Findog
03-01-2008, 02:39 AM
He's a crusty old vagina, but the man knows his X's and O's. Posting it here instead of the Spurs section because of all the incessant bitching about what a D Rob and Spurs hater he is.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/7852542/Why-wasn't-Kidd-on-court-in-crunch-time?
Game Time: Spurs 97, Mavs 94
Jason Kidd was brought to Dallas to provide leadership for the mostly rudderless Mavericks. And, for the most part, that's exactly what he did in the Mavs' tough loss in San Antonio.
Let's break down Kidd's performance and examine the particulars.
Defense
Jason Kidd generally played good defense on Manu Ginobili. (Eric Gay / Associated Press)
For most of the game, Kidd guarded Manu Ginobili, and J-Kidd made only a handful of mistakes on defense:
# He leaked out on a shot by Parker, only to have Fabricio Oberto grab the offensive rebound and pass to an unattended Ginobili, who missed a dunker.
# He overplayed Ginobili's right hand (!) in the vicinity of a screen, thereby letting Ginobili drive left, pull and hit a short jumper.
# He was beaten by Ginobili's right-to-left crossover, but got bailed out when Erick Dampier blocked the ensuing layup attempt.
# He was beaten by a straight lefty drive and was rescued once more by Dampier blocking another layup by Ginobili.
# He bought a head fake and fouled Ginobili.
# Although the Spurs tried to attack Kidd's defense, Ginobili couldn't find the basket with a roadmap — 6-for-20 for 17 points. In head-to-head competition, Kidd allowed opponents (Jacque Vaughn, Damon Stoudamire and Ginobili) score a total of only four points — all of them by Ginobili.
The bottom line is that Kidd did an outstanding job on the defensive end. Twice he recognized that high screens were being set for Ginobili and shot the gap between the screen and the passers.
On the first such sequence, he successfully denied the pass to Ginobili. On the second occasion, he stole the pass and raced downcourt for a solo layup.
Offense
Kidd didn't shoot well — 3-for-8 for 7 points — and his only buckets came on a breakaway, a trey and a spinning fall-back jumper in the lane. Yet he put a snap into the Mavs' offense.
# Particularly in the first half, Kidd's long downcourt passes created numerous scoring opportunities.
# He ran several successful screen/pops in conjunction with Brandon Bass.
# His decision-making was quick, forceful and mostly on the money.
# In addition to his 10 assists, Kidd's passes directly led to seven open shots that his teammates missed. Plus, four additional passes put his teammates in such advantageous positions that the Spurs were forced to foul.
As on the defensive end, Kidd's mistakes on offense were minimal.
# When he was guarded by Vaughn on a fast break, Kidd pulled the trigger on a too-quick mid-range jumper that missed.
# He beat Ginobili into the lane with a behind-the-back dribble, but the ball got momentarily stuck on his hip and he botched the layup.
# One of his two turnovers resulted when Dirk Nowitzki tripped over the 3-point line and Kidd's pass subsequently went astray.
# Another errant pass resulted when Josh Howard zigged and Kidd anticipated that he would zag.
# Kidd's most egregious error came with the Spurs leading 92-91 and only 2:26 left in the game. That's when he stopped and popped too early in an early offense situation and missed a 17-footer.
In sum, he mostly did what he was supposed to do on offense — move the ball, recognize the advantageous matchups and deliver precise passes where the shooters could safely receive them. That and routinely make something out of nothing.
Leadership
This is why the Mavs traded for Kidd. He demonstrated his leadership late in the third quarter after Jason Terry was tagged with a technical foul after dancing in the lane with Bruce Bowen. Initially, Kidd was the peacemaker, successfully restraining Terry and keeping him from getting bounced. Then Kidd approached Bowen to get his version of the to-do.
If Avery Johnson was still in enough of a froth 46 seconds later to get himself nailed with a tech, Kidd's soothing diplomacy kept all of the players under control.
But then Johnson made what was perhaps the biggest mistake in the game — one that might well haunt the Mavs for the foreseeable future.
Dallas was down two with less than 30 blips remaining on the clock and possession of the ball ... and Johnson yanked Kidd to the bench.
Why?
To perhaps run a play Kidd wasn't familiar with?
Nonsense. What plays had the Mavs run for most of the game? Isolations for Nowitzki, Howard and Jerry Stackhouse, as well as screen-and-rolls for various players.
Did Johnson want more size on the court to make an offensive rebound a viable option in case their first shot missed?
Nonsense.
That's a negative attitude.
Perhaps Johnson didn't trust that Kidd could knock down an open shot if the designated shooter was doubled and forced to pass out.
Nonsense.
Despite his justified reputation as a poor shooter, Kidd has a long history of making game-winning shots.
In any case, Terry drove to the hoop, had his shot blocked by Bowen, and the game was over.
In truth, leaders belong on the court in every clutch situation. Because Johnson choked, Kidd never had a chance to try to engineer a game-tying or game-winning score. If Johnson doesn't trust Kidd, how can Kidd trust Johnson?
