OT: NBA 2005-2006 Season Discussion

[SoMisss2000]

Man they are playing slightly better defense as in the past. We won't be mistaken for the Spurs or the Pistons, however, I'd say we are getting at least 6 or 7 more defensive stops at key points of the game than in the past. That in itself, translates to improved defensive numbers.

[Kazuya]

Not to mention, they have cut down on turnovers. I think that is the biggest reason for their "better" D myth. Can't really take the Phoenix series as a good indicator because the Suns were just worn down...having to go 7 with both LA teams...they just didn't have it in them. Notice how in the games they lost, they were winning through the first half in almost all of them...then they turn to s*** in the 2nd. I can't imagine Avery Johnson was making THAT many adjustments in 4 different games to make that much of a difference. The tired leg factor had a TON to do with it. And that's the Suns fault for not having more reliable players behind the top 6 or 7. But anyway...I think the turnovers are the biggest reason Dallas has "looked" like it has been better defensively. Turnovers lead to easy baskets and if you limit those, the opponent scoring average goes down as well.

The Mavericks have gotten *worse* at turning the ball over since Nash left. When he was on the team, they routinely led the league in fewest turnovers commited... #1 in the league from 2001-2004. Frankly since 2000 turning the ball over has not been a problem for the Mavericks, so I don't think that really has anything to do with any perceived defensive presence. I think they have frankly just been a bit luckier than they have in the past.

[wco81]

I would say Diop is a better defensive presence in the middle. But of course a lot of times, they are playing a small lineup which is geared towards putting up a lot of points, not necessarily stopping the opponents.

And Terry and Harris at least have the potential to be better defenders than Nash.

[SoMisss2000]

1 down, 3 to go. Haslem and Posey were great on Dirk. Hopefully Avery Johnson and Dirk can come up with something.

[TRI]

If Miami is going to win this series they must guard Jason Terry better because if not, they could be in trouble. They must also improve their free throw shooting because 37% aint going to get it done.

[Inuyasha]

Heat looked like they got sluggish really fast after the first qtr. They didnt play the level of defense they did vs the pistons.

[SoMisss2000]

They must also improve their free throw shooting because 37% aint going to get it done.

that was all shaq...lol.

[dbdynsty25]

The Mavericks have gotten *worse* at turning the ball over since Nash left.

When did I say they improved on their turnovers when Nash left? I simply said that THIS YEAR, they are better than they were LAST YEAR...resulting in the myth that they are better defensively.

[Kazuya]

The Mavericks have gotten *worse* at turning the ball over since Nash left.

When did I say they improved on their turnovers when Nash left? I simply said that THIS YEAR, they are better than they were LAST YEAR...resulting in the myth that they are better defensively.

Which isn't true either, but the point is that the articles that wco posted (as well as every other topic one could find on the subject) separates the "new Mavs" from the "old Mavs" with the departure of Nash. Since you pretty obviously did not specify any interval, one could only assume that you were doing the same. Or to put it another way, wco was talking about the difference between the 2004 and 2006 Mavs, then you came along and talked about the difference between the 2005 and 2006 Mavs... but forgot to tell anyone.

[SoMisss2000]

2 down, 2 to go!

Shaq with only 5 points? Good job D!

[Inuyasha]

Heat sure looked beat down 13 late in the 4th, can't believe the Mavs let them back in it.

Great comeback, but it still felt like the heat got lucky. Almost like they spent all their effort on this comeback that they may not have anything left for the rest of the series.

[wco81]

Mavs lost this more than the Heat won it, although Wade was great obviously.

How many times is Payton going to make that jumper while Nowitski misses a free throw?

[Kazuya]

Mavs lost this more than the Heat won it, although Wade was great obviously.

How many times is Payton going to make that jumper while Nowitski misses a free throw?

The Payton jumper was the killer... I had no problem letting him take that shot. No disrepect to Gary, who is an all-time great, but outside shooting wasn't his strength even back when he was fabulous. I was nothing short of shocked that he made that shot... barely got over the rim. Heat deserved that game.

[EDiddy]

A. Walker may be one of the most ill equipped off ball defender in basketball. Watch how many times in a game he just sits at the charge arc and just spins in circles. And no there not in a zone, unless there in a dot and four to maximize 'toine shot blocking. He is just killing the heat defensivly.

[SoMisss2000]

A. Walker may be one of the most ill equipped off ball defender in basketball. Watch how many times in a game he just sits at the charge arc and just spins in circles. And no there not in a zone, unless there in a dot and four to maximize 'toine shot blocking. He is just killing the heat defensivly.

