2013 CB Draft: Eastern First Round: New York(2) vs Boston(7)

[Kane3387]

If gallo is playing the four then I hop to see a lot if zbo. Gallos shooting numbers tell a story of a very inefficient player. Foul trouble will happen quickly and Boston's third best player is essentially eliminated from the series. Gallo at the four is not good if New York is willing to unleash zbo.

[Fafnir]

This is a tough one.

Which Z-Bo shows up, the one who toasted Ibaka/Perkins? Or the one that was guarded one on one by Matt Bonner for roughly 18 minutes a game and did NOTHING with those minutes.

[Who]

I don't think we'll see much of Gallo at the PF position.

If Boston sticks him there, Larry Sanders (PF) becomes a liability and New York will be forced to change their lineup. Knicks will respond by putting in Z-Bo which in turn will make Boston go big with Pau (PF) + Jonas (C) with Gallo sliding back to SF.

I would view it just as a way to make the Larry Sanders an ineffective option alongside Brook Lopez. Which it would do. Sanders is no use out at the three point (negating his interior defense and shot-blocking) and isn't good enough offensively to take advantage of Gallo on the other end. It is a big plus for Boston.

[indeedproceed]

That's my Sanders-Kryptonite. 4 3pt shooters, 5 capable creators, 5 able passers. Gallinari will take Sanders out of the game. He can't cover Gallo out on the perimeter, and once Sanders stops paying dividends defensively, his lack of any kind of actual offensive game will become an obvious liability.

Speaking of kryptonite, I think "getting gimmicky in the front court" might be yours.  Last season, I think your benching of Haywood / Splitter / Vucevic in the Finals hurt your team, and this year, I think that playing Gallinari up front against a dominant rebounder and much more physical player is going to hurt you.  I think Sanders can defend Gallinari a lot better than Gallinari can defend and rebound with Sanders.

Disagree. Takes Sanders out of the paint, optimizing his miscast role as a 4, forces Lopez into more help defense, maximizes Gasol's skill set, decreases the help defense up front, maximizes shot creation on the wing. Gallinari's 20PER and 25.9 PP48 as a 4 in Denver, and Denver's best units last year had Gallo at the 4, and Brewer/Chandler at the 3.

I think that you putting a less talented team on the floor, and one that is going to struggle rebounding, is a mistake.  Plus, you now don't have anybody to attack Martin's weak defense; Beverly simply isn't the guy.

Think about it:  your solution to the question of "how do I defend three very good big men, when I only have two?" is "bench one of my big men".  That's counter-intuitive to me.

Every year, we seem teams radically change their starting lineups to match up with a playoff opponent.  I personally don't like it, and would downgrade you as a result.  Size and rebounding still matter; unless you've got Lebron on your side, small ball isn't going to be a consistent winner.

Well Roy, you're wrong.

Well you're right that the team is less talented overall. Valanciunas is a talented player.

But Mister Patrick Beverley played against Mister Kevin Martin on a more-talented OKC team.

Throughout that series, he averaged 11.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, all in 33.8 minutes per contest. In the same series, Martin shot 38% from the field.

Beverley shot 37% from 3 last season, and has no problem passing when its the right move. He rebounds very well, and he plays 100 mph all the time, and didn't shrink in the post season.

He also did so, while Chandler Parsons moved over to the 4, the most prominent lineup was Beverley/Garcia/Harden/Parsons/Asik, with Beverley covering everyone 1-3 at times.

[indeedproceed]

I don't think we'll see much of Gallo at the PF position.

If Boston sticks him there, Larry Sanders (PF) becomes a liability and New York will be forced to change their lineup. Knicks will respond by putting in Z-Bo which in turn will make Boston go big with Pau (PF) + Jonas (C) with Gallo sliding back to SF.

I would view it just as a way to make the Larry Sanders an ineffective option alongside Brook Lopez. Which it would do. Sanders is no use out at the three point (negating his interior defense and shot-blocking) and isn't good enough offensively to take advantage of Gallo on the other end. It is a big plus for Boston.

This is exactly the plan. Gallo at the 4 will be the move every time Lopez and Sanders share the floor. When Sanders moves out, Gallo moves over, as does Gasol and Hayward, and Valanciunas comes in.

[Who]

Did Beverley defend Kevin Martin much in that playoff series?

