crzymdups wrote:fishmike wrote:crzymdups wrote:martin wrote:crzymdups wrote:I want someone who focuses on defense and rebounding. I don't think you can a championship without those fundamentals.
I want to say that the last few championship teams have only been so-so rebounding teams, but I could be wrong.
Boston is one of the best interior defense teams we've seen in a long long time. As are the Lakers. And, I mean, the Magic couldn't win in 2009... but look at how they absolutely destroyed Atlanta in the playoffs. Just utterly dismissed them. That was all Dwight. But you look at the frontlines of the Lakers and Celtics and you see size and rebounding still matter. Bynum, Gasol, Odom, Artest for the Lakers - KG, Perkins, Big Baby, Shaq for the Celtics
But, hey, I think Donnie actually has us moving in the right direction on that front - Mozgov, Amare, AR, Gallo are all big dudes who can defend the rim (and we've got Jerome Jordan stashed in Europe). They MUST focus on rebounding. MUST. Toney is an elite backcourt defender, Ray Felton and Chandler are solid.
We have the pieces to play defense. We absolutely do.
It's all on D'Antoni as to whether they defend and rebound or not. D'Antoni can't act like he doesn't have the pieces here. He's absolutely got the pieces to win games - it's on him to create a system that befits his players and not vice versa.
You think JVG and Rick Adelman wouldn't win 45-50 games minimum with this squad? They would. It's on Mike now.
the defense has been good in the preseason no? It seems the doubts are coming to two things. We are getting outrebounded (hasnt that improved steadily since that Minn game?) and we have shot very poorly from the perimeter. Douglas finally lit it up last game but we have gotten nothing from Mason, Walker or Rautins and they have had boatloads of open looks.
Yes, I already think the defense is much improved and will continue to improve as Mozgov progresses. Toney, Moz, Turiaf, AR, Amare, Wilson, Fields, Felton, Mason, and even Gallo are all quality defenders. The team defense should be very good - if it's not, you have to look at the coach.
The outside shooting is going to be tough. They need Gallo to come through there. And Toney and Felton. And it'd be nice to get Kelenna back.
I should say - I think D'Antoni will have a good year this year. I think they'll win 45 games and have a decent showing in the first round and lose to Boston. If they don't make the playoffs... then I think D'Antoni has failed. And I honestly don't see him taking this team past the first round - which is partly to do with the talent level here and partly his style.
I would say that depends a little. Yeah, he has the talent to take the team to .500 and I still support my 45 win prediction. So if we miss the playoffs with an under .500 record, then I'd say you can start pointing fingers. However, you have to have some patience throughout the year because 1) the worst thing you could do is bench Randolph completely. I think he needs the playing time in order to get over his weaknesses, because with him, it's just a matter of timing and having conviction in the things he does and knowing where to go and when to shoot. He'll cost us some games at first, which will probably cause an outrage from a lot of people, especially on this board, but if he works those kinks out, we're definitely going to become a force.
Also, you have to wonder what a team like Boston will be like at the end of the season and entering the playoffs. Last season, KG and Ray Allen were almost non factors for much of the time, and if that's the case this year, then we might be able to beat them. Also, if the East is really as improved as it seems, 45 wins might very well be good enough for an 8th seed and a rendez vous with the Heat, which would suck ars. Hopefully I'm wrong about that.
“Whenever I’m about to do something, I think ‘Would an idiot do that?’ and if they would, I do NOT do that thing.”- Dwight Schrute
