You mad?
Is that the best you can do you little thug pretender? How about you do me a favor and get a reading book so you can improve your reading level up to milkshakeballa's standard so I don't have to waste 5 seconds reading your garbage. My screen cracked thanks to your gibberish.
I must admit though I prefer Dwill so far this season ...Paul has been better and even though the stats might not reflect it I would say he is outperformed Rondo too because the wins matter more than highlights or stats.
BUT LOL making judgements after 6 games ...
And LOL at Luva using he wont start in an All-star game while Paul is healthy argument. ...
First off All-star game is a popularity contest.
But even if Paul is better ..LOL it not EVEN being close ...
Simply don't think the hornets are talented enough to sustain this level of play..Paul is a talented playmaker but he needs better teammates to finish his plays. He's not going to consistently take over games with his scoring like a Kobe Bryant.
Disagrree Dwill can kill you too. But we Lakers brothers so we will agree to disagree.
Seriously, what ahs Deron Williams ever doen to deserve the respect he gets? the guy has always had very good talent surrounding him - a low post scorer (Boozer or Al Jefferson), AK47 on the wing, a 5 who can space the floor and shoot threes (Okur).
But has he ever gottena sniff of a conference final? No.
Chris Paul does WAY more with WAY less. Always has.
And also, Deron Williams carries the ball on ever single play. He has the ugliest game in the NBA in the last 30 years. Can't stand to watch that fool.
IIRC didnt Dwill play in the Conference Finals vs. Your beloved Spurs?
If only the Hornets could have played Golden State in the 2nd round
I believe the Hornets have more talent across the board than the Jazz this season. No reason not to dominate that team in a 7 game series if the two teams did meet.
May 16, 2007 ... Jazz Close Out Warriors, Advance to Western Conference Finals (from AP)
And doest matter who you play you beat who is in front of you. Hornets had game 7 at home with a chance to make WCF ...but the best PG in the NBA came up "small".
Paul maybe better but no need to make excuses ...
Boozer was the Jazz's best player during that season, at least IMO..
No doubt, the whole team choked that night. They had blasted the Spurs at home all season whether it was the regular season or playoffs. Yet, that night, they didn't get the job done. CP3 has improved his offensive game since then, especially his perimeter jumper and this Hornet team has more depth and better defenders across the board. Still, that loss set the team back and they're only recovering now.
Maybe Harlem, but your precious stats say otherwise normally I dont do this because I trust my eyes but:
Dwill WCF: .492 FG%, .500 3pt%, 77% Ft's, 10 assists a game
You want more? PER = 21.6, TS% = .611 win share = 1.9
Boozer, same series: .412 FG%, 72% FT, 12.3 rebs
PER = 13.8, TS% = .462, win share =0.3
Not sure if you so called Spur fans actually watched that series, but when it mattered most Dwill shined while Boozer came up small.
You stat lovers here is proof, advanced stats ...the same.
Dwill carried that team vs. Spurs. I could put up Cp3's numbers the next year vs. the Spurs but I won't bother ... because both lost but Spurs had a tough time with Dwill and not his supporting cast as some of you claim. And if Dwill has such a better cast why did his team fail miserable even though Dwill played lights out? Also Bowen was the primary defender on both Dwill (that season) and Paul (following) yet Dwill was able to shoot well most of that series ...and Paul did not hmmmm?
Opinion is right, facts state otherwise ...
Boozer's sad quitting at ude was holding the Jazz back, as well as reducing Milsap's PT, and even forcing AK47 to play out of position, causing numerous injuries. The only person that needed to go as much or more than Booz is Slone himself. The dude has some serious crunch time issues.
I didn't say Boozer was the best during that series, I said he was the best for that season..he was their best player during the regular season by a decent margin, and he was their best player during the first 2 series' by a large margin..
Boozer was 9th in MVP voting that year, while Williams didn't even receive a vote..the Jazz were clearly Boozer's team at that point..
sons who gives two ing s about what the Jazz did 3 years ago??? ... Laker fans, please stop hugging the Jazz's nuts simply because they always play the Lakers well. just stop it you fools
sons this thread is about the King and his Hornets ... not that "halfbreed who thought he could"
son, you're team team will always come up short like a midget pros ute
How did this become another Paul vs Williams thread?
killakobe, go back to your Lakers forum and circle jerk Deron Williams like almost every other Lakers fan.
