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[Zeke]

man Novak has been awesome for the spurs

 

[Doc Holliday]

Asik Rules.

I love that guy!

 

[thekad]

Wow, it's like Millsap was the best player for the Jazz easily tonight,

Best player on a team that got blown out by a Grizzlies team without its best player? Kudos.

 

[Rodeo Clown]

The '05 Suns could beat the Pistons?

I think so. I know it's easy to look back and say, "See you need defense to win," but that Suns team killed everybody that year. It was really something else.

Not really though.

Phoenix takes San Antonio with Johnson. Let's not pretend like the Spurs dominated the Suns. The WCF that year was close without him.

 

[charsace]

Melo is a ball movement murderer. That is very apparent. I think he tutors Nick Young.

Melo doesn't get enough touches and Antoni doesn't run plays for him. Antoni just tells guys to call iso when they feel like it. This is why Melo and Billups have both thrown up some absolutely horrible shots at times, especially from 3. The problem is that he can't pull them like he used to pull Gallo or Chandler whenever one just started going crazy.

 

[Black Mamba]

From Espn research: Dwight Howard: 28, 18 rebs, 4 stls, 4 blocks Mon. Only other player in last 25 seasons to accomplish: Hakeem Olajuwon

kind of a weird stat.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

I will ask again, do you guys believe me about Carmelo yet?

I missed it, how bad was Devin Harris hurt?

 

[Grimm Fandango]

Bulls had some good fun tonight. Lots of great moments.

Kind of a shame about Cousins. Seems like the guy can be great if he pulls it together.

 

[Tom Penny]

I will ask again, do you guys believe me about Carmelo yet?

I missed it, how bad was Devin Harris hurt?

Hammy. Little bitch + K Love just cost me $500. He played like 3 fucking minutes.

 

[The Frankman]

I will ask again, do you guys believe me about Carmelo yet??

Nope.

Carmelo got 0 postups tonight. Dude just is not playing comfortable now.

 

[Pickles the Firecat]

kind of a weird stat.

ESPN just makes stats up all the time. It's easy. Check it out, who is the only player to amass 18 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, 6 blocks, 6 steals, and a 6 piece KFC bucket in one game?

 

[Kogepan]

Back then he actually ran an offense that let Joe Johnson iso and post up and Marion get some points off cuts.

All he does now is have 4 guys on the perimeter with Amare on the inside alone. This is why he loves to play shawn williams at the 4 on offense and have him guard centers. And he runs the same shitty elbow play for Amare repeatedly. And once in a blue moon he will call it for melo. And the pick and roll is the other thing we run. And sometimes he runs ruboffs at the elbows. We don't run any curls, cuts or anything else. If a guy wants to drive they have to work their way from the 3pt line to the basket every time. Where is the offensive genius in this? Fields used to cut to the basket and Antoni told him to stop doing it. Why not have cutters when teams are packing the damn paint?

Anyways fuck Antoni.

hahah....yeh its all Antoni's fault that NY signed two ball hogs to MAX deals. I didn't hear any of these complaints from you about 'plays' when Will/Gallo/Felton were here. Guess they need another 20 games to get acquainted with Melos' 'style'.

The Knicks have condemned themselves to medicority for the next 5 years. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are destroying people by 30 by half time.

 

[Black Mamba]

ESPN just makes stats up all the time. It's easy. Check it out, who is the only player to amass 18 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, 6 blocks, 6 steals, and a 6 piece KFC bucket in one game?

The KFC bucket makes me think Eddy Curry, but I know this is a trick question.

 

[obijkenobi]

Why did the Mavs let Novak go? Dude is fucking lights out for us. I mean his defense isn't great so I understand that, but god damn that dude can fucking shoot

 

[Jeff-DSA]

Nope.

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

Asik with his patented crotch-to-the-face dunk. Someone should advise him to get a 2nd dunk, you know, for when you're up 30.

