Van Gundy: Magic Will Continue To Rely On Three-Point Shot

[Secretly Space Jesus 670]

This thread could have just as easily been titled: "Magic will continue to utilize a limited personnel to maximize their effectiveness".

 

I'm not sure why anyone would have a problem with using that strategy when it's clearly the best strategy for THIS group of players.

 

If you think we need different players, that's a separate discussion.

[Mr13A 93]

This thread could have just as easily been titled: "Magic will continue to utilize a limited personnel to maximize their effectiveness".

 

I'm not sure why anyone would have a problem with using that strategy when it's clearly the best strategy for THIS group of players.

 

If you think we need different players, that's a separate discussion.

 

well said.

[Trey Time 186]

I hope you mean at getting to the rim and not as an overall PG. . . dude's no all-star but it's a little overkill to say there are at least 20 other PGs better than him

 

Don't give him the opening to make this argument. It's the same guy that said Brandon *****ing Jennings was better than Jameer.

[gporter 5]

If Jennings never scored 55 in a game against the Warriors, people wouldn't even know who he is.

[Emory889 353]

Has a "Live by the three"-team ever won the championship? It seems like teams like that tend to have good to great regular seasons, usually blow someone out in the first round of the playoffs, but the second they run into a team that can actually play defense, they're toast.

 

You have to have someone that drives the lane if you want to win the trophy. Dwight's a HUGE piece and gives us an advantage over every team in the league, but he needs someone else to keep the defense honest in the paint.

 

The Rockets did but I agree with your overall point. Most 3 pt shooting teams don't win it all.

[Captain Hi-Top 791]

Most teams that are labeled as 3-point shooting teams are focused more on offense than defense. The Rockets before, and Orlando now, has tried to maintain a solid defensive game as well, which is the biggest factor being ignore by labeling them as a one dimensional 3 point shooting team.

[30Assists 342]

The Rockets did but I agree with your overall point. Most 3 pt shooting teams don't win it all.

The Rockets had two down low and also had some pretty good slashers. And with the Dream able to hit everything, teams couldn't flood the paint on him: dude could knock down his free-throws, so fouling wasn't a really good option.

 

I just don't see the Magic fitting into that same mold.

[Secretly Space Jesus 670]

The Rockets had two down low

 

Their starting power forward took 3.6 3PAs a game in an era where players didn't shoot huge numbers of 3s.

 

and also had some pretty good slashers.

 

They had an aging Clyde Drexler.

 

And with the Dream able to hit everything,

 

He shot .517.

 

teams couldn't flood the paint on him: dude could knock down his free-throws, so fouling wasn't a really good option.

 

He also had a mediocre FT draw rate, which was one of the few knocks on him at the time.

 

I just don't see the Magic fitting into that same mold.

 

Which is irrelevant to whether or not that strategy is the best bet for the current Magic personnel. Again: whether or not the team needs new players is a different discussion.

[Emory889 353]

The Rockets had two down low and also had some pretty good slashers. And with the Dream able to hit everything, teams couldn't flood the paint on him: dude could knock down his free-throws, so fouling wasn't a really good option.

 

I just don't see the Magic fitting into that same mold.

 

2 down low? Do you mean Otis Thorpe or are you getting your timeline confused and thinking of Barkley? Also, the only slasher that they had was an older Drexler and he played on the 2nd championship team. The first year team consisted of Kenny Smith, Vernon Maxwell, a young Sam Cassell and Robert Horry.

[30Assists 342]

Their starting power forward took 3.6 3PAs a game in an era where players didn't shoot huge numbers of 3s.

Granted - Horry was an anomaly at the time.

 

They had an aging Clyde Drexler.

Who was still a great slasher.

 

He shot .517.

In the playoffs? It may just be my memory's bad, but it seemed like there were games during their two-year reign in the playoffs where Olajuwan exploded on people.

 

He also had a mediocre FT draw rate, which was one of the few knocks on him at the time.

It was good enough. It was definitely better than 50%.

 

Which is irrelevant to whether or not that strategy is the best bet for the current Magic personnel. Again: whether or not the team needs new players is a different discussion.

Right - I don't disagree that Van Gundy is making the best of the personnel he has, mostly. I will say that here in Seattle, 'Shard played back-to-the-basket, and down in the post, as much as outside the arc. Turk was never much of a slasher, but he at least occasionally drove to the basket. JRich, I'm pretty sure, slashed a time or two in his career.

 

But none of them do it now ('Shard didn't do it while he was here). I would think, with the current roster, we do have a few legit slashers; they just don't. Now whether they're doing that because of a mental block or coaching is another debate.

 

Personally, I like SVG, so I'd like to think it's "MJ Syndrome" where no one wants to get in Dwight's way. Or maybe thinking they can jack up whatever shot they want because Dwight will get the board. Dunno.

[30Assists 342]

2 down low? Do you mean Otis Thorpe or are you getting your timeline confused and thinking of Barkley? Also, the only slasher that they had was an older Drexler and he played on the 2nd championship team. The first year team consisted of Kenny Smith, Vernon Maxwell, a young Sam Cassell and Robert Horry.

Older Clyde was still a good slasher. Kenny was passable, Sam and Vernon were seemingly always getting into the paint. Horry was always a *****.

 

Oh - and didn't say anything about Thorpe. Yeah, Thorpe wasn't an offensive machine, but he was part of that two towers the Rockets ran from time to time. Was a big PF who could rebound and play defense so Dream didn't have to do everything: something I say is missing from our lineup, but DOM doesn't want us to talk about that here.

[NameLess Scrub 6]

Granted - Horry was an anomaly at the time.

 

Wasn't Horry a SF in Houston?