Defensive Matchups

[timvp]

The Suns used four main players to try to slow down Parker. Marion was on him most of the time, but Nash and Barbosa also got chances to guard him. And when Kurt Thomas was in the game, the Suns would switch the pick-and-rolls and let Thomas try to slow Parker.

Here are the results for game one:

--Against Marion, Parker was 6-for-9 and got all five of his free throw attempts when Marion was guarding him.

--Against Nash and Barbosa, Parker was 3-for-4 against both of them.

--Against Thomas, Parker was 2-for-5.

It looks like the Suns' best hope is to play Thomas and let him switch off on Parker. Thomas also did a great job on Duncan. It's no mistake that Thomas led the Suns with a +7 on the game in regards to +/-.

Luckily for the Spurs, D'Antoni doesn't like to play Thomas. :smokin



On the other side of the court, the Spurs threw a lot of players on Amare.

Duncan was the most successful, limiting Amare to 2-for-9 shooting and four free throw attempts. Bowen and Oberto both limited Amare to 0-for-2 shooting when matched up with him.

Elson allowed Amare to go 2-for-3 from the field and sent him to the line for four attempts. Amare was also 1-for-2 against Ginobili and 1-for-1 against Horry.

Duncan played him wonderfully, keeping Amare from attacking the rim for the most part. Oberto was also impressive in making Amare a jump shooter.

One thing I'm not too comfortable with is Duncan guarding Marion for so long like he did in Game 1. Marion is a streaky player and I think that you're just asking for trouble by putting Duncan on him.

I still prefer putting Bowen on Marion to just take him out of the series.

If you are a Suns fan, the key is probably Kurt Thomas playing as much as possible. He's their best defender on Duncan and was pretty damn effective on Parker.

[TheTruth]

D'antoni has to see that Boris Diaw is a waste of space right now.

[Amare_32]

D'antoni has to see that Boris Diaw is a waste of space right now.

Diaw hopefully wakes up for Game 2.

[spursfaninla]

Here comes the chess match. Do the Suns change their rotation and play Thomas way more? If so, they are not going to score as much, period.

I didn't realize that Nash played so few minutes...check out the minutes for this game:

bell 44
marion 42
stoudamire 38
barbosa 35
nash 33
diaw 25
thomas 13
j jones 9

I don't think Nash plays so few minutes next time, honestly. And if they are going to get Thomas more minutes, it comes with phoenix going big;

nash 40
bell 44
marion 40
amare 38
thomas 25
(barbosa) 35
(diaw) 18

I'm assuming that if they want to keep marion, amare and bell in for so many minutes, they have no choice but to cut Diaw's; Nash is going to play more minutes every other game this series, and they need Barbosa's scoring.

It will be interesting to see how they make these minutes work; do they put Barbosa in as the primary backup for the back court, and diaw the primary bckup for the front court, or do they switch to small ball and sub barbosa in for the front court?

[kskonn]

Here comes the chess match. Do the Suns change their rotation and play Thomas way more? If so, they are not going to score as much, period.

I didn't realize that Nash played so few minutes...check out the minutes for this game:

bell 44
marion 42
stoudamire 38
barbosa 35
nash 33
diaw 25
thomas 13
j jones 9

I don't think Nash plays so few minutes next time, honestly. And if they are going to get Thomas more minutes, it comes with phoenix going big;

nash 40
bell 44
marion 40
amare 38
thomas 25
(barbosa) 35
(diaw) 18

I'm assuming that if they want to keep marion, amare and bell in for so many minutes, they have no choice but to cut Diaw's; Nash is going to play more minutes every other game this series, and they need Barbosa's scoring.

It will be interesting to see how they make these minutes work; do they put Barbosa in as the primary backup for the back court, and diaw the primary bckup for the front court, or do they switch to small ball and sub barbosa in for the front court?

and they actually played pretty decent for one long stretch where nash was on the bench. I think that is when they made their comeback in the 3rd. Correct me If I am wrong.

[Mark in Austin]

I agree with putting Bowen on Marion. If I remember correctly that's what they did two years ago. If Marion starts going off, things can go downhill in a hurry...

