HOW TO WIN GAME 2- Part 2
by clarkpojo on May 3, 2010 4:54 PM MDT
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It is time we admit how great Kobe Bryant is. He is the greatest of all time. He is unstoppable. He is the Black Mamba, a nickname that so aptly describes him it could only have been created by the great one himself.
I wrote a similar piece before game 2 against Denver and we all know how game 2 turned out in that series. Thought I would keep up with the tradition. I never said I wasn’t totally superstitious.
1. Rough up Pau Gasol-
It’s amazing what a different player Pau Gasol is when you body him up and push him around. I don’t care if you get called for a foul or two. You have to just flat out make Pau Gasol uncomfortable. I am looking at you especially, Carlos Boozer. You need to use your leverage to just push Pau out of position. If he catches the ball in the low post, I don’t care how fundamental your defense is, you are toast. Gotta do your work before he gets the ball. I don’t care if you poke him in the ribs, pull on his beard or just whoop and holler at him. You can’t respect him. And if you push him around, Pau will play more poorly. He’s soft. I don’t care how many angry faces he makes. He’s soft. Challenge him. Or else just let him shoot 4 foot hook shots over you. That’ll work too.
2. Guard Kobe Bryant differently
The Jazz didn’t really have time to gameplan how they would handle Kobe in the 4th quarter, so it’s forgiveable that it was poor in game 1. It’s gotta change for the upcoming games. Kobe Bryant isn’t the player he was even a year ago. He is a fantastic shooter, but if you force him to put the ball on the floor, he isn’t as quick as he once was to the basket. But CJ Miles should never be guarding Kobe Bryant in the last 6 minutes of the game. CJ is much improved defensively, but he still lacks the strength and know how to be able to guard Bryant. The problem is that CJ is probably too small to guard Ron Artest. But I would rather have the Lakers looking to Artest for 4th quarter points. And I thought Deron guarded Kobe well. Kobe just made some jumpers over him. It happens. But CJ needs to guard either Artest or Fisher in the closing minutes. Deron and Matthews should get him on the final possessions. They make Kobe work.
3. Play at a faster pace
I don’t mean that the Jazz need to run more fast breaks. They are running pretty well when they have the opportunity and their fast breaks were successful when they had the opportunity to run. But in general, the team just needs more movement and faster play. Boozer can’t methodically break down Pau Gasol in the low post. It isn’t happening. Gotta get the ball and make a quicker move. Millsap was a little more successful attacking Odom and the Laker defense. Boozer had some good offensive rebounds and putbacks due to this. If you try to set up the Lakers, their defense just sets up and then they know what to do. They are a great half court team defensively. Go at them and go at them quickly. Keep the pressure on them. The Jazz need to run their offense and with more purpose. They need to run their cuts more quickly and sharper. Take it to the Lakers on offense and defense. And capitalize on fast breaks too.
4. CJ needs to shoot open three pointers
I like the fact that CJ is attacking the rim. But he also passed up a lot of open looks from 3. He also shot about 3 or 4 pull-up 3 pointers off the dribble. CJ, please shoot an open 3 point shot with your feet set. You are going to get open looks from Deron’s penetration. Line it up and shoot ‘em up. Pump fake sometimes and attack the basket. That’s fine. But don’t shoot any pull up 3’s off the dribble. Mix it up. But most importantly, shoot the ball with confidence. This is no time for you to be getting nervous. You wear big boy pants now. Show us you can keep them unsoiled.
5. Time to wake Fesenko up
Fes has disappeared a bit since his great plays in games 2 and 3 of the Denver series. It is time to get him back. I vote that he starts the game guarding Pau Gasol. Tell him to rough Gasol up a bit. Or call him out. I don’t know. Do something. We need him to be with us in this series. I wish that playing Kosta Koufos any minutes would be a big enough wake up call to Fesenko. I am not ready to give up on him now. And he can still play a big role in this series.
And most importantly….let’s go Jazz. Game 2, Tues, 10:30 PM EST
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CJ
Miles had a lot of opportunities in the 4th Q alone. He had 7 bonified tries including a nearly two minute stretch where the offense went to him every single possession except for one transition bucket. If anything I’m a little nervous about him being the one Utah depended on to keep them in front down the stretch. He responded well though, all in all.
