Questions???

[drzachary]

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Just to beat up on your point a little bit....

IF the plan was to run uptempo all along, why didn't Woody push for us to get an uptempo PG when Speedy got hurt?? There are always a few guys on the wire who can play uptempo...

Francis was on the wire for 2 years now.

If you want somebody cheap...

Hell, Will Conroy, Kyle Davis, and Dickau were available. Hell, we missed out on S. Blake.

Then there's the nbadl... we could have gone with Pooh Jeter or Gerry McNamara (go Cuse).

or

Even Matt Maloney, Frank Williams or Cookie Belcher.

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I've just about seen enough of Matt Maloney for this lifetime, thanks. Cookie Belcher would get us some press for his name, obviously. He went to school (Nebraska I think?) with another oddly-named guy in Kimani Pfriend!

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Gray . . they just don't understand.

I mean, I can play uptempo on NBA Live, with Chill and Smoove pushing the ball . . LOL . . as long as I get the ball back to an open JJ for the jumper.

But reality is a little different, than on a video game ( although the video games do accurately protray the abilities of certain players )

You're not going to find one good fast-break/uptempo basketball team, that doesn't have a really good PG leading the way. Not one. And if you have just a decent one, he has to stay healthy. Something Speedy and Lue wasn't last year.

But guess what? We can possibly get away with it this year, because we have (( gasp )) 2 PGs now. You can tell people like Smoove, Chill and Marvin, to fill the wings, instead of leading and starting the break.

Hard to run an offense, let alone an uptempo one, without a PG.

I'm about to do some research into Hawks wins last year. I'll post my findings either tonight or tomorrow. I'll see if the Hawks need to play at a faster tempo, or just become a more efficient team, regardless of tempo.

[Diesel]

Cookie Belcher - Tyronne Lue back together again!

The Cook and the Lue.

[DrReality]

Every year at this time there is a lot of talk about all the potential and mostly it falls away quickly. This year is due to be different becasue we have the talent. But I don't remember this kind of talk about running and then showing signs of actually trying it. If we keep it up and work out a guard rotation to run the team we've got a chance to be an exciting team. Lots of thoroughbreads.

[KB21]

......coach is George Karl, and oddly enough, he learned it from Dean Smith just like Roy Williams.

I've always said that the model for an up tempo team should be George Karl's Seattle teams, because they were teams that could get up and down the floor, but they played excellent defense. They played a trapping style of defense that was just as much up tempo as their offense was, and it was effective. If it weren't for Jordan and the Bulls, Karl would have won a couple of championships with the Supersonics.

I can't believe Paul Westhead has been mentioned again. If you asked Westhead what defense was, he'd tell you its what you build to keep farm animals in the yard. Paul Westhead doesn't know the concept of defense. His Denver teams are still the worst defensive teams in NBA history.

[DJlaysitup]

Up-Tempo will only work with one guy running the show...Acie Law. IMHO

[Diesel]

Read a newspaper...

Westhead is now the only coach to ever win a championship in the NBA and the WNBA. He took the losingest team in the WNBA, imparted his coaching onto them and they won a championship (In 2 years). Had you watched any of those championship games, you would have a new respect for Coach Westhead!

[drzachary]

Westhead is essentially a basketball messiah.

[mudderfudder77]

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......coach is George Karl, and oddly enough, he learned it from Dean Smith just like Roy Williams.

I've always said that the model for an up tempo team should be George Karl's Seattle teams, because they were teams that could get up and down the floor, but they played excellent defense.

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If you'd like a more contemporary example, look no further than Scott Skiles and the Chicago Bulls.

They had the 6th fastest pace last season, and were first in defensive efficiency.

No one talks about the Bulls as a running team, but they push the pace as much as anyone not named the Suns or Warriors.

[Diesel]

Nobody wants to really talk about teams that push the pace and play defense because it's supposed to be impossible to do...

[drzachary]

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Cookie Belcher - Tyronne Lue back together again!

The Cook and the Lue.

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I never knew they were together before! That's fun.

[drzachary]

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Nobody wants to really talk about teams that push the pace and play defense because it's supposed to be impossible to do...

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I think my view on this has been consistent: on the whole, defense is bad for basketball: the less defense is played, the more watchable is the game. Scoring provides little bursts of joy, denying an entry pass, ehhhhhh not so much.

That said, I welcome the day when the rules will be changed (to something more like what Mark Cuban likes) where any contact PERIOD is a foul on the defender. Get out of the way!

[Diesel]

Come on.. Be honest...

When you see somebody get their shot sent into the stands or pinned to the backboard, it makes your heart smile!!! I think I stand up taller (if that's possible) when Josh Blocks a shot than when he dunks!

[drzachary]

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Come on.. Be honest...

When you see somebody get their shot sent into the stands or pinned to the backboard, it makes your heart smile!!! I think I stand up taller (if that's possible) when Josh Blocks a shot than when he dunks!

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How is sending a shot back into the stands good defense? It gives the ball back to the other team. Better defense would be to block the shot and gain possession of the ball. That isn't as exciting though, is it?

Yeah, you're right, a theatric block is very exciting, but I don't consider blocks to be the best, or even a very good, measure of defense.

[darealist]

Woody is not Red Auerbach but you don't have to be . My concern is whether he can keep the players behind his philosphy. having the teams trust in your plan is very important on a young team. Every one must embrace their role on offense and defense.This is why almost none of Starbury team have been good up to this point. He is a point guard that wants to be a two. When he actually plays point his teams aren't bad when he doesn't they tend to suck balls. If woody gets the guys to believe and play their roles on offense while contesting shots and forcing turnovers on D they can win games early reinforcing that believe thus they don't suck