could smith and horford play any less aggressively?

[johnny878]

i know dwight is a shot blocking presence in the paint... but damn lol, these guys just stay away from the basket and shoot jumpshots. they are basically non factors and the gaurd play has really carried the team lol.

[draycon530]

Both players had 10+ rebounds in tonight's game, and Al Horford had 14 points, so I wouldn't say they've been non factors. They have both been playing solid defense, which is how we've been winning these games anyways, and Al has hit some clutch shots in the closer games. They might not be matching their regular season production, but with Jamal shooting lights out, it hasn't really been necessary. Hopefully if Jamal has a poor shooting game they will pick up the aggressiveness, though.

[evildallas]

They selectively attack inside. It's about matchups, positioning, and opportunities. Could they take it inside more? Sure, but I don't think it's as bad as you think.

[Ruhiel]

They selectively attack inside. It's about matchups, positioning, and opportunities. Could they take it inside more? Sure, but I don't think it's as bad as you think.

most playoff teams have 6'8+ small forwards and 6'10+ power forwards that Horford and Smith matchup with.
In the East I think Deng can guard Smith w/o fouling but idk about Boozer versus Horford. Garnett has beasted Horford in the past. maybe we stick Pachulia on him
Celts also have the 6'10 Jeff Green.
The Heat have LBJ and the refs will not be doing us any favors. In the past Joe has done well versus Dwyane coonsidering the height advantage.
IF we don't find some way to play big and we resort to the Marvin Williams lineup that lost 6 straight coming into playoffs we will be exiting the playoffs wit a quickness.

the Hawks are an entirely different team when we play big. Sad that with all these big $ players we are relying on Jason Collins being healthy to win PLAYOFF games.

[Harry10]

They selectively attack inside. It's about matchups, positioning, and opportunities. Could they take it inside more? Sure, but I don't think it's as bad as you think.

Collins and Joe should just run a bunch of pick and rolls. if Dwight comes out to defend, then Joe can just throw up a lob to Smoove for an alley oop, cause Hedo has no chance of hanging with him. If Dwight doesn't come out to help, then great, Redick will have to fight over Collins just to put a hand up to contest Joe for an open 3.

[evildallas]

They selectively attack inside. It's about matchups, positioning, and opportunities. Could they take it inside more? Sure, but I don't think it's as bad as you think.

most playoff teams have 6'8+ small forwards and 6'10+ power forwards that Horford and Smith matchup with.
In the East I think Deng can guard Smith w/o fouling but idk about Boozer versus Horford. Garnett has beasted Horford in the past. maybe we stick Pachulia on him
Celts also have the 6'10 Jeff Green.
The Heat have LBJ and the refs will not be doing us any favors. In the past Joe has done well versus Dwyane coonsidering the height advantage.
IF we don't find some way to play big and we resort to the Marvin Williams lineup that lost 6 straight coming into playoffs we will be exiting the playoffs wit a quickness.

the Hawks are an entirely different team when we play big. Sad that with all these big $ players we are relying on Jason Collins being healthy to win PLAYOFF games.

We don't go big against Chicago. Horford matches up with Noah. Josh with Boozer and Marvin with Deng. I'd play the big lineup almost all the time (more Zaza than Collins except against Dwight), but Drew doesn't agree.

[johnny878]

what makes you favor the big line up?

[Geaux_Hawks]

i know dwight is a shot blocking presence in the paint... but damn lol, these guys just stay away from the basket and shoot jumpshots. they are basically non factors and the gaurd play has really carried the team lol.

Horford and Smith attract their guys closer to them, so Crawford, Joe, and Hinrich can maneuver for better drives. Drew should really run alot of P-n-R or P-n-P with those guys though. Howard can't defend those type of plays effectively. Horford will kill him on the pop and Smith will do the same on the Roll. Drew is an idiot.

Evildallas said it best. They selectively choose when to attack. Joe could really put Dwight in a bind if he attack more and drew the foul, creating more opportunities for Smith and Horford. You can't call them non factors because they are actually rebounding, helping defend Dwight to force TO's, and still scoring. Smith was averaging about 16 before last night's 9 and Horford has been consistently hitting mid range shots in the 4th despite shooting about 42% from the field.

[evildallas]

what makes you favor the big line up?

Horford is more comfortable in the PF role and it takes that underperforming slug Marvin Williams out of the main lineup. Better he only play 15 minutes a night. That's plenty of time for him to hit his 1 jumper of the game.

[HoopsGuru25]

Big lineup in a potential Chicago series is pointless as Noah and Boozer don't have a history of playing well vs the Hawks. The Hawks are already going to be severely over matched athletically at the pg spot....they cant afford to have the same thing happen to the center spot.

