Post Up: We Run This

Mavs make it 10 straight, while the Lakers hang on.

by Adam Figman | @afigman

Remember Joe Johnson? Nah, I’m not even talking shit—serious question. It just seems like when one of the League’s best guards go down for one-to-two months—putting a huge damper on his team’s entire regular season—fans and the media tend to make a bigger deal of it than they currently are. Anyway, I guess the Hawks haven’t noticed too much either, because they keep winning. Jamal Crawford (26 points, 8 assists) is getting more minutes at the 2, and he’s capitalizing, but it was Josh Smith who carried Atlanta last night with 34 points (14-16 from the field) and 7 assists. They’ve been sliding J-Smoove down to the 3, and starting Jason Collins at the 5, and apparently it’s working. Al Horford (24 points, 10 boards) has also been playing great. Bropez led the Nets with 24, but there was little defensive effort coming from his squad, and the Hawks took advantage, scoring 116 points off a 60.3 percent shooting performance.

Philadelphia 117, Cleveland 97

Both teams shot 50 percent or higher, but it was Philly who prevailed, utilizing a well-rounded effort (seven players scored in double figures) led by Thad Young’s 26 points and 11 boards. The Sixers have now won four of five, which means tomorrow’s nationally televised game against Boston might actually showcase some competition—though I wouldn’t count on it. The loss was the Cavs’ fifth straight, and their Lottery odds seem to be improving every night. No shots.

Charlotte 100, Denver 98

This would’ve been a cool story: George Karl, in the state where he played college ball, coaching against his good friend Larry Brown, gets his 1,000th win as an NBA coach. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. These two battled for the full 48, and with the Bobcats up two in the final quarter, Chauncey Billups grabbed a rebound with seven seconds remaining and pushed the ball up the court. Karl elected not to call a timeout, hoping the fast break would present a better opportunity, but it didn’t, and Billups forced a jumper from 20 or so feet away that rimmed out as the clock expired. Stephen Jackson led the ‘Cats with 23, and his stat line also included 9 boards, 7 dimes and 5 threes. Karl will go for 1,000 again tonight in Boston.

Houston 97, Detroit 83

After a rocky start to ’10-11, Houston has now won three out of four, and seems to be putting some things together and looking to make a little run. They slowly crept ahead of Detroit last night, and took a 10-point lead into the fourth that they protected well. Luis Scola held my fantasy team down with 35 points and 12 rebounds, while Kyle Lowry contributed 22 points, 12 dimes and 6 steals. The Rockets are off until Friday, when they’ll be in Milwaukee.

Dallas 105, Golden State 100

Another close one for the Mavs, but they stepped up in the fourth quarter to bring home their 10th straight. Dirk Nowitzki scored 25 points, blocked 4, and drained a few clutch hoops, while Jason Terry’s Sixth Man of the Year campaign (peep the Polladaday) continued, as he went for 20 points on 8-12 shooting. Stephen Curry’s 21 points led the Warriors, who put up a really strong effort that would’ve defeated most teams that aren’t amidst double-digit winning streaks.

Portland 106, Phoenix 99

I don’t know how else to say this: The Trail Blazers are weird as hell. They disappear against weak opponents and have no clear-cut superstar (Brandon Roy has struggled with injuries and hasn’t really brought it yet), but they’ll randomly step up without warning to—somehow—take down some top-notch squads. Last night they defeated the high-octane Suns, who shot over 50 percent and got a 24-point, 15-assist performance from point man Steve Nash. You see! I don’t know. Wesley Matthews led Portland with 24, while LaMarcus Aldridge and Roy each went for 20.

L.A. Lakers 115, Washington 108

After ending their four-game losing streak with a win against Sacramento a few days back, the Lakers continued their positive turnaround with a victory over the Wiz. L.A. brought a 13-point lead into halftime, and the Wiz clawed back in the third, but Kobe and Co. hit a variety of big shots to seal things up in the fourth. Kobe Bryant dropped 32 and Lamar Odom had 24, though Washington put up an impressive effort; John Wall had 14 dimes to go with his 22 points, Nick Young scored a strong 30 spot, and Gilbert Arenas put in 23. The Wizards fell to 6-14 with the loss, and have still yet to earn a W away from their home court.

