Is it time to change the "whole" backcourt? Including Rafer(Daily Dime)

[ball junkie 277]

quote:

Originally posted by KillingInTheNameOf:

JJ has done a good job defensively & he moves the ball extremely well, but his shot can't be MIA if he wants burn with the way Lee & Pietrus are playing.

 

Lee needs to be more aggressive like he was in the first series. Boston doesn't have legit shot blockers.

 

Bottom line..it doesn't matter how many assists the boy throws or how well he moves the ball...he is out there to do what his video's teach...SHOOT AND SCORE...that is what he supposedly does well.

 

Being as how his PER this year was the worst on the team...in the mid 9's...you'd have a hard time convincing me he is a deadly shooter at this point and time in J.J.'s career and this season.

 

For the record, Brian Schmitz agrees with me...link:

 

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.c...-to-bench-role-.html

[Captain Hi-Top 791]

First, I wouldn't brag too much that BS agrees with you.

 

Second, are you seriously discounting assists and saying they don't matter?

 

So, seven times last night JJ made a smart pass for an easy bucket (most of his assists were inside to Dwight and Gortat) but those points are somehow meaningless because JJ didn't take the shot instead?

 

If he draws the defender to him, makes the smart pass for an easy bucket, that has to be a better play than a lower percentage outside shot.

 

Sure, you want his shot to fall too, even just a respectable percentage on a night like last night, but to say his assists don't matter is absolutely redickulous.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

I think if courtney or pietrus had an unbelievable game on offense then they should start over JJ. Neither did. JJ is doing a great job guarding Allen. Both lee and JJ are getting 25 mins+ a game so it doesnt really make a difference who starts. Lee is doing a good job shutting house down on the 2nd unit too.

[ball junkie 277]

Hey, what do you know! Professor Hollinger likes the line-up that I suggested earlier in this thread was our best...

 

quote:

The new crunch-time strategy for the Magic appears to be playing without a point guard at all. In each of the past two games, coach Stan Van Gundy has opted to use Hedo Turkoglu as his primary ballhandler and keep both Rafer Alston and Anthony Johnson on the bench, with some combination of Courtney Lee, J.J. Redick and Mickael Pietrus manning the other two perimeter spots.

 

It's an odd approach for a team that has stated its intent to push the pace, because playing a point guard-free lineup like this one pretty much limits a team to the half court. On the other hand, it's clearly working. Orlando won the last two fourth quarters by a combined 62-43 margin, raising the question of whether Van Gundy will use that lineup for longer stretches in Game 5

[3 years left 0]

That's it. Redick can not play both ends of the floor at the same time. It's either or for him. Basically he's a dummy.

[Skywise316 211]

quote:

Originally posted by ball junkie:

quote:

Howard (23 points, 17 rebounds) and Rashard Lewis (22 points) carried the offense and the Magic bench contributed 31 points, but Orlando didn't attack the basket with the same vigor it had in Game 3 and launched 27 3-point shots, making only five. Starting guards Rafer Alston and J.J. Redick both shot 1-for-7, highlighting the vast difference in production each team is getting from its starting guards. Alston was benched for the entire fourth quarter and Redick played only 2:50, with coach Stan Van Gundy placing his trust in Hedo Turkoglu to take care of most of the ball handling and Courtney Lee to be the guard option when Orlando couldn't get the ball to its bigs in position to score.

 

Now, Van Gundy has to think long and hard about whether it is time to make wholesale changes to his starting backcourt, possibly moving Game 3 starter Anthony Johnson ahead of Alston at the point, and also re-inserting Lee into the same starting role he held until Howard elbowed him in the nose during Game 5 of the first round, fracturing Lee's sinus and knocking him out for three games.

 

I might also add, the last two games combined J.J. Redick has shot 1-12 for the field and 1-7 from 3-point land.

 

I'm not sure about inserting A.J. into the starting line-up although he played well on Friday.

 

But, giving Courtney Lee the starting nod and a heavy dose of minutes is a no-brainer to me.

 

Anybody care to share your thoughts? Don't worry about the Redick fanboyz ripping you...it's just a message board...who cares.

 

The facts need to be spoken...

 

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime

 

I've been characterized as a "Redick fanboy" and I definitely think it's time for Lee to start. I think Lee and Redick will continue to guard Ray Allen and Eddie House tightly, whichever way the assignments go. Lee is clearly ready, and it's just his job, it's that simple.

 

However, I don't think yanking Skip is the answer. HE just needs to play better, bottom line.

