Stevens: Monitoring Rondo/Bradley duo "huge, huge priority for me"

[D.o.s.]

Everybody sees matchups that they struggle with at times (such as Felton killing Bradley in the playoffs last year) but with Bradley those matchup problems are pretty rare.

In that series, Felton did most of his "damage" in two games, games 4 & 5, when he scored 27 & 21 points ... but lost both games.

In Game 4, Felton did have success "killing" Bradley ... by making 4 of 9 long 3PT bombs despite Bradley contesting them.   That isn't something I'd worry about long term.  Felton shot just 30% from 3PT land that season and I wouldn't have guarded him tight outside the arc either.  Other than that one game, he sucked from 3PT land the rest of the playoffs.

In the next game, Game 5, Felton went 0-for-3 from 3PT land, but enjoyed "success" this time by working switches on Paul Pierce, who was not fast enough to cover Felton. 

As I said, NYK lost both those games.

I think the mythology that Felton 'killed' Bradley in that series has grown out of proportion with reality.

Pick and Roll destroying a player doesn't have to involve Felton scoring a ton of points. I recall Felton getting to the paint far too easily for much of that series. We had a very good game plan on Melo and good individual defenders to handle him, it was Felton's penetration that kept them afloat.

Plus Bradley didn't really pressure the ball effectively for much of the series as well, which is something that I thought he was going to do against Felton. (and he did do it in game 6 when the C's made that crazy 20-0 or something run to get back in the game)

Still our D was solid that series overall, we just couldn't score at all and lacked a lead guard to handle which wore Pierce out pretty quick.

Felton's also significantly bigger than Bradley--and, for whatever reason, has always been a bad matchup for AB.

[Fafnir]

Felton's built like a penguin, he just uses his broad shoulders to to create space on smaller guards like Bradley and waddles to the rim/paint.

But really it was just Bradley playing poorly, his offense was non-existent and he was frustrated with trying to bring up the ball and dealing with the Knicks pressure offensively.

Because overall Felton hasn't done much against Bradley except for that playoff series. In the regular season he only has one decent game when both were rotation players.

[Evantime34]

Felton's built like a penguin, he just uses his broad shoulders to to create space on smaller guards like Bradley and waddles to the rim/paint.

But really it was just Bradley playing poorly, his offense was non-existent and he was frustrated with trying to bring up the ball and dealing with the Knicks pressure offensively.

Because overall Felton hasn't done much against Bradley except for that playoff series. In the regular season he only has one decent game when both were rotation players.

Great call. I think the fact that in that series Doc decided that they would not leave shooters open, so when Felton ran pick and rolls and Chandler rolled hard to the hole Bradley was left trying to catch up without help.

[D.o.s.]

Well if you're going to have a good series of games against someone it's probably better to do it in the playoffs, rather than the regular season.

I actually think Felton is kind of underrated as a player--even though I really lost a lot of respect for him when he mailed it in on every team he was on that wasn't the Knicks.

[Fafnir]

Felton's built like a penguin, he just uses his broad shoulders to to create space on smaller guards like Bradley and waddles to the rim/paint.

But really it was just Bradley playing poorly, his offense was non-existent and he was frustrated with trying to bring up the ball and dealing with the Knicks pressure offensively.

Because overall Felton hasn't done much against Bradley except for that playoff series. In the regular season he only has one decent game when both were rotation players.

Great call. I think the fact that in that series Doc decided that they would not leave shooters open, so when Felton ran pick and rolls and Chandler rolled hard to the hole Bradley was left trying to catch up without help.

That was definitely the game plan and in the end it worked well enough though I was disappointed Bradley didn't handle his assignment better.

The Knicks didn't beat the C's offensively, they beat them by holding them to epic scoring droughts in the second half of multiple games.

[Evantime34]

Felton's built like a penguin, he just uses his broad shoulders to to create space on smaller guards like Bradley and waddles to the rim/paint.

But really it was just Bradley playing poorly, his offense was non-existent and he was frustrated with trying to bring up the ball and dealing with the Knicks pressure offensively.

Because overall Felton hasn't done much against Bradley except for that playoff series. In the regular season he only has one decent game when both were rotation players.

Great call. I think the fact that in that series Doc decided that they would not leave shooters open, so when Felton ran pick and rolls and Chandler rolled hard to the hole Bradley was left trying to catch up without help.

That was definitely the game plan and in the end it worked well enough though I was disappointed Bradley didn't handle his assignment better.

The Knicks didn't beat the C's offensively, they beat them by holding them to epic scoring droughts in the second half of multiple games.

Hopefully Bradley and Rondo can get to the point where they can lead an offense that doesn't have scoring droughts all the time, that or add a player like Parker who can help fix that problem.