I thought Beverley was the one defending Reggie Jackson or Derek Fisher.

[Roy H.]

So the plan is to...

... cover a 6'4" player with  6'2" guy;

... cover a 6'7" player with a 6'1" guy;

... cover a 6'10" player with a 6'8" guy;

... cover a 6'11" player with a (much weaker) 6'10" guy; and

... cover a 7'0" player with a 7'0" guy.

Length was one of Boston's greatest strengths, and you've cut your own legs off, neutralizing that strength.  You're now smaller than your opponent at ever position other than center, where you're equal.

[Rondo2287]

I think IP should go small with

Irving
Thomas
Fournier
Hayward
Gallinari

[indeedproceed]

Did Beverley defend Kevin Martin much in that playoff series?

I thought Beverley was the one defending Reggie Jackson or Derek Fisher.

It varied, based on who Harden was taking, who else was in the backcourt, and who else was on the court for Houston. Beverley was all over the place.

[indeedproceed]

So the plan is to...

... cover a 6'4" player with  6'2" guy;

... cover a 6'7" player with a 6'1" guy;

... cover a 6'10" player with a 6'8" guy;

... cover a 6'11" player with a (much weaker) 6'10" guy; and

... cover a 7'0" player with a 7'0" guy.

Length was one of Boston's greatest strengths, and you've cut your own legs off, neutralizing that strength.  You're now smaller than your opponent at ever position other than center, where you're equal.

So you think if Boston just stayed at Irving/Hayward/Gallo/Gasol/Valanciunas, they'd take New York? That's how you'd vote?

[Roy H.]

I think IP should go small with

Irving
Thomas
Fournier
Hayward
Gallinari

I mean, it's absurd, but it's an extension of a lot of the "I'm going to play the smaller player and draw the bigs out to the perimeter" arguments.

Teams that go small consistently are going to get killed on the boards, and pounded inside.  (The exception is if you have Lebron.)

[Who]

So the plan is to...

... cover a 6'4" player with  6'2" guy;

... cover a 6'7" player with a 6'1" guy;

... cover a 6'10" player with a 6'8" guy;

... cover a 6'11" player with a (much weaker) 6'10" guy; and

... cover a 7'0" player with a 7'0" guy.

Length was one of Boston's greatest strengths, and you've cut your own legs off, neutralizing that strength.  You're now smaller than your opponent at ever position other than center, where you're equal.

So you think if Boston just stayed at Irving/Hayward/Gallo/Gasol/Valanciunas, they'd take New York? That's how you'd vote?

Yeah, I think that lineup beats the Knicks lineup with Larry Sanders at PF too. Both are winning lineups for Boston. Big or small.

I don't think New York comes alive in this series until Z-Bo steps on the floor.

[Roy H.]

So the plan is to...

... cover a 6'4" player with  6'2" guy;

... cover a 6'7" player with a 6'1" guy;

... cover a 6'10" player with a 6'8" guy;

... cover a 6'11" player with a (much weaker) 6'10" guy; and

... cover a 7'0" player with a 7'0" guy.

Length was one of Boston's greatest strengths, and you've cut your own legs off, neutralizing that strength.  You're now smaller than your opponent at ever position other than center, where you're equal.

So you think if Boston just stayed at Irving/Hayward/Gallo/Gasol/Valanciunas, they'd take New York? That's how you'd vote?

I think it would be much closer.

Previously, I was slightly leaning New York, but thought it would be a very close series.  After hearing this particular strategy, I think you'd get killed.  (Respectfully.)

[Rondo2287]

I think IP should go small with

Irving
Thomas
Fournier
Hayward
Gallinari

I mean, it's absurd, but it's an extension of a lot of the "I'm going to play the smaller player and draw the bigs out to the perimeter" arguments.

Teams that go small consistently are going to get killed on the boards, and pounded inside.  (The exception is if you have Lebron.)

Ya, I was just picking on him a little.  I actually like Boston in the series if they go with their usual lineup.

[Who]

I think New York should defend Pau Gasol with Brook Lopez if Boston stays big. Put Larry Sanders on Jonas Valanciunas instead.

I don't think much of L.Sanders man-to-man defense so I don't like him on Pau + if he is on Jonas, L.Sanders will have more opportunity to roam defensively and make the type of defensive plays he is good at.