[MJG]

8:30 tipoff. I'm thinking that this is the final preseason game that I'm going to let slide under the "it doesn't matter in the least" banner -- we still have three more after this, but all of those come in the same week as our first regular season game. Get your fun in now team, because we're this close to the real deal.

[Shanghai Kid]

I think this one is going to be on League Pass so I'll at least be able to give a decent report and get some idea of whats going on. I gotta say our teams rotation, starting lineup, and bench is all pretty much a cloud of mystery heading into the season.

[rynobot]

Originally Posted by Shanghai Kid

I think this one is going to be on League Pass so I'll at least be able to give a decent report and get some idea of whats going on. I gotta say our teams rotation, starting lineup, and bench is all pretty much a cloud of mystery heading into the season.

The game is on League Pass tonight and I have it set for TIVO even though I get off work at 9 tonight.
Most likely I will just jump in the live game but you never know where the night may lead.

[Shanghai Kid]

My analysis on the game (may be lengthy)

Antonio Daniels didn't really do much, kind of just went through the motions. What I first noticed was just how small he was, I don't know he's going to play 2 guard. On top of the diminitive factor, AD really looked unathletic out there. I figure he just wasn't really into the game because offensively he was a real non factor. Everytime he tried to isolate it ended up as an airball. Someone said he got to the hoop at will, I didn't think we had anybody who got to the hoop at will, the closest was probably Butler. And I noticed he doesn't really push the tempo, he just sort of acts like he's running a fastbreak than slows it down and runs plays. Defensively he looked good, quick feet, played nice posistion defense. He's definetly had better games in preseason, but by watching this game you didn't see any reason why he should be a starter. He might be better used as an energy guy off the bench. He's a conventional PG, which is very different from what we're used too with Arenas/Hughes. Theirs no streetball/and1 constantly attacking style here, AD always runs the plays and doesn't seem to ever disrupt the offense going 1 on 1. I think he'll probably finish games for us at PG, but I think he's best used off the bench.


Chucky Atkins is more of a scorer than a PG. He seems to be a more consistent shooter than Juan and even showed some quickness going to the hoop. Just a solid shooter, and definetly a solid backup. He didn't have any chemistry with AD though.

Haywood played good defense but Yao still just shot over him. Everything else was usual 'Wood, hitting a few hook shots, a few dunks, his usual block on Yao.


Jared Jeffries, another case where I may of just been watching one of his bad games of the preseason, but he looked like the same ol offensively inept JJ. He missed layups left and right, especially in the last few minutes of the game. His defense was good, passing was solid but not really noticeable. I don't know if JJ should start, I think either JJ or AD should start, but not both of them. Their both just really below average offensive players at their posistions, which combined with Wood will cause some problems.

Caron Butler was the most impressive and easily our best player out there. He started out slow but came alive in the 2nd/3rd. He looked lost in the offense early on, but once they started running some ISOs for him he showed sort of a Pierce/Carmelloesque midrange pull up game. Nice arc on the shot, real fundamental. I also noticed he makes the simple passes that Hughes didn't always make, sort of the 'in the flow of the game' passes. He had some nice drive and dishes, and he played tough defense. I think people are really going to like his game. I don't know what makes EJ think that Hayes is a 2 guard while Butler is an SF. Should he start? I think either him or Hayes needs to start, if you want to start your best players than its CB, but he'll also be effective off the bench.

Other guys who were impressive- Donnell Taylor, he's just so quick, i'm talking some real elite looking speed. And he showed his quickness on defense. I think the guy is going to be a steal. Fuller was real active, Etan was all over the place.

Now the most impressive thing I saw all night? Somewhere I believe in the 4th quarter, AD ran a pic n roll with Ruffin and passed it to Ruffin like 15 feet from the hoop. I expected Ruffin to panic with the shotclock going to down and try to desperately attack the hoop like he did last year. So what does Ruffin do? He sets his feet and pulls up for a jumper. A PRETTY looking jumper that swishes through the net. Ruffins been working on that midrange game.

Overall, I thought the team was fine defensively, but couldn't really do anything offensively. The 1rst quarter was a brutal display of nobody being able to shoot. I think GA or AJ will probably be in the games at all time. I think we may start out the season slow, preseason has done nothing as far as getting guys chemistry with each other cause they haven't played together. What should the starting lineup be? Simple, start either Butler/Hayes with AD/Jeffries. Whatever the best combo may be.