Totally agree that the Jazz need to get more physical, and a lot earlier.
1. I agree completly and the defense has to start the moment the game starts. You can’t let him get into a rhythm early with small 4 footers and layups.
2. I think CJ did pretty well. It’s hard to guard Kobe when he can push you on the ground and then when you try to stand up its an AND ONE.
3. The play faster is a double edged sword. It helped us and it hurt us. Boozer driving right down the middle at the end of the game and losing the ball was a quick play and it didn’t work at all.
4. I agree.
5. WTF FES, put your big boy pants on!
For the Love of the Game
MonSTARZ forever!
watch the replay
on the play where CJ fell down. First off, it’s neither a charge or blocking foul, it was incidental contact. I personally feel that CJ merely lost his balance while trying to backpedal. Good non-call.
However, the foul that was called, if you watch closely, is right as soon as Kobe rises for his jumper. As CJ is getting up, his left arm smacks Kobe’s right elbow. That’s a foul. I’m not going to argue about why refs call fouls at one point, and not at another (trust me, I’ve been harping about the need for more refs oncourt to get more eyes on all of the fouling, dirty play, and outright dishonesty by the players).
"The problem actually is that PER is a extra-long, double high wagon load of horse crap." - timbo (7/3/09)
Both are valid points
I think the bigger issue is what tandur pointed out, a league-wide need for better overall officiating that is more consistent.
Basketball doesn't build character. It reveals it.
-Unknown
I was fine with Kobe
being able to push Cj around a little, I was even fine with CJ being knocked to the ground and it being a no call on both accounts.
I’m not okay when a player then tries to stand up and puts a hand up, which kobe runs his body into to draw the wussiest foul i’ve ever seen for an AND ONE in a crucial part of the game.
There was less contact there then both times Boozer got stripped going to the rim less than 2 minutes later.
For the Love of the Game
MonSTARZ forever!
Kevin Durant is making a career out of that kind of contact
And since he’s in your division… get ready for 15+ years of that. Trust me, I hate that more than anything. But a player rising up in the heat of the moment and getting hit on the elbow by a player flailing about as he gets up is not the same thing as what Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant are doing nightly.
"The problem actually is that PER is a extra-long, double high wagon load of horse crap." - timbo (7/3/09)
I will never use such glowing words to describe Kobe
Snap out of it, BBJ!
Mmmph rrgh prrmf! - someone with his mouth gagged
Go Jazz! Go Hogs! GO BILLS!
I think the fast play only works against the reserves
and with Ronnie Price :)
The Orioles Suck!
Kill CJ Miles!
Play FESS More!!!
Okur Less!!!!!
I love men!
HEH!
great counterjinx to start the post (as usual)
You need to use your leverage to just push Pau out of position. If he catches the ball in the low post, I don’t care how fundamental your defense is, you are toast. Gotta do your work before he gets the ball.
this is so true, and so obvious, that i’m flabbergasted it’s not already being done, and hasn’t already been done for the past two years.
Gasol averaged only 2.3 fouls per game
I cannot really accept this. Here is a 7-footer contesting shots and reaching over backs. For comparison, Mehmet Okur, who doesn’t exactly patrol the paint and challenge driving shooters, averages 3.1 per game. Out of all the big men in the league that play starters’ minutes, only Marcus Camby and Tim Duncan averaged fewer fouls.
As crazy as it sounds, in my observation, no player in the NBA receives more favorable officiating than Pau Gasol. Not Kobe, not Lebron. Gasol gets away with anything he wants. I would like to see what it would take to get him in foul trouble. Or is that simply against the rules?
by Bouncy Phillips on May 4, 2010 9:10 AM MDT up reply actions
Great stat
I think that is a very revealing stat. While it’s probably true that he doesn’t need to foul as much due to his height/reach, and he is a more intelligent defender than Okur, that is a crazy low foul per game ratio.
Basketball doesn't build character. It reveals it.
-Unknown
You cannot accept because you are misinterpreting the stats.
