Big week coming up.
Posted: Fri Nov 7, 2008 4:42 pm
We should be well rested (wtf is with this schedule...)
Houston on Sunday
back to back @ Dallas then @ NO
then Detroit on Fri
Should be a much better measuring stick to see where we are over these first few games. Our 4 wins so far have been impressive but pretty weak comp. Portland is good but it was their first game and with Oden getting hurt they had to adjust mid game.
We have a beautiful balanced rotation now. I have not seen such in a long time. I am really glad LO accepted his 6th man role, with him Ariza and Farmar coming in for the change of pace with Sasha spreadign the floor. Think about it Farmar, Sasha, Ariza, LO, Bynum/Gasol thats a better lineup then several teams starters. The 2 things that I think might be best about our depth though are:
1. Change of pace. It allows us two different types of gameplay and makes it very hard for other teams to adjust and matchup defensively. I hope to see this in effect on Sunday. If our first unit is locked in a slow defensive grind with Houston's I think the 2nd unit can come in and start forcing the pace so the Rockets can't set their D and really make Yao and Tracy get up and down the floor.
2. Defensive intensity. It allows us to keep up a full defensive intensity all game long if our guys are committed to it. Our starters should realistically log less minutes then any other contender and it really allows the whole team to expend more energy on the defensive side. Especially with guys like Vlad and Jordan picking up off Sasha's peskiness and Kobe's intensity. Kobe especially can really focus on locking down guys now. Boston showed it last year, if you committ to it for 82 games, by the time the playoffs come around its in your nature. I hope we never let up all year. I hope to see this against Dallas and NO on the road. So far our trapping and quick hedging bigs have kept teams out of the post and out of the paint a lot. I hope to see them adjust to the pentration and shooters of those two teams and really stay disciplined.
If we come through this week 8-0 the league will be on real notice as to what is coming with this team. I think part of Boston's success last year was psychologically, both in their own minds with supreme confidence that they were going to win every time and in the opponents. A seed in the back of their heads that they are going to lose and they are more likely to quit when they get behind under relentless defensive and offensive pressure. The Bulls were like this in their 72 win season too. A sweep of this week would go a long way to starting that off I think.
Houston on Sunday
back to back @ Dallas then @ NO
then Detroit on Fri
Should be a much better measuring stick to see where we are over these first few games. Our 4 wins so far have been impressive but pretty weak comp. Portland is good but it was their first game and with Oden getting hurt they had to adjust mid game.
We have a beautiful balanced rotation now. I have not seen such in a long time. I am really glad LO accepted his 6th man role, with him Ariza and Farmar coming in for the change of pace with Sasha spreadign the floor. Think about it Farmar, Sasha, Ariza, LO, Bynum/Gasol thats a better lineup then several teams starters. The 2 things that I think might be best about our depth though are:
1. Change of pace. It allows us two different types of gameplay and makes it very hard for other teams to adjust and matchup defensively. I hope to see this in effect on Sunday. If our first unit is locked in a slow defensive grind with Houston's I think the 2nd unit can come in and start forcing the pace so the Rockets can't set their D and really make Yao and Tracy get up and down the floor.
2. Defensive intensity. It allows us to keep up a full defensive intensity all game long if our guys are committed to it. Our starters should realistically log less minutes then any other contender and it really allows the whole team to expend more energy on the defensive side. Especially with guys like Vlad and Jordan picking up off Sasha's peskiness and Kobe's intensity. Kobe especially can really focus on locking down guys now. Boston showed it last year, if you committ to it for 82 games, by the time the playoffs come around its in your nature. I hope we never let up all year. I hope to see this against Dallas and NO on the road. So far our trapping and quick hedging bigs have kept teams out of the post and out of the paint a lot. I hope to see them adjust to the pentration and shooters of those two teams and really stay disciplined.
If we come through this week 8-0 the league will be on real notice as to what is coming with this team. I think part of Boston's success last year was psychologically, both in their own minds with supreme confidence that they were going to win every time and in the opponents. A seed in the back of their heads that they are going to lose and they are more likely to quit when they get behind under relentless defensive and offensive pressure. The Bulls were like this in their 72 win season too. A sweep of this week would go a long way to starting that off I think.
Let them try
