I agree Lip that it's tough to see this team win @Denver or @LA. The other games are critical.
How sad/ironic is it that we're rooting for a team to make the playoffs... but many/most are expecting a loss to the 33-win Lakers?
Walton has that team playing some solid defense. And 33 wins is not bad by our standards!
Wait! the young inexperienced laker team is playing solid D? How is that possible?
Shocking, isn't it!? Or how about the Celtics, where they have had multiple 1st/2nd/3rd year players in their rotation and a boatload of injuries. #1 defense in the league!
I agree Lip that it's tough to see this team win @Denver or @LA. The other games are critical.
How sad/ironic is it that we're rooting for a team to make the playoffs... but many/most are expecting a loss to the 33-win Lakers?
Walton has that team playing some solid defense. And 33 wins is not bad by our standards!
Wait! the young inexperienced laker team is playing solid D? How is that possible?
Shocking, isn't it!? Or how about the Celtics, where they have had multiple 1st/2nd/3rd year players in their rotation and a boatload of injuries. #1 defense in the league!
Wasn't Boston's oldest starter last night... 23?
Won on the road in Utah... in a game that doesn't really affect their playoff seeding. Pretty damn impressive.
Part of a good coach or GM is finding players who give a damn. Or inspiring them to give a damn. Boston usually plays like they care. And that's such a huge part of the battle.
I agree Lip that it's tough to see this team win @Denver or @LA. The other games are critical.
How sad/ironic is it that we're rooting for a team to make the playoffs... but many/most are expecting a loss to the 33-win Lakers?
Walton has that team playing some solid defense. And 33 wins is not bad by our standards!
Wait! the young inexperienced laker team is playing solid D? How is that possible?
Shocking, isn't it!? Or how about the Celtics, where they have had multiple 1st/2nd/3rd year players in their rotation and a boatload of injuries. #1 defense in the league!
Wasn't Boston's oldest starter last night... 23?
Won on the road in Utah... in a game that doesn't really affect their playoff seeding. Pretty damn impressive.
Part of a good coach or GM is finding players who give a damn. Or inspiring them to give a damn. Boston usually plays like they care. And that's such a huge part of the battle.
Look at the Heat. They basically have no star player on that roster. I see a number of people that say one reason they have been successful the last couple years especially defensively is their guys are simply in better shape than other teams. How is it that they have figured out that market efficiency and other teams haven't or so it's seems? Is it because they don't have star players so guys buy in more? Some of the credit has to go to Spolsta. The guy has kept that franchise afloat after Lebron left plenty of injury problems and has developed both young guys nobody expected to be good and elevated the guys that have been around the league.
I agree Lip that it's tough to see this team win @Denver or @LA. The other games are critical.
How sad/ironic is it that we're rooting for a team to make the playoffs... but many/most are expecting a loss to the 33-win Lakers?
Walton has that team playing some solid defense. And 33 wins is not bad by our standards!
Wait! the young inexperienced laker team is playing solid D? How is that possible?
Shocking, isn't it!? Or how about the Celtics, where they have had multiple 1st/2nd/3rd year players in their rotation and a boatload of injuries. #1 defense in the league!
Wasn't Boston's oldest starter last night... 23?
Won on the road in Utah... in a game that doesn't really affect their playoff seeding. Pretty damn impressive.
Part of a good coach or GM is finding players who give a damn. Or inspiring them to give a damn. Boston usually plays like they care. And that's such a huge part of the battle.
Look at the Heat. They basically have no star player on that roster. I see a number of people that say one reason they have been successful the last couple years especially defensively is their guys are simply in better shape than other teams. How is it that they have figured out that market efficiency and other teams haven't or so it's seems? Is it because they don't have star players so guys buy in more? Some of the credit has to go to Spolsta. The guy has kept that franchise afloat after Lebron left plenty of injury problems and has developed both young guys nobody expected to be good and elevated the guys that have been around the league.
I do think Spoelstra is underrated.
I'm actually surprised by the Heat. I thought last season was a bit of a gimmick where those guys played hard the 2nd half because they wanted to get paid.
Well... many of them did get paid in the offseason... but they're still working hard it would seem.
I agree Lip that it's tough to see this team win @Denver or @LA. The other games are critical.
How sad/ironic is it that we're rooting for a team to make the playoffs... but many/most are expecting a loss to the 33-win Lakers?
Walton has that team playing some solid defense. And 33 wins is not bad by our standards!
Wait! the young inexperienced laker team is playing solid D? How is that possible?
Shocking, isn't it!? Or how about the Celtics, where they have had multiple 1st/2nd/3rd year players in their rotation and a boatload of injuries. #1 defense in the league!
Wasn't Boston's oldest starter last night... 23?
Won on the road in Utah... in a game that doesn't really affect their playoff seeding. Pretty damn impressive.
Part of a good coach or GM is finding players who give a damn. Or inspiring them to give a damn. Boston usually plays like they care. And that's such a huge part of the battle.
Look at the Heat. They basically have no star player on that roster. I see a number of people that say one reason they have been successful the last couple years especially defensively is their guys are simply in better shape than other teams. How is it that they have figured out that market efficiency and other teams haven't or so it's seems? Is it because they don't have star players so guys buy in more? Some of the credit has to go to Spolsta. The guy has kept that franchise afloat after Lebron left plenty of injury problems and has developed both young guys nobody expected to be good and elevated the guys that have been around the league.
I do think Spoelstra is underrated.
I'm actually surprised by the Heat. I thought last season was a bit of a gimmick where those guys played hard the 2nd half because they wanted to get paid.
Well... many of them did get paid in the offseason... but they're still working hard it would seem.
Yeah, Spo is a great coach, no doubt. It's kind of unfortunate that franchise seems to have locked itself in to mediocrity with some of its contracts, but Spo is definitely the kind of guy who will get the most out of them and they're the sort of team you don't really want to face in the playoffs. That's respectable.
All those young teams defend because they got bigs that defend.
The c's have horford, but byrnes is also a good positional defender.
the jazz have gobert.
6ers have embiid and amir.
etc..etc..
we have a questionable defender starting and possibly an even worse defender backing him up. KAt can defend, hes shown it, but IMO, hes a stat hunter. He is consumed by it and setting screens, walling up, playing positional defense etc.. arent included in boxscores.
It also doesnt help when the guards give up contested blowbys either, particularly teague and crawford (and wiggins in years past). Butler and wiggins (this year) also give up blowbys, but they often have a body on them and kind of lead them into baseline. Unfortunately, most of the time, there isnt anyone at the rim to help.
I agree Lip that it's tough to see this team win @Denver or @LA. The other games are critical.
How sad/ironic is it that we're rooting for a team to make the playoffs... but many/most are expecting a loss to the 33-win Lakers?
Walton has that team playing some solid defense. And 33 wins is not bad by our standards!
Wait! the young inexperienced laker team is playing solid D? How is that possible?
Shocking, isn't it!? Or how about the Celtics, where they have had multiple 1st/2nd/3rd year players in their rotation and a boatload of injuries. #1 defense in the league!
How about Kyrie Irving going from one of the League's worst defenders to one of the bench? The difference? He now plays for a different head coach -- the same head coach who has Kyrie's 1st, 2nd and 3rd year teammates also among the League's better defenders. So yes, the head coach matters. Oh, and the President of Basketball Operations matters too. Our PBO signed Jamaal Crawford and Jeff Teague -- two of the League's worst defenders throughout their careers. Shockingly, they are among the worst defenders this season.
