Kori Ellis
06-09-2005, 12:58 AM
Spurs' Bowen set to fill familiar role: Defensive specialist is certain to draw Pistons' sharpshooter Hamilton
Web Posted: 06/09/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA060905.3S.BKNspurs.bowen.2f619a01b.html
Watching Game 7 of the NBA's Eastern Conference finals from the comfort of his home Monday night, Spurs defensive standout Bruce Bowen was puzzled.
A defensive stopper whose goal every game is to make certain the player he defends does not take even a single uncontested shot, Bowen did not understand how the Miami Heat could give Detroit's Richard Hamilton one wide-open look after another.
By halftime, Hamilton had made 8 of 10 shots and was primarily responsible for the Piston's five-point lead.
"Yes," Bowen said, "I was surprised."
This is no surprise: When Game 1 of the NBA Finals tips off at the SBC Center tonight, Bowen will be guarding Hamilton.
Two things have been givens for the Spurs during the playoffs:
Tim Duncan will be the focus of the offense.
Bowen will be assigned to shut down one of the opposition's most important offensive weapons.
Thus far in the Spurs' run to the Finals, Bowen took away much of Denver star Carmelo Anthony's offensive arsenal, cooled Seattle's Ray Allen and completely shut down Phoenix forward Shawn Marion. Their diminished outputs against the Spurs are indisputable facts that adorn Bowen's defensive reputation.
"All those players have a certain quality about them that makes them special," Bowen said. "With Carmelo, it's his ability to move as well as he does, being such a big guy. With Ray, it's just his creativity. Everyone always says he's such a pure shooter. (With) Shawn Marion, it goes back to the fundamentals of the game."
Now comes Hamilton, who enters the Finals averaging 21.3 points, the Pistons' top playoff scorer. He has made 149 of his 310 postseason shots (48.1 percent). That makes him a better shooter than Anthony, Marion or Allen. He is perhaps as great a playoff challenge as Bowen has faced since matching up against the Lakers' Kobe Bryant in the 2004 Western Conference semifinals.
"He's somebody who runs very well and understands the game," Bowen said. "He is doing things that (Indiana Pacers star) Reggie (Miller) did early in Reggie's career. So it's a totally different type of style I have to adjust to, but I'm willing to."
Hamilton acknowledges having studied the perpetual motion game that likely made the recently retired Miller a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He has said he used Miller's approach as a template for his own game.
"Any great defender can guard guys that want to post up, guys that want to play one-on-one, with all of the rules changes and things like that," Hamilton said. "They can be guarded. But when you've got to chase a guy off screens and play against a guy that moves without the ball, like when I played against Reggie, it's tough to guard because you can't ever set your feet. You can't really ever relax.
"So I definitely think it's going to be a challenge."
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has confidence that Bowen can meet the challenge as well as any defender in the league. But he knows Hamilton is going to score in the Finals, despite Bowen's best efforts.
"He's impossible to stop," Popovich said. "If one guy is on him all night, that one individual is going to be a crazy person. You have to have other people give him a break."
Maybe so, but Bowen knows that nearly all of the time Hamilton will be on the court, Popovich will ask Bowen to follow Hamilton through the multiple screens and around the many curls the Pistons use to free him for his quick-release jumper.
"You have to be aware of Rip at all times," Bowen said. "Just because he doesn't have the ball doesn't mean he's not a scoring threat. He moves well without the ball, constantly moving off one screen, two screens, things of that nature. So I understand I have to put my running shoes on just to stay up with him."
Bowen has been studying video of Hamilton, seeking any tiny edge that might allow him a fraction of a second to get up in his face before he is able to launch an uncontested shot.
"We have many, many different CDs and DVDs, things that help you prepare," Bowen said. "But it's about playing the game on the court. You can't go to video at crunch time."
Web Posted: 06/09/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA060905.3S.BKNspurs.bowen.2f619a01b.html
Watching Game 7 of the NBA's Eastern Conference finals from the comfort of his home Monday night, Spurs defensive standout Bruce Bowen was puzzled.
A defensive stopper whose goal every game is to make certain the player he defends does not take even a single uncontested shot, Bowen did not understand how the Miami Heat could give Detroit's Richard Hamilton one wide-open look after another.
By halftime, Hamilton had made 8 of 10 shots and was primarily responsible for the Piston's five-point lead.
"Yes," Bowen said, "I was surprised."
This is no surprise: When Game 1 of the NBA Finals tips off at the SBC Center tonight, Bowen will be guarding Hamilton.
Two things have been givens for the Spurs during the playoffs:
Tim Duncan will be the focus of the offense.
Bowen will be assigned to shut down one of the opposition's most important offensive weapons.
Thus far in the Spurs' run to the Finals, Bowen took away much of Denver star Carmelo Anthony's offensive arsenal, cooled Seattle's Ray Allen and completely shut down Phoenix forward Shawn Marion. Their diminished outputs against the Spurs are indisputable facts that adorn Bowen's defensive reputation.
"All those players have a certain quality about them that makes them special," Bowen said. "With Carmelo, it's his ability to move as well as he does, being such a big guy. With Ray, it's just his creativity. Everyone always says he's such a pure shooter. (With) Shawn Marion, it goes back to the fundamentals of the game."
Now comes Hamilton, who enters the Finals averaging 21.3 points, the Pistons' top playoff scorer. He has made 149 of his 310 postseason shots (48.1 percent). That makes him a better shooter than Anthony, Marion or Allen. He is perhaps as great a playoff challenge as Bowen has faced since matching up against the Lakers' Kobe Bryant in the 2004 Western Conference semifinals.
"He's somebody who runs very well and understands the game," Bowen said. "He is doing things that (Indiana Pacers star) Reggie (Miller) did early in Reggie's career. So it's a totally different type of style I have to adjust to, but I'm willing to."
Hamilton acknowledges having studied the perpetual motion game that likely made the recently retired Miller a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He has said he used Miller's approach as a template for his own game.
"Any great defender can guard guys that want to post up, guys that want to play one-on-one, with all of the rules changes and things like that," Hamilton said. "They can be guarded. But when you've got to chase a guy off screens and play against a guy that moves without the ball, like when I played against Reggie, it's tough to guard because you can't ever set your feet. You can't really ever relax.
"So I definitely think it's going to be a challenge."
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has confidence that Bowen can meet the challenge as well as any defender in the league. But he knows Hamilton is going to score in the Finals, despite Bowen's best efforts.
"He's impossible to stop," Popovich said. "If one guy is on him all night, that one individual is going to be a crazy person. You have to have other people give him a break."
Maybe so, but Bowen knows that nearly all of the time Hamilton will be on the court, Popovich will ask Bowen to follow Hamilton through the multiple screens and around the many curls the Pistons use to free him for his quick-release jumper.
"You have to be aware of Rip at all times," Bowen said. "Just because he doesn't have the ball doesn't mean he's not a scoring threat. He moves well without the ball, constantly moving off one screen, two screens, things of that nature. So I understand I have to put my running shoes on just to stay up with him."
Bowen has been studying video of Hamilton, seeking any tiny edge that might allow him a fraction of a second to get up in his face before he is able to launch an uncontested shot.
"We have many, many different CDs and DVDs, things that help you prepare," Bowen said. "But it's about playing the game on the court. You can't go to video at crunch time."