He's going to kick someone on accident and someone's going to take exception to it and Asik is going to have to destroy him

 

[The Frankman]

hahah....yeh its all Antoni's fault that NY signed two ball hogs to MAX deals. I didn't hear any of these complaints from you about 'plays' when Will/Gallo/Felton were here. Guess they need another 20 games to get acquainted with Melos' 'style'.

The Knicks have condemned themselves to medicority for the next 5 years. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are destroying people by 30 by half time.

 

[pilonv1]

Under 10 in the 4th, massive moral victory

 

[Zeke]

Manu with the steal lol

 

[Justin Timberlake]

Phoenix takes San Antonio with Johnson. Let's not pretend like the Spurs dominated the Suns. The WCF that year was close without him.

I mean, they kinda did. 4-1 (+7 @ PHX, +3 @PHX, +10 in SA, -5 in SA, +6 @PHX). Joe Johnson didn't make their team much better either. He wasn't the player he is now, and I don't think hes that great now either.

No way they could beat DET either.

 

[erlim]

HEATBENCH will never have a statline like this:

 

[obijkenobi]

Under 10 in the 4th, massive moral victory

You guys let Tiago get his first ever double double and let Steve Novak look like Ray Allen without Timmy playing. I'm not so sure that is a moral victory.

 

[charsace]

hahah....yeh its all Antoni's fault that NY signed two ball hogs to MAX deals. I didn't hear any of these complaints from you about 'plays' when Will/Gallo/Felton were here. Guess they need another 20 games to get acquainted with Melos' 'style'.

The Knicks have condemned themselves to medicority for the next 5 years. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are destroying people by 30 by half time.

What? I complained all the time. I complained about Gallo getting freezed out and that his role needed to be expanded. All the damn time. I always saw all star potential in him and I posted about it all the time.

 

[Kogepan]

Nope.

Carmelo got 0 postups tonight. Dude just is not playing comfortable now.

Carmelo doesn't have Affalo/Nene/birdman to cover up his weaknesses now. Its kinda different playing with Jeffries/Shelden

 

[pilonv1]

You guys let Tiago get his first ever double double and let Steve Novak look like Ray Allen without Timmy playing. I'm not so sure that is a moral victory.

Random big guy having a career night against the Warriors. Haven't seen that at all over the last 20 years!

 

[Pickles the Firecat]

The KFC bucket makes me think Eddy Curry, but I know this is a trick question.

It was Big Country. Game comes on ESPN Classic sometimes, sponsored by The Colonel.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Back then he actually ran an offense that let Joe Johnson iso and post up and Marion get some points off cuts.

All he does now is have 4 guys on the perimeter with Amare on the inside alone. This is why he loves to play shawn williams at the 4 on offense and have him guard centers. And he runs the same shitty elbow play for Amare repeatedly. And once in a blue moon he will call it for melo. And the pick and roll is the other thing we run. And sometimes he runs ruboffs at the elbows. We don't run any curls, cuts or anything else. If a guy wants to drive they have to work their way from the 3pt line to the basket every time. Where is the offensive genius in this? Fields used to cut to the basket and Antoni told him to stop doing it. Why not have cutters when teams are packing the damn paint?

Anyways fuck Antoni.

The Nuggets were arguably the worst pick and roll team in basketball last year. Not because they couldn't run it, but because Billups and Anthony bought into some bullshit about "random basketball" being a more efficient way to run an offense.

Amare Stoudemire should not struggle to get easy baskets on a team with this many offensive weapons. PnR is his bread and butter, he runs it better than 99% of big men in the league, get him the damn ball. Billups and Melo can murder most bigs off the dribble if they switch, and Amare's dunking anything if he gets a step on his man or a small guy on him.

 

[The Frankman]

Amar'e looking nice in this interview and definitely taking him and his teammates to task, you got to run good offensive sets and do the things that got them the lead. Offensive execution was poor down the stretch and he said the team has to do a better job to get them feeling confident (Fields/Douglas/Williams) so they play well down the stretch. It'll be interesting to hear what the other guys say.

