Wizards considering small ball, too? Who's next?

[mrhonline]

Is BK just ahead of his time?

http://www.examiner.com/a-128948%7EWizards...rossroads_.html

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The Wizards go one of two ways. They could continue looking for the right big man. Or, like the Suns, they could switch gears and get a couple athletic, and versatile, 6-foot-8 types.

“The day of the low-post player is few and far between,” Wizards General Manager Ernie Grunfeld said. “There aren’t that many dominant big men [so] the game has become more on the perimeter.

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“Maybe we’ll have our own identity and teams will want to emulate us,” Grunfeld said. “We have a solid nucleus and we’re a very young team. We’re not where we want to be, but the foundation is solid….

The game is changing and it’s becoming more of a free-flowing game, where skills is much more important than it was in the past

like the way the game is going.”

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Also, if anyone is interested, it appears that Brendan Haywood is available. (He has 4 years, $21M left on his contract).

[exodus]

I didn't realize Brenden Haywood only averaged 3 rebounds per game last year. Ugh

[Final_quest]

Is he talking about putting Jamison at center? They already have one of the slightest PFs.

Here we have a GM giving credibility to the concept of starting Smoove and Marvin at the forward positions.

[TheDude]

it's all because of what Phoenix did this year...

[AHF]

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it's all because of what Phoenix did this year...

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And the effects of the recent rule changes in hand checking and zone defenses, IMO.

[DJlaysitup]

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...And the effects of the recent rule changes in hand checking and zone defenses, IMO.

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Yeah AHF...we've talked about the impact of the hand check rule hear often...but you may be right in that teams are learning how to exploit the zone defense option better these days. That will probably continue to evolve.

[exodus]

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That will probably continue to evolve.

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Just don't try to tell that to Walter. He doesn't believe in evolution. he thinks the NBA hasn't changed at all since it's creation.

[tmac13]

If only we had a decent point guard..I would love to at times see a team of pg/JJ/Chillz/Marvin/Smoove..To hell with defense..Run people into oblivian..

[drzachary]

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If only we had a decent point guard..I would love to at times see a team of pg/JJ/Chillz/Marvin/Smoove..To hell with defense..Run people into oblivian..

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Are you copying from my post on the Morrison thread?

I think Chillz is the supersub for our running team.

[Packfill]

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If only we had a decent point guard..I would love to at times see a team of pg/JJ/Chillz/Marvin/Smoove..To hell with defense..Run people into oblivian..

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No kidding.

The only way that type of system works is with a point guard who can run the break. Hawks do not have that now.

[drzachary]

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If only we had a decent point guard..I would love to at times see a team of pg/JJ/Chillz/Marvin/Smoove..To hell with defense..Run people into oblivian..

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No kidding.

The only way that type of system works is with a point guard who can run the break. Hawks do not have that now.

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And you need a really good passing 5 for the outlet.

[exodus]

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If only we had a decent point guard..I would love to at times see a team of pg/JJ/Chillz/Marvin/Smoove..To hell with defense..Run people into oblivian..

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The lack of a pg isn't the only problem with the Hawks fast break.

Woody has the philosophy that whoever gets the defensive rebound should push the ball up the floor themselves. That is why we saw Smoove and Al leading the fast break so often. That is a big reason why the Hawks fast break was freqently a comedy of errors.

[Guest Walter]

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Just don't try to tell that to Walter. He doesn't believe in evolution. he thinks the NBA hasn't changed at all since it's creation.

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What strawman nonsense. This trick is for kids exodus. Teams will increasingly figure out how to address chicken nugget size teams with their chicken strips. Gimmicks aren't evolution, they are short lived fads.

BTW, it's not the first time we've had NBA fads. Nelson's run and gun teams at GS? Fad.

BTW, the NBA title is being fought out by two very traditional teams. Nowitski is non-traditional in some sense, but he's become more traditional over time and his team under Avery Johnson and with Howard is very traditional. In short, you modify this traditional team building plan for distinctly unique, superstar players. You do not alter it for mere potential.

W

W

[mrhonline]

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In short, you modify this traditional team building plan for distinctly unique, superstar players. You do not alter it for mere potential.

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That's a valid point, and one I hope Knight is well aware of.

But, what do I know? I'm not an "evolution" fan either.

[Diesel]

NBA FADS...

6'9 PGs.

Run and Gun.

6'9 Centers.

Triangle.... (ask the Mavs and Buckner about this).

Three PG Small ball.

No PG offense.

Open offense.

All fads.

Basketball always seems to go with the fad for a while... then it comes back to it's senses. Centers usually change the fads. Next year, Oden, Hawes, Noah, Big Baby... all coming into the league. If you play Small ball when these guys get here, some smart coach is going to make one of these guys a weapon of mass destruction.

[exodus]

This question was posed just recently:

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Will a Phoenix (With Amare) or a Phoenix/

Dallas

/extremely non-traditional style team win a championship in the near future?

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Your response:

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No. The new rules changes are just that. New. Over time they will relax (who knows there may even be a backlash against it) and even now they aren't that significant.

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Walters nonsense

Now you say that Dallas is a traditional team so that if they win you have your bases covered. Diesel would be proud of you.

And the new rule changes have gone over extremely well. This years playoffs were the best in recent memory and the high scoring games have been fun to watch.

Personally I would prefer fewer touch fouls but overall the greater emphasis on scoring is helping the game. In fact next year they will make further changes to speed up the game.

The plan on letting a team run their fast break when they get a rebound as the shot clock expires instead of stopping play. And they also will discourage intentional, clear path fouls by making the penalty 2 fts and posession instead of 1 ft and posession.

You and Diesel can talk fads all you want but past fads weren't the result of rules changes. The league is intentionally trying to speed up the game to increase scoring and fan appeal in order to MAKE MORE MONEY. I doubt that making money is just a fad.

[Final_quest]

That suspiciously looks like being owned.

[exodus]

If it walks like a duck.....

[Yeti]

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NBA FADS...

6'9 PGs.

Run and Gun.

6'9 Centers.

Triangle.... (ask the Mavs and Buckner about this).

Three PG Small ball.

No PG offense.

Open offense.

All fads.

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I disagree. I don't think it is a fad. I think it just shows how creative some coaches can be to come up with a system that works for the talent they have. If you have the gift of Shaq and Wade, you can go traditional. But otherwise you have three choices - 1)adapt the system to the players you have, 2)force them into roles they can't play, or 3) get new players who fit your system.

I think we are trying to do 3.

[Diesel]

This is certainly a fad. In fact, it has happened before.

Phoenix Small ball. KJ, Eddie Johnson, Kerr...

Phoenix small ball...

Paul Westphaul with Walter Davis and Alvin Adams at C.

Then there was NELLIE..

His Milwaukee team that I hated:

Paul Pressy, Sidney Moncref, Terry "My Heart" Cummings, Jack Sikma, and Craig Hodges (Young Man)... With Ricky Pierce as the 6th man...

Not to mention the championship Bullets team.

But these rendentions just come around in cycles.. but the game always go back to the standard.