Traditional defensive 5 is a dying bread, as skilled as Steven Adams he was unplayable in the 4th

[couscous]

Steven Adams was unplayable in the 4th quarter against GSW ultra small lineup, they were feasting on him when he was out there, Billy Donovan had no choice but to take him out and match small with small.

Sad to say it but traditional 5 who mostly serves as a defensive anchor will be a thing of the past, we will see that trend grows and grows as years go by.

Adams is actually not a bad scorer, but just not a dominant ones that can offset the exploitation small team will gain.

If Gobert does not become an above average offensive player, I don't see how he can be franchise player.

 

[Dr. Jones]

 

[Chargers Jazz Angels]

Aint nuttin wrong wit dat.

 

[NUMBERICA]

Traditional offensive 5 with no D is even worse. Not that you have an ax to grind or anything.

 

[Kyoto]

Steven Adams was unplayable in the 4th quarter against GSW ultra small lineup, they were feasting on him when he was out there, Billy Donovan had no choice but to take him out and match small with small.

Sad to say it but traditional 5 who mostly serves as a defensive anchor will be a thing of the past, we will see that trend grows and grows as years go by.

Adams is actually not a bad scorer, but just not a dominant ones that can offset the exploitation small team will gain.

If Gobert does not become an above average offensive player, I don't see how he can be franchise player.

Yeah its sad to see that the Thunder got to game 7 of the western conference with said useless center. It must be a dying breed.

 

[Getting Traded]

True, if you have 3-pt shooters like Curry and Thompson. But they are historically best 3-pt shooters. How many teams will have such a tandem? The problem for OKC was that they couldn't make any 3's which put them at a huge disadvantage.

 

[Keefe]

Pumpernickel is underrated. I'm a big fan of seeded Jewish rye though.

 

[fishonjazz]

Yeah its sad to see that the Thunder got to game 7 of the western conference with said useless center. It must be a dying breed.

This.

Besides, Adams was not why the thunder lost.

Epic historical record breaking three point shooting at the guard positions is why the warriors won. Curry and Thompson were making shots against great defense all series. When they shoot like that there is literally no lineup or defense that can stop them.

 

[mellow]

The NBA has changed dramatically, but in playoff basketball a couple of things remain the same. In a possession game the offense attacks the weak defender, and the defense tempts the weakest offensive player to make plays. This is why the Jazz struggled with Mark Eaton as their center, and it is why the Spurs had success with Tim Dunca zzzz lnkgopsdah ;asggggggas, sorry I must have fallen asleep again--Timmy does that to you, anyway Duncan could hit the 15-18 footer at a decent percentage so the defense couldn't just leave him.

Imagine the Jazz in a 2nd round match up or even the conference finals. Could Rudy even play in the 4th quarter or in a game 7? Coach Kerr would hold the defender 8-10 feet off rudy anytime he was off the block and tell his team to foul Gobert anytime he caught it close.

Back in the day Jerome Kersey used to guard Mark Eaton, so that Karl had to fight a double team of Duckworth and Williams in the post. The days of double teaming post might be over, but imagine the Jazz swinging the ball from side to side searching for an open look with Rudy's defender playing rover blocking the passing lanes and messing up spacing.

 

[Deleted member 848]

Adams played incredibly this series. Biggest area of improvement for Rudy is those FTs tho. He was canning em pretty well & we need that from Rudy.

 

[da ThRONe]

This.

Besides, Adams was not why the thunder lost.

Epic historical record breaking three point shooting at the guard positions is why the warriors won. Curry and Thompson were making shots against great defense all series. When they shoot like that there is literally no lineup or defense that can stop them.

I'd take it a step further and say selfish play by Durant is why they lost. Game 6 should have been a Thunder win, but when GS made it's push KD shot OKC out of the game with terrible shots. Adams nor Ibaka, was to blame.