 

By the way, saying Redick's passing doesn't matter is flat silly. Redick had more assists than the rest of the backcourt (Rafer, AJ, Lee) COMBINED.

 

Just because we didn't draft Redick for his passing or his D doesn't mean we can't use them! C'mon.

 

I feel like some people feel Redick should be banished from the Magic rotation, into Stuff's suit if possible. I just think that Lee needs to start, but Redick can still contribute in a big way. Where were all of Redick's "boo birds" when he made 4 threes in Game 2?

 

Yeah, that's what I thought.

[Murphy13 185]

for those saying that redick shouldnt be starting unless his shot is falling are proving to be utterly ignorant as to how our team is supposed to play. it proves that some here are so busy hating players that they miss the boat on whats important...the basketball.

 

the purpose of our SG is NOT to be a scorer necessarily, its supposed to be someone who plays D and moves the ball on offense, hustles without the ball, and lastly be ready for an open shot should it come your way. yes we would have won if anyone on our team hit one more shot last night, but, it doesnt mean we should change the formula for our seasons' success.

[PEC 0]

quote:

Originally posted by ball junkie:

quote:

Howard (23 points, 17 rebounds) and Rashard Lewis (22 points) carried the offense and the Magic bench contributed 31 points, but Orlando didn't attack the basket with the same vigor it had in Game 3 and launched 27 3-point shots, making only five. Starting guards Rafer Alston and J.J. Redick both shot 1-for-7, highlighting the vast difference in production each team is getting from its starting guards. Alston was benched for the entire fourth quarter and Redick played only 2:50, with coach Stan Van Gundy placing his trust in Hedo Turkoglu to take care of most of the ball handling and Courtney Lee to be the guard option when Orlando couldn't get the ball to its bigs in position to score.

 

Now, Van Gundy has to think long and hard about whether it is time to make wholesale changes to his starting backcourt, possibly moving Game 3 starter Anthony Johnson ahead of Alston at the point, and also re-inserting Lee into the same starting role he held until Howard elbowed him in the nose during Game 5 of the first round, fracturing Lee's sinus and knocking him out for three games.

 

I might also add, the last two games combined J.J. Redick has shot 1-12 for the field and 1-7 from 3-point land.

 

I'm not sure about inserting A.J. into the starting line-up although he played well on Friday.

 

But, giving Courtney Lee the starting nod and a heavy dose of minutes is a no-brainer to me.

 

Anybody care to share your thoughts? Don't worry about the Redick fanboyz ripping you...it's just a message board...who cares.

 

The facts need to be spoken...

 

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime

 

So lets add these stats that bj has missed in the two games before the ones mentioned Redick was 3-5 and 2-4 from beyond the arc and then we have 5-8 and 4-6 from beyond the arc. I know that some have short attention span, but these should be taken into consideration as well. Plus Redick had 7 assists in last night's game with no turnovers.

I gather with bj those all don't count.

So anyone stating the facts that don't fit your spin should be just ignored well that's normal coming from you.

[bravlady 0]

Doesn't matter who starts as long as they find their groove and stay there for 2 more games against these putzes. Just get'er done!

[KillingInTheNameOf 63]

I have stated countless time I believe if you give Pietrus & Lee 30 minutes per game they will have productive games by the time it's all said and done.

 

But, the bigger problem I have with this rotation is that Stan too often pulls the hot hand. If these 3 have proven nothing, they have proven they are inconsistently very productive. When one of them is hot, for the love of everything holy, ride his azz into the dirt!!!

[CElticsRus 0]

Switch..swap..it doesn't matter..we will continue to embarrass Orlando

[Guardian 6]

quote:

Originally posted by SmackDaddy:

I for one have been enormously impressed with JJ's defense (of all things) during the playoffs. He seems to be the only player out there 100% committed to shutting down every single possession. His court vision and ball movement is also off the charts.

 

Having said that I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that if either Alston or AJ don't have it going, I would like to see a lineup on the floor consisting of either Lee or JJ at the point, with Hedo running point forward and Pietrus getting the bulk of the SG minutes.

I was surprised to see SVG go with this unit to close the game, and IMO it was our most effective 5 man unit.

I would also LOVE to see SVG yank Hedo out of the game if he continues to shoot nothing but step-back fadeaway 3ptrs in favor of a defensive unit.

 

Lee

Pietrus

Shard

Gortat

Dwight

 

If JJ commits to better handles over the summer this kid would start as a pg in this league one day. I said that 2 years ago and I still believe it. You are absolutely right about his defense. I just wish he could hit his shot with more consistency.