Posted by Nalod:
Dido, you must get a league pass and watch the games.
One cannot with accuracy comment as you do unless you see it.
There are so many intagables that a box score or high lights cannot capture them.
Boost your cred or lay back on the critique.
That, or get your stuff from NBALive?
To be fair, I made the exact same comment in a different post I made in the Knicks-Sixers game thread last night (and I did not even know ESPN said anything about it):
http://ultimateknicks.com/forum/topic.asp?t=11973&page=8
I'm not so certain that Crawford isn't quick enough to guard PG's. Jamal has a very good amount of quickness, I think it's defensive instincts more than anything else. There was a play in tonight's game when his man who the annoucers (Breen & Fraizer) knew favored his right hand. Crawford was guarding him straight up, so the player faked left and went to his right, past Jamal to the basket. Comare that to the Sixers' Iguodala, who on an earlier play was guarding Crawford. He clearly knew that Jamal likes to go to his right, but being as good a defender as he is, he guarded him what seemed to be straight up. However, when Jamal tried his little dribble-fake to the left Iguodala didn't go for the fake, shuffled backwards to Jamal's right figuring Jamal was headed that way, and drew the charge. That to me is one of Jamal's glaring weaknesses (as much as I like Crawford), not necessarily any lack of quickness to guard PG's.
It should be said that I think Crawford has played better D this pre-season than last year. I've seen more intensity from him (in yesterday's game and in the 2nd half of tonight's game), despite his overall inconsistent play. I uspect that the adjustment defensively as well as on the offensive end is what is causing him to struggle, thusfar.
Unless you are a hardcore NBA addict and watch every game, I don't think anyone here is necessarily an expert. Some probably have more knowledge of the game than others, and some do watch more. However even if one had League Pass, there is no way I would watch every game, unless I was or planned/expected to be making a living analyzing basketball.
Do you guys with League Pass really watch every game, every night? Also, isn't it kind of impossible to watch all of the games unless you tape them, because many games occur at the same time, and it would seem difficult to get "the most accurate" representation of a team if you only watch clips here and there, while flipping between games.
Certainly even the NBA "experts" have been wrong. So even those that think they know something don't necessarily know everything. When we watch those clips with their comments it certainly has an effect on our perception of players. Of course, it's better to comment after watching complete games, but I highlights can certainly tell us something, especially if we see it on a consistent basis, and observe them carefully. They do miss the picture, especially when on with certain offensive highlights, but when guys like Iguodala, who have good defensive reputations, make good defenisve plays and they highlight it, as well as other plays that support the comment, I think the evidence becomes a key reason to believe that they may be onto something.
Anyway, no disrespect intended Nalod, I just felt that it sounded a bit harsh to suggest that one has to have league pass to be able to comment on anything with "accuracy."
Forum Po Po and #33 for a reason...
10/19/2005 2:08 PM
