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I remember stockton would be notorious for setting back screens, some of them moving screens, to free up karl malone. I expect they may try to do the same to timmy.
I'm just playing devil's advocate here and anticipating what the Grizz might do in the form of adjustments. TIMVP, if you think this posting isn't in the spirit of this board then feel free to delete, no feelings hurt here.....
Offense:
What will they have to do to free up Zbo? Does he have to run off screens, commit some back screens/picks before finding position near the paint? Dwight, when being fronted, would then move over to the opposite side of the court and hope the ball would swing around fast enough to find him. We were good at rotating or finding the help D to front him on that side too.
How will they make us pay for packing the paint? I thought they might start poindexter but looked up his 3pt fg% and it is about 40% compared to 55% last night, so he really played above his level. But like the lakers, you're not gonna become a better shooting team overnight, so it'll be interesting to see how they handle it.
Do they try small ball (again)?
Defense:
If they want to take us out of our high pick and roll game, they're gonna have to involve a 3rd player since I dont see one of their bigs coming all the way out to disrupt tony's movement. But hey, i dont mind if the 3rd defender leaves Green or Kawai to help out, it leaves us open for a shot.
Do they go zone??
If hollins was upset for the help defense leaving our shooters open, and they are gonna stay home in game 2, then that means tony will be allowed to roam the paint even more. If it's gonna be that open then I look for tony to get open looks early on.
I remember stockton would be notorious for setting back screens, some of them moving screens, to free up karl malone. I expect they may try to do the same to timmy.
They're going to make all of those, wide open layups, they missed in game 1...ya know, the ones the Spurs had nothing to do with..
One adjustment could be Prince or Allen on Parker. Not have so many guys pack the paint. The problem is that they don't have a quick long defender on the perimeter ala a Thabo Sefolosha.
Tony Allen MAY be that guy, but to me he might not be quick enough. The other problem is on the pick and roll you need a pretty swift footed guy on the perimeter to hedge and help, neither Gasol or Randolph are quick a foot to do that. When Gasol and Randolph did come out and get switched Parker blew right by, then that collapsed the paint opening things up for Green and Leonard.
Alot smarter basketball people than me can detail adjustments, but off the top of my head, just telling their perimeter guys not to help in the paint so much, however, thats when Parker Duncan, Ginobili, and Leonard start having bigger games.
Duncan is adept and squeezing through, also even if they did, Randolph isn't quick enough to take advantage, Duncan would still be able to recover. If he's healthy, and right now, he looks solid.
I am assuming that Memphis will focus their defense on the passing lanes, disrupting the kick out passes that Tony likes to make that set up our three point shooters.
I thought they would do that in this past game but they didn't. If they do that, they would be successful in getting turnovers and would keep the ball out of the hands of our perimeter shooters. I think that is their best bet against us.
Plus, they will be far more physical than they were in this game, and I think you can count on some pretty heavy fouling going on.
My biggest fear against this team has always been that they would simply kill us physically. I still have that fear.
If I had to guess I will say that they have no idea what to do.
When a guy like Zach scores 2 point in 8 attemps you are in trouble. And on top of that TD only scored 6 points and Tiago 1 and no rebounds!
Did Mem lose the big guy battle? Im not sure. They even had more rebounds.
The FG% is the key, and if the Spurs keep moving the ball the way they did, is gonna be hard to Memphis.
I really think the GSW series had a huge impact in the way the Spurs played the first game. Hope they can keep it up.
3Pt:
Bonner 4-6
Kiwi 4-5
Green 3-6
If the Spurs keep this 3PT% it will be impossible for them and probably every team.
IMO: Mem will play almost the same way and assume the Spurs will eventually stop hitting 3s. If they go after the 3pt shooter then TD and Tiago will have more space...what to do? what to do?....
Thats always been the way this team has operated for years. You want to guard the shooters? Awesome Parker will go to the hole and Duncan will have open lanes.
