this year with Gallo at the 4/5.

[Pacers Fan]

Originally Posted by Knicks4life

Gallo has been good at the 4, Karl has played small ball a lot this year with Gallo at the 4/5.

I admit that this is only my 3rd-4th Denver game this year. Does he normally look more effective on the glass or for posting up? Tonight he just seemed exceptionally slow, stuck to the ground, and allergic to the glass. Maybe it's just a home vs. away thing. But one of the teams people predicted to be top 5 in the West this year is 9-10. Something's wrong.

[Knicks4life]

Gallo is not really a post up guy usually if he post up he kicks it out for a 3 or dump it off to a cutter. Nuggets have chemistry issues at the end of game because too many people that they like to play at the end of games(Ty, Iguodala, Gallo, Miller) play better on the ball, and there are also some questionable decision making at the end of games.

[Ron]

Clippers blow out Mavs, and Mark Cuban can't even watch.

Love it. Go to hell, Cuban.

[NOFX22]

Clippers destroyed the Mavs tonight and soooo many highlight dunks in that game. NBA top ten today should strictly be clippers highlights

[Jace]

Just because a guy is playing the four doesn't mean he needs to post up. It creates more mismatches if he's a perimeter threat.

[Bogg]

Bobcats did everything they could to give that game away in the final 1:30. With Henderson back and Gordon playing well, they badly need to make a move to shore up their front-court. I'd like to see them make a move for Enes Kanter, as he's starting to look like the odd man out in the Jazz front-court. Another realistic option is Diop's expiring deal for Drew Gooden and a first round pick to make it worthwhile.

[MotorCityFan]

Originally Posted by Cajon

Military time?

Not only military time, but the time that a good amount of the rest of the world uses.

Also,

We got destroyed at home by golden state last night. Still a pleasure seeing Andre Drummond play though.

[Pacers Fan]

Originally Posted by Jace

Just because a guy is playing the four doesn't mean he needs to post up. It creates more mismatches if he's a perimeter threat.

It does if he can take guys off the dribble, but Gallinari only moves in straight lines, and it seems to me like he gets beaten to his spot a significant amount of time. He just lacks the quickness to really shift his direction. And last night, he wasn't a mismatch at all. Everyone on the floor for the Hawks could guard him, and I'm sure a good portion of 4's with good lateral mobility can as well. Sure, it takes their 4-man out of the paint, but at the expense of a lack of rebounding and Gallinari being posted up on the other end. He wanted no part of Josh Smith last night.

But as part of being a 4, it is necessary to take advantage of mismatches based on picks as well. Gallo had a guard on him last night and tried to take him off the dribble unsuccessfully, rather than find his guard who had a big on him, or shooting over him in the high post.

If Gallinari's really playing the 4/5 as much as has been suggested, he should really be rebounding it more than 6 times/game. And to be a perimeter threat, he needs to actually, you know, hit his shots. 38% from the field and 28% from 3 aren't going to cut it.

It seems to me like Gallinari has been the problem for the Nuggets this year, aside from their impossible task of figuring out rotations, since he's really the only one who's underachieving. Lawson and Iguodala look pretty average, although Iguodala had a terrible game last night, Brewer and Andre Miller are having nice seasons, and Denver's bigs are playing about as well as they can be.

[bball2223]

I have not been able to watch any Pistons games since I started coaching 3 weeks ago, is Drummond starting now?

[Knicks4life]

Lawson has been awful this year, Gallo started the season playing bad but has turned it around since the Memphis game.

[Knicks4life]

The Nuggets' schedule is probably the biggest reason for there bad start.

Again, however, you have to adjust for the level of competition. And that becomes particularly important when you look at a team like, say, the Denver Nuggets. Historically, Denver has the biggest home-road splits of any team in any sport, thanks to the mile-high air in which it plays and the fact virtually all its games, home and away, involve one of the teams traveling a fairly long way. (Travel-wise, only Portland has it worse.)

So it warrants mentioning, when discussing the disappointing start by the Nuggets, that they have played only six home games, and managed to win five of them -- the only loss being a close one to Miami.

Alas, most of their games have been at sea level, and they'll have another one Wednesday when they visit Atlanta. (Quick aside for longtime readers: Yes, I'm going to a Nuggets game. Take all the money you can find and bet it on the Hawks.) And after that, they have another in Indiana … and another in New York … and another in Detroit … and another in Minnesota.

Then things almost even out, with four home games and five road games the rest of the month. Nonetheless, the Nuggets are facing as road-heavy a start to a team's season as any I can remember. Twenty-two of their first 32 games are away, including 17 of their first 23.

What's more, the opposition is rough, regardless of locale. The Nuggets have faced theeighth-hardest schedule strength by win-loss record (we rate it after subtracting a team's own wins and losses, although for a 9-9 team like Denver this has virtually no impact). Their next three opponents all are playoff teams, and they still play Memphis twice, San Antonio and both L.A. teams this month.

So we have to grade them on a curve. If Denver gets to the 32-game mark and still is at .500, that should be considered a pretty positive accomplishment -- the Nuggets would be fairly certain to make the playoffs from there, with 31 of the final 50 games at home and more pliable opposition to boot.

No, the Nuggets aren't headed for the kind of exalted win-loss record that some had projected for them (looks around room sheepishly), but this does explain why the Power Rankings have kept the Nuggets in the top 10 despite their rocky start. And remember, that's using a standard home-court advantage in the formula, not the larger one that this franchise has shown historically. The schedule turns their way with a vengeance after New Year's, with 15 of 18 games at home. They won't win 59 games and likely won't get close, but things may look a lot better by early February than they do now.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story...ength-schedule

[ChrisWoj]

Originally Posted by bball2223

I have not been able to watch any Pistons games since I started coaching 3 weeks ago, is Drummond starting now?

Missed last night's game, at work... but looking at ESPN, no he didn't. However he did get 31 minutes of burn which is awesome. Most time he's seen on the court this season. And not for lack of deserving it. He may be the best combination of athleticism and strength since Dwight came into the league in 2004, and he's making good use of it. He's got a ton of polishing left though - no touch, no moves, and not a ton of defensive intellect (though against the Cavs on Tuesday night his rotations were the best I've seen from him, he is learning). As is he's a quality NBA player. I'm incredibly excited to have him in Detroit, and Frank seems to finally be coming around to giving him minutes.