Stein: Magic interested in T. Murphy if bought out by G.S.

[GhostAnime 50]

Exactly. It was their wings that killed us, not their bigs.

Doesn't mean you can't lose for a different reason. Just thought I'd add that in there.

 

I put the Lakers in the finals because I can't see any other team coming out. I don't trust the Spurs' frontcourt depth and lol Mavs.

 

Celtics "bigs" barely had any impact in the last series

I wouldn't go as far to say barely. Perkins may not jump at you statistically, but his presence was obviously felt. As was Wallace to a degree. Someone out there had to put Lewis at 16 or something total in the series (virus or not, a good part of it was the way Lewis was being played).

[BMP 424]

I wouldn't go as far to say barely. Perkins may not jump at you statistically, but his presence was obviously felt. As was Wallace to a degree. Someone out there had to put Lewis at 16 or something total in the series (virus or not, a good part of it was the way Lewis was being played).

 

It was felt. . . barely

 

 

and while Lewis played like crap on a viral disease, he also canceled out KG, so i didn't count him either.

[NittanyBuc 757]

I wouldn't go as far to say barely. Perkins may not jump at you statistically, but his presence was obviously felt. As was Wallace to a degree. Someone out there had to put Lewis at 16 or something total in the series (virus or not, a good part of it was the way Lewis was being played).

I agree. Perkins is right behind Dwight as individual post defenders IMO

[Emory889 353]

I would say that Perkins is on the verge of being labeled "underrated" so often that he's dangerously close to be overrated. That said, the Celtics play Dwight better than any team in the league now that Yao is permamently disabled and Perkins is the main reason for that.

[GhostAnime 50]

The quickest counter to that is "But Dwight still had big games in the playoffs!" but it's more about how he got them and at what expense. Perkins makes Howard get them in a way where the whole team's offense drops.

 

and while Lewis played like crap on a viral disease, he also canceled out KG, so i didn't count him either.

Think about it this way: with Lewis gone, how do we know Bass and Anderson will do as good of a job? Also, what's stopping Bass and Anderson from struggling if KG's there?

[sharp/7/shooter 23]

The quickest counter to that is "But Dwight still had big games in the playoffs!" but it's more about how he got them and at what expense. Perkins makes Howard get them in a way where the whole team's offense drops.

 

 

Think about it this way: with Lewis gone, how do we know Bass and Anderson will do as good of a job? Also, what's stopping Bass and Anderson from struggling if KG's there?

 

I wonder how Boston's defense would stand up to a lineup of:

Nelson/Arenas

Redick/Arenas

Richardson

Turkoglu

Anderson

 

That's five guys who can hit the three and spread the floor with Perkins out of the paint and guarding Anderson around the arc and Garnett guarding Turk also on the perimeter. We'd also have movement, cutters and screens going every which way. Don't forget about the pick and roll with RA.

 

WTF is Boston going to do with that? Go into zone? And that would also leave gaps in the D. I'm interested to see something like that.

[Franchero MVP 391]

Think about it this way: with Lewis gone, how do we know Bass and Anderson will do as good of a job? Also, what's stopping Bass and Anderson from struggling if KG's there?

 

This is the most pertinent question (I think) . So far KG has proven that he has the ability to destroy Anderson and Bass at any whim.

 

Do you think Earl Clark can do it?

[NittanyBuc 757]

I wonder how Boston's defense would stand up to a lineup of:

Nelson/Arenas

Redick/Arenas

Richardson

Turkoglu

Anderson

 

That's five guys who can hit the three and spread the floor with Perkins out of the paint and guarding Anderson around the arc and Garnett guarding Turk also on the perimeter. We'd also have movement, cutters and screens going every which way. Don't forget about the pick and roll with RA.

 

WTF is Boston going to do with that? Go into zone? And that would also leave gaps in the D. I'm interested to see something like that.

They'll just crash the boards and grab every rebound, then slow the pace back down. J Rich is a real threat in that lineup because he can slash and break the holes in the zone if that's how Boston chooses to defend it but small ball has never worked for teams like Golden State

[NittanyBuc 757]

This is the most pertinent question (I think) . So far KG has proven that he has the ability to destroy Anderson and Bass at any whim.

 

Do you think Earl Clark can do it?

I say give it a roll on February 6th. Clark's just as tall and a step faster but my main concern would be if Garnett bulls him under the rim. It's regular season so I'd say give him a shot for a good 10 minutes and see how he fairs. You have to know what you're working with going into the playoffs

[BMP 424]

The quickest counter to that is "But Dwight still had big games in the playoffs!" but it's more about how he got them and at what expense. Perkins makes Howard get them in a way where the whole team's offense drops.

 

This was only because the team's other two play makers didn't do enough. Nelson wasn't consistent enough every game and we had Wince pretend he played basketball out on the floor. It wasn't a matter of them single covering Dwight letting get his, it was a matter of Dwight being the ONLY guy being able to produce points.

 

Can this same thing be said about this year's team? I doubt it. The Magic's offense is extremely different and it does have more versatility

 

 

I'd be much more worried about how this team is going to fare defensively than how it's going to handle the Celtics' offensively-challenged, defensively overrated big men

[NittanyBuc 757]

I'd be much more worried about how this team is going to fare defensively than how it's going to handle the Celtics' offensively-challenged, defensively overrated big men

 

BOOM

[ShefGator2 77]

I say give it a roll on February 6th. Clark's just as tall and a step faster but my main concern would be if Garnett bulls him under the rim. It's regular season so I'd say give him a shot for a good 10 minutes and see how he fairs. You have to know what you're working with going into the playoffs

^^THIS^^ Earl did a good job guarding Dirk Nowitzki. Although Garnett is more athletic and probably a little stornger, he has a height advantage over Bass and an athleticism advantage over Ryno. You might as well see how he does now so you know your options come playoff time when it really matters.