Goran Dragic 1 on 1 with Zach Lowe - Grantland

[TASTIC]

Awesome read...Stoked he's finally getting his dues which will hopefully culminate in an All NBA team berth...

You have been my favorite player to watch in the league this season.

Thank you. I appreciate it. It’s one of the best seasons of my career. It’s not only me. It’s about the whole team. I would like to thank all the players for supporting me, and the coaching staff. Right now, in my life, everything is in the right place — my personal life, and with basketball.

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/qa-go ... h-friends/

[Revived]

That was indeed a really good read. Thanks for posting.

They talked about Dragic attacking Hibbert but I thought him taking it right at Anthony Davis 2-3 times in that last Pelicans game was more impressive to be honest.

[bwgood77]

Yeah, I just read that and was going to post that here. Here is a part that I think is important for some fans to understand (the ones that say they don't care if the PF can hit 3s)

How much easier is your life when you can run a pick-and-roll with Channing Frye — a screener who can kill teams with outside shots?

Oh, man, a lot easier. It’s a huge difference from this year to last year, when Channing was out. Everybody was so much inside the paint, that you could not create. You could not get to the inside. And right now, it’s so much easier. They’re so afraid he’s going to knock down shots.

Defenders just have to stick to him, instead of helping against you as you go around the pick.

They have to be close to him. And that’s one man less in the paint. It’s so much easier.

There’s one kind of drive you get — when your defender gets between you and Channing’s pick, like he wants to send you away from the pick, but Channing’s defender is sticking right to Channing. You can just drive into open space away from the pick, right?

Exactly. My guy is already on the side of me, and it’s just much easier to penetrate. And if they help, of course, I’m going to find Channing.

[Revived]

That doesn't mean the PF has to be a 3pt shooter, it just has to be someone that can knock down open jump shots like Amare in his prime, Bosh, LMA, Duncan, Dirk, Davis, Z-Bo, Gibson, West, Lee, Pau and even Ibaka's turning into a pretty good shooter from the top of the key.

We need a guy like that who could shoot but can also score in the paint.

[JDLAW]

There is an interesting thread on the NYK's board it is entitled Rondo versus Dragic. The comments are hilarious. Most of the posters are under the impression that in 2015 NYK will have the pick of one of these two players for their team (most pick Dragic) as though the Suns or Celts would not have a say in the matter. The arrogance!!

[NapoleonII]

That doesn't mean the PF has to be a 3pt shooter, it just has to be someone that can knock down open jump shots like Amare in his prime, Bosh, LMA, Duncan, Dirk, Davis, Z-Bo, Gibson, West, Lee, Pau and even Ibaka's turning into a pretty good shooter from the top of the key.

We need a guy like that who could shoot but can also score in the paint.

Agreed. Being a floor spacer doesn't mean you also have to suck at rebounding or having a post-game.

[JDLAW]

That doesn't mean the PF has to be a 3pt shooter, it just has to be someone that can knock down open jump shots like Amare in his prime, Bosh, LMA, Duncan, Dirk, Davis, Z-Bo, Gibson, West, Lee, Pau and even Ibaka's turning into a pretty good shooter from the top of the key.

We need a guy like that who could shoot but can also score in the paint.

Need a deeper shooter than most of these. Bosh and Dirk yes, LMA maybe. There rest no. Their effective ranges are to about 18 feet and many or them are not pick and roll or pick and pop players. Not saying they are bad - far from it - but they are not the same and their shorter range means much more congestion.

[thamadkant]

The Suns need atleast 2 shooters to spread out the defense, not including the ball handler, in this case Dragic / Bledsoe.
Spurs are perfect example, Parker gets his space inside EVEN with Tim Duncan down there, the reason is they have a variety of shooters who can fill in at the SG and SF spot, they also can slide Bonner at the PF/C spot when needed.

The problem last year with Dragic, is literally the Suns didn’t have a good offensive PF, not only that the PF and C were low post scorers only and limited offensive skills (passing, facilitating etc).


The SUNS definitely STILL need a post presence to become a legit PLAYOFF team and eventually contend. You need someone to score down low when the perimeter defense is cranked up in intensity and perimeter players don’t have the space to shoot or penetrate. Frye is NOT the be all end all big man that Dragic MUST have as a team mate on the court.

Give Dragic and Bledsoe, a couple of players who can hit shots outside the paint and an inside big man to drop the ball to for interior offense and the Suns offense will be much harder to defend.

The other issue is the Suns give up 100+ so easily…. The problem is the Suns don’t have Amare, Marion and Nash to score 120+ if needed be consistently anymore…. The Suns basically ALLOW too much points against them, in the past the Suns triumphed (60+ wins) with this problem mainly because they were an all time great offensive team, these days they are streaky…. Completely beatable by any team who steps it up a notch defensively.

