yeah right. This bunch is too lazy to bring it in small games. They figure they can just ramp up against Miami / Boston / etc or in the playoffs. Good luck with that
Fucking bullshit loss, sooo many turnovers cost us in this game. We were terrible in closing this out. Still we match up well against the Heat. Just a putrid run there and mis managing the situation
Novack should be fined and benched for the season for letting Wade go around him the way he did..and then just following him to the rim for that layup. I would never play the guy again just to send a message. All he does is play like the icing on an already great cake. When the team is steam rolling another team he is hitting 3's. Friggin joke. And tonite..and I really like the guy...but todays game showed perhaps why Woodson was let go by Atlanta. He makes no adjustments during the game..none. Could see why he may be a horrible playoff coach. Down the stretch when the shit was hitting the fan...wouldnt you have at least tried to dominate them down low by putting A.S. in the game? You do nothing? That was a piss poor job by all on defense...and J.R.S. showed why with all of his ability..he is a 3 million dollar a year player instead of a 10 million at least dollar a year player. Horrible.
I will say this..we do match up great with them but its up to Woody to find out what works down the stretch because this isnt working. And Felton too..he is on my shit list for all the bitching he does. Shut the f up and get back on defense.
Fuck...Your team is going to be a problem in the playoffs if we don't play a full 48 minutes... I think the Pacers could cause us problems too... Hopefully if the standings hold, we only have to play one of them two...
I think that will be the case DS. And I have to tell you...what happens to Indiana once Granger gets going should be real interesting because they have looked very very good. Great defensive team.
When playing with Novak/Amare you can't be switch happy on defense which goes against how we play defense. You need to help them trap whenever the pick and roll comes together. Also Novak had the same amount of rebounds as Melo and Amare which is clearly unacceptable for Melo and Amare. And yes, you don't use AS down the stretch when they are only playing Bosh. I believe they had Shane, Lebron, Wade, Bosh, and Chalmers or Ray. How do you go 2 bigs against that lineup? It's what OKC tried to do last year and failed because Miami doesn't need someone in the paint with that lineup. Unless you to want to swap Amare for Chandler, then Melo/Amare as our interior defense is dreadful. I'm glad Woodson didn't try to force that, as Miami feasts on those lineups most of the time, 2 bigs. Chandler for Amare was the right switch. So do you go Amare/Chandler leaving Melo on the bench? Doesn't make sense either. It could work on a team to go Amare/Chandler/Melo big down the stretch that also has a big man like Chandler down low. They can pack the paint. With the Heat, everything is on the outside and having Amare chase Allen or Battier spells bad news for us. The wrong thing was obviously not being able to get Melo the ball down the stretch. Obviously a ton of credit to Lebron for his defense, but poor job by Woodson, JR, Felton, etc for not letting/realizing Melo should bring the ball up the court to get into offensive set quicker. Also they didn't use it much or at all, but when Lebron fronted Melo Chandler rarely flashed to the middle to hit Melo backdoor.
^^ Also agree on the Pacers. With their full lineup and Paul George growing into his own player, scary team. Granger adds another dimension to an already solid team
Perhaps but Im not saying you had to play A.S. the last 5 minutes of the game..but with less than 2 and the ball he should have subbed and gone big against them because that is their weakness. You had 4 guys in a half court game standing with 2 on the elbow and 2 in the corner waiting for one guy to create with no threat low. Its dumb offense and stale offense and it doesnt work unless you give it to Melo and thats it....he either creates or he doesnt. Its getting old and it might work in the first half wide open game but it will not work in a playoff game against the Heat or the Pacers. Woodson did a horrible time matching up late and as usual, just sat their giving guys "the look". While I will give him his due for drawing up late plays he is horrible at making other teams adjust to his lineup...horrible. And I do agree...Felton was horrible down the stretch as usual in a big game.
JR cost us the game as much as Novak, Stoudimire, Felton and plenty other stupid dumb turnovers this team just needs to figure out what the hell they are doing... Great game until the end. The passing, ball movement defense emotion and then it all faded as once again another team showed toughness... This crying over no calls HAS TO STOP
Totally agree with this..totally. But I think the issue with the bitching is the coach too. Maybe Im a bit down with Woodson right now but its up to the coach to tell them to shut the f up and get in the refs face about certain things. While I agree Melo gets pounded, he also gets to the line as much as any player in the NBA im sure. Felton bitching and not getting back on defense. When you have 1 malcontent bitching and getting T's..you have 1 malcontent. When you have 6 or 7...thats on the coach. I think Woodsons tough guy routine is a bit smoke and mirror right now and some guys like JR..well..he is not getting through. Sometimes you need to throw a game to get through. There was no reason that Novack shouldnt have been pulled ASAP when he let Wade go around him and then just followed him to the basket on that layup (softest defensive play I have ever seen from him..and he has a ton). Felton should have been benched when he thought he got fouled and stayed back bitching only to get back too late and his guy hit a huge 3. Benched. To me...no great coach would put up with that shit and Woodson should, if he has to, blow a friggin game to make a point....friggin enough.
I agree on blaming the coach but with what he has done so far it might just be THEIR personality he cannot control. My issue with him is what he can and his stubborness to act on WHATS IN FRONT OF HIS FACE. I.E Novak being one deminsional he should only be subbed in on offence possessions. JR & Felton need to be reminded this is Melos Team and he needs to close it out. Quite honestly I do not want Melo to take a shot in the first quarter. I want the entire team to get it together before hand and have Melo come on strong late in games not early in games. He has seem tired closing out games I think it's because he goes HAM early and has nothing left in the tank with carrying the team. It might just be my observation but I don't think it is out of the realm of possibility.
It's not a coaching problem, but a league wide problem. Everyone does it, and the two greatest are Kobe and Wade. Woodson has went through the media a couple weeks and I think he said it again recently that his team needs to stop. Melo has gotten better (waiting for dead ball situations), now the team has to follow. On JR, honestly, whatever Woodson is doing he should keep doing. We saw some old JR with stupid decision, jacking up too many 3s and taking dumb shots. But we also saw new JR, crashing the boards picking up 12 rebounds! and willing to switch onto Wade/LeBron defensively. JR is JR, but I'd rather whatever JR we have now than the JR in Denver or with DAntoni. To your last point, there are two thoughts. Melo taking and making (Clyde rhyme) opens us the rest of the offense to easier, more open shots since the other teams start focusing on him. Then your theory is probably that other guys getting going will make it easier for Melo down the stretch? It's interesting, but I lean towards the first one but more really situationally based. The offense is going to get good looks with Melo getting the ball. If the team decides to guard Melo 1 vs 1 early on, Melo should burn that until they double him. Then when that happens, you start getting everyone else open shots. If they decide to double Melo early, he should do what you are saying until they have to single cover him. Melo is good enough where he can dictate the offense based on waht the defense is trying to do.
The thing is if noone gets shots early they will be off later don't you think? But then you say the same thing about Melo if he doesn't get his looks he might be cold. IDK but its a 5 man team we need contributions from all