Straight Shooting
Amare Stoudemire has fired four representative groups over the course of his six-year career. In explaining his latest firing (and ignoring a huge endorsement from Nike he'd just signed), Stoudemire said this: "From a marketing standpoint, I haven't reached my full potential. With my personality and aura and swagger, I have a good chance to be marketed. Lots of companies adore me."
Should Amare Stoudemire be raking in more endorsement dough? He thinks so.
What kind of "aura" does Stoudemire have? One as a guy who constantly grouses whenever calls go against him? A guy who couldn't restrain himself from leaving the bench in that memorable playoff game against the Spurs? A guy whose dim defense is the focus of opponents' offenses?
And what about his "swagger?" Perhaps he was referring to his post-dunk penchant for chest-beating and self-aggrandizing howls? "Swagger" is one way to describe this behavior. Another is "post-adolescent punk."
For me, the only adorable aspects of this young man are his rebounds, along with the numbers he posts on offense.
I'm reminded of how Karl Malone reacted when Michael Jordan's picture appeared on a cereal box after the Bulls won another championship. Malone stormed into his agent's office, slammed his fist on the agent's desk and vigorously complained about his picture not being on the Wheaties box instead. After all, Malone said, his down-home, truck-driving persona was more popular with sports fans than MJ's elitist appeal. Besides, Malone insisted, he was much better looking than Jordan.
Far be it from me to judge the comparative handsomeness of The Mailman and His Airness. I will venture, however, that six gold rings certainly made the latter's fingers better looking.
Anyway, it says here that Stoudemire should pay more attention to working on his on-court deficiencies than in blowing his own horn. Like learning how to guard somebody straight-up.
Also, Muhammad Ali was the only sports hero in my lifetime who had license to say, "I am the greatest!"
Vox Populi
If you have a question or comment for Charley Rosen, submit it below and Charley may just respond.
Subject:
Comment/Question:
Name: (ex, john doe)
Email: (ex, [email protected])
Hometown:
My friend and I have a disagreement over who is the best low-post defender of all time. He says David Robinson. I say Tim Duncan is better than Robinson, but that Bill Russell was the best ever. Who's your pick? — John Fynaardt, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Robinson was — and Duncan is — much more effective providing weak-side defensive help than in guarding post-up scorers. In fact, neither one is considered a top-notch, one-on-one defender in the pivot.
You are correct, however, in believing that Russ set the standard here — and he was also an unsurpassed help defender as well.
Here are some other low-post defenders who were better than either Robinson and Duncan: Nate Thurmond, Wilt Chamberlain in his latter days, Paul Silas, Dave Cowens, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mark Eaton, Kevin McHale, Hakeem Olajuwon, Dennis Rodman, Horace Grant, and Dikembe Mutombo in his prime.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/7852542/Why-wasn't-Kidd-on-court-in-crunch-time?
Game Time: Spurs 97, Mavs 94
Jason Kidd was brought to Dallas to provide leadership for the mostly rudderless Mavericks. And, for the most part, that's exactly what he did in the Mavs' tough loss in San Antonio.
Let's break down Kidd's performance and examine the particulars.
Defense
Jason Kidd generally played good defense on Manu Ginobili. (Eric Gay / Associated Press)
For most of the game, Kidd guarded Manu Ginobili, and J-Kidd made only a handful of mistakes on defense:
# He leaked out on a shot by Parker, only to have Fabricio Oberto grab the offensive rebound and pass to an unattended Ginobili, who missed a dunker.
# He overplayed Ginobili's right hand (!) in the vicinity of a screen, thereby letting Ginobili drive left, pull and hit a short jumper.
# He was beaten by Ginobili's right-to-left crossover, but got bailed out when Erick Dampier blocked the ensuing layup attempt.
# He was beaten by a straight lefty drive and was rescued once more by Dampier blocking another layup by Ginobili.
# He bought a head fake and fouled Ginobili.
# Although the Spurs tried to attack Kidd's defense, Ginobili couldn't find the basket with a roadmap — 6-for-20 for 17 points. In head-to-head competition, Kidd allowed opponents (Jacque Vaughn, Damon Stoudamire and Ginobili) score a total of only four points — all of them by Ginobili.
The bottom line is that Kidd did an outstanding job on the defensive end. Twice he recognized that high screens were being set for Ginobili and shot the gap between the screen and the passers.
On the first such sequence, he successfully denied the pass to Ginobili. On the second occasion, he stole the pass and raced downcourt for a solo layup.
Offense
Kidd didn't shoot well — 3-for-8 for 7 points — and his only buckets came on a breakaway, a trey and a spinning fall-back jumper in the lane. Yet he put a snap into the Mavs' offense.
# Particularly in the first half, Kidd's long downcourt passes created numerous scoring opportunities.
# He ran several successful screen/pops in conjunction with Brandon Bass.
# His decision-making was quick, forceful and mostly on the money.
# In addition to his 10 assists, Kidd's passes directly led to seven open shots that his teammates missed. Plus, four additional passes put his teammates in such advantageous positions that the Spurs were forced to foul.
As on the defensive end, Kidd's mistakes on offense were minimal.