I will never understand the lovefest Lakers fans have with Williams. Paul is clearly the superior player, but as long as Deron is ahead in head-to-head, idiots will keep popping up claiming that Williams is better.
Calm down little man. I am actually conceding that Paul may be better. I just dislike the notion when people say it's not close. Either way I look forward to a playoff series that settles the matter. But so far this year Paul has been better. The year he finished 2nd in MVP as well ... but in 07-08 I think Dwill doominated their matchups and took his team further ...that to me matters.
ALso no surprise that Harlem lauds Boozer's regular season and early rounds of the playoffs. Because Regular season success and playing well in rounds 1 or 2 is enough to get Harlem a "stiffy" for Lebron ... LOL
And for the one millionth time, a D-Will supporter uses the head-to-head argument.
Again, until you can explain why one should look at how a player(s) performs in four games instead of all 82, stop using the head-to-head argument. It is stupid. Period.
Nothing to see here, Windhorst just stating the obvious.
Hornets draw up a blueprint to beat Heat
NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Hornets did the rest of the NBA a favor Friday night. And, in a way, the Miami Heat can be grateful as well.
The streaking Hornets, off to a franchise-best 5-0 start, unveiled a road map to beating the Heat with their 96-93 win. Hornets head coach Monty Williams and his already impressive coaching staff cooked up a formula -- one that will probably be recycled by upcoming Heat opponents.
No, it wasn’t the first time the Heat have been beaten; the Boston Celtics handled them on opening night. But that was a throat-clearing loss by a team still searching for cohesion following a choppy preseason.
The big three had no legitimate excuses on this night. Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh combined for 63 points, 18 rebounds, 13 assists and five steals -- though Bosh’s performance did not deserve praise; more on that in a moment.
The Heat were defeated by a quality opponent and a well-crafted game plan that featured several distinct facets. The Heat could learn just as much by studying the areas where they were exposed.
Attack and be physical with Bosh
There is no doubt the Hornets reviewed what happened last Sunday when the Heat played in New Jersey in their game preparation. New Orleans likely saw that Bosh did not react well to the physical play of Brook Lopez and Derrick Favors.
The Heat beat the Nets easily, but Favors and Lopez were able to shove Bosh around, especially on loose balls as the Heat power forward managed just one rebound. Emeka Okafor, David West and Jason Smith were relentlessly physical and aggressive with Bosh on Friday, muscling him out of the way for rebound after rebound from the opening tip.
Okafor, who was 12-for-13 shooting and finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds, was sensational. Frankly, it will take performances like that from any upset-minded opponent to beat the Heat. But Okafor often excelled at the expense of Bosh, particularly on the glass.
West and Smith combined for 27 points and 13 rebounds. To be fair, Joel Anthony, Udonis Haslem and Zydrunas Ilgauskas were out there, too. But it was Bosh who seemed to be the Hornets’ biggest target.
Already, league advance scouts are noticing that Bosh does not yet appear very comfortable with the Heat. He’s far less assertive than in previous seasons, something that’s showing up in his rebound numbers.
Bosh played 34 minutes and scored 15 points, making an array of midrange jumpers. But he again had only one rebound. After six games, Bosh is averaging only 5.5 rebounds in 32 minutes per game.
Limit transition chances and transition fouling
It is always a good idea to keep turnovers to a minimum against an athletic team like the Heat -- no secret there. But the Heat have thrived by forcing fouls in transition. In fact they were second in the NBA in drawing shooting fouls off rebounds and turnovers.
The Hornets made it a priority not to foul after turnovers and did so with success. Until late in the fourth quarter, when Wade and James were able to force some fouls by pushing the tempo, New Orleans successfully executed this strategy. For the game, the Hornets gave up only 14 points off turnovers and just 12 transition points.
Get into the paint on the dribble
The Heat have put together some amazing defensive performances already. They generally have excellent perimeter protection and, when working together, provide strong help defense. It is easy to see that they have a weakness in their post defense against certain opponents, but they have shown they can overcome it with their sound principles.