[ShoogarBear]

Luckily for the Spurs, D'Antoni doesn't like to play Thomas. :smokin

I really think we need to put the kibosh on mentioning this. Thomas also did a great job on TD in the last regular season game, and even someone as dumb as D'Antoni will have to realize this at some point, right?

Once he decides to keep Thomas out there for 30 minutes, I think the Suns will have the upper hand, and it'll be Pop's turn to make a countermove.

[leemajors]

I agree with putting Bowen on Marion. If I remember correctly that's what they did two years ago. If Marion starts going off, things can go downhill in a hurry...

if the spurs can continue to limit nash's assists, marion won't go off. he can't create shots for himself at all.

[Mr. Body]

I agree with putting Bowen on Marion. If I remember correctly that's what they did two years ago. If Marion starts going off, things can go downhill in a hurry...

The offense runs heavily through Nash's hands. As others have pointed out, when an offensive set fails, the reset with the ball in Nash's hands - there is almost no attempt for any player to get his own shots otherwise.

That's a long way of saying Marion isn't a huge concern in and of himself. It's not like he's slashing to the bucket. He spots for threes, gets offensive boards, will make cuts. He's almost always on the receiving end of Nash's forays.

[Tigole Bitties]

I bet that's how Mike D'Antoni comes up with his "strategery" -- by scouring bball forums for tips :lol

[ShoogarBear]

I bet that's how Mike D'Antoni comes up with his "strategery" -- by scouring bball forums for tips :lolIt at least would explain things.

[bdictjames]

As I remember, Thomas killed us at Game 1 by his shooting and defense of TD.

And the Suns were still scoring at that point.

Once D'Antonio realizes this, we're gonna need a whole lot of help outside of Tony and Duncan.

[dreamcastrocks]

kurt thomas is the key to the series, according to suns talk forums

Well, I feel that stopping Tony Parker is key. Having Thomas in the game is huge, as it helps with the 1 on 1 defense against Duncan, as well as helping with the weakside defense, boxing out, and gives the Suns the ability to switch on the pick & roll as mentioned above.

Thomas has to play 25 minutes, and not the 13 he played. They also needs to play Barbosa early and often.

The Suns rarely got on the fast break. I realize that the Spurs will give up defensive rebounds to get back in transition defense, but the Spurs did a great job on the boards. Marion in particular needs to crash the offensive boards.

The Suns only played about 70%, and was still in the game until the very end. I expect the Suns to win game 2, and lose the series in 6 as I predicted earlier.

[Mr. Body]

If PHX ever wants to beat the Spurs, they need to learn how to play half court offensive sets with multiple points of attack. Why they haven't done this in the last three years is beyond me.

[dreamcastrocks]

If PHX ever wants to beat the Spurs, they need to learn how to play half court offensive sets with multiple points of attack. Why they haven't done this in the last three years is beyond me.

Our coach does not have the X's and O's to do it on defense. It is as simple as that. He can create multiple points of attack on offense, but not defense. The Suns will always be an average defensive team. (not the horrible team that most of the media portrays) You can't have a 1st team all NBA, and a runner up for DPOY (Marion) and be a horrible defense. It's not possible.

[timvp]

I really think we need to put the kibosh on mentioning this. Thomas also did a great job on TD in the last regular season game, and even someone as dumb as D'Antoni will have to realize this at some point, right?

Once he decides to keep Thomas out there for 30 minutes, I think the Suns will have the upper hand, and it'll be Pop's turn to make a countermove.

To D'Antoni, playing Kurt Thomas is akin to admitting that his style of play doesn't work. I doubt we see Thomas playing 30 minutes this series.

Or at least I hope not. Thomas playing regular minutes completely changes this series.

[timvp]

Our coach does not have the X's and O's to do it on defense. It is as simple as that. He can create multiple points of attack on offense, but not defense. The Suns will always be an average defensive team. (not the horrible team that most of the media portrays) You can't have a 1st team all NBA, and a runner up for DPOY (Marion) and be a horrible defense. It's not possible.