Performance of the Night: Luis Scola: 35 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block.
Moment of the Night: Chauncey Billups coming thiiis close to hitting that jumper and forcing OT makes for a solid MOTN, but since I’ve got a video of Nick Young’s acrobatics, we’ll let the two of ‘em share it. Layupadaday! Check it:

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Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Features, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, The Post Up, Washington Wizards

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Lz – Cphfinest3

I agree completely with Allenp about the guys who are balanced (maybe add NYK Felton to that group, Charlotte Felton was a scorer) as well as your point about Nash and Conley. I didn’t mention Kidd and Rondo because they are set-up men. But all the other PGs listed except for the 3 guys I mentioned in the prior post are at least as good at scoring as distributing and like Allenp just summed up, many of them (especially the new school) scorers before set-up men.
Lz – Cphfinest3

Exactly doesn’t matter whether the guy shoot primarily jumpshots or gets all his points on dunks. Like Allenp said, scoring is about the players mentality and what they bring to the team to be effective. Ray Allen is not a scorer? Reggie Miller? Larry Bird? Glen Rice? Mitch Richmond? Come on Crawford you are better than that weak ‘primarily shoot jumpshots’ argument.
http://slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

You guys are still confusing shooters with scorers. And KD and Kobe are scorers because scorers get to the FT line.
http://slamonline.com Allenp

You can be scorer who shoots, or a scorer who slashes.
Like I said, a scorer is someone whose game is built on their ability to put the ball in the hoop. They struggle to truly dominate or impact a game without scoring, they thing they do best is score, and the thing they are most comfortable doing is scoring. In my opinion it’s not about how you score (slasher, shooter, post up, energy guy) it’s about whether or not that’s the primary way you impact the game.
Shawn Marion used to get 20 points a game, but was never a scorer.
I don’t believe Aaron Brooks has ever averaged 20 a game, but he’s obviously a scorer. T-Mac went from all-around hooper, to straight scorer. Chris Paul averaged 20 points a game two years in a row, but was never a true “scorer” he just scored points.
Corey Maggette has never been anything other than a scorer.
The paint thing is cool, after all getting in the lane is the easiest way to score, but I don’t think it’s accurate.
http://slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

By each of you guys’ definition and subsequent examples, the very act of scoring points makes you a “scorer.” So by that definition, everybody in the NBA is a scorer because everybody in the NBA scores points.
Lz – Cphfinest3

@BC: Rudy Gay is a scorer not a shooter he only gets to the line 4 times a game. DRose only gets there a little above 5 times a game. They are both scorers, your logic is flawed.
http://slamonline.com Allenp

Oh, and I’m going to give you a pass on “scorers get to the free throw line.”
After all, DRose has had a notoriously low free throws attempted, and while Dirk is rarely in the paint, he still gets to the line quite often.
Getting to the free throw line doesn’t mean you’re always in the paint, which was your original point.
http://slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

The DRose thing is weak because it’s widely acknowledged that as aggressive as he is going to the basket on a consistent basis, he just doesn’t get calls. Rudy Gay is a jump shooter. He’s not driving to the line looking for contact every time down. I understand that you guys are intent on proving me wrong, but you can at least try a little harder to come up with better examples.
http://www.slamonline.com ShadiestBen

Allenp – His handle for someone that big with that much wingspan may be good, but when you have someone shorter but stronger than him (Bogans the otehr night) his handle is non-effective. When Deng was guarding him I seen him use a cross over and a few other dribble moves, but when being guarded by an above average defender at the 2 (which happens to him sometimes) I personally don’t feel his handle is good enough.
Royal – correct but it’s not always possible to start out of triple threat, being able to create off the dribble without triple threat is a lot more difficult IMO than creating out of triple threat. Kobe is so much more effective when he still has a live dribble to use.
http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

I’ve got to be honest: Starting with the Billups for AI trade, Joe Dumars and co. have done a really bad job at building this Pistons’ roster. They have so many good guards who can play 1-3–but that’s the problem. They have a freaking log jam at every position from point guard to small forward, which started with the Iverson/Stuckey/Hamilton fiasco–and yet, they still have NO PASS FIRST POINT GUARD. But what gets me is that even AFTER Dumars saw what a bad move it was to have Iverson and Hamilton fighting each other for minutes–which was an understandable mistake–he goes and signs Ben Gordon?! And then TRACY McGRADY? And then develops WILL BYNUM? So basically he made the same mistake 4 times–wait, but then, with Tayshaun Prince at the Small Forward spot, of course he goes and drafts AUSTIN DAYE, ANOTHER Small Forward. I mean, Daye even LOOKS like Prince. And I even forgot to mention JONAS JEREBKO.
So what the Pistons have now is a massive logjam at the 1, 2 and 3 spots, no real power forwards (besides Maxiell) because Villanueva plays an outside game, and… Ben Wallace. They have no clue who should close out ball games and who should start, and they only somewhat have a reason for sticking with Rip and Prince in the starting line-up–only because they were around for the ’04 title run.
No offense to Joe Dumars, and I know I’m no NBA GM, but from the perspective of a fan, there’s some seriously messed up roster building in Detroit. When you have a team with around 5 potential/former All-Stars and you aren’t winning ball games, there’s a problem.
http://slamonline.com Allenp