You want to pack the paint and dare guys like Green, Leonard to hit shots that are wide open? OK.
The Spurs super offense works when guys are hitting the three. When they are thats when plus the ball movement, is when they become unstoppable.
Main thing they're going to have to do is play a lot harder from top to bottom. They looked like a team that expected to play at the same level they did against OKC. If they don't pick up their speed and intensity for the whole game, they haven't got a prayer, because there's not an adjustment to make when you let the other team score from inside and outside, plus get rebounds, plus go to the line. I expect the Spurs to be in every game for the most part, but it doesn't mean the Grizzlies can't play a of a lot better than they did.
Maybe more guys flying at players at the perimeter. More zone. That seems to be a go to move when a team struggles defensively against them is to go zone and it usually works, until Diaw comes in, sets up shop at the FT line and starts picking that apart as well.
That's what I saw. The Spurs were still in GSW mode...and I like it.
Henry Abbott on how the Spurs exploited Randolph's defense:
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/pos...t-forget-the-d
Double-team Matty B?
If we are hitting shots like we were there is not much they can do about it because Parker will just blow through the lane. If we are missing them we'll have a very tough time winning. As for adjustments I see Tony Allen on Parker and more reversal passes to the top of the key and then quick passes into Gasol who has position. Saw them run in a couple times with success but then they stopped for some reason.
Heres the question, and maybe I'm all wet.
Can the Grizzlies do it? Have they done it previously these playoffs?
I look for them to get Zbo started early. They can't afford another game where he's invisible.
They can definitely play better, especially on defense, and they can win the series. I just don't see any easy wins for Memphis because their offense will always struggle to get 90 points, so any wins they get will be close games that will come down to a few possessions in the 4th quarter.
Our second team outplayed theirs. This is a huge advantage. They simply dont have enough offense.
While true, how do you adjust to Randolph being terrible guarding the PNR?
Also, if they guard the shooters, how are there not lanes to get to the hole like what happened yesterday?
- Misdirection and screens to put Randolph in a better position to score..
- Try to get Duncan and Splitter in foul trouble..
- Tony Allen on Parker..
- Less Prince, more Bayless and Pondexter..
More Pondexter? Awesome, if you guard him at the three, thats about all he does. He's pretty much a Danny Ferry right now. Also defensively he is OK, but he seems to like to wander on the perimeter like Green does from time to time.
It does look like a pick your poison scenario for them. Hoping for missed shots isn't much of a plan. Taking minutes from Randolph and giving them to Arthur/Davis is possible, but that means trying to win in new way very late in the season.
It's almost as if the Spurs have spent two years altering the team in preparation for this rematch.
Honestly, the most important adjustment for the Grizzlies is to get Randolph going, obviously..
If Randolph isn't putting up an efficient 25 points per game in this series, the Spurs are going to win..he's going to be a liability if he isn't dominating on the offensive end..
Duncan played Z-Bo for stretches throughout the game. I think this is a matchup that the Grizz will struggle with - Tim's length has always given Randolph some issues around the rim (even in '11, when he was scoring against Tim, it was primarily on longer jumpers). Over the past decade, Tim may have more flat footed blocks vs. Z-Bo than any other big man across the league. Grizz will need Gasol to abuse Splitter when matched up in order to force Duncan off Randolph.
Switching Allen onto Parker and Conley onto Green also seems like an obvious move they could make (not that it will obviously be successful, but there are reasons to think that it could be). But that becomes of a tougher proposition when Manu's in the game and can pull up over the shorter Conley.
If you're a Grizz fan, the crazy thing is that Hollins can make a lot of adjustments that would "work" and may not alter the outcome. If Spurs' defense plays to the standard it is setting, the offense really only needs to break 90 to get the W - and with the weapons, that should happen even if multiple cogs have a bad game.
I'd love Arthur instead of Randolph. What was even funnier when they played small with Randolph at center, they got blown out even worse.
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