[JDLAW]

The Suns need atleast 2 shooters to spread out the defense, not including the ball handler, in this case Dragic / Bledsoe.
Spurs are perfect example, Parker gets his space inside EVEN with Tim Duncan down there, the reason is they have a variety of shooters who can fill in at the SG and SF spot, they also can slide Bonner at the PF/C spot when needed.

The problem last year with Dragic, is literally the Suns didn’t have a good offensive PF, not only that the PF and C were low post scorers only and limited offensive skills (passing, facilitating etc).


The SUNS definitely STILL need a post presence to become a legit PLAYOFF team and eventually contend. You need someone to score down low when the perimeter defense is cranked up in intensity and perimeter players don’t have the space to shoot or penetrate. Frye is NOT the be all end all big man that Dragic MUST have as a team mate on the court.


Give Dragic and Bledsoe, a couple of players who can hit shots outside the paint and an inside big man to drop the ball to for interior offense and the Suns offense will be much harder to defend.

The other issue is the Suns give up 100+ so easily…. The problem is the Suns don’t have Amare, Marion and Nash to score 120+ if needed be consistently anymore…. The Suns basically ALLOW too much points against them, in the past the Suns triumphed (60+ wins) with this problem mainly because they were an all time great offensive team, these days they are streaky…. Completely beatable by any team who steps it up a notch defensively.

I do not know what team you were watching last year but your description of the Suns bigs last year is a bit off. Scola was the power forward for most of the year and his offensive game is a mid range game. He had trouble getting shots off inside because he does not jump well and had little explosiveness. Before he was hurt, Gortat was a pick and roll guy and a mid post center. The two of them together caused spacing problems. There was no one to space the floor. Putting a guy like Z-Bo (excellent post scorer, but a mediocre shooter from long distance) on the Suns would changes the whole complexion of this team. Defenses would pack down and prevent drives to the basket. Big men in today's game are too athletic and too long and cover so much ground on the defensive end to expect penetrating guards will have open lanes to the basket if there are not big men to help stretch the floor. We saw this spacing problem just a few years ago with Nash Amare and Shaq on the floor. There was no spacing for Nash or the other guards/slashers on the team. Detroit is having the same spacing problems. Like it or not, the trend is to have the 4-man be a floor spacer on offense thereby creating lanes for the wings and point guard to attack the basket.

You are right about the defense slipping over the past 4 weeks. Part of this is the inexperience of the big men (Len and Plumlee). But a bigger part of this is just fatigue and dealing with the physicality of the league where they did not have to do so before. This team has played very hard through the first 50 games and the defense was pretty good. They have done so with players who have never played so much in their careers. Mental and physical fatigue had set in. Minds are not as sharp, signals to the body are slower and this translates to slower defensive rotations and reactions.

For example, if G Green continues on his present pace, he will play 200 more minutes than he did over the 3 previous years combined. Miles Plumlee will play more minutes this year than his entire college and pro career career combined. Marcus Morris will play more minutes this year than the previous two years combined. And these guys are not playing an inordinate number of minutes per game. C Frye is playing the second highest mpg in his career and he is coming off of a season where he did not play at all. He looks heavy legged and his shooting has become spotty. This is fatigue and when a team is fatigued, the effort plays and defense of first and long distance shooting follows.

[bwgood77]

As for people mentioning Frye not being the end all guy we need, I didn't mean that was the case, but if we have two guards who are best at taking it to the hole, we need at least two guys between our SF, PF and C would can spread the floor.

So we need either a PF or C who can hit long range shots. This is one reason I like Payne. He can do both. If we have one of Bledsoe or Dragic on the bench, and Green on the floor, than a guy like Payne can play inside more.

We really just need a center to protect the rim. I think a guy like Frye works ok if you had a defensive presence in the middle like Asik.

Also, if we could get a great PF who could bang inside it might work ok with a center who could hit 3s, like Hawes. I don't think a guy like Hawes is a solution, but he could be useful at times if we had a guy like a Zach Randolph or Taj Gibson.

[SDC]

Did you model your step-back jumper after anyone? Because it’s not just a step-back. It’s also like a severe lean back — like you’re leaning out a window, looking up at someone a floor above you.

That’s just me. It’s just natural to me. Especially if I penetrate to my right, this [left] leg is very strong, I can push backward. It’s a tough shot, but I practice it a lot. It’s my go-to move.

manu ginobili's step back?

[SDC]

That was indeed a really good read. Thanks for posting.

They talked about Dragic attacking Hibbert but I thought him taking it right at Anthony Davis 2-3 times in that last Pelicans game was more impressive to be honest.

goran dragic driving hard against josh smith last game (somebody shouted)