Jazz @ Blazers 1/31/09

[cjs55]

and rebounding is one of the biggest keys of Defense. Limiting possessions.

Rebounding is definitely key to winning. I would keep it a separate category from defense though. Otherwise you could say good ball-handling is key to defense because it stops fast breaks and limits the other team's possessions. And Boozer is a great rebounder and a terrible defender.

I don't know how anyone can say offense was our problem tonight. We shot very well, got to the line fine and scored 100+. Our problems were rebounding and defense...not surprising when we are missing Boozer and AK, who are our solutions to those two problems.

[seejaydeja]

and rebounding is one of the biggest keys of Defense. Limiting possessions.

Rebounding is definitely key to winning. I would keep it a separate category from defense though. Otherwise you could say good ball-handling is key to defense because it stops fast breaks and limits the other team's possessions. And Boozer is a great rebounder and a terrible defender.

I don't know how anyone can say offense was our problem tonight. We shot very well, got to the line fine and scored 100+. Our problems were rebounding and defense...not surprising when we are missing Boozer and AK, who are our solutions to those two problems.

Booz is our solution to defense? Since when?

[cjs55]

Boozer is our solution to rebounding. AK is our solution to defense.

[The Sheik]

AK is our solution to defense.

AK isnt our Solution to defense. I wish people would stop saying that. Our solution to defense is better perimeter D and Mark Eaton. AK wouldnt have stopped this beat down.

[cjs55]

AK isnt our Solution to defense. I wish people would stop saying that. Our solution to defense is better perimeter D and Mark Eaton. AK wouldnt have stopped this beat down.

AK is by far the best defender on the team. It's not even close.

If you need stats to prove this, those exist, and they're pretty damn clear.

Yeah, Mark Eaton would be nice. Dwight Howard would be nice. Realistically however, we need AK.

Of course with AK and Boozer healthy we can win this game. With one of them healthy, we probably don't. It's a back to back on the road against a good opponent.

[jazzfanak47]

while i admit memo isnt the greatest defender ever, to call his defense down right bad isnt right. his teammates force him out of position more and more all the time, when he actually gets to be on his own guy he is a pretty decent defender. Just please before anyone argues really watch for it, he is forced into playing defense from behind all the time.

[The Sheik]

AK is by far the best defender on the team. It's not even close.

If you need stats to prove this, those exist, and they're pretty damn clear.

Is it his lock down perimeter D? His poor rebounding rate or his amazing 1.5 blocks per game?

AK is an above average defender, but he is no lock down defender (except in specific matchups)...he is a help side shot blocker which takes away from his paint enforcing and is a poor ass rebounder for his size. He has great intangibles on offense, but he is overrated and overpaid. He is clearly our best defensive player, but thats not saying much considering this team.

Ill tell you right now if we had Joel Pryzbilla on our team he would be our best defensive player.

[cjs55]

You're right that AK's not a great man defender against very fast SF's. He's not that quick laterally and players like Richard Jefferson can torch him. He's not perfect.

This doesn't mean he doesn't effect team defense in a huge way. AK could block 0 shots a game and still be the best defender on the team.

All you have to do is rotate defensively, cause deflections, stop easy passes from occuring, and disrupt the other teams offense to be a great defender. And AK does all of those things. None of other players on our team do them very well. It's a weakness of our team's construction, no doubt. It makes AK more important to us than he would be to a better defensive team like the Cetlics.

This is why when he's in the game we are a better defensive team by a massive margin statistically. And he is actually quite good on a his man most of the time. The player he is guarding has a pathetic average PER of 10.6.

Him being overpaid is true, but besides the point.

Ill tell you right now if we had Joel Pryzbilla on our team he would be our best defensive player.

Maybe so. Pryz is a good defender and quite underrated. Of course, AK is clearly far superior to Pryz on offense. Admittedly, him along with the rest of the league.

[freakazoid]

Sorry Sheik, nothing personal, but cjS55 owns.