You need to watch gasol for a whole season to understand. First, Gasol isn’t the center. Bynum is, and he averaged 3 fouls per game. Second, some people don’t agree with it, but Gasol is a soft player. He shies away from contact if he believes he can be just as efficient using his skills. How often have you seen Pau Gasol commit a hard foul or go for a block and were like DANM? I can only think of the foul on Phoenix and even that he went kinda soft for. Third, when Gasol chooses to play a little physical, he does foul. Last year, he went from averaging 2.1 fouls during the season to 3 fouls in the playoffs. Given the physical nature and importance of the playoffs, thats understable that he would be more agressive. So his low foul rate has more to do with the kind of player he is, his position on this roster, his skillsets and decision making. Its not because he gets way more favorable calls than anyone else
This team is a bunch of strippers and hackers out there
-Phil Jackson
Maybe you're right
I don’t get to see him play very often. So what if he’s playing PF. If anything that should lead to more fouls, as he’s guarding quicker players. Boozer’s defense is “softer” than Gasol’s, yet he is among the league leaders in fouls. Maybe he’s dumb and Gasol’s smart. I’ll try to watch more closely.
by Bouncy Phillips on May 4, 2010 5:32 PM MDT up reply actions
um cuz you're guarding quicker players that doesn't mean you'll commit more fouls!
Centers tend to commit more fouls because they are protecting the paint. Not PGs who are usually guard the opposing quick guard. Boozer is a different player than Gasol and they play in different systems. Boozer plays for team that is second in foul committed during the season.
This team is a bunch of strippers and hackers out there
-Phil Jackson
Good points..
But I will add:
1) Milsap and Fes are our only two bigs who will rough anyone up. Millsap will foul out in two minutes trying it though. That leaves Fes. Someone tell him he better learn to be tough every game, or give up his lucrative million+ dollar a year NBA job…. because that’s all he’s got for game.
2) More OMSW.
3) This means transition D as well!!!
4) Jazz are nearly unbeatable when they are hitting threes. It is great that CJ is being more aggressive, but one a reason Brewer is gone is because of his game wasn’t what we needed to get past the Lakers.
5) See 1. And emphasize that the average wage in the Ukraine isn’t that great.
Fesenko will answer the call in game 2. He's going to play a lot better.
The more you try to erase me, the more that I appear.
Honestly
I’d like to put Jeffers on Kobe for maybe 4 minutse and have him burn 2-3 fouls on putting Kobe on his ass.
For the Love of the Game
MonSTARZ forever!
I like everything I have seen thus far from Jeffers. He is super tough.
The more you try to erase me, the more that I appear.
Only thing
I haven’t liked, is he has missed a few layups/dunks. Could be cause he’s not on the court enough to get in a rhythm but….. outside of that. He’s a stud.
For the Love of the Game
MonSTARZ forever!
+1
Haven’t yet seen any glaring deficiencies in Jeffers’ game. He’s seems athletic, he’s very quick, and likes to take it to the rim. Anyone get a chance to watch him in D-League?
by Bouncy Phillips on May 4, 2010 9:12 AM MDT up reply actions
and we wonder where Utah get's it's reputation as hacks
maybe because a surprisingly large number of their fans are calling for hacks, cheap shots, and completely pointless off-ball fouls?
Stay classy Utah.
"The problem actually is that PER is a extra-long, double high wagon load of horse crap." - timbo (7/3/09)
I think the point being made
is that if your best defender (Wes Matthews) is guarding the other teams best scorer (Kobe Bryant), there are a lot of times where the defender must play less-aggressive defense in order to not foul out, which leads to soft fouls and AND-1’s. If you can put in a backup with more fouls available, they can play more aggressive defense, which means if you are going to foul, you make sure the shot isn’t going in…
(At least that’s my interpretation)
I don’t think there is anything un"classy" about that mentality.
Basketball doesn't build character. It reveals it.
-Unknown
Yeah, you are right. The Jazz are the only team that does any of those things...
Jazz fans have been calling for “message” fouls for a long time because, well, no one on the team plays with much physicality. People call the Jazz physical or cheap or whatever, but really the team is a little soft if anything.
But the Lakers or their fans would never hack, or commit a hard foul or anything like that. Ever. They are the pure basketball players. Basketball is merely art to them.
Stay classy, though.
The more you try to erase me, the more that I appear.
Took the words right out of my mouth.
glad somebody else was thinking that.
