a ? about why Tim wasn't guarding Randolph

[Chief]

hey guys, here in costa rica I couldn't get to watch most of the games, and searching through the forums I couldn't find this topic, someone have some insight ?

Tim Duncan being all defensive first team for many years (altho not now), still, wouldn't it have been better for him to guard Randolph ?
And Mcdyess, who has more muscle imo, guard the stronger gasol ?

[Dice]

Not being a homer here at all but I think they were worried that Randolf could pull tim out away from the basket with his jumper and then blow by him with space.

I agree duncan could have bothered him more near the post but he couldn't keep up with him away from the basket. And back to being a homer-I thought McDyess made him take so tough shots. The only way he could have done any better would have been to block them. Randolf made some amazing shots out there.

But had the "team" played the way they should have, it would have never been a big deal who was guarding Z-bo.

[TimDunkem]

And Mcdyess, who has more muscle imo, guard the stronger gasol ?

Why? So Gasol could throw hooks over him anytime he wants? You need to match Gasol's size with Duncan's

[Chief]

Why? So Gasol could throw hooks over him anytime he wants? You need to match Gasol's size with Duncan's

I believe Gasol was significant because he was a force in the paint, very strong, didn't think it was cuz he kept making "hooks"

[suitedkings]

Duncan hasnt gotten over himself.

[mingus]

i was thinking the same think. a lot of head scratchers in terms of decisions by Pop the whole series. sitting Manu for the first game (after he said he could play) was the biggest because i think we win if Manu plays. then you have the whole Tiago thing.

Randolph should have either been doubled really hard earlier than the Spurs started doubling him (which was for like one possession anyway) and make other guys make shots, or put Tim on him. as hard as the shots were that Randolph took and made, he probably wasn't getting them over Tim. Tim's size has bothered Randolph going back to the reg. season. he's blocked his shots quite a few times. Randolph also wouldn't out-muscle Tim, like he did McDyess a few times. i don't know what Pop was thinking. any time a guys scored close to 20 points in a quarter, you got to give him different looks.

[TimDunkem]

I believe Gasol was significant because he was a force in the paint, very strong, didn't think it was cuz he kept making "hooks"

Chief forbrains, do you believe being 7 feet tall has anything to do with being a force in the paint? McDyess could never guard Gasol effectively. If he could get his shot off anytime he wanted on Duncan, sticking McDyess on him would have made this series a sweep in favor of the Grizzlies.

I can see it now; Gasol putting up 20 & 10 with McDyess sticking his hands up in a futile effort to contest his shots, while Randolph pushes Duncan out of the paint to put back anything Gasol misses; Then if you have Randolph being guarded by Duncan, he could just face him up, or attack him off the dribble, and get him in foul trouble. Thus, taking our most important defender out of the game.

It would be a disaster...

[Chief]

Chief forbrains, do you believe being 7 feet tall has anything to do with being a force in the paint? McDyess could never guard Gasol effectively. If he could get his shot off anytime he wanted on Duncan, sticking McDyess on him would have made this series a sweep in favor of the Grizzlies.

I can see it now; Gasol putting up 20 & 10 with McDyess sticking his hands up in a futile effort to contest his shots, while Randolph pushes Duncan out of the paint to put back anything Gasol misses; Then if you have Randolph being guarded by Duncan, he could just face him up, or attack him off the dribble, and get him in foul trouble. Thus, taking our most important defender out of the game.

It would be a disaster...

why name calling ? what are you 5 ?

I think your giving Gasol too much credit, and you haven't said why Mcdyess would be so bad on guarding Gasol ? The issue was with Randolph, he's 6"9, perhaps putting a 7" would've give him issues because of length.

[TimDunkem]

why name calling ? what are you 5 ?

I think your giving Gasol too much credit, and you haven't said why Mcdyess would be so bad on guarding Gasol ? The issue was with Randolph, he's 6"9, perhaps putting a 7" would've give him issues because of length.

Yes, I did...McDyess is too short to guard Gasol, and Duncan is too slow to guard Randolph.

[024]

dyess actually guarded randolph pretty well in game 6. randolph was just way too confident so he made all his shots.

[Solid D]

Actually, Tim did guard Randolph several times but I do not think Timmy defended as well as Antonio did. Timmy let Zach dribble to the middle, a Pop no-no, out of a trap in the final minutes and score with the left hand. Dice didn't let Zach go middle on him and the shots were tougher to make. The problem was that tougher-to-make didn't seem to matter to Z-bo.

[2Cleva]

tim duncan never even guarded amare stoudemire or dirk when he was in his prime..why would he guard the opposing teams star big man now? 1 on 1 he's always been an overrated defender, and is now old.

Harshly put but this is true. Great help defender but has never had the role of primary defender.

[DMC]

Randolph often played off the switch, where players are mismatched. Regardless, Randolph was in the zone. Other than punching him in the nuts, not sure there was much anyone could have done.

[ArtVandelay]

pop thought he was a genius
this series taught him that he's not a genius
he just had better players all those years

[SenorSpur]

hey guys, here in costa rica I couldn't get to watch most of the games, and searching through the forums I couldn't find this topic, someone have some insight ?

Tim Duncan being all defensive first team for many years (altho not now), still, wouldn't it have been better for him to guard Randolph ?
And Mcdyess, who has more muscle imo, guard the stronger gasol ?

Greetings to you in Costa Rica!

Randolph presents a nightmare of a matchup for practically every big in the NBA. In addition to being an absolute beast down in the low post, he can also step out and hit the midrange jumper, on a consistent basis. He can literally get any shot he wants, practically at any time, over anyone - and hewas automatic in this series.

As to your general question about why Duncan was not guarding him, Duncan is at a supreme matchup disadvantage against him. This, despite being longer and taller. Dice having more muscle and being more physical than Duncan, was the obvious choice to try and guard him. Besides that, you want to try and keep Duncan from getting into foul trouble, wherever possible. And Randolph surely would have gotten Duncan in trouble with fouls.

Probably the most important aspect to this answer is, Duncan simply is no longer the supreme defender that he once was. Over the past couple of seasons, opposing teams have quickly figured this out and have found ways to successfully exploit him.

In the end, it didn't matter as Randolph abused whomever the Spurs sent to guard him. Gasol was just about as effective, as he used his considerable width, girth and strength to simply overpower Duncan, Bonner and whoever else tried to guard him.

Next to the Fakers frontline tandem of Bynum and Pau Gasol, Randolph and Marc Gasol are the best inside tandem in the NBA.

[Obstructed_View]

Duncan kicked Randolph's ass compared to the other Spurs bigs. Problem is the only guy that might have a chance against Gasol other than Duncan was on the bench for 90 percent of the season.

[DMC]

2nd chance points killed us every game. If we can grab the 50/50 balls, we win this series. Too much butter on the popcorn, because many of those we actually got hands on but failed to secure.

[fotan2]

timmy actually did guard z-bo in the last two possession.