Bell and Marion are very good defenders, yet overrated. Thomas is easily your team's best defender ... as you can see by his regular season (http://www.82games.com/0607/0607PHO1.HTM) and playoff (http://www.82games.com/0607/playoffs/0607PHO1.HTM) stats .

[ShoogarBear]

Our coach does not have the X's and O's to do it on defense. It is as simple as that. He can create multiple points of attack on offense, but not defense. The Suns will always be an average defensive team. (not the horrible team that most of the media portrays) You can't have a 1st team all NBA, and a runner up for DPOY (Marion) and be a horrible defense. It's not possible.Yeah, but you can be coached by someone who won't utilize their defensive talents correctly because he is more interested in ego gratification and hearing about "his style" than in winning a championship (see Nelson, Don and Mavericks, Dallas).

timvp is right. Switch coaches on these teams and the Suns sweep.

[cly2tw]

Parker was amazing. Did he ever miss a midrange jumper at all? Suns' best defender on him might be Banks who could rough him up a little, in the hope that he might get tired later in the game and became less accurate. The problem is DA doesn't want to play him either.

Amare lacked energy on offense, I guess due to his spending too much on defense and playing as long as he played. So, with KT taking over main responsibility on TD, Amare's offensive production will increase, while TD will get roughed up a little more than in Game 1.

Everybody can defend Marion easily as long as he is parked at the 3-pt line. For the Suns to have a chance, he needs to cut more and try harder for offensive rebounds.

I expect/hope Diaw touch the ball on offense more, mainly exploiting any mismatch after switch with Nash. He can do some damage by posting up Parker, Manu, Bowen, and drive by the bigs not named Horry.

[MI21]

To D'Antoni, playing Kurt Thomas is akin to admitting that his style of play doesn't work.

That is exactly how I see it also.

D'Antoni seems very stubborn in that regard, and it looks as if he is more worried about whinging and whining to the referees. When you blame things outside of your own control, you will never realise and find the mistakes you are making...

[FromWayDowntown]

I think that, in some ways, the Suns actually become a much easier team for the Spurs to guard with Thomas on the floor. Defending well is certainly one key to controlling tempo and I think that there might only be a marginal boost for the Suns by choosing to play Thomas for lots of minutes. He certainly improves their chances to limit the Spurs' offense, but in a game with even a slightly slower tempo, I'm not sure that the Spurs have to be as efficient on the offensive end. That said, Thomas does give them at least a hope of defending Duncan effectively without lots and lots of double teams and Thomas does give them a better chance to stay in the rebounding battle.

I thought the Suns figured something out in the early-to-mid 4th when Marion had several really nice opportunities at the rim coming out of pick and rolls and other slashing opportunites that he got. The Spurs didn't defend him nearly as well when he was moving, which isn't terribly surprising, but is something that needs to be corrected.

[cly2tw]

Yeah, but you can be coached by someone who won't utilize their defensive talents correctly because he is more interested in ego gratification and hearing about "his style" than in winning a championship (see Nelson, Don and Mavericks, Dallas).

timvp is right. Switch coaches on these teams and the Suns sweep.

So true. Sigh!

The problem starts in regular season. Against the Spurs, Banks and Rose should be of more use than James Jones, yet focused on winning every regular season game possible and on cultivating the "style", DA refused to give them playing time, as if to say "we can win it all without adjustments" or "others have to adjust to us not the other way round". The same reason he refuses to play Kurt more and Banks a little. :bang

[Supergirl]

It's disappointing that Elson wasn't more successful against Amare, as he was brought in to help out with exactly that type of player - tall, athletic, strong PF/Cs.

Good analysis though. Oberto is really outshining Elson so far in the playoffs.

I suspect that Kurt Thomas will see more time in game 2, but this could still work to the Spurs advantage, as he is not really quick enough to stay with Parker and Manu for 48 min, and isn't as much of an offensive threat as Diaw usually is.

[MI21]

Welcome, cly2tw.

