- I’ve noticed coaches and players are looking at the instant replay on the arena big screen after controversial calls. Sadly, the broadcasters haven’t picked up on this and viewers have to wonder exactly what the crowd is upset about.
- Boris Diaw missed a bunch of layups tonight. Why the heck doesn’t he dunk it when he gets that close to the rim?
- Jason Terry is probably a ball-hog who has reluctantly embraced the game of a true point guard. He took numerous bad shots tonight including some that resulted in Phoenix fast breaks, exactly what Avery Johnson tells him not to do, I’m sure.
- Dirk Nowitzki sure can shoot that fadeaway jumper when he’s got single coverage, but I’d like to see his shooting percentage when he’s double-teamed. I don’t think he hits it nearly as much then.
- I think the reason that I enjoy watching Steve Nash play so much is the total joy that he brings to the game. Twice during the game tonight he rushed off the bench to greet the players coming off the court in a timeout – big smile on his face, high fives and words of encouragement. I love watching people who so clearly revel in their work.
- James Jones has completely disappeared from the offense, but has continued to impact the game through rebounding and defense. He even passed up on a wide open three pointer tonight, even though that is supposedly his specialty. Still, he has a long body and has been very effective on the Dallas guards.
- Avery Johnson gave up on the game with 6:40 left in the game and down by 20? Did he not realize he was playing the Suns who can give up 20 in 4 minutes?
- Kurt Thomas is back! Woo hoo!
Playoff Notes
- When the clock is running down and you need a basket, which veteran do you go to? Devin Harris and Boris Diaw! Simply awesome because it’s an indicator that everyone on both teams is ready to take the big shot, even the guys who’ve only been in the league two or three years.
- Best picture of the game: Leandro Barbosa giving Diaw a kiss on the cheek during the timeout after the winning shot.
- Suns up by 1 point with 2/10 of a second left in the game and Tim Thomas steps to the line for two free throws. Obviously, he should miss the second free throw so the clock runs out on the rebound. But how do you get a good miss (i.e. one that hits the rim)? Practice missing the first so you can miss the second correctly.
- Early on Boris Diaw successfully drove the lane several times, only to pass out to a three point shooter when he had his own wide-open shot from 2 feet away. D’Antoni must have said something to him because later he took the ball to the rack strong.
- Dallas was unusually cold from the field especially Dirk and Keith Van Horn. It was surprising seeing Van Horn miss so many threes after making so many against the Spurs the other night.
- I used to loathe Jerry Stackhouse because he was a dirty and selfish player. Evidently, he is now only a dirty player. I saw him pass up at least two open shots tonight that two years ago he would have put up without hesitation. And it was the right thing to do.
- Even though I dislike him, I really respect his game. He is the epitomy of everything you want from the first guy off the bench: instant and reliable offense without giving up anything defensively. How surprising was it to see him missing down the stretch?
- I don’t know which media outlet proclaimed that “it’s time to boo Steve Nash” but it showed a total lack of class. Michael Jordan never got booed going back to Chicago. Thankfully the Dallas fans didn’t really go for it.
- Nash had 16, 27 and 5 while Nowitzki had 2, 25 and 19. Does it matter which categories when the numbers are that big?
Something Happening in Los Angeles
Are the Lakers coming together at precisely the right time of year? That’s what happened when Kobe won his first championship in Phil Jackson’s first year as Laker coach. Something has definitely changed with the Lakers in the last two games. Witness:
- Kobe didn’t score 40, 30 or even 20. 17 points on only 18 shots. Probably a third of those shots came in the final period which the Lakers have designated “Kobe time.”
- The Lakers are suddenly playing physical against the smaller Suns, effectively neutralizing their quickness advantage. Also, the Lakers instigated both major altercations during Game 3, but Phoenix ended up with 3 technical fouls and L.A. only 1.
- Phil Jackson has shown his playoff genius again with the small adjustments. For example, in Game 3 Laker players were obviously catching the ball after Laker made baskets and gently dropping the ball to the floor to keep the bounce low. So what? If the Suns can’t pick up the ball easily, they can’t run the fastbreak on made baskets.