Walker sucks period! 6-17 for the game.

Good win Heat. They played their best game and still had to have Wade pull one out of his ass for them to win.

Mavs take the next 2. I still don't think they come back to Dallas.

[EDiddy]

A. Walker may be one of the most ill equipped off ball defender in basketball. Watch how many times in a game he just sits at the charge arc and just spins in circles. And no there not in a zone, unless there in a dot and four to maximize 'toine shot blocking. He is just killing the heat defensivly.

Walker sucks period! 6-17 for the game.

Good win Heat. They played their best game and still had to have Wade pull one out of his ass for them to win.

Mavs take the next 2. I still don't think they come back to Dallas.

Walker has some legit NBA scoring ability and passing that is rare for a man his size. But his lack of lateral quickness really hurts his defensive game. He is an above average NBA starter, and definitly would not fall into the category of suck.

[wco81]

Walker has some legit NBA scoring ability and passing that is rare for a man his size. But his lack of lateral quickness really hurts his defensive game. He is an above average NBA starter, and definitly would not fall into the category of suck.

That might have been true the first couple of years. But his athletic ability and maybe his fitness level seems to have declined.

He's more of a tweener, not quick enough to be a 3 and not big enough to be a 4. So when he was matched up against 4's early in his career, he would beat them from the perimeter.

But again, he doesn't have that kind of quickness on a consistent basis any more.

Plus he'd rather cast 3s than go to the hole.

[EDiddy]

Agreed. Still a decent ball handler, and a good companion for Shaq IMHO. But defensivly, good grief. Might as well have a wind up rat on the court.

[Inuyasha]

Ya Walker hasn't had a good series. How many times has he drove to the basket and literally just threw it up hoping it would go in.

Even watching the post game conference the Heat have an attitude like they lost or got lucky.

[sfz_T-car]

'Twan's not as good as he was, and he never was as good as he thought he was. But he's evolved (degraded?) into a useful role player.

I think the Heat are a better team with Posey on the floor instead.

[SoMisss2000]

Ya Walker hasn't had a good series. How many times has he drove to the basket and literally just threw it up hoping it would go in.

Even watching the post game conference the Heat have an attitude like they lost or got lucky.

Hell, they would've loss if the Mavs had not going into their clock burning shell with 6 to play. If you burn clock you have to get better shots when the shot clock runs down.

[SoMisss2000]

'Twan's not as good as he was, and he never was as good as he thought he was. But he's evolved (degraded?) into a useful role player.

I think the Heat are a better team with Posey on the floor instead.

Toine does not accept the role of a role player. That's his biggest problem. He still thinks he's one of the primary options. Check out this article...He sulked when he was coming off the bench and it took a talking to from Shaq to get him to accept the role.

Antoine Walker confused on role
Trigger-happy forward must lend more support

Published June 11, 2006


DALLAS · The question was innocuous enough, something about the Heat's "supporting cast" and whether it could take sufficient pressure off the Diesel/Flash glamour combo in these NBA Finals.

Antoine Walker's answer was both instructive and disturbing.

"Who's the supporting cast?" Walker shot back Saturday afternoon at the American Airlines Center. "I'm just a player, man. I ain't no supporting cast. I don't characterize myself as that."

So here we are, 100 games and more than seven months down the path from opening night, and it seems Walker is still stuck back at the start.

Ambivalent about his role.

Uncomfortable as a (distant) third scoring option.

Unwilling to admit his shimmy-shaking days in the spotlight must be safely behind him if this combustible Heat formula is to produce a championship.

For all his surface attempts to accept third-wheel status, Walker sure sounded Saturday like the same guy who was complaining about a reserve role after two exhibition games.

Sure sounded like the troubled soul who needed a pep talk from Shaquille O'Neal just to make it through the regular season under the burden of decreased minutes.

Nice timing, huh?

"I'm not a supporting cast," he added. "I'm Antoine Walker, the basketball player."

He shook his head. His buttons had been pushed.

"We have the most dominant player in the middle and we have a talented 2-guard," he continued. "Of course we're going to run 70 to 80 percent of our plays for those guys. But `supporting cast' to me kind of downgrades players on a team. The words `supporting cast,' I just don't like."

Really rolling now.

"I'm not a supporting nothing," he said. "I'm part of 15-strong. A team."