The Nuggets were arguably the worst pick and roll team in basketball last year. Not because they couldn't run it, but because Billups and Anthony bought into some bullshit about "random basketball" being a more efficient way to run an offense.

Amare Stoudemire should not struggle to get easy baskets on a team with this many offensive weapons. PnR is his bread and butter, he runs it better than 99% of big men in the league, get him the damn ball.

The problem is if you take away the PnR you got to run the offense and for some reason Knicks stopped. The role players looked like they panicked, even Fields.

 

[obijkenobi]

Random big guy having a career night against the Warriors. Haven't seen that at all over the last 20 years!

Touche

 

[Justin Timberlake]

HEATBENCH will never have a statline like this:

Spurs do that every game lol.

 

[Black Mamba]

I mean, they kinda did. 4-1 (+7 @ PHX, +3 @PHX, +10 in SA, -5 in SA, +6 @PHX). Joe Johnson didn't make their team much better either. He wasn't the player he is now, and I don't think hes that great now either.

No way they could beat DET either.

I agree with TCB. That suns team couldn't defend Parker at all and Marion was a non-factor for the most part. Joe J would have helped a little bit, but that Phx team had a glaring flaw (PG defense) that was too exploitable.

And even if you say they could move Joe J to guard PG, that just opens up Ginobili more.

I've always thought those Suns teams were overrated because of the points they put up.

 

[Derwind]

hahah....yeh its all Antoni's fault that NY signed two ball hogs to MAX deals. I didn't hear any of these complaints from you about 'plays' when Will/Gallo/Felton were here. Guess they need another 20 games to get acquainted with Melos' 'style'.

The Knicks have condemned themselves to medicority for the next 5 years. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are destroying people by 30 by half time.

Don't get all melodramatic, they're facing the Raptors right now, if you don't have a 30 point lead against them, you're the Cavs....:shrug:

 

[Rodeo Clown]

Random big guy having a career night against the Warriors. Haven't seen that at all over the last 20 years!

I know all about role players going off. I'm writing a book about the Rambis era. It's called "How to Cope with the Opponent's 2nd String SG Erupting for 30."

 

[jobber]

Spurs on fiya!

 

[Kogepan]

Don't get all melodramatic, they're facing the Raptors right now, if you don't have a 30 point lead against them, you're the Cavs....:shrug:

yeh, tell that to the Thunder

 

[pilonv1]

I know all about role players going off. I'm writing a book about the Rambis era. It's called "How to Cope with the Opponent's 2nd String SG Erupting for 30."

Since you're here I thought I'd post this from the NBA draft blog.

Darius Miller: Plays very similarly to how Ryan Gomes plays in the NBA.

Poor guy

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

If Asik can start scoring double figures like he has in two of the last few games, the league needs to watch out because that Bulls team will be unstoppable. Missed Evans' 8-6 G-Time apparently played some good D as well, I think a Hayward-Evans-CJ-Somebody else wing group could be one of the best defensively if they trade their pick or one of their bigs for a good wing player who can defend.

 

[AlphaSnake]

New York Nuggets/Denver Knicks destroying Raps. That's what's up.

 

[jobber]

DAT 57 & 13

 

[Rodeo Clown]

Since you're here I thought I'd post this from the NBA draft blog.



Poor guy

That's really not bad. Gomes is a solid role player. I wish the Gomes and Babbitt for Webster deal could be undone. I miss his steady mediocrity.

I can't believe David Kahn has made me long for the Ryan Gomes era.

 

[pilonv1]

Moral victory checklist tonight

• Lose by less than 20
• Hold Duncan to less than 20 & 10
• Hold Manu to less than 25
• Less than 5 offensive boards for Splitter

Let's go team

edit: Blair not playing, changed to Splitter

3/4, not bad.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Did AK47 die or something? I haven't noticed him at all in the last two games despite starting the game. His stat lines have been abysmal.

That's really not bad. Gomes is a solid role player. I wish the Gomes and Babbitt for Webster deal could be undone. I miss his steady mediocrity.