- During Game 2, it also became evident that the Lakers had been practicing jamming Nash’s passing lanes on dribble penetration. The passes that used to make him look like a genius now make him look like a chump.
- Kwame Brown, previously known as Jordan’s Bane, has become a player. 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 5-8 from the field. Sure it’s easy to get numbers like that against Tim Thomas and Shawn Marion, but he’s doing it. Did he ever perform like that for Washington?
- Even better than Brown’s improvement has been Lamar Odom’s. Odom was “the man” on Miami’s playoff team 2 years ago but he has virtually disappeared since donning a Laker uniform. Why? Mix a new system in with having to play with Mr. 35-Per-Game and I think you can figure it out. Now, there’s a good chance that Odom can play Scottie Pippen to Kobe’s Michael Jordan.
- Another talent that Phil Jackson brings to the table is his unerring ability to get the most out of his role players. Brian Cook had 9 points and 7 rebounds (6 offensive) in 11 minutes. 11 minutes. He was a factor in the game during every second that he played.
- More importantly, he seems to have finally convinced Kobe Bryant (just like he did 16 years ago with MJ) that no player can win without his teammates. If it’s true, the Lakers could go much further than beating the beat-up Suns.
On the other hand, it’s hard to find any good news for the Suns:
- Tim Thomas went down hard after a knee-on-knee collision with Marion during Game 3. Sucks to be a Suns big man—Amare Stoudemire, Kurt Thomas, Brian Grant and now Tim Thomas. It’s like a curse.
- Why aren’t the Suns running pick-and-roll more? Tim Thomas and Shawn Marion both seem like excellent candidates for that strategy with Nash or Diaw.
- They seem to be relying too much on Nash’s penetration, which has often resulted in a blocked shot or turnover.
- While Nash has continued to dish out the assists at his regular pace, his scoring is way down. Not only have they taken away most of his points of penetration, they have managed to reduce his 3-point production, too.
- Leandro Barbosa, James Jones and Eddie House have virtually disappeared in the last 2 games. The Suns can’t win without them.
- Boris Diaw has been amazing this year but has nearly sucked in this series. He has to use his quickness to find a way to make the Laker big men pay.
Suns beat Lakers
Last night and this morning I watched the Suns cream the Lakers. Nothing beats seeing one of your favorite teams beat one of your least favorite players. Here’s a few thoughts about the Suns I had during the game:
- Kurt Thomas has turned into an excellent pick-and-roll man with Nash. He slips perfectly and has a decent mid-range jump shot for the pick and pop. Of course, nobody is better at pick-and-roll than Amare Stoudemire.
- Even if Stoudemire doesn’t come back in time for the playoffs, I think they still have a decent shot of a deep run.
- They hardly miss Joe Johnson. I wasn’t that impressed with him last year and didn’t understand all the hype. I thought Quentin Richardson and Jimmy Jackson were much more valuable for them.
- The Suns made some excellent off-season moves this year. The aforementioned Kurt Thomas gives them a defensive presence in the paint that isn’t Stoudemire, but the bigger pickup has to have been Boris Diaw. I think he only took about 5 shots, but he was really huge in the game.
- I don’t think James Jones has turned out to be the player they expected. In the games I have seen him play this season and last season (with the Pacers), he is not nearly the dead-eye shooter that a three point specialists needs to be.
- Shawn Marion is a really great role player. And I don’t mean a one dimensional three-point shooter or defensive stopper. I mean he is great in many roles: rebounding, defending multiple positions, three point shooter, finishing, etc. He is a truly uncommon talent. I wonder why they don’t use him more on the pick and roll? Perhaps small forwards are better at defending against it. Marion’s NBA ranking in some major categories:
- Scoring: ranked 19 (21.2 ppg)
- Shooting: ranked 14 (51%)
- Blocks: ranked 16 (1.89 per game)
- Steals: ranked 7 (1.87 per game)
- Rebounds: ranked 3 (12 per game)
- Double-doubles: ranked 2 (29 in the season)
Update 2/2/2006: Kevin Pelton over at 82Games did an extensive analysis of the Suns’ defense during this game.