One area where they haven’t been as sturdy, however, is keeping the ball out of the paint off the dribble. The Hornets, armed with one of the most dynamic point guards in the league in Chris Paul, exploited that weakness and racked up a stunning 50 points in the paint on Friday.
Part of the Heat's vulnerability to dribble penetration can be attributed to matchups. Most notably, the Heat don’t have a strong point guard defender. Carlos Arroyo played only 16 minutes and Mario Chalmers, who was drafted primarily to contain opposing point guards, never left the bench. Wade spent time guarding Paul, but there were times when James Jones and Eddie House were on the floor and neither thrive at preventing dribble drives.
The Heat were so overwhelmed by Paul off pick-and-rolls that the Hornets' point guard was able to repeatedly set up his teammates for easy shots near the rim. In all, New Orleans attempted 36 shots in the paint.
But there’s another area the Hornets targeted to get some of those paint points. James and Wade habitually gamble in the passing lanes. New Orleans made a point of using ball fakes and head fakes to lure the Heat’s best wing defenders out of position and then drove past them.
Play the law of averages
The Heat aren’t going to lose many games when Jones nails five 3-pointers, which he’s done on several occasions already. The reason Jones, House and eventually Mike Miller are on the team is to take advantage of open shots.
On Friday, though, Jones and House combined to shoot just 2-of-13 on 3-pointers. House missed a 3 at the buzzer that would’ve forced overtime. Coming into the game, Jones was hitting 53 percent of his 3s and House was shooting 63 percent from beyond the arc.
The Hornets played well -- they wouldn’t have won if they didn’t. But they got their biggest win of the season by following their plan and ambushing a Heat team playing average basketball.
The Heat will be just average a lot this season, but they’ll have to improve in several of these areas if they want to avoid more losses like the one they suffered at the hands of a well-prepped Hornets squad.
Nothing to see here, Windhorst just stating the obvious.
Hornets draw up a blueprint to beat Heat
NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Hornets did the rest of the NBA a favor Friday night. And, in a way, the Miami Heat can be grateful as well.
The streaking Hornets, off to a franchise-best 5-0 start, unveiled a road map to beating the Heat with their 96-93 win. Hornets head coach Monty Williams and his already impressive coaching staff cooked up a formula -- one that will probably be recycled by upcoming Heat opponents.
No, it wasn’t the first time the Heat have been beaten; the Boston Celtics handled them on opening night. But that was a throat-clearing loss by a team still searching for cohesion following a choppy preseason.
The big three had no legitimate excuses on this night. Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh combined for 63 points, 18 rebounds, 13 assists and five steals -- though Bosh’s performance did not deserve praise; more on that in a moment.
The Heat were defeated by a quality opponent and a well-crafted game plan that featured several distinct facets. The Heat could learn just as much by studying the areas where they were exposed.
Attack and be physical with Bosh
There is no doubt the Hornets reviewed what happened last Sunday when the Heat played in New Jersey in their game preparation. New Orleans likely saw that Bosh did not react well to the physical play of Brook Lopez and Derrick Favors.
The Heat beat the Nets easily, but Favors and Lopez were able to shove Bosh around, especially on loose balls as the Heat power forward managed just one rebound. Emeka Okafor, David West and Jason Smith were relentlessly physical and aggressive with Bosh on Friday, muscling him out of the way for rebound after rebound from the opening tip.
Okafor, who was 12-for-13 shooting and finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds, was sensational. Frankly, it will take performances like that from any upset-minded opponent to beat the Heat. But Okafor often excelled at the expense of Bosh, particularly on the glass.
West and Smith combined for 27 points and 13 rebounds. To be fair, Joel Anthony, Udonis Haslem and Zydrunas Ilgauskas were out there, too. But it was Bosh who seemed to be the Hornets’ biggest target.
Already, league advance scouts are noticing that Bosh does not yet appear very comfortable with the Heat. He’s far less assertive than in previous seasons, something that’s showing up in his rebound numbers.
Bosh played 34 minutes and scored 15 points, making an array of midrange jumpers. But he again had only one rebound. After six games, Bosh is averaging only 5.5 rebounds in 32 minutes per game.
Limit transition chances and transition fouling
It is always a good idea to keep turnovers to a minimum against an athletic team like the Heat -- no secret there. But the Heat have thrived by forcing fouls in transition. In fact they were second in the NBA in drawing shooting fouls off rebounds and turnovers.