Gomes' $tat$ are behind only Raja Bell for worst in the NBA for a starter.

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

If Asik can start scoring double figures like he has in two of the last few games, the league needs to watch out because that Bulls team will be unstoppable.

He's getting more comfortable on offense for sure but I don't expect that, that's a bonus to his rebounding and defense which are both strong.

I like how the team is helping him get his confidence on offense though.

I know it's against the Kings but he faced up a guy and blew by him for a dunk.

The thing that killed Asik early in the season was him putting the ball down on the floor or shuffling his feet while under the basket and he has really stopped turning the ball over right near the rim in a crowd and he either finishes or gets fouled.

His freethrow shooting is abysmal though but the coach(or someone) says he makes them all the time in practice, his mechanics just fall apart in the games.

 

[The Frankman]

Excellent summary of the game:

All in all, tonight’s game was a microcosm of the post-trade Knicks. Strong first half. Poor second half. Cohesive offense and feisty defense in the first. The second half? Not so much.

Can't wait to see the Orlando game now.

 

[Kogepan]

New York Nuggets/Denver Knicks destroying Raps. That's what's up.

Yeh...look I really enjoyed watching the Knicks earlier this year and thought they had a really good thing going. So, i'm more angry that they decided to blow things up for Melo.

If they could have added even a half decent C like Nazr to the 'original' Knicks, or if gave Mozgov a chance to develop they could have made some real noise.

 

[Gabyskra]

Excellent summary of the game:

Not really, Knicks often start slow (see the last few losses...).

 

[The Frankman]

Yeh...look I really enjoyed watching the Knicks earlier this year and thought they had a really good thing going. So, i'm more angry that they decided to blow things up for Melo.

If they could have added even a half decent C like Nazr to the 'original' Knicks, or if gave Mozgov a chance to develop they could have made some real noise.

That's what the offseason is for. They still have Jerome Jordan's rights and I expect him to be in camp. Maybe sign Barron and see a few guys get cut... the foundation is there, now build around it. I don't get this "3rd star" business people keep spouting. Unless that guy is Dwight, Knicks just need to sign good role players. It would be HILARIOUS if Knicks re-signed Wilson Chandler in the offseason (they won't, of course).

Not really, Knicks often start slow (see the last few losses...).

But the offense at least ran okay. Plus in Milwaukee the 2nd quarter I hear the Knicks blitzed them.

 

[Derwind]

yeh, tell that to the Thunder

Ah, yes that correct, I meant if you don't have a 30 point lead against them, you're the Cavs or the FThunder...:shrug:

 

[obijkenobi]

I'll take the win, but they were saying Timmy might miss a few weeks

 

[Justin Timberlake]

I think the Spurs are at a crossroads right now, and the next few weeks could decide the fate of their season. The Lakers game gave Pop a scare so he switched Dice to the starting role. I think that is a bad decision for a number of reasons. First off, that makes Bonner and Blair come off the bench initially, which is just murder for us offensively and defensively. Neither of those guys have chemistry with the other; in fact, in the 2 years they have been with one another, I can't remember a single play they converted together. They aren't used to being on the floor together and their playstyles don't mesh. Its a bad match.

Blair-Duncan on the other hand is a rebounding force. Blair defends the quick players, and deflects all the balls down low while Timmy swats them up high. Its a defensive tandem that works great. Now, Duncan-Dice is even better, but something is lost on the offensive end. Besides, we have to play Blair anyhow, so isn't it better to put him in the role he is most comfortable in? Its not like playing him his normal minutes but off the bench is going to help anything.

Then there is the Tiago/Novak conundrum...those two have been playing better and better every time we see them. Its a bit late to incorporate them imo, but I'm sure Pop's considering it.

Its an issue you wouldn't expect us to have at this point, especially with our record, but we have seen this happen before. Pop has made key last minute decisions in our championship years (think Nazr). I'm curious to see what he ends up deciding.