AJ smarter than Pop

[Jimcs50]

Big impression

The Warriors built their second-half surge to the playoffs on improved health and Don Nelson's decision to go small and fast, with his usual touch for finding mismatches. Naturally then, the Mavericks announced plans to go big, playing centers Erick Dampier and DeSagana Diop early and often.

Nelson was impressed and offered this week's quote.

"He's (Mavs coach Avery Johnson) trying to pull a Nellie on me," Nelson said.

__________________________________________________ _______________


AJ gets it.


You make them adjust to you...not vice versa.

:smokin

[K-State Spur]

I hate small ball as much as the next guy, but I'm not going to take that as hardcore evidence.

I still expect that Avery will go long stretches without either Damp or Diop in the game.

[polandprzem]

Big impression

The Warriors built their second-half surge to the playoffs on improved health and Don Nelson's decision to go small and fast, with his usual touch for finding mismatches. Naturally then, the Mavericks announced plans to go big, playing centers Erick Dampier and DeSagana Diop early and often.

Nelson was impressed and offered this week's quote.

"He's (Mavs coach Avery Johnson) trying to pull a Nellie on me," Nelson said.

__________________________________________________ _______________


AJ gets it.


You make them adjust to you...not vice versa.

:smokin


You would probably have played Rasho in the Suns series right?

Let them adjust to our bigs :reading

[Jimcs50]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=260317024


Nazr played against Phoenix and he played well. He shouldhave played against Dallas more.

[SRJ]

One game is proof of nothing.

[Kori Ellis]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=260317024


Nazr played against Phoenix and he played well. He shouldhave played against Dallas more.

Nazr was slow as hell. Slower than Rasho. I understand why Pop went small last year. The Spurs didn't have the horses.

This year, he'll go small again if Elson can't stay on the court due to foul trouble.

Sometimes you have to adjust to your (lack of) personnel too.

Anyway, Golden St's small ball lineup will probably still work well against the Mavs.

[exstatic]

Yeah, Kori, I'm thinking the first 15-2 run by GS, and Avery pulls his oxen out. Besides, who announces their REAL plans in the press before the series? Of course, gullible Jim takes the worm, hook, line, sinker and entire fishing pole....

[T Park]

Typical Jim thinks Nazr the hack should've guarded Dirk.

[Bob Lanier]

Ben Wallace could never guard Al Harrington.

I highly doubt Erick Dampier can.

[exstatic]

Ben Wallace could never guard Al Harrington.

I highly doubt Erick Dampier can.
The reason they went out and sign Diop is that Dampier isn't really even good guarding bigs. Good luck putting him on Harrington, who will probably be the only "big" on the floor for GS.

[timvp]

:lol @ the thought of Dampier going out to guard Harrington at the three-point line.

The Mavs are going to play Dirk at center and George at PF ... unless AJ is cool with Harrington averaging 30 for the series.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

One game is proof of nothing.

One game against Dallas last year is what Pop used to justify going small (and what his backers used to argue on his behalf).

[SequSpur]

they're both shitty

[jmard5]

I believe playoff experience is still a big advantage in this series.

The Warriors might still be able to pull up an upset as long as they stay aggressive and not brick their shots.

[bonesinaz]

Well, since the mavs have not beaten GS this year, I would not say that AJ is smarter just yet. Nellie always has some cockamamie scheme that gets wins. He is entertaining, that's for sure.

[picnroll]

Any bets that Mavs are forced to hardly play Dump and Diop? Yeah AJ's a genius and Nellie is hoping and praying that AJ actually intends to play those two.

[exstatic]

Hack A Damp. That'll get him off the floor, and is vintage Nelson.

[T Park]

Id love for someone to justify to me how Nazr would've guarded Dirk.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Id love for someone to justify to me how Nazr would've guarded Dirk.

Well, considering we were playing zone at the end of game 7, a zone that saw Manu freakin' Ginobili at the second interior "post" position, would it have mattered?

Who else would have liked to have Nazr's seven feet of height backing up Duncan on the infamous Nowitzki drive instead of a 6'4" shooting guard?

Ginobili got Dirk on the wrist, you don't like the odds of Nazr making a better play on the ball?

Also, people forget about the other end. With two seven footers down there, you can attack the post, and Dirk has to guard either one of Nazr or Tim in the post. Put the guy in a position to have to play some D instead of giving him a free pass camping in the corner guarding Bowen saving up his strength for offense.

[picnroll]

Well, considering we were playing zone at the end of game 7, a zone that saw Manu freakin' Ginobili at the second interior "post" position, would it have mattered?

Who else would have liked to have Nazr's seven feet of height backing up Duncan on the infamous Nowitzki drive instead of a 6'4" shooting guard?

Ginobili got Dirk on the wrist, you don't like the odds of Nazr making a better play on the ball?
Considering the Mavs needed to score three and were looking to shoot a three, Nazr would have been great defending the three point line.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Considering the Mavs needed to score three and were looking to shoot a three, Nazr would have been great defending the three point line.

Was Manu?

[picnroll]

So you were expecting Manu to foul Dirk at the basket then? Perceptive.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Manu was playing "PF" on the weakside block. So this argument about Nazr having to guard the three point line is moot. Nazr would have been in the same position of he was in.

Kinda hard to fuck up the perception on that one.

[picnroll]

Manu was playing "PF" on the weakside block. So this argument about Nazr having to guard the three point line is moot. Nazr would have been in the same position of he was in.