It's pleasant when a new poster from an opposition team shows up and he isn't a dickhead :lol

[cly2tw]

I suspect that Kurt Thomas will see more time in game 2, but this could still work to the Spurs advantage, as he is not really quick enough to stay with Parker and Manu for 48 min, and isn't as much of an offensive threat as Diaw usually is.


The way Diaw was ignored on offense after his early success to exploit some mismatches in game 1, it doesn't matter that Kurt is less of a threat offensively. If the Suns could unplug Diaw's offense, it would make sense to play Kurt less. So, one of these has to take place.

[timvp]

I think that, in some ways, the Suns actually become a much easier team for the Spurs to guard with Thomas on the floor. Defending well is certainly one key to controlling tempo and I think that there might only be a marginal boost for the Suns by choosing to play Thomas for lots of minutes. He certainly improves their chances to limit the Spurs' offense, but in a game with even a slightly slower tempo, I'm not sure that the Spurs have to be as efficient on the offensive end.

Well, Thomas played basically one quarter and the Suns scored 31 points while he was on the court. I'm all for D'Antoni taking this train of thought, though :)

The thing is, when the Suns run, it's usually one or two guys getting out on the break. A Suns fast break is Nash throwing the ball up to Barbosa who beats everyone to the basket and lays it in. I don't see them like the Showtime Lakers who would run three, four or five guys at a time.

But yeah as a Spurs fan, the less I see of Thomas, the happier I am. He's their best post defender, their best help defender, their best pick-and-roll defender and their best at boxing out. Yeah he might slow the pace some, but this is never going to be like 2002 Mavs vs. Kings ... no matter how much D'Antoni wants the pace to be pushed.


I thought the Suns figured something out in the early-to-mid 4th when Marion had several really nice opportunities at the rim coming out of pick and rolls and other slashing opportunites that he got. The Spurs didn't defend him nearly as well when he was moving, which isn't terribly surprising, but is something that needs to be corrected.

Yeah, that Nash/Marion pick-and-roll was deadly. The only time the Spurs stopped it was when Parker stole the pass to Marion (right before The Collision).

I don't know if the Suns were saving it for the fourth quarter, but it sure looked that way. They were something like 6-for-7 in getting baskets when they ran it.

The scary thing is I don't know how the Spurs can stop it without sending help from a three-point shooter. Marion is too quick and if you send the other big to double, Marion will just pass it to Stoudemire for a dunk.

[cly2tw]

Welcome, cly2tw.

It's pleasant when a new poster from an opposition team shows up and he isn't a dickhead :lol

Thanks. I'd say most Suns fans are quite reasonable with a little, sound bias for their own team. I must say you guys have many reasonable posters here also, which motivated me to contribute a little in the first place. :)

[dreamcastrocks]

So true. Sigh!

The problem starts in regular season. Against the Spurs, Banks and Rose should be of more use than James Jones, yet focused on winning every regular season game possible and on cultivating the "style", DA refused to give them playing time, as if to say "we can win it all without adjustments" or "others have to adjust to us not the other way round". The same reason he refuses to play Kurt more and Banks a little. :bang

As a Suns fan, I disagree. Banks didn't even deserve the PT that he got. It would be nice to see him get 4 or 5 minutes to see how he could play against Parker, but that's it. I don't want him shooting the ball at all.

[cly2tw]

As a Suns fan, I disagree. Banks didn't even deserve the PT that he got. It would be nice to see him get 4 or 5 minutes to see how he could play against Parker, but that's it. I don't want him shooting the ball at all.

For long stretches, the Suns offense was almost exclusively Nash-Amare-Barbosa, so Banks or any other defensive specialist (like Bowen) may not have many chances to shoot anyways. But it's against DA's philosophy to have a non-shooter on the court. :(

[dreamcastrocks]

For long stretches, the Suns offense was almost exclusively Nash-Amare-Barbosa, so Banks or any other defensive specialist (like Bowen) may not have many chances to shoot anyways. But it's against DA's philosophy to have a non-shooter on the court. :(

Banks was a shooter before this year. Look at his career numbers, they were great, and he had an awesome 2nd half of last year, which prompted us to sign him. He lost his shooting touch, he forgot how to make layups, and even his defense, (which was his biggest asset) was non-existant.