Bryan
If you say that other people’s examples that contradict your point don’t countsimply be wise you say they don’t count it will always be difficult to” prove” you wrong. Rose is. Scorer who doesn’t shoot a lot offers throws. That is a massive hole in the agument that scorers always shoot tons of free throws. Dirk is a scorer who shoots tons of jumpers which contradicts the point that scorers live in the lane. That doesn’t even include players like reggie miller and ray allen who are clearly scorers despite being jump shooters. Excuse my typos I am on my phone.
http://www.fiba.com Darksaber

Nice discussions in the last two Post Ups. We keep this up and the regulars might start peeking in again.
And co-sign Allenp’s last post.
http://www.slamonline.com ShadiestBen

I’m hoping JR is going to get his Nick Young on and make this a game in the 4th.
http://slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

So we’ll just keep focusing on Derrick Rose — who gets no love from the refs — and use that as proof that my scorers argument is inaccurate. OK, that’s cool… But for the record, Reggie Miller’s career FTA is 5.1, Ray Allen’s is 4.2. These dudes are NOT scorers, they are shooters and I’ve never even heard anyone refer to them as anything else until today. Dirk Nowitzki’s career FTA is 6.5 which means he’s more scorer than shooter compared to those two. And here are the career FTA’s of the NBA’s best scorers: MJ 8.2, AI 8.9, Kobe 7.7, DWade 9.2, Bron 9.0, Kevin Durant 7.8, and Melo 7.9. True scorers by and large — even if they can shoot the ball well from the perimeter — are aggressive by nature and get to the line. This is elementary basketball stuff.
T-Money

Allen: I’m really puzzled by your statement that KD handles better than Bron. It’s not even close. Artest was playing KD up to the half court line in the playoffs and a lot of times KD had to eat his dribble and look for a pass. You can NEVER do that to Bron. Not to mention that KD is no comfortable at all leading the break. Kind of a ridiculous statement to be honest?! // BC: Honestly, I’ve watched a lot games by D-Rose and I’m CONVINCED that he would shoot more free throws if he would just initiate contact on his drives. A lot of times he contorts his body to dodge the big man or stops and throws a 2-foot shot put.
T-Money

Why are all my comments under moderation? Am I on probation or something?
http://dsajfklf.com Jukai

Bryan Crawford & AllenP: You guys are in a semantical debate. There’s no right answer to what you guys are arguing.
Bryan considers people who shoot jumpers and don’t go to the line as “shooters” and not “scorers.”
Allenp considers anyone whose main function is to score as “scorers” regardless if they get it from jump shots or from the paint.
There’s no real dictionary definition of NBA scorer, So, unless someone has David Stern’s cell phone number, just say “ah, that’s how you view a scorer. I view it differently” and be done with it.
Personally, I agree with Allen’s definition but I’ve been told “Oh, Reggie Miller wasn’t really a scorer, he was a shooter” so obviously other people believe Bryan’s definition.
http://dsajfklf.com Jukai

T-Money: Stop droppin’ the f-bomb in all your posts, dude!
http://dsajfklf.com Jukai

Kevin Love with 20-21, and there’s a minute thirty left. Wow. When was the last time a white dude won the rebounding title? When was the last time an unathletic white dude did it? Actually, I know the answer, and the dude who did it was a real dbag, but I’m just throwing out that question.
In my mind, the West All-Stars are going to be Paul, Kobe, Carmello, Dirk, (generic unworthy center who gets voted in, probably Yao), Deron, Ellis, Durant, Gasol, Duncan, and Nash. That all seems obvious, maybe Roy over Ellis but I doubt it. My question is, who picks up that last wildcard spot?
Is it Kevin Love or Blake Griffin?
Check the numbers:
Blake Grif: 20.2 – 11.8 – 2.9 – 0.8 – 0.6 on 51% shooting
Kevin Love: 20.0 – 15.3 – 2.1 – 0.5 – 0.5 on 44% shooting
Ahhhh toughie. Love impresses me more, and Griffin’s a rookie so he has more time. But, Griffin would make things infinitely more exciting.
People’s thoughts?
http://slamonline.com Allenp