Mmmph rrgh prrmf! - someone with his mouth gagged
Go Jazz! Go Hogs! GO BILLS!
by Dyl on May 4, 2010 2:36 PM MDT up reply actions
go read Silver Screen and Roll
where I just read: “I’d like to see someone knock Steve Nash into the 4th row.”
Make sure to patrol your backyard.
by Bouncy Phillips on May 4, 2010 1:29 PM MDT up reply actions
Not to mention that Derek Fisher was in a Lakers uniform, not a Jazz uniform, when he launched his body into Luis Scola's midsection.
It was probably the dirtiest play of last season, and maybe of the last 3 years. And he is a Laker. And he looked like a total jackass.
The more you try to erase me, the more that I appear.
Robert Horry decking Nash in the playoffs was pretty dang dirty
That play that got Amare and Diaw to stand up and get suspended.
Mmmph rrgh prrmf! - someone with his mouth gagged
Go Jazz! Go Hogs! GO BILLS!
by Dyl on May 4, 2010 2:38 PM MDT up reply actions
Follow all of your tips and YOU'LL STILL LOSE
Not to burst your bubble, as a Fan I’m sure you HAVE to be optimistic. But the Jazz have no chance to beat the Lakers in this series unless we lose one or two of our starting 5. That’s just the bottom line. By the way, I’m not a Lakers homer, I’ve been watching Basketball consistently since the 90’s which is a lot more than most Cleveland Fans or Boston fans.
There’s a reason we love Kobe in LA. Kobe has started for a team that has won 50+ games a season 8 different times in his career (this being the 8th). Of the previous 7 years where the Lakers won 50+ games, Kobe has ended up in the finals 6 times. that is a staggering stat. In the past decade the Spurs have won 50+ 10 times and only ended up in the Finals 3 times (1999 was a shortened season so they didn’t win 50+ wins). Dallas has won 50+ wins 10 times as well but only gotten to the finals 1 time. And during the period between 2004-2005 and 2007-2008 when the Lakers were in the rebuilding phase…the Spurs got there twice and the Mavs got there once.
What’s the point? Whenever you surround Kobe with enough talent to win, he wins. Plain and simple. Duncan is 1-5 against Kobe all time in the post-season. Now I’m not dumb, Shaq has been a part of that. But lets remember that Shaq was drafted in 1992 and since his rookie year was a top-tier center much like Dwight Howard. Shaq was unable to get to the finals more than 1 time in 7 seasons despite always playing alongside All-Stars like Penny Hardaway, Eddie Jones, and Nick Van Exel and didn’t start winning on a consistent basis until Kobe became our starting shooting guard. He only got to the finals 1 time with D-Wade in 3 seasons and barley made the playoffs two times playing alongside Nash and Amare for another 2 seasons.
Kobe has had A LOT more success getting to the finals whenever he’s surrounded by great players than Shaq (6 finals appearances for Kobe in 11 years as a starter versus 6 finals appearances for Shaq in 18 years as a starter).
And Shaq is supposed to be arguably the most dominant force in the league. Tim is the greatest PF of all time. Dirk is arguably the best shooting big man ever. These aren’t slouches we’re comparing Kobe to.
What was the point of my diatribe? This isn’t new, Kobe’s a winner and the Jazz aren’t going to stop him if Tim Duncan with a better team never really can.
You're not a homer?
“Kobe has had A LOT more success getting to the finals whenever he’s surrounded by great players "
DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhh
Teams don’t get to the finals unless they have a great TEAM.
For the Love of the Game
MonSTARZ forever!
Yeah. You are going out on a limb when you say, "if you surround Kobe with enough talent, he can win"
I’ve got news for you, if you exchange anyone’s name with Kobe there, it is still a true statement. If you surround Brian Cardinal with enough talent, all he is going to do is win.
That is fine if you love Kobe Bryant, but he is one of the most despicable and dislike professional in any sport. And it’s not a bias against Lakers. I can appreciate Pau Gasol, or Lamar Odom and their talents. But Kobe is an ass. It is so fun to see his game go gently downhill until one day he won’t have enough athleticism to compete, but his “desire” and competitive spirit will tell him he still has it and he will embarrass himself for a couple years. Of course, he will give a shot at playing baseball or something first for a couple years.
The more you try to erase me, the more that I appear.