He didn't deserve minutes. Everyone on the Suns can shoot. (well, except Banks now)

[Testing]

Elson may do better on Shawn Marion at the defensive end....

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

To D'Antoni, playing Kurt Thomas is akin to admitting that his style of play doesn't work. I doubt we see Thomas playing 30 minutes this series.

Or at least I hope not. Thomas playing regular minutes completely changes this series.


I don't think Thomas will be as effective playing regular minutes. I would bet his numbers drop off the longer he's on the floor.

That would be interesting, though. The Suns going big on us.

[FromWayDowntown]

I don't think Thomas will be as effective playing regular minutes. I would bet his numbers drop off the longer he's on the floor.

That would be interesting, though. The Suns going big on us.

I agree with that notion. It's why I'm inclined to think that while Thomas had a very positive effect on Game 1 for the Suns, extended minutes for him would seem to benefit the Spurs.

If Thomas is on the floor for extended minutes, D'Antoni either has to sit Stoudemire (not going to happen) or he has to take one of his non-Marion wing players off the floor. Thomas becomes a fairly stationary target for the defense. Certainly, he can be somewhat effective at times when used in 2-man games with Nash, shooting the ball from around the free throw line. But even then, he's not slashing to the bucket or compelling doubles and help. In fact, I'd think that the Spurs would be quite content to see if Kurt Thomas can beat them from 10 feet and out.

More importantly, I think, if Thomas out there, the Spurs aren't having to chase Nash AND Marion AND Barbosa AND/OR Bell while still dealing with Stoudemire in the post. The less speed and athleticism that's on the floor, the better for the Spurs.

[dreamcastrocks]

I agree with that notion. It's why I'm inclined to think that while Thomas had a very positive effect on Game 1 for the Suns, extended minutes for him would seem to benefit the Spurs.

If Thomas is on the floor for extended minutes, D'Antoni either has to sit Stoudemire (not going to happen) or he has to take one of his non-Marion wing players off the floor. Thomas becomes a fairly stationary target for the defense. Certainly, he can be somewhat effective at times when used in 2-man games with Nash, shooting the ball from around the free throw line. But even then, he's not slashing to the bucket or compelling doubles and help. In fact, I'd think that the Spurs would be quite content to see if Kurt Thomas can beat them from 10 feet and out.

More importantly, I think, if Thomas out there, the Spurs aren't having to chase Nash AND Marion AND Barbosa AND/OR Bell while still dealing with Stoudemire in the post. The less speed and athleticism that's on the floor, the better for the Spurs.

A lineup of

Nash
Bell/Barbosa
Marion
KT
Amare would the best for the suns in this series IMO.

You give Barbosa Diaw's minutes. It's as simple as that.

[DarrinS]

IMO, D'Antoni is not committed to defense, so he's not going to bring in a good defender at the cost of an offensive liability.

[Kevin Blackistone]

I agree with that notion. It's why I'm inclined to think that while Thomas had a very positive effect on Game 1 for the Suns, extended minutes for him would seem to benefit the Spurs.

If Thomas is on the floor for extended minutes, D'Antoni either has to sit Stoudemire (not going to happen) or he has to take one of his non-Marion wing players off the floor. Thomas becomes a fairly stationary target for the defense. Certainly, he can be somewhat effective at times when used in 2-man games with Nash, shooting the ball from around the free throw line. But even then, he's not slashing to the bucket or compelling doubles and help. In fact, I'd think that the Spurs would be quite content to see if Kurt Thomas can beat them from 10 feet and out.

More importantly, I think, if Thomas out there, the Spurs aren't having to chase Nash AND Marion AND Barbosa AND/OR Bell while still dealing with Stoudemire in the post. The less speed and athleticism that's on the floor, the better for the Spurs.

I also agree with this. Thomas for big minutes means that the tempo slows for the game, and this means fewer possessions for both teams. Fewer possessions means the Spurs better defense has a bigger impact and the score of both teams goes down. This is exactly what the Spurs want.