AK = badass.

I'm a Boozer lover, and even I can see how awesome Ak has been playing without a PF who dominates the ball.

Factoid:::::: The Blazers would trade all of their nuts for a swap of Joel for AK.


P.S. Only an idget would trade AK for Joel.


AK= Way better than that geek.

[Racer X]

Ronnie Price>Brevin Knight. I am convinced.

Poor Deron. He cannot rely on anyone on this team.

Sloan is not even coaching the team at this point. What does he do? He is the NBA equivalent of Joe Pa at Penn ST who doesnt even go into the locker room at halftime of games but just stays in the Coaches box. I wonder what this team would be like if Phil Johnson coached the team.

I bet Booze watches these games and just laughs at all the people who mentally threw him away when Milllsap was playing great.

[OC Jazzfan]

while i admit memo isnt the greatest defender ever, to call his defense down right bad isnt right. his teammates force him out of position more and more all the time, when he actually gets to be on his own guy he is a pretty decent defender. Just please before anyone argues really watch for it, he is forced into playing defense from behind all the time.

Unfortunately, when you are the center, playing defense includes rotating and protecting the basket. Yeah, if Memo could just guard his man all the time, well he'd probably still get smoked like a cheap cigar, but at least he wouldn't look so stupid when he stands there and watches someone drive in for a layup. The reason he's playing defense from behind all the time is because it takes so long for him to notice that he should rotate. Yeah, his teammates are largely inept at 1 on 1 defense which amplifies how bad he is, but it doesn't change the fact that he's bad. If Memo is not hitting his shots he's as useful on the basketball court as handles on a turd.

[freakazoid]

I bet Booze watches these games and just laughs at all the people who mentally threw him away when Milllsap was playing great.

I'm a HUGE Boozer fan, and yet I refuse to blame the idiots.

Millsap IS a stud, regardless of Boozer's lack of performance.

If you want to laugh at idgets, why don't you look at AK this year compared to his play from the last 2.

Many dumbasses make a dumbass cake - Shakespeare.

[Racer X]

I bet Booze watches these games and just laughs at all the people who mentally threw him away when Milllsap was playing great.

I'm a HUGE Boozer fan, and yet I refuse to blame the idiots.

Millsap IS a stud, regardless of Boozer's lack of performance.

If you want to laugh at idgets, why don't you look at AK this year compared to his play from the last 2.

Many dumbasses make a dumbass cake - Shakespeare.

I dont think this post makes any sense.

[The Sheik]

P.S. Only an idget would trade AK for Joel.

How many more (Please Use More Appropriate Word) people on here cant read and make assumptions? Where did I say trade AK for Pryzbilla?

[The Sheik]

I dont think this post makes any sense.

you did see how the OP was, right?

[DaVoiceMaster]

P.S. Only an idget would trade AK for Joel.

How many more (Please Use More Appropriate Word) people on here cant read and make assumptions? Where did I say trade AK for Pryzbilla?

I wouldn't be so quick to assume that. As a Blazer fan, I have seen a lot of Przybilla over the last few years. Admittedly, I've not seen much of AK. However, Joel is one of the most important players on this roster. With Oden's foul issues this season, Joel is forced to play some serious minutes now and then and the guy always delivers. If we had anybody other than Oden playing center for this team, they'd be coming off the bench and Przybilla would be starting. Whoever said his offense isn't much was correct. However, the guy is a stud defensively, at blocking shots and rebounding. He's having a career year offensively. I know, how said is that, but like you saw last night... that type of offense is there for him. The guy will mop up, clean up, or whatever else you wanna call it. He could easily average 12+ rebounds per game if he got regular minutes. The guy is very underrated as someone else in this thread said. He's a pretty good leader, as well and will go off on someone (both on his team and the opposing team) if he needs to. I just can't see the Blazers trading him unless the deal was too good to be true. Przybilla is too important to this team right now.