You gotta respect Kobe
but stopping Gasol is the key to beating the Lakers.
by Bouncy Phillips on May 4, 2010 5:37 PM MDT up reply actions
Ugh. As A Laker fan and someone ACTUALLY trying not to troll, let me try to fix what my fellow "Laker-ite" is babbling about...
KoBE IZ tHa BeZZZt!!!!!!
UtAh JaZz SuCkZ!!!!!
The Jazz don’t have a chance because Kobe walks on water and can beat an entire team BY HIMSELF!!!!
Forget about the fact that Tim Duncan has as many NBA Championships and MVPs!!! Don’t take FACTS into consideration!!
Forget about the fact that the reason Kobe wins when he has talent around him is because when he (just like ANY other superstar) has other teammates to play off of and isn’t constantly seeing double and triple teams, he can be more successful. Just like Jordan with Pippen & Rodman. Or just Like Magic with Kareem & Worthy. Or like Bird with McHale & ……….
Crap. There I go making sense again.
What He REALLY wants to say is…..
The Utah Jazz make Laker fans uncomfortable. Our teams lackadaisical attitude and lack of commitment to defense is tailor made for a team that although undermanned is mentally tough enough and “never-say-die” enough to take advantage of our team’s achilles heel. The Jazz don’t stop coming regardless of how far they’re down and we’re going to have a tough enough time getting a W in Utah that we need to pump ourselves up for the games at home when we squander leads and have to come back to pull out games we should have been winning outright.
And as I’m sure Jazz fans have noticed, Kobe Bryant IS NOT the main reason we’re winning games anymore. Kobe is the figurehead who once every few games can still turn it on but this season has become more of a “take 23 shots to score 25 points” kind of player now. Our success lies with our bigs. Pau & Bynum (along with Odom off the bench) are the barometer of whether we win nightly or not now.
So while we keeping hollering “KOBE!!!!” into the dark, we know how tough this Jazz team is and what we need to do to win.
Oh wait…
KObEeEE DuZ RuLeZ though.
"Remember kids......... petty and cheap shot-ish doesn't make you a true fan, it just makes you petty and cheap shot-ish."
by Themanthemyththelegend on May 4, 2010 5:22 PM MDT reply actions
Very nicely put. Well said.
What many Laker fans, and most NBA media, are forgetting is that the Jazz were really close to stealing game 5 in LA two years ago that would have given them a 3-2 lead. The Jazz were down only one with about 2 minutes left. And what most people don’t realize is that this year’s Jazz team is probably a little better than that team 2 years ago. At least Deron Williams is better, Wesley Matthews is a better fit for the team than Ronnie Brewer, etc. And if AK comes back healthy, there is a good chance that the Jazz can go back to game 5 at least with a 2-2 tie and then anything could happen.
The more you try to erase me, the more that I appear.
This series is going the full route.
Utah isn’t OKC. They didn’t have the playoff experience to close out a Game 6 and force a Game 7. They’ll get there, it just wasn’t going to be this year. Your best 2 or 3 players are the positions that give us the most trouble. PG and PF. We have nothing to slow down D-Will, so we’re forced to put either one of our best 2 defenders on him (Kobe or Ron) which puts us at a size disadvantage somewhere. And with both Booz & Millsap being talented, rebounding PF’s it’s going to put more pressure on our interior to have to play D and not just roam inside because of their size.
The Lakers will win in 7, but would us playing lax and disinterested at home and losing a game forcing us to man up and win one in Utah surprise me? Absolutely not. And would us getting blown out in a road game we really need surprise me? No to that too.
"Remember kids......... petty and cheap shot-ish doesn't make you a true fan, it just makes you petty and cheap shot-ish."
by Themanthemyththelegend on May 4, 2010 6:10 PM MDT reply actions
Thanks. But don't tell the people over at Denver Stiffs. They think that if you actually tell the truth you're a troll.
Ssssshhhhh.
"Remember kids......... petty and cheap shot-ish doesn't make you a true fan, it just makes you petty and cheap shot-ish."
by Themanthemyththelegend on May 4, 2010 7:37 PM MDT reply actions
That's not true....
they think that if you own anything purple or gold…..you are a troll.
Billy Mac: "Lamar, can you see yourself actually getting in the (boxing) ring"?
Lamar Odom: "No. My face is too pretty."
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