Reflections from Section K, Row 25, Seat 12

by MTN on Mar 16, 2010 10:56 AM MDT Comment 7 comments

Scored Jazz tix again last night, including a free hot dog on which I put mustard, catchup, frysauce and pickles. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. Here's what I learned:

1. Wesley Matthews looks like Wesley Snipes... maybe "sniper" for a nickname, especially given his shooting of late? OMSW-the-Sniper? Whatever.

2. Wesley Matthews is fearless.

3. Deron Williams is a real ninja...just like when Pinnochio becomes a real boy, I'm talking about the same amount of realness but as a ninja. He had a move that started at the 3 point line, ended at the basket, and went around every limb, changed hands at least three times, broke 11 ankles, and took about 17% effort from D-Will. He's that good.

4. Every play is a fast break with deron, until it isn't. Andre Miller was like this at the U. Push the ball up until the window closes, then responsibly bring it back out. Every pg should play this way.

5. Fesenko's limbs are made of gummy worms and his shoes are actually toaster ovens and his hands are dolphin flippers. Still, he is the best and biggest big man we're always saying we don't have. Let him play. Let him play. Let him play. The only way he'll learn to stay on his feet is with experience. The only way he'll take free throws seriously is if he has to start taking a bunch of them. Let him play.

6. I know we have said this ad nauseum, but boozer's help d is atrocious. In fact, a lot of the bigs' help is bad. But specifically, it's bad when the other big is on the block opposite boozer's big. The Wiz had a handful of one-on-one post moves that met no resistance in the lane. There is no reason for Booze to be on the outside of the lane on the weakside when the strong side has the ball on the block. (Actually, am I running up against illegal defense here? Is that why he doesn't drift in to help? I don't really know that rule very well.. somebody clarify.)

7. Some Jazz dancers are hot and sexy. Others are ridiculous. There was one in particular who's head shaking looked more like she was in the middle of a bad car accident and less like strutting. It was weird. Subtlety is a virtue in all the arts.

8. Gaines can shoot. I think I like him better than Price. Any thoughts? He really gets in guys' faces on D too, an annoying bugger. For a stretch, he was the only one playing D (he was checking Foye).

9. I've never left a game early in my life. I think it's classless. But I had to drive an hour to get home and be at work this morning by 7. So we left with 7 minutes left. At that point, it was essentially a Fesenko drill, which was fun for a little while.

10. Deron's first foul was an offensive foul where he raised to shoot from the baseline and popped Foye (I think it was Foye) in the jaw with his elbow. HOW IS THAT ANY DIFFERENT THAN DURANT OR KOBE OR GINOBLI RAISING THEIR ARMS FROM UNDER A DEFENDER'S OUTSTRETCHED ARMS TO DRAW A FOUL? WHO IS ENTITLED TO THE SPACE? bs call. bs cs call. the C is for Chicken.

All comments are the opinion of the commenter and not necessarily that of SLC Dunk or SB Nation.

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I like these in-person observations

My thoughts:

2. This is absolutely true. He’ll crash the offensive boards, he’ll dive on the floor, he’ll post up bigger guys, he’ll run a 1-on-3 fast-break (maybe not always the smartest thing to do, but definitely the fearless-est thing to do), he’ll take a big shot, and he’ll guard anybody the coaching staff asks him too. He makes a huge impact on the game even if he only ends up with 6 points and 2 rebounds or something. Part of me wants a roster of 13 Wesley Matthews. We may not win many games, but we would never, EVER be outworked or outhustled.

8. Already a better PG than Price. Maybe not yet a better player than Ronnie, but a better PG. But a couple times per game (and by “per game” I obviously mean “per game in which he plays decent minutes”) he makes a play that makes me say “Oh yeah, this guy was in the D-League three months ago.” I’m definitely in favor of him getting some more minutes and more experience so those couple times becomes one time or no times, because he’s clearly got a ton of potential. Also, fun fact: his two threes last night were the first two of his NBA career that did not come at the buzzer (one at halftime against Phoenix, and you know, that other one.)

9. As someone who has never left a game early, I may forgive you just this once.

10. I had pretty much the EXACT same reaction last night. Durant got that call what, 2 or 3 different times in Sunday’s game? And then THE VERY NEXT NIGHT, Deron does the same thing, and it’s an offensive foul. The only difference was that he caught Foye’s chin on the way up (the local broadcasters here in DC seized on this point to argue that it could have been a flagrant on Deron, which is ridiculous), but I have no doubt that even if Durant had caught C.J.‘s chin or whoever else was guarding him on Sunday, it still would have been a foul on C.J. I’d like to see that call abolished completely, but I’d settle for a little consistency in how it’s called.

by shandonfan on Mar 16, 2010 12:37 PM MDT reply actions

i love this kind of post too

in regards to shandonfan’s #2—a team of 13 wesley matthews = ‘03-’04 team?

by moni on Mar 16, 2010 5:45 PM MDT up reply actions

Illegal Defense-

You can’t double team a guy in the paint by being “off” your man by more than 10 feet, if said person you are double teaming, does not have the ball. So if he has the ball, then you can double team him anytime you want to.

The more you try to erase me, the more that I appear.

by clarkpojo on Mar 16, 2010 8:23 PM MDT reply actions

So once the ball goes into the post, he could slide into the lane

to be available for help?

when I coached at Park City, big Mark Eaton (whose son was one of my students) came to practice to help one day. He said that some teams preach defense that forces the ball to the sidelines and the baselines, as if those lines are extra defenders; but he said Jerry preaches defense that acts like a funnel, forcing the ball into the key BECAUSE THAT’S WHERE THE HELP IS (should be) AND YOU EITHER FORCE A BAD SHOT, YOU GET A BLOCK/STEAL, OR THEY HAVE TO KICK IT BACK OUT AND START OVER, AND YOU ARE PACKED IN TO GET THE REBOUNDS AS WELL. So with that information in mind, I’m watching Memo give up a baseline spin-dunk to a guy who nobody’s ever heard of and the whole time Boozer is practically face-guarding his man on the opposite side of the lane. What should happen is Memo overplays the baseline, forcing the spin-move to the inside AND BOOZER’S BIG ASS SHOULD BE IN THE WAY WHEN HE GETS THERE!!!!

That’s exactly what didn’t happen, and that’s the origin of my complaint.

I'll make it coach.

by MTN on Mar 17, 2010 10:08 AM MDT up reply actions

All true. Sloan hates nothing more than a defender going baseline.

Basically you want to crowd the middle of the paint, so that it is difficult for a defender to get “on top of the basket” as Sloan might say. But our help defense and length inside are wanting obviously.

The more you try to erase me, the more that I appear.

by clarkpojo on Mar 17, 2010 1:23 PM MDT up reply actions

I think length is less the problem and help is more the problem

Granted, we don’t have Gasol waiting in the paint to block shots. But do you think Gasol wants to shoot over Okur AND Boozer? Help is intimidating; help forces/rushes the shot or pass; help gives Booze a chance to swipe the ball when it’s waist high, which he’s very good at; help puts us in position to box out for the rebound. If we played effective help
d, we could overcome our lack of height just fine.

I'll make it coach.

by MTN on Mar 17, 2010 2:23 PM MDT up reply actions

I completely agree. Look at Chuck Hayes. Does his work early at 6'6".

But Boozer and Okur aren’t ever going to be Chuck Hayes. You have to look at their history. People are talking about how much of a better defender Boozer is now, but he still isn’t above average.

The more you try to erase me, the more that I appear.

by clarkpojo on Mar 18, 2010 2:31 PM MDT up reply actions