 

[fishonjazz]

I'd take it a step further and say selfish play by Durant is why they lost. Game 6 should have been a Thunder win, but when GS made it's push KD shot OKC out of the game with terrible shots. Adams nor Ibaka, was to blame.

I would say that durant and westbrook were a much bigger reason why they made it to a game 7 of the western conference finals against the world champs than Adams was.
Agree to disagree maybe.

 

[fishonjazz]

Green didn't do much. Neither did barnes or bogut.

Neither did many of the role players for the thunder.

This series, like most series, came down to which stars played better. Thompson and curry were better than durant and westbrook.


Curry and Thompson were ball hogging and taking lots and lots of hero ball bad shots. They just went in more.

 

[Stoked]

Adams played incredibly this series. Biggest area of improvement for Rudy is those FTs tho. He was canning em pretty well & we need that from Rudy.

While that is certainly an area that is high on the list I'd place it second to working on his hands offensively.

 

[da ThRONe]

I would say that durant and westbrook were a much bigger reason why they made it to a game 7 of the western conference finals against the world champs than Adams was.
Agree to disagree maybe.

I would say this time around it was more Durant than even Westbrook. Russ had his moments, but Kevin really took a lot of unnecessarily poor shots that cost the Thunder.

 

[pointgawh]

I'd take it a step further and say selfish play by Durant is why they lost. Game 6 should have been a Thunder win, but when GS made it's push KD shot OKC out of the game with terrible shots. Adams nor Ibaka, was to blame.

I wouldn't put the blame on KD. If it wans't for his monster DEFENSE playing at the 4 in Game 3 and 4, they wouldn't have gone up 3-1. If KD can play at 4 with that kind of defense, he would be the best 2-way player in the game. Obviously it's a lot to ask him to do that for the whole season.

 

[magic]

This.

Besides, Adams was not why the thunder lost.

Epic historical record breaking three point shooting at the guard positions is why the warriors won. Curry and Thompson were making shots against great defense all series. When they shoot like that there is literally no lineup or defense that can stop them.

Eh, I feel like OKC would probably still beat GSW if Durant and Westbrook played the way they did in game 3 of the series.

But they didn't and it was always going to come down to how consistently good KD and Westbrook could play.

 

[fishonjazz]

Eh, I feel like OKC would probably still beat GSW if Durant and Westbrook played the way they did in game 3 of the series.

But they didn't and it was always going to come down to how consistently good KD and Westbrook could play.

I agree.
These series almost always come down to which stars play better.

It's nice to have role players play good but if they play poorly and the stars play great then you can still win.

If the role players play great and the stars play poorly then you will usually lose.

This is how I see things anyway. (I don't claim my opinion to be fact though so I could be wrong)

 

[Getting Traded]

One of the mistakes, I believe, OKC's coaches made in the last two games was that the Warriors kept isolating Curry mostly on the pick n roll with Adams, time and again. Instead of playing off Curry, Adams should've got up on him and forced him off the 3-pt line and take a shot inside a 3. Curry I think is more accurate from 3 than just inside the 3. In any case, better to give up a 2 than a 3.

 

[fishonjazz]

One of the mistakes, I believe, OKC's coaches made in the last two games was that the Warriors kept isolating Curry mostly on the pick n roll with Adams, time and again. Instead of playing off Curry, Adams should've got up on him and forced him off the 3-pt line and take a shot inside a 3. Curry I think is more accurate from 3 than just inside the 3. In any case, better to give up a 2 than a 3.

I agree 100%
Great post.
Though curry is so good that when the big that got switched smothered him off the three point line he still often times got to the rim for a layup.

I still think that what you are saying is correct though. Give him a path inside the three point line but never give him a chance at a three.

Easier said than done though. He has a great crossover and good quickness and ball handling. Especially against a defender like adams or kanter or something.

Will be interesting to see if tristan Thompson and love can do any better guarding curry on the perimeter than adams and kanter.

Maybe the cavs even roll with some super small lineups with lebron at the 5 and shumpert at the 4 so they never have a slow big getting switched onto curry.