Rashard lewis out for game 6, per ESPNEWS

[T Park]

crawler on the bottom, discuss.


Nothing but helps the spurs, the less bodies they have, the less the Spurs worry about lol.

[MadDog73]

The Spurs have to keep Luke Ridnour from looking like Skywalker tonight!

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Well the lack of depth is a good thing I suppose, although the Spurs have struggled more against the Sonics three guard starting line-up. I remember how that was supposed to be the matchup that they'd kill the Spurs on. Team defense...god bless it. He wasn't nearly the factor that he was supposed to be and I really don't think that Seattle's chancing are looking very good tonight with or without him.

[bigbendbruisebrother]

The Spurs have to keep Luke Ridnour from looking like Skywalker tonight!

Amen.

Tony Parker needs to have a night like he did in Golden State last month versus Baron Davis.

[FromWayDowntown]

I'll believe it when I see it.

In a way, you're right, TPark, but I think the Sonics are more focused on playing pick and roll without Lewis, which has played to their strength in this series. Lewis is not a pick and roll type player, IMO, other than the possibility that he can set a screen and stand outside waiting to shoot a jumper. I think Lewis makes the Sonics a bit more methodical, which plays more into the Spurs defensive hands than the 3 guard look they've show in Games 4 and 5. (though Pop did right in countering that move by reinserting Manu and forcing a matchup problem with one of those guards).

And I think the Sonics are a bit more dialed in without Lewis -- they seem to raise their game without Rashard.

Plus, it sucks that the Sonics aren't healthy. I'll be happy if the Spurs win, but it's too bad that the Sonics have faced these injuries at this point in the season.

[ladiesman]

Third straight game with the 3 guard line up. You would think the Spurs have seen it enough to shut them down.

[DannyF]

Fromwaydowntown, your point on Rashard is well taken. They run sets when he is in, but since he has been out, Nate has let the team play more free style. And with three speedy guards, it wears down the defense. We just need to play D on the other end now!

[picnroll]

All this small ball and pick and roll will be nice preping for the Suns if that's the WCF matchup.

[TurnNiggazDreams2Flames]

if Gino starts and Parker has a good game, the SOnics are gonna be in alotta trouble

[FromWayDowntown]

Fromwaydowntown, your point on Rashard is well taken. They run sets when he is in, but since he has been out, Nate has let the team play more free style. And with three speedy guards, it wears down the defense. We just need to play D on the other end now!

Personally, I don't think the speedy guards "wear down" the defense. I think the problem the Spurs have is devising and executing a clear strategy to defend the multiple screen-roll plays the Sonics have been running.

Not to get too technical here, but the Spurs biggest problem in this series, IMO, has been the inconsistent way in which they've played screen-roll defense. When the Sonics try to break guys down on the perimeter, it plays into the Spurs wheelhouse, so to speak -- even if a good perimeter defender is beaten, there's a big to block or change shots and to clean up the miss. The Spurs screen-roll defense is not good right now, largely because the guards are too willing to go under screens, rather than forcing themselves over the top. Say what you will about him, but the hallmark of the Spurs defense in, say, 1999, was the ability to play the pick and roll, and that started with Avery Johnson's ferocity in fighting over screens and avoiding the mismatches that the play is supposed to create. Tony Parker is not as strong as AJ and is not as willing as AJ was to fight over that screen. It's a key part of the Sonics successes in this series, particularly when using James and Fortson as the screeners.

When the Sonics went heavily to pick and roll in Game 3, they were tough, but beatable. Again, I think this is partly because Lewis doesn't strike me as a strong player in that type of attack. In that game, the Spurs bigs stepped out hard on Allen and Daniels and left some dunks for James. While the dunks gave the Sonics easy points, they ran less screen and roll in the early stages, because Lewis was on the floor.

With 3 guards, though, the Sonics have been effective with guard-big screen and roll plays because the Spurs have struggled with the quandary of who to let off. In Game 4, the Spurs protected against the dunk by not sending a big out on the ball-handler. While it saved them from a repeat of James' dunks, it gave good shooters some fairly easy looks from 10-15 feet, and Daniels, Ridnour, and Allen shot lights out. In Game 5, they started by hedging hard on every screen involving Allen, forcing Allen out from the play and giving the rest of the defense some time to recover. This, I thought, lead to the good start in Game 5. For some reason, in the 2nd quarter of Game 5, the Spurs went back to their game 4 strategy, and Allen and Daniels got good looks again, leading to a good quarter. In 3rd quarter, it looked to me like the Spurs just played hand-off on everything, switching everything to be sure that a shooter always had to look at a hand and that there were no easy dunks for the screener.

I suspect that the Spurs will use some form of that strategy tonight.

[Tom_Foolery]

I absolutely have no idea how this game will go.

I like that we are good at closing out teams while up 3-2, but I don't like how we've been playing on the road.

I also don't like how the Spurs seem to take teams lightly given certain circumstances. I keep thinking about that Mavs win when Dirk didn't play vs the Spurs.

I have no idea what to expect. Logic tells me the Spurs will win.

But the Spurs have a history of defying the odds and unexpected.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

The thing about Rashard is if you make him put the ball on the floor he's toast. He's good at finishing and shooting threes, and not much in between.

For all the Barry bashing that has occurred on this site, Brent was shutting 'Shard down.

[FromWayDowntown]

The thing about Rashard is if you make him put the ball on the floor he's toast. He's good at finishing and shooting threes, and not much in between.

For all the Barry bashing that has occurred on this site, Brent was shutting 'Shard down.

which is why he's not a good pick and roll player and why the Spurs would probably rather see him on the floor most of the time.

[DannyF]

I agree to a point about the defense on Ray in the 1st and 3rd, but I think what killed him was having to (try to) play D on Ginobli. If he has to play both ends, he gets out of rhythm. With Barry, Ray could play off of him, but against Ginobli, he needs to press him, fight thru screens, etc. This is obviously not his forte. We will see in a few hours what Nate decides to do. Should be a blast.

[beirmeistr]

In a way, I kind of hope they do start a hurt Lewis rather than Daniels. That Antonio has been a thorn on the side of the Spurs all series long.

[Horry For 3!]

Yeah, Rashard Lewis is out for tonight's game.

[Dre_7]

Hopefully the Spurs will still take them seriously w/out Lewis. Unlike game 4.

Go Spurs!

[picnroll]

Pop was not happy in game three when he learned Lewis was out and Seattle was going with three guards, and I don't think he was faking it. Barry was getting killed by Daniels to the point Daniels was penetrating and putting fouls on Duncan. Wouldn't be so bad if Brown was healthy to cover guards when Manu or Bowen were out but as it is I'd rather have Lewis on the floor.

[Solid D]

Sonics' Lewis can't go in Game 6
SEATTLE (AP) — SuperSonics All-Star forward Rashard Lewis will miss Seattle's Game 6 matchup against San Antonio on Thursday night after not being able to run on his injured left foot during his team's midday shootaround.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/sonics/2005-05-19-lewis-out_x.htm?POE=SPOISVA

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In game 5, the Spurs didn't allow much space in the lane for the runners and the Sonics didn't really capitalize by making the extra inside pass when help came. At home, the Sonics have more confidence so it could be tough to close the Sonics out. If I'm Daniels and Luke, I weave into space and when a big helps, drop off to the baseline man. I would also have the bigs crash the boards for 2nd chances and junk up the game.

Hopefully, the Spurs will be galvanized as a group, intensify their pressure D and MAKE FTs.

[cherylsteele]

The Spurs have to keep Luke Ridnour from looking like Skywalker tonight!

Hopefully the force will not be with him tonight