The Hornets made it a priority not to foul after turnovers and did so with success. Until late in the fourth quarter, when Wade and James were able to force some fouls by pushing the tempo, New Orleans successfully executed this strategy. For the game, the Hornets gave up only 14 points off turnovers and just 12 transition points.
Get into the paint on the dribble
The Heat have put together some amazing defensive performances already. They generally have excellent perimeter protection and, when working together, provide strong help defense. It is easy to see that they have a weakness in their post defense against certain opponents, but they have shown they can overcome it with their sound principles.
One area where they haven’t been as sturdy, however, is keeping the ball out of the paint off the dribble. The Hornets, armed with one of the most dynamic point guards in the league in Chris Paul, exploited that weakness and racked up a stunning 50 points in the paint on Friday.
Part of the Heat's vulnerability to dribble penetration can be attributed to matchups. Most notably, the Heat don’t have a strong point guard defender. Carlos Arroyo played only 16 minutes and Mario Chalmers, who was drafted primarily to contain opposing point guards, never left the bench. Wade spent time guarding Paul, but there were times when James Jones and Eddie House were on the floor and neither thrive at preventing dribble drives.
The Heat were so overwhelmed by Paul off pick-and-rolls that the Hornets' point guard was able to repeatedly set up his teammates for easy shots near the rim. In all, New Orleans attempted 36 shots in the paint.
But there’s another area the Hornets targeted to get some of those paint points. James and Wade habitually gamble in the passing lanes. New Orleans made a point of using ball fakes and head fakes to lure the Heat’s best wing defenders out of position and then drove past them.
Play the law of averages
The Heat aren’t going to lose many games when Jones nails five 3-pointers, which he’s done on several occasions already. The reason Jones, House and eventually Mike Miller are on the team is to take advantage of open shots.
On Friday, though, Jones and House combined to shoot just 2-of-13 on 3-pointers. House missed a 3 at the buzzer that would’ve forced overtime. Coming into the game, Jones was hitting 53 percent of his 3s and House was shooting 63 percent from beyond the arc.
The Hornets played well -- they wouldn’t have won if they didn’t. But they got their biggest win of the season by following their plan and ambushing a Heat team playing average basketball.
The Heat will be just average a lot this season, but they’ll have to improve in several of these areas if they want to avoid more losses like the one they suffered at the hands of a well-prepped Hornets squad.
I honestly don't even care whether CP3 is better than D-Williams. I just want the Hornets to keep on winning. That's all that matters. If CP3 puts up crap numbers and the team still wins, I'm fine with that.
Hornets’ defensive success cast from the Spurs’ mold
Rob Mahoney
In the last decade of basketball, there have been few forces more power than the San Antonio Spurs’ defense. That vaunted defense has regressed in recent years, but from 2000-2007 (and, for that matter, from 1997-2000), San Antonio never allowed more than 99.7 points per 100 possessions, a mark that routinely put the Spurs’ defense atop the league. Funny how that happens when the efforts of Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich are combined. Pick and rolls were smothered, driving opponents were pushed into the help, and the glass was thoroughly cleaned.
It’s a recipe that, though lacking in the specific stylings of Duncan and Pop, may seem oddly familiar to fans of the New Orleans Hornets.
In his analysis of New Orleans’ defensive success in their hot start thus far, Ryan Schwan of Hornets 24-7 expertly identified a few defensive elements that run parallel between the 6-0 Hornets and the infamous Spurs. Stylistically, New Orleans is following the San Antonio model, by opting for a limiting, reactive defense rather than a completely smothering one. The Hornets aren’t jumping every passing lanes and swarming opponents with double teams; they’re playing smart, conservative defense and forcing opponents into specific types of contested shots. The Hornets have forced their opponents into low-percentage looks, limited second chance opportunities, and kept their fouls down for good measure. All with Monty Williams and Emeka Okafor standing in for two surefire Hall-of-Famers, and an inspired team effort by the Hornets filling in the gaps.
At this stage, Chris Paul is an easy pick for MVP, but it’s New Orleans’ Spursian defensive success that has pushed them to the top of the league. It probably makes Popovich blush. Y’know, if Pop blushes.
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