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Series notes: 'Finesse D' isn't slowing Wells any
The Kings guard says he's too physical for Bruce Bowen.
By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, May 4, 2006
No one had to remind Bruce Bowen that he's had his hands full with a certain lumbering and determined No. 42 in this playoff series.
Bonzi Wells has abused the San Antonio Spurs from the start, with the shooting guard willing his teammates to follow his lead by reducing the defending champions' inside defense to rubble.
Bowen's defensive pride has taken a beating, and the veteran knows well that the Kings will ride Wells as far as he can take them.
"Bonzi, he's playing with a lot of confidence right now, and he has a license to trump what he's done," Bowen said. "He's earned it. So kudos to him because he is doing a good job. It's not blowing smoke toward him. He's playing well."
Wells leads the Kings in the series in scoring (24.4 points) and rebounding (12.2). He had 38 points and 12 rebounds in Game 5 Tuesday in San Antonio, leaving Kings coach Rick Adelman on Wednesday to wonder if he's ever seen a player work over the Spurs like that in back-to-back games (Wells had 25 points and 17 rebounds in Game 4).
Wells said he can appreciate Bowen's defensive efforts but says there's a significant difference between smash-mouth defenders and those who chase people around.
"You've got to understand what it is about Bruce Bowen," Wells said. "Bruce Bowen is a good defender on guys who come off screens and shoot jump shots. But when a guy like me or Ron (Artest) are (playing him), we want to feel Bruce Bowen. A lot of guys don't. He's an excellent team defender. If you put him in the streets or the park (for pickup games), guys will go at Bruce Bowen. He ain't going to have a 7-foot center to protect the rim.
"I'm not taking anything away from his defense. He's a good finesse defender, but when it comes to physical defense, it's two different stories."
Boosting the backcourt - Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Bowen combined for 64 points in Game 5, which helps the offense. But helping slow the bulk of Wells and Artest? Pass the calories, please.
"We put Bruce and Manu on some high-protein diets the last day and a half," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said before Game 4. "They ballooned from 85 pounds to 140. We're going to be all over those guys."
Crunching numbers - Artest made 30 percent of his three-point shots during the regular season and Wells 22 percent.
So there they were launching threes at an amazing clip in Game 5, with Artest making 4 of 8 and Wells hitting his three shots.
"We played the whole (series) thinking they were not shooters," Ginobili said.
Popovich said dealing with Artest and Wells inside is trouble enough. Trying to suddenly stop their threes? "Real trouble," the coach said.
• Parker warded off a thigh bruise suffered early in Game 5 to hit some 15-foot jumpers, leaving Tim Duncan to remark later: "We need him to do that," and Adelman to jump on his crew for allowing him to be so wide open.
Sequ change your username ...
Wow, that's the first time I've ever heard Bruce's game described as "finesse."
Bowen needs a game where he shuts Bonzi down. No more of these 40 and 15 games.If you put him in the streets or the park (for pickup games), guys will go at Bruce Bowen.
Bonzi sure is a talker... for a team that's one game away from fishing time.
Alright Bruce.
Time to nut up and come at these asshats hardcore.
Um, first Bruce is accused of being too physical (Vince, Ray, etc) and now he's not physical enough? LMAO.
Perhaps it's just that, no matter how good a guy's D is, if the other guy is having a hot shooting couple games, and playing for a new contract, nothing's going to stop him. Bonzi's due for an off game - I hope Game 6 will be it. And Bowen will keep at him till he wears him down. Bonzi also knows if he doesn't prove his worth, he's going to have a hard time getting anyone to sign him next year, since he's got a rep for being a head case.
WHen he guards him, its time to quit the showing the hands.Bowen needs a game where he shuts Bonzi down. No more of these 40 and 15 games.
Time to man up on him and start pushing him witht he forearm, and if Bonzi lays into him backing him down, time to flop down and take a charge.
That simple.
You would flop?
Wells shot 22% from 3 in the regular season and now that he's got a little streak going he thinks he's MJ. The guy's a chump who will come back to earth before next year.
I would do whatever it would take to draw a foul on him.You would flop
Especially going at him on offense
Bonzi is right in that the ideal players for Bowen to guard are the players like Kobe, Rip, etc. And Bowen can even stay on tall players (i.e. Dirk, Bosh, etc) for stretches. But the bulky players that like to be pushed (Bonzi, Artest, LeBron) are Bruce's worst matchups.
I still think that if Pop would have stuck Bowen on the same player (either Artest or Bonzi) and left him there from Game 1 onward, Bowen would be doing a better job on him by now. But in the first 3 or 4 games, Bowen got switched off to Bibby, etc way too much.
That all being said, Bowen had his best game against Bonzi last game. I know that doesn't make sense because Bonzi had 38 but Bowen kept him out of the paint for the most part and a lot of Bonzi's baskets came with Bowen on the bench.
i can live with bonzi making outside shots. no dunks in the paint please. go at him on offense and flop on d, he ac ulates fouls rather quickly.
thats right, the majority of his points came from the outside, and theres nothing you can do about that.That all being said, Bowen had his best game against Bonzi last game. I know that doesn't make sense because Bonzi had 38 but Bowen kept him out of the paint for the most part and a lot of Bonzi's baskets came with Bowen on the bench.
If he makes tough jumpers, you just deal and get em back on the other end.
If the Spurs keep the Kings out of the paint in the next game the Spurs should win hands down. The Kings are a poor shooting team who have shot far better than they should this series. I think one good outside shooting game is enough... time to come back to reality.
If Bonzi's going to hit 3s, it's not gonna matter who's on him. Just like any higher-level offensive player when his game is on.
Liek Kori said, asl ong as Bonzi's kept out of the paint, Burce is doing his job.
Yeah I know but TPark and flop doesn't coexist in the same sentence to me. I don't know why.
Bowen doesn't like body to body contact. But he will have to do it when he is matched with the bigger opponents like Bonzi here.
(And why Sequ changed his username?)
I hope that Bruce will stop Bonzi. If Bonzi scores 20 pts. I would be really happy. Bruce just needs to stop Bonzis shot %, at least on 40 % . But we should not be scared just from Bonzi, here are Bibby, Artest and other good players. All SAS players should play good defense. That will be the only way to beat the Kings.
Bonzi will be 0-3 from downtown on Friday and score 10 pts under his average....mark it down.
Bonzi is definitely due to come back to earth. You are what your record says you are, and Bonzi is a 14 and 8 guy.
To use the technial term, Bonzi has been going jarenjackson on the Spurs.
Bonzi is playing for a contract.
either way bowen cant guard him or Artest so the series will be 3-3 by the end of game 6. sorry.
y assholes.either way bowen cant guard him or Artest so the series will be 3-3 by the end of game 6. sorry
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