In addition, this allows the Spurs to help off of Thomas if necessary to cutoff Nash's penetration and still not give up open 3's. I don't think Thomas is going to be very effective at cutting to the basket like Amare would in that situation. If the Spurs play their game, I don't see a way that the Suns can match, no matter who they play.

For all of the criticism of Pop, this is precisely the reason why he tinkers with the lineups throughout the season and plays odd combinations at times. This is why he goes small, because he knew he would have to match up with a team like Phoenix at some point and that his players better be experienced at playing various styles. The Suns play one way, and if they can't win that way they are done. The odd lineups may have caused the Spurs wins this season, but it's paying off in spades now.

[Kevin Blackistone]

A lineup of

Nash
Bell/Barbosa
Marion
KT
Amare would the best for the suns in this series IMO.

You give Barbosa Diaw's minutes. It's as simple as that.

What does your bench rotation look like? With a lineup like that, the game is going to be slowed and become a physical, grind it out game. The Suns aren't accustomed to that, and will need significant bench time for this lineup to hope to be effective late in the 4th Q. If not, they will flame out in the 4th like Denver against the Spurs D.

[Solid D]

Nice video room work this morning, timvp. Kurt Thomas may play more minutes but that will also mean more fouls for Kurt Thomas. History is on the Spurs' side on that one.

[FromWayDowntown]

I also agree with this. Thomas for big minutes means that the tempo slows for the game, and this means fewer possessions for both teams. Fewer possessions means the Spurs better defense has a bigger impact and the score of both teams goes down. This is exactly what the Spurs want.

I don't think he necessarily slows the pace of the game, but I do think that he makes the Suns more manageable when you can get them into the half court. That, of course, is a key for the Spurs anyway.

It also limits the permutations of guys who can get out and run in transition. If Thomas plays big mintues, the Suns are really relying on their two guards and Marion to get out on every break. That's formidable, but it's not quite as formidable as having 4 burners who can go end-to-end in nothing flat.


In addition, this allows the Spurs to help off of Thomas if necessary to cutoff Nash's penetration and still not give up open 3's. I don't think Thomas is going to be very effective at cutting to the basket like Amare would in that situation. If the Spurs play their game, I don't see a way that the Suns can match, no matter who they play.

I could foresee several defensive possiblities that would be available to the Spurs if Thomas gets big minutes.


For all of the criticism of Pop, this is precisely the reason why he tinkers with the lineups throughout the season and plays odd combinations at times. This is why he goes small, because he knew he would have to match up with a team like Phoenix at some point and that his players better be experienced at playing various styles. The Suns play one way, and if they can't win that way they are done. The odd lineups may have caused the Spurs wins this season, but it's paying off in spades now.

I think there's truth in that; I think that Pop, to an extent, got caught with his britches down in the Dallas series last year because he hadn't spent much time during the regular season experimenting with smallball combos and had to figure out how to use his roster in smallball mode on the fly. This year, Pop has been more of the Mad Professor of years past; lots of combinations, lots of variation. I think that allows him to be a bit more selective and -- believe it or not -- to occasionally dictate matchups to opponents. He was masterful at times in the Denver series at forcing Karl to match him. It's a bit harder to do that against Phoenix, but I think the Spurs are more prepared for this sort of situation because they've had plenty of time to look at the various ways that they might deal with a team like this one.

[thousandth]

Duncan played him wonderfully, keeping Amare from attacking the rim for the most part. Oberto was also impressive in making Amare a jump shooter.One thing I'm not too comfortable with is Duncan guarding Marion for so long like he did in Game 1. Marion is a streaky player and I think that you're just asking for trouble by putting Duncan on him.

I still prefer putting Bowen on Marion to just take him out of the series.

If you are a Suns fan, the key is probably Kurt Thomas playing as much as possible. He's their best defender on Duncan and was pretty damn effective on Parker.

Yes, I agreed.
but the key is Kurt Thomas? wow! :wtf

[aaronstampler]

I would take it one step further, LJ. You wanna read something shocking? When the Suns played "big" with Shawn Marion as the SF, they were a +11. Meaning -15 when he was PF.

