[quote]therajraj wrote:
I always foudn that move by Harden to keep his arms fully extended and the ball so far from his body while driving pretty interesting. Why the hell does no one else do that? It seems to serve him well in drawing fouls.[/quote]
You can’t really teach dribble-drive penetration. Its mostly instinct, quickness, and footwork (which is also instinct, given the speed and athleticism that everyone’s got at any higher level)
And having a legit j that the def has to respect, that also works wonders.
[/quote]
He’s not talking about his penetration, he’s talking about what he does when he’s near the rim to draw contact. The more I watch Harden, the more he reminds of Ginobli. His “eurostep” is probably top 3 in the game right now, too.
[quote]therajraj wrote:
I always foudn that move by Harden to keep his arms fully extended and the ball so far from his body while driving pretty interesting. Why the hell does no one else do that? It seems to serve him well in drawing fouls.[/quote]
You can’t really teach dribble-drive penetration. Its mostly instinct, quickness, and footwork (which is also instinct, given the speed and athleticism that everyone’s got at any higher level)
And having a legit j that the def has to respect, that also works wonders.
[/quote]
I can vouch for this. I’m naturally pretty quick but I just don’t have any instincts when it comes down to driving in the paint, be it on one-on-one situations or zones. It gets frustrating when you know you’re quicker than your man or you see an opening, but you can’t take advantage. Footwork factors in too but it’s something you can pretty easily improve on with adequate practice.
Westbrook can be so good sometimes and then he can just be awful. 6-21 is absolutely terrible. I know they only lost by 2 but I believe Durant should be taking more shots than Westbrook every game. Westbrook always takes more shots than Durant and I think that needs to change. I realize Westbrook is more of a scoring guard but he only had 5 assists last night, that also needs to go up. It is only one game, but this is a pattern with Westbrook.
[quote]stefan128 wrote:
Westbrook can be so good sometimes and then he can just be awful. 6-21 is absolutely terrible. I know they only lost by 2 but I believe Durant should be taking more shots than Westbrook every game. Westbrook always takes more shots than Durant and I think that needs to change. I realize Westbrook is more of a scoring guard but he only had 5 assists last night, that also needs to go up. It is only one game, but this is a pattern with Westbrook. [/quote]
People have been saying that for years, but it’s not all Westbrook’s fault - Durant isn’t a point guard and as such needs to get open for the ball. Most people only watch the ball handler, but if you watch Durant off the ball, a lot of times he struggles to get open until there’s 7 seconds on the clock and Westbrook’s only option at that point is just to create SOMETHING and get a shot off.
Now, there are certainly times that he makes bad decisions, shoots bad shots early in the shot clock, or should pass to Durant and doesn’t… but not EVERY time is his fault.
Durant is an OK ballhander but not spectacular, he doesn’t score nearly as efficiently in one-on-ones as he does when he’s receiving passes. He’s still an amazing scorer but he’s 6’10" and not super fast so he does have some limitations. In other words, he has some weaknesses (e.g. not getting open) but his strengths are so strong that he still is the best scorer in the league despite those weaknesses.
[quote]stefan128 wrote:
Westbrook can be so good sometimes and then he can just be awful. 6-21 is absolutely terrible. I know they only lost by 2 but I believe Durant should be taking more shots than Westbrook every game. Westbrook always takes more shots than Durant and I think that needs to change. I realize Westbrook is more of a scoring guard but he only had 5 assists last night, that also needs to go up. It is only one game, but this is a pattern with Westbrook. [/quote]
People have been saying that for years, but it’s not all Westbrook’s fault - Durant isn’t a point guard and as such needs to get open for the ball. Most people only watch the ball handler, but if you watch Durant off the ball, a lot of times he struggles to get open until there’s 7 seconds on the clock and Westbrook’s only option at that point is just to create SOMETHING and get a shot off.
Now, there are certainly times that he makes bad decisions, shoots bad shots early in the shot clock, or should pass to Durant and doesn’t… but not EVERY time is his fault.
Durant is an OK ballhander but not spectacular, he doesn’t score nearly as efficiently in one-on-ones as he does when he’s receiving passes. He’s still an amazing scorer but he’s 6’10" and not super fast so he does have some limitations. In other words, he has some weaknesses (e.g. not getting open) but his strengths are so strong that he still is the best scorer in the league despite those
Durant actually has a phenomenal handle, and can get damn near anywhere he wants with the ball. His only limitation is he has trouble finishing with his left. With his handle and length, he doesn’t need to be super fast 'cause he can get his shot off whenever he wants.
I do agree that he has trouble fighting through screens. That really boils down to him being so physically weak, and him just plain not being assertive enough. He doesn’t need to be Lee Haney, but he could definitely use another 20lbs of muscle to help his game.
[quote]Aggv wrote:
Imagine if KD got into the weight room, ate his face off, and was bigger than LeBald? He’d be unstoppable. He has a wingspan of 7’4" i believe[/quote]
It wouldn’t suit his game. He’s the definition of “finesse scorer”, so bulking up too much would be counterproductive. But, adding a solid 20 or so would make things so much easier on him. Thinking back, has he ever missed significant time? With the minutes he plays with that frame and the physicality of the league, his body is bound to wear down.
With an extra 20 LBS, KD would weight 5lbs more than lebald. I believe lebald weighs closer to 260-270, but remember the size difference between the 2. KD has a bigger frame to be able to add strength and lose any of his finesse.
[quote]Aggv wrote:
With an extra 20 LBS, KD would weight 5lbs more than lebald. I believe lebald weighs closer to 260-270, but remember the size difference between the 2. KD has a bigger frame to be able to add strength and lose any of his finesse.
bottom line, he needs to get bigger and stronger. [/quote]
Durant is listed at 235, so he’d still be considerably lighter. On top of that, they’re built completely differently. Durant could gain 40lbs and he still wouldn’t look as dense as James. We’re in agreement on the bottom line though.
Well that was nice to watch…Knicks played inspired ball, love the ball movement and defense. Even though alot of em went in, 36 3pt attempts is ridiculous…as Pat Riley said its fools gold. Gotta give credit to D Wade, a classy guy and move by giving up a game check for Hurricane Sandy relief. 27 Assists to 12 Turnovers is what made me happiest.