Kinda hard to fuck up the perception on that one.
The weakside block. Guess the Mavs would have never thought to swing the ball to Howard if Nazr was camped in the paint.

Are you really trying to argue that with a team needing three points you'd play Nazr who can't get out to defend the perimeter? I think I'll stick with Pop's play calling.

[T Park]

nazr the defending wizard....

[Solid D]

Yeah, Kori, I'm thinking the first 15-2 run by GS, and Avery pulls his oxen out. Besides, who announces their REAL plans in the press before the series? Of course, gullible Jim takes the worm, hook, line, sinker and entire fishing pole....

:lol oxen

[picnroll]

How's that genius AJ's Dallas tall ball going. :lol

[Pugglekicker_21]

The warriors small ball>spurs small ball

[T Park]

Well duh Puggle.

they are built to play it.

The warriors don't have a dominant bigman to where they can play both.

[ATXSPUR]

Maybe we can get AJ to SA...

[T Park]

sigh........

[NorCal510]

Go Warriors!

[rocyaice]

AJ smarter then Pop? AJ cost the Mavs the game today against Warriors. He has one of the best records of all time and he's playing to the advantage of a #8 team which cost them because they can't run with the Warriors.

[CubanMustGo]

So how'd that "dress rehearsal" against Seattle work out again? :lol

[NO LIMIT ARMY COMMANDER]

Wisdom disappears when you have bad matchups.

[dav4463]

AJ learned under Pop. Then he made the same mistake Pop did last year against Dallas by going small when he did it against the Warriors. Last year Spurs had the best record and should have made Dallas play the Spurs game and not adjust. This year, the Mavs have the best record and they are adjusting against an 8th seed. Why should the best team change their style? It's how they got the best record...run with it.

[Tigole Bitties]

well... Dallas played their usual "big" lineup against GSW during the regular season. They still lost.

[K-State Spur]

I'm not sure how much playing their big men more would help the Mavs. Diop can block some shots, Damp can clog up the lane simply by being a fatass and literally blocking the lane. But both would get owned in 1 on 1 match-ups and neither dominates the offensive glass enough or is enough of an offensive threat to make up for it on the other end.

Of course, if Dirk would play like a 7-footer on the defensive end occasionally, that would help the Mavs small ball immensely.

[ponky]

yes he is...too bad me might not get a chance to display those smarts again this year...WTF?!?!?!?! FUCK, i drank too much to care about a mavs' loss, goodnight!

[Jimcs50]

Perhaps, I spoke too soon.

:)



Worst Coaching Job: Avery Johnson is easily one of the league's best coaches, but his decision to start Devean George instead of center Erick Dampier was terrible. The Warriors already felt like they had Dallas' number going in, but when they saw that, I'm sure they knew they were in the Mavericks' minds. When you win 67 games, you make teams adjust to you, not the other way around. To me, that played right into Golden State's hands. It makes you wonder if Avery was thrown off by the notion of going up against his mentor, Don Nelson. Alonzo Mourning used to get outplayed annually by his mentor, Patrick Ewing, in the playoffs, even when Ewing was past his prime. This might be a similar situation, where Avery has too much respect for the opposing coach. Just a theory.

[Cry Havoc]

I can't wait for both Game 2s. What awesome luck we have to have 2 exciting matchup series in Round 1!

[Testing]

Perhaps, I spoke too soon.

:)


:lmao :lmao

[Three_Rings]

How can AJ be smarter when he doesn't own a single ring?

[Islymore]

^ didnt AJ get a ring with the Spurs...

[DarrinS]

If Dirk could play in the paint (like a 7 ft power forward should), they wouldn't have this matchup problem.


This message is for Dirk:

For chrissakes man, drive to the basket you wuss. Didn't you learn anything from the closing seconds of the western conf. semis last year? You shoot like 1000% from the charity stripe. Get a clue.

[itzsoweezee]

well if AJ is smart enough not to repeat the mistake of smallball (unlike popovich), then he definitely is smarter than pop. i guess we'll find out tomorrow.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Perhaps, I spoke too soon.

:)


Good to know the JimmyJinx is not limited to the Spurs. Or maybe it just continues to work on former Spurs players?

[SenorSpur]

I wouldn't go as far as to say that Avery is smarter than Pop, but I do see a couple of slight differences in philosophy between the two that prove to be an advantage for Avery's teams.

Avery coaches his guys to commit hard, playoff-type fouls. He absolutely detests giving up 3-pt plays. Based on what I see from the Spurs (especially the way they allow Devin Harris' regular forays to the rim), I don't know that Pop instructs his team to do the same thing.

Avery also deliberately tries to get the opposition into early foul trouble. Because his team is such a good FT shooting team, he uses that philosophy as a way to "steal" extra points toward the end of each half. I admit I don't know Pop's philosophy on that.

[LilMissSPURfect]

Pop = Donotfoul
Zebra = Hmmlookslikeafoul _ Ilookgoodcallinitinfrontofhomecrowd

[Gregory Pop A Bitch]

No one is smarter than me.

[LilMissSPURfect]

No one is smarter than me.
:dizzy

[ducks]

Quick pop better call aj and tell him what he needs to do

[BIG IRISH]

Maybe we can get AJ to SA...


When Hell Freezes over

[wildbill2u]

It may turn out that it will be irrelevant if AJ is smarter than Pop.

Right now, He needs to be smarter than Nellie or he won't face Pop.