[Ruhiel]

Big lineup in a potential Chicago series is pointless as Noah and Boozer don't have a history of playing well vs the Hawks. The Hawks are already going to be severely over matched athletically at the pg spot....they cant afford to have the same thing happen to the center spot.

What are you talking about. They blew us out by 40 when we played the Williams-Horford-Smith* lineup.

When Collins and Zaza matched up against Noah he couldn't get to the offensive glass. He's quick but he's not very strong compared to the Kendrick Perkins and even 6'9 Big Baby gives him trouble.

To go back to the Marvin Williams-Woodson lineup wood be inexplicably asinine and disrupt any continuity and confidence the team has been building up this (off)season.

edit: how athletic is Dwight Howard, a bit more athletic than Joakim Noah who plays the same type of game. Zaza and Collins are needed this game.


*Smith is effectively our center for all intents and purposes.

[HoopsGuru25]

The reason they need Collins for Dwight Howard is because we need him to defend the post. Noah may get 2 or 3 post up attempts a game if he's lucky. Also...Jason Collins isn't keeping anyone off the boards. He's a terrible rebounder for a 7 footer.

The Bulls strengths on offense are offensive rebounding and Derrick Rose getting to the basket. Collins doesn't rebound and would get absolutely murdered trying to cover a pick and roll 25 feet away from basket by someone like Rose.

[HoopsGuru25]

Also...please note that the Hawks were down 20 in the 1st half during the game they started Collins against the Bulls. They didn't come back until Al Horford took over the game in the 2nd half and that was playing slongside Marvin and Zaza.

[Ruhiel]

Big lineup in a potential Chicago series is pointless as Noah and Boozer don't have a history of playing well vs the Hawks. The Hawks are already going to be severely over matched athletically at the pg spot....they cant afford to have the same thing happen to the center spot.

What are you talking about. They blew us out by 40 when we played the Williams-Horford-Smith* lineup.

When Collins and Zaza matched up against Noah he couldn't get to the offensive glass. He's quick but he's not very strong compared to the Kendrick Perkins and even 6'9 Big Baby gives him trouble.

To go back to the Marvin Williams-Woodson lineup wood be inexplicably asinine and disrupt any continuity and confidence the team has been building up this (off)season.

edit: how athletic is Dwight Howard, a bit more athletic than Joakim Noah who plays the same type of game. Zaza and Collins are needed this game.


*Smith is effectively our center for all intents and purposes.

[Ruhiel]

Big lineup in a potential Chicago series is pointless as Noah and Boozer don't have a history of playing well vs the Hawks. The Hawks are already going to be severely over matched athletically at the pg spot....they cant afford to have the same thing happen to the center spot.

What are you talking about. They blew us out by 40 when we played the Williams-Horford-Smith* lineup.

When Collins and Zaza matched up against Noah he couldn't get to the offensive glass. He's quick but he's not very strong compared to the Kendrick Perkins and even 6'9 Big Baby gives him trouble.

To go back to the Marvin Williams-Woodson lineup wood be inexplicably asinine and disrupt any continuity and confidence the team has been building up this (off)season.

edit: how athletic is Dwight Howard, a bit more athletic than Joakim Noah who plays the same type of game. Zaza and Collins are needed this game.


*Smith is effectively our center for all intents and purposes.

[parson]

I don't think we can be so hard on Smoove and Horford. It's a long season, they're beat up and playing a position higher than they probably should. Plus, CHI is pounding on them without foul calls while we're responding with too many small players. It's just Smoove and Horford against the world.

Even so, Smoove is only averaging about one less rebound/gm than he did in the regular season while Horford is averaging two more than he did in the regular season. They're fighting about as hard as you could ask.

[johnny878]

horford has been horrible tihs postseason. Smith takes alot of the heat because of his bad shots, but horford other then rebounding has been a complete non-factor on offense and defense.

[Ruhiel]

I liked Orlando rotation better. Prediction, Josh Smith will not sniff the small forward until the 2nd half of an elimination game. Over or under?

[Ruhiel]

horford has been horrible tihs postseason. Smith takes alot of the heat because of his bad shots, but horford other then rebounding has been a complete non-factor on offense and defense.

Did u c what Chicago did to the Hawks? They turned us into Orlando.

We pulled Dwight out of the paint with Jason Collins pick and rolls. They pull Josh Smith up the lane so Rose can get undeterred layups.
If they pulled Jason Collins up the lane we would still have Josh back there on Deng etc. They would have to run a Luol Deng pick and roll and then we'd still have Collins and Horford to contest with Josh helping if Rose turns blind to him and can't pass to Deng.

As is the Hawks are the blind ones. I mean how do you not think getting outrebounded does not deserve adjustments?
Are the Hawks trying to throw the series to lower Jamal's contract value or what?

[FCNATL85]

To answer the original post, YES as proven last night...