Olive and Blake should both make it and Duncan should sit this one out. Fake an injury Timmy.
http://dsajfklf.com Jukai

Allen: Well, I mean, Spurs do have the best record in the league. Hard to say they don’t deserve a spot. I wouldn’t mind Ginobili over Nash or Ellis.
http://slamonline.com Allenp

So what’s the cutoff free throws attempted for a scorer? Is it 6.5? Cause in that case, Larry Bird doesn’t make it.
Neither does Jalen Rose.
Or Ben Gordon.
John Salmons is at 2.5.
All of those cats are scorers in my opinion. That’s what they do and some people would argue that’s ALL they do. Sure, they like jumpers, but they are still SCORERS on the court. They aren’t cats you park in the corner and tell to wait for the ball to swing.
It seems to me that slasher and scorer have been conflated in this discussion.
A slasher manufactures buckets in the lane and at the line.
A scorer manufactures buckets period.
http://www.need4sheed.com Tarzan Cooper

I have to laugh at crawford saying its widely acknowledged rose doesnt get calls. Maybe its because he avoids contact on his drives. He wants to make a flashy finish instead of forcing the call to go to the line. He will learn.
http://slamonline.com Allenp

miami is about to beat Utah, and Wade and Bron both are looking good. i might have to revise the piece I was working on taking shots at them for their slacking so far.
http://dsajfklf.com Jukai

Damn Allen, I paused my TV and was watching the game with nine minutes to go. Way to ruin the entire f*cking game for me, man.
JTaylor21

I wonder what new tactics people are going to use to downplay the heat winning at Utah tonight. Mia is doing a better job of moving the ball and getting out on the break. Wade and Bron are finally playing well together, bosh has also been on a roll lately and Chalmers has to be the one guarding top PGs down the stretch because even though DWill had 21/12, chalmers did a great job of getting deflections and holding williams in check in the 4th qtr.
http://www.fiba.com Darksaber

If you could measure Rudy Gay’s confidence tonight, your pc would state “does not compute”. After Frye missed a FT that would have given Suns a 4pt lead with 4 secs left, Memphis drew up a play for Rudy, gorgeous pass from Conley and Rudy sinks the baseline 3 to tie it: OVERTIME!
This after a big comeback by the Suns, that just deflates a team.
http://dsajfklf.com Jukai

And Joel Anthony played 13 seconds, that’s a biggie too, JTaylor.
http://www.manutd.com T-Money

Allen: I’m really puzzled by your statement that KD handles better than Bron. It’s not even close. Artest was playing KD up to the half court line in the playoffs and a lot of times KD had to eat his dribble and look for a pass. You can NEVER do that to Bron. Not to mention that KD is no comfortable at all leading the break. Kind of a ridiculous statement to be honest?! // BC: Honestly, I’ve watched a lot games by D-Rose and I’m CONVINCED that he would shoot more free throws if he would just initiate contact on his drives. A lot of times he contorts his body to dodge the big man or stops and throws a 2-foot shot put.
JTaylor21

Jukai, it’s always a biggie when Mr. 1,000 ways to blow a dunk doesn’t play at all. Eric Damp has also been playing well since he was acquired and should help the heat inside.
http://www.fiba.com Darksaber

To Eric Gordon, you are a becoming a superb player, but if LO and Pau are sucking during a game, maybe u wanna stop driving on Kobe/helpD-Fisher/Artest when your frontcourt teammates are open? Those 2 late turnovers didn’t help your cause; which was clearly to be the hero of the game.
http://www.fiba.com Darksaber

Gut punch loss for the Clippers. Too bad, defense was excellent in stretches, execution…. not so much.
http://dsajfklf.com Jukai

Not to toot my own horn (okay, it IS to do that) but I said Eric Gordon was gonna be better than OJ Mayo. Just sayin’.
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/ Anthony

Jukai, you put Ellis over Manu ? really ?
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/ Anthony

sorry, didnt read your post after, nevermind
http://sdfklfds.com Jukai

Haha, it’s cool Anthony. In fairness, I believe Manu is the most overrated player of our generation, I think he’s a top-20 all time shooting guard. But he’s underrated because he’s so damn forgettable.
http://personaltrainingfranchise.org personal training franchise

An fascinating dialogue is worth comment. I feel that it is best to write extra on this subject, it might not be a taboo subject but typically people are

Post Up: We Run This

Mavs make it 10 straight, while the Lakers hang on.

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