I don't think it matters all that much if it's KThomas in there or Diaw, as long as it's one of them and they put Amare at PF and Marion at SF. It might hurt their offense a bit, but they guard a lot better and rebound better when they're big.

To me, the Suns problem is their insistence on playing Raja Bell, with all his "Manu-stopper" nonsense. Marion was already the best guy they had to guard Manu. With Bell on the floor there is really no one for Marion to guard, at least not commiserate to his skill level. To put it simply, he's too good/talented to waste on the likes of Oberto/Elson/Horry/Bowen and not nearly physically equipped to handle Tim or Tony. Manu/Finley are the only guys it makes sense for him to guard, and unless Pop does D'Antoni a favor and goes small, we're not going to play Manu and Finley together an awful lot.

The Suns should play a Diaw/Thomas-Stoudemire-Marion-Barbosa-Nash line-up as much as possible if they want to beat us. Use Diaw as your 6th man to rest Thomas and I would even go so far as putting him at SF for those four, five minutes a game that Marion sits. Make Bell the 7th man and use him to spell Barbosa or Nash, with LB sliding over to point. Don't ever play James Jones, ever.

All that being said, from our perspective, I think we should stay big, but perhaps play Bowen less. If we play Manu and Finley together, then we make Nash have to guard somebody and drain him defensively. I don't think Bowen did that good of a job on Nash anyway and we can still neutralize Marion on offense just by getting back in transition and taking away his threes. Also, playing Manu and Finley together will force the Suns to play both Bell and Marion, which means they can't stay big AND play a Barbosa-Nash backcourt, which I think is the worst match-up nightmare for us.

[pad300]

If we play Manu and Finley together, then we make Nash have to guard somebody and drain him defensively.

You know, if one objective is "draining" Nash defensively, lets get a little unsubtle about this. You know he's going to guard Bowen if he's on the floor, cause it lets Nash rest, and all Nash has to do is stay at home with Bowen right. Get a line of 2 bigs (Oberto, TD), Bowen, Finley, Parker going. We gain possession, and go down to our usual 1/2 court set. Start Bowen on the opposite side of his usual corner, and just have Tony delay, holding the ball at the top of the arc for 2 or 3 seconds, while Bowen sprints the baseline, over to the opposite corner (his comfy corner). Nash has to come across with him or give him a free 3 from his hot spot (which is a decent percentage play in and of itself). Have both bigs hit Nash with their best screens as Bowen and Nash go through the paint. Bounce Nash off the floor a few times, and that back of his might start bugging him some... It ain't subtle, but it will actually make Nash take a pounding from screens (at least the 1st couple of times).

[td4mvp21]

Even if Thomas plays a lot more minutes in each game the rest of this series, Duncan is good enough to where he should be able to get his and be effective. If not, then I would definitely be surprised.

[dreamcastrocks]

What does your bench rotation look like? With a lineup like that, the game is going to be slowed and become a physical, grind it out game. The Suns aren't accustomed to that, and will need significant bench time for this lineup to hope to be effective late in the 4th Q. If not, they will flame out in the 4th like Denver against the Spurs D.

Rotation?

It involves a heavy dose of Barbosa and Diaw lately (the past 5 games or so James Jones has started, so he used to came off of the bench) and Kurt Thomas. We have other players (Jalen Rose, Marcus Banks) that could play well, but for whatever reason, didn't mesh with D'Antoni's system.

We really need to see Barbosa more and often. He has to go right at Duncan/Elson/Oberto, or there is no way that we can push the pace.

[bdictjames]

Wasnt Steven Hunter a Duncan-stopper as well in 2005? It seemed like it.

Kurt Thomas is no exception. Duncan learns from these opponents and figures them out like laser beams in the next game.

[cherylsteele]

In many ways the Suns' problem wasn't guarding TP. It was the lack of rebounding, especially on the defensive end, which reduced the Suns' offense to crawl at times compared to their usual M.O.

If the Suns' star rebounding better than I believe the Spurs will in real trouble. If the Spurs' keep the rebounding in check like game 1. Then this could be a very short series.