Doc hits the panic button and it looks like Delonte's red dome

[Alex Goldblatt]

On 12/6/06, Ryan W <ubiquitous_am_i at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
> As for Telfair's defense, it is not preventing us from
> running.  Steve Nash plays about the same caliber of
> defense yet Phoenix still manages to run.


Oh, and I think it's time to dispell the myth of
> Delonte's 'great' defense.  He's not that great
> one-on-one, and he gets killed on pick-and-rolls
> regularly.  Yes, he's good at team defense, and weak
> side blocks, and help defense, but his man-to-man is
> weak.  This move is about Doc's panic attack.  There
> are no brains involved.
>
> Ryan
>

Well..... <taking a deep breath..> :-))

I think we can agree to disagree on West, but just wanted point a few things
out:

1. I think you paid attention that West does not play the point anymore,
and IS a BAD 2-guard while Telfair is exactly vice versa - he was really
good if there is someone spacing the floor up for him or setting him up.
He's a typical off-guard - and that's on the top of his poor D, both with
101 AND team/help D.  so comparing his performance in limited minutes as a
2-guard vs 30 mpg at the point last year would be pretty wrong.

2. Pierce is a slasher, forced to let Telfair do his job in the paint while
we have the low post simply jammed by Perk or Al not getting out of there.
Result: nobody knows what to do, Paul included. What worked the best the
last season was a terrific spacing and the perimeter ball movement allowing
Pierce either to penetrate, or leaving him with single coverage only. That's
why his FG stats were that high. Telfair just as bad point as it gets, he's
a ball stopper and have no idea how to play off the ball or how to pass it.
Most importantly - WHEN to get rid of the rock.

3. West and his D: he's arguably the best team defender among our points.
His help D is second best after Wally, not talking about the fact that he
was the best shot blocking point guard the last year. And this year he
actually moves better. He was the best player guarding LeBron as well - and
that's where not that many guys on our roster stand a chance, as we all saw.
So I'd be careful with such a statement - he's not the NBA all-D team, but
he's the best we've got.

4. Nash: I still consider basketball as a 5-on-5 game, so when you have
Marion and Amare in the paint, in addition to Bell and Diaw, you easily
might have a luxury of having the best uptempo scoring point guard to push
it up the floor. Even playing Telfair with the other 4 will not screw it up
- Diaw will log 20 ast instead.

Just my 5C....