# When he was guarded by Vaughn on a fast break, Kidd pulled the trigger on a too-quick mid-range jumper that missed.
# He beat Ginobili into the lane with a behind-the-back dribble, but the ball got momentarily stuck on his hip and he botched the layup.
# One of his two turnovers resulted when Dirk Nowitzki tripped over the 3-point line and Kidd's pass subsequently went astray.
# Another errant pass resulted when Josh Howard zigged and Kidd anticipated that he would zag.
# Kidd's most egregious error came with the Spurs leading 92-91 and only 2:26 left in the game. That's when he stopped and popped too early in an early offense situation and missed a 17-footer.
In sum, he mostly did what he was supposed to do on offense — move the ball, recognize the advantageous matchups and deliver precise passes where the shooters could safely receive them. That and routinely make something out of nothing.
Leadership
This is why the Mavs traded for Kidd. He demonstrated his leadership late in the third quarter after Jason Terry was tagged with a technical foul after dancing in the lane with Bruce Bowen. Initially, Kidd was the peacemaker, successfully restraining Terry and keeping him from getting bounced. Then Kidd approached Bowen to get his version of the to-do.
If Avery Johnson was still in enough of a froth 46 seconds later to get himself nailed with a tech, Kidd's soothing diplomacy kept all of the players under control.
But then Johnson made what was perhaps the biggest mistake in the game — one that might well haunt the Mavs for the foreseeable future.
Dallas was down two with less than 30 blips remaining on the clock and possession of the ball ... and Johnson yanked Kidd to the bench.
Why?
To perhaps run a play Kidd wasn't familiar with?
Nonsense. What plays had the Mavs run for most of the game? Isolations for Nowitzki, Howard and Jerry Stackhouse, as well as screen-and-rolls for various players.
Did Johnson want more size on the court to make an offensive rebound a viable option in case their first shot missed?
Nonsense.
That's a negative attitude.
Perhaps Johnson didn't trust that Kidd could knock down an open shot if the designated shooter was doubled and forced to pass out.
Nonsense.
Despite his justified reputation as a poor shooter, Kidd has a long history of making game-winning shots.
In any case, Terry drove to the hoop, had his shot blocked by Bowen, and the game was over.
In truth, leaders belong on the court in every clutch situation. Because Johnson choked, Kidd never had a chance to try to engineer a game-tying or game-winning score. If Johnson doesn't trust Kidd, how can Kidd trust Johnson?
Straight Shooting
Amare Stoudemire has fired four representative groups over the course of his six-year career. In explaining his latest firing (and ignoring a huge endorsement from Nike he'd just signed), Stoudemire said this: "From a marketing standpoint, I haven't reached my full potential. With my personality and aura and swagger, I have a good chance to be marketed. Lots of companies adore me."
Should Amare Stoudemire be raking in more endorsement dough? He thinks so.
What kind of "aura" does Stoudemire have? One as a guy who constantly grouses whenever calls go against him? A guy who couldn't restrain himself from leaving the bench in that memorable playoff game against the Spurs? A guy whose dim defense is the focus of opponents' offenses?
And what about his "swagger?" Perhaps he was referring to his post-dunk penchant for chest-beating and self-aggrandizing howls? "Swagger" is one way to describe this behavior. Another is "post-adolescent punk."
For me, the only adorable aspects of this young man are his rebounds, along with the numbers he posts on offense.
I'm reminded of how Karl Malone reacted when Michael Jordan's picture appeared on a cereal box after the Bulls won another championship. Malone stormed into his agent's office, slammed his fist on the agent's desk and vigorously complained about his picture not being on the Wheaties box instead. After all, Malone said, his down-home, truck-driving persona was more popular with sports fans than MJ's elitist appeal. Besides, Malone insisted, he was much better looking than Jordan.
Far be it from me to judge the comparative handsomeness of The Mailman and His Airness. I will venture, however, that six gold rings certainly made the latter's fingers better looking.
Anyway, it says here that Stoudemire should pay more attention to working on his on-court deficiencies than in blowing his own horn. Like learning how to guard somebody straight-up.
Also, Muhammad Ali was the only sports hero in my lifetime who had license to say, "I am the greatest!"
Vox Populi
If you have a question or comment for Charley Rosen, submit it below and Charley may just respond.
Subject:
Comment/Question:
Name: (ex, john doe)
Email: (ex, [email protected])
Hometown:
My friend and I have a disagreement over who is the best low-post defender of all time. He says David Robinson. I say Tim Duncan is better than Robinson, but that Bill Russell was the best ever. Who's your pick? — John Fynaardt, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Robinson was — and Duncan is — much more effective providing weak-side defensive help than in guarding post-up scorers. In fact, neither one is considered a top-notch, one-on-one defender in the pivot.
You are correct, however, in believing that Russ set the standard here — and he was also an unsurpassed help defender as well.
Here are some other low-post defenders who were better than either Robinson and Duncan: Nate Thurmond, Wilt Chamberlain in his latter days, Paul Silas, Dave Cowens, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mark Eaton, Kevin McHale, Hakeem Olajuwon, Dennis Rodman, Horace Grant, and Dikembe Mutombo in his prime.