Game 2!

[magnifier661]

They say the team that adapts or makes the best adjustments win in the playoffs. PHX did it to us last year after game 1. What do we need to do to win game 2? In my opinion you know they are going to bring a strong double team now on LA in the post and let us try to beat them from downtown. Do we keep leaving Kidd and hope the law of averages catch up?

They gotta keep with the same game plan. They did an awesome job on Dirk, until the refs called breathing on Dirk a foul in the 4th. Imagine if Wallace, Wes and Roy shot even 40% from the field. We would have blown them out. Kidd can't keep that type of performance up, nor will Wes, Roy and Wallace have that poor of a performance. Stick with what works, with some mix up, just to keep Dallas honest.

 

[BrianFromWA]

I've never quite understood why, when stuff starts happening like it was with Dirk, that you don't do the Shaq routine from 1999. When he'd get called for a touch foul, the next time down he'd lay a guy out hard and look to the ref like "that was your fault....THAT was a foul".

BTW, Kurt Thomas is one of the current zen masters of this strategy.

 

[BrianFromWA]

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and thinking there will be a different result. After about the 4th "breath foul", someone should've realized that every piece of contact was going to be called, so get your money's worth before you head to the bench and he heads to the line. We have enough bodies to make this happen.

 

[magnifier661]

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and thinking there will be a different result. After about the 4th "breath foul", someone should've realized that every piece of contact was going to be called, so get your money's worth before you head to the bench and he heads to the line. We have enough bodies to make this happen.

Would work with a team that is average on the free-throw line. But you have one of the best free throw shooting teams in the league; especially Dirk being a career 90% free-throw shooting getting the fouls. What we should have done is put in Chris to lay Dirk on the floor. At least make the fouls count. Show the refs that if they are going to call "breathing on the player fouls", then Portland will show you what a real foul is.

 

[BrianFromWA]

What we should have done is put in Chris to lay Dirk on the floor. At least make the fouls count. Show the refs that if they are going to call "breathing on the player fouls", then Portland will show you what a real foul is.

This almost perfectly sums up my last two posts.

 

[TripTango]

3) His career percentage is totally irrelevant, as he was a terrible 3-pt shooter the bulk of his career. He totally transformed that part of his game when his athleticism declined.

4) "Let it go" is a failure to acknowledge a faulty game plan and "moving on" means going home early...

I quote his sub-par March/April stats, as well as his season stats against us, and you tell me I'm too focused on recent history. I quote his unimpressive career stats, and you tell me I'm not focused enough. Clearly the Blazer's strategy against him (whatever it might have been) worked well enough during our most recent regular season games -- he was a combined 1-11 against us in 2011. Let him shoot.

But whatever. "Let it go" means I'm done trying to convince you with statistics. "Moving on" means we'll see who was right about him as this series unfolds. I won't be afraid to admit I was wrong if Kidd continues this kind of production.