Yes, but here's the problem with that logic. Only eight guys play for the Heat these days, the other seven reduced to practice fodder.

Of the eight, five seem to realize their primary job is to make things easier for the Diesel/Flash combo. If that means scoring at times, fine, but for the most part it means feeding the two best players on the court and getting the heck out of the way.

That leaves Walker, who still seems stuck between his starring past and his less-essential present.

Did you catch his act in Game 1? On the good side he banged in a couple of 3-pointers that built an 11-point lead early in the second quarter.

One of them came from the shadow of the Finals logo painted at midcourt.

Unfortunately, Walker kept getting left open on the perimeter -- by design, obviously -- and he just kept firing away.

Impervious. Oblivious. Insidious.

"I thought I got great shots," Walker said. "A couple shots went in and out. I got to the basket for a couple shots. The opportunities were there to have a big night."

Too many opportunities, as it turned out. Walker wound up 7 for 19 from the field, his attempts trailing only Dwyane Wade's 25 among all players in Game 1.

Nine of Walker's tries came from beyond the arc. He, like the rest of the supporting cast, never made it to the foul line.

The Diesel? He played only four fewer minutes than Walker and somehow took only 11 shots from the field.

That's why everyone from Heat coach Pat Riley to Wade to the rest of the team's supporting cast spoke often the past two days about getting the big man more "touches."

Walker mentioned that too. Briefly.

For the most part he sounded like an unreformed gunner whose trigger finger remained dangerously itchy.

"As the series goes along, those shots will start to go in," he said. "It's nothing [the Mavericks] did. They're not doing anything. Actually I think they're kind of like leaving me too open sometimes."

Well, duh.

"Hopefully they continue to do that," he added.

Oh, don't worry. They will.

Mavericks coach Avery Johnson is no dummy. He has wisely scoped out this Heat team and opted to double down on O'Neal and shade toward Wade whenever possible.

The Mavs played plenty of zone defense in Game 1, and should play more tonight.

That means Walker will almost certainly be left alone on the fringe, clutching the ball, eyeing the rim and dealing with his demons.

To shoot or not to shoot?

To pass or not to pass?

To meld or not to meld?

What's it going to be, 'Toine?

[hellbent]

Great article on Walker - some of those comments he made had me laughing out loud. He's just lucky Shaq and Wade carried his ass to the postseason. He's always been a lousy, unfocused defender and has a nasty tendency to shoot his team out of games. Now his athleticism has eroded to the point where he can't even get to the rim and finish - damn near every shot is a jumper. I agree that the Heat could be better off with Posey, who can at least offer a decent effort on defense, produce as many rebounds, and not force his shots. It's a little late now for Riles to make that change. Trouble is, the Heat need outside shooting of any kind, especially with the attention Shaq gets. Toine would be riding the pine for sure if they had anyone that could hit an outside shot.

[SoMisss2000]

The following statement was issued by Stu Jackson, NBA Senior Vice President, Basketball Operations, in regard to a timing malfunction during Game 3 of the 2006 NBA Finals: “Upon review of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between Miami and Dallas, the NBA League Office has determined that the game timing system malfunctioned on two separate occasions in the fourth period. With 45.3 seconds remaining in the game, the clock continued to run for 2.5 seconds after a foul was called on Jason Terry of the Mavericks, and with 4.3 seconds remaining in the game, the clock continued to run for 0.9 seconds after a foul was called on Udonis Haslem of the Heat. In both cases, the cause of the problem was a malfunction in the electronic device worn by one of the game officials, which is designed to automatically stop the clock when the referee's whistle is blown. “The NBA will replace the defective equipment for subsequent games of the Finals.”

[dbdynsty25]

The following statement was issued by Stu Jackson, NBA Senior Vice President, Basketball Operations, in regard to a timing malfunction during Game 3 of the 2006 NBA Finals: “Upon review of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between Miami and Dallas, the NBA League Office has determined that the game timing system malfunctioned on two separate occasions in the fourth period. With 45.3 seconds remaining in the game, the clock continued to run for 2.5 seconds after a foul was called on Jason Terry of the Mavericks, and with 4.3 seconds remaining in the game, the clock continued to run for 0.9 seconds after a foul was called on Udonis Haslem of the Heat. In both cases, the cause of the problem was a malfunction in the electronic device worn by one of the game officials, which is designed to automatically stop the clock when the referee's whistle is blown. “The NBA will replace the defective equipment for subsequent games of the Finals.”

Fascinating.