Posted by nixluva:

Posted by Cookdcokehop:

Posted by Bippity10:

Nix I agree with what you are saying but if we want to win a title eventually none of that matters. We are going to need some interior defense in order to do so. Find me a title team that didn't have great help defense. So either they have to improve by leaps and bounds or else we are wasting our time trying to build around them.

Exactly! Are we building a champion contender( Spurs,Pistons) or an offensive juggernaut(Suns,Mavs,Wizards)?

I think we've got a big part of the equation. Unlike the Suns, Mavs and Wizards, we have a dominant post offense. I think it will give us an advantage in the playoffs. Jumpshots can be off, but a dominant post game is a SOLID foundation like good defense. This team can still be a good defensive team with the use of our better perimeter defenders. We have guys that should be able to play better D this year in Balk, Mardy, Jared, Q and even Steph. I'm expecting these guys to be more attentive on the perimeter and that will help Zach and Eddy.

It's really just like Isiah said. They played with James Edwards and Laimbeer and got to the finals 3 years in a row. Neither guy was that amazing in terms of moving on help D. But they had good perimeter D and that helped. Isiah, Dumars and Rodman took up the slack and made Edwards and Laimbeer more effective since they didn't have to cover as much ground. We don't have that exactly, but Balk and Q aren't bad defenders along with Mardy and Jared. If they don't workout Isiah also has Malik, Chan and Jones if he's still here. I think the competition will make guys play harder to stay on the court.

Pistons were good but Edwards and Laimbeer can't equate to what Zach and Curry do on D

Laimbeer was not a great shotblocker but he was one of the most frustrating defensive players in the league. With his flopping, charge drawing, anticipation, elbows etc. he was one of the most disruptive defensive centers in the league. He was the master of taking offensive players out of their game and getting them to do things they weren't used to. Not a great natural defender but he understood the importance of defense and had an IMPACT on that end. Add to that, they had Salley and Rodman AND great perimeter defense. We have none of this

Eventually our guys will have to do this. Eventually we will have to stop trying to find reasons why it's not necessary for these guys to play D and start to realize that if we eventually want to be the best we simply have to get it done. When we compete we will be strong on the defensive end. We can wait for the next 5 or 6 years and hope these guys get it. Or we can start phasing out guys that don't and start replacing them with guys that understand the importance of both sides of the ball

Posted by Marv:

Posted by Pharzeone:

Posted by Cookdcokehop:

Posted by Pharzeone:

Posted by Cookdcokehop:

From the answers it seems like Zach and Curry are the first of this low post tandem. Maybe because other teams realize it makes no sense to have 2 low post scorers and no low post defense.

First, I would not consider Randolph a primary low post scorer. He can shoot from the outside. His offensive skills resembles that of Karl Malone. So if you want to find a recent tandem, take a look at the 03-04 Lakers that had O'Neal and Malone on the same team. Also, as far as low post questions. Add the 96-97 Knicks to that list because many critics suggested it would not work because both Ewing and Johnson needed the low post to be effective.

[Edited by - pharzeone on 21-08-2007 11:57 AM]

Only difference is Shaq, Malone, Ewing, and Johnson played good D

Larry Johnson was widely viewed as a poor post defender until he arrived in NYC. Another reason why critics were outspoken against the trade. Trading Mason a strong post defender for a one that was considered a weak one.

mason was looked at as one of the most grating players to coach. i remember the game where riley said to him get the f off the bench and into the locker room. remember that one? i never saw anything like that in my life - a coach telling an nba player in the middle of a game to just get the f out of there. then he gets to charlotte he pisses cowens off so bad that cowens lifted him up against a wall in the locker room and said c'mon i'm beating the s**t out of you right now.

what exactly did mase do to piss his coaches off to that extent

Mason use to talk trash on the bench about the coach out loud to himself. Even to fans at times. He was the type of guy that say things like ,"Who the f he thinks he is, or that was dumb," If you are a coach or player on the team you want to focus on the game not Mason.