[Fafnir]

Well if you're going to have a good series of games against someone it's probably better to do it in the playoffs, rather than the regular season.

I actually think Felton is kind of underrated as a player--even though I really lost a lot of respect for him when he mailed it in on every team he was on that wasn't the Knicks.

I don't think he's very good, he just brings something the Knicks lack severely without him, some dribble penetration.

He's had some good years but overall he's pretty much a weak starting PG who doesn't score efficiently because he's a poor shooter. But hey there is a reason he's only paid 3.5 per year.

[Fafnir]

Felton's built like a penguin, he just uses his broad shoulders to to create space on smaller guards like Bradley and waddles to the rim/paint.

But really it was just Bradley playing poorly, his offense was non-existent and he was frustrated with trying to bring up the ball and dealing with the Knicks pressure offensively.

Because overall Felton hasn't done much against Bradley except for that playoff series. In the regular season he only has one decent game when both were rotation players.

Great call. I think the fact that in that series Doc decided that they would not leave shooters open, so when Felton ran pick and rolls and Chandler rolled hard to the hole Bradley was left trying to catch up without help.

That was definitely the game plan and in the end it worked well enough though I was disappointed Bradley didn't handle his assignment better.

The Knicks didn't beat the C's offensively, they beat them by holding them to epic scoring droughts in the second half of multiple games.

Hopefully Bradley and Rondo can get to the point where they can lead an offense that doesn't have scoring droughts all the time, that or add a player like Parker who can help fix that problem.

Rondo would have swung that series so hard, Knicks entire defensive scheme was to pressure the ball with Prigs/Shump/Kidd and tire Pierce and our weak handling guards while slowing our offensive initiation.

Rondo would have forced a completely different defensive plan from them just by being able to bring the ball up quickly and punishing their aggression on the perimeter.

[kozlodoev]

Felton's also significantly bigger than Bradley--and, for whatever reason, has always been a bad matchup for AB.

Raymond Felton is, in fact, considerably smaller than Avery Bradley (measures 2.5 inches shorter barefoot). You can make the argument that he's stronger (~20 lbs heavier in listed weight), but if that's considered a tough matchup with a bigger guard, it just comes as a highlight of my skepticism about the potential efficiency of the Rondo/Bradley duo defensively.

[sed522002]

Felton's built like a penguin, he just uses his broad shoulders to to create space on smaller guards like Bradley and waddles to the rim/paint.

But really it was just Bradley playing poorly, his offense was non-existent and he was frustrated with trying to bring up the ball and dealing with the Knicks pressure offensively.

Because overall Felton hasn't done much against Bradley except for that playoff series. In the regular season he only has one decent game when both were rotation players.

Great call. I think the fact that in that series Doc decided that they would not leave shooters open, so when Felton ran pick and rolls and Chandler rolled hard to the hole Bradley was left trying to catch up without help.

That was definitely the game plan and in the end it worked well enough though I was disappointed Bradley didn't handle his assignment better.

The Knicks didn't beat the C's offensively, they beat them by holding them to epic scoring droughts in the second half of multiple games.

Hopefully Bradley and Rondo can get to the point where they can lead an offense that doesn't have scoring droughts all the time, that or add a player like Parker who can help fix that problem.

Rondo would have swung that series so hard, Knicks entire defensive scheme was to pressure the ball with Prigs/Shump/Kidd and tire Pierce and our weak handling guards while slowing our offensive initiation.

Rondo would have forced a completely different defensive plan from them just by being able to bring the ball up quickly and punishing their aggression on the perimeter.

You would have thought they were the basketball equivalent of Seahawks defense the way they were pressuring our guys..they could barely inbound or bring up the ball without them forcing a turn over. I hate to think about that series.

[D.o.s.]

Felton's also significantly bigger than Bradley--and, for whatever reason, has always been a bad matchup for AB.

Raymond Felton is, in fact, considerably smaller than Avery Bradley (measures 2.5 inches shorter barefoot). You can make the argument that he's stronger (~20 lbs heavier in listed weight), but if that's considered a tough matchup with a bigger guard, it just comes as a highlight of my skepticism about the potential efficiency of the Rondo/Bradley duo defensively.

Yeah I wasn't thinking height, but girth.

[kozlodoev]

Felton's also significantly bigger than Bradley--and, for whatever reason, has always been a bad matchup for AB.

Raymond Felton is, in fact, considerably smaller than Avery Bradley (measures 2.5 inches shorter barefoot). You can make the argument that he's stronger (~20 lbs heavier in listed weight), but if that's considered a tough matchup with a bigger guard, it just comes as a highlight of my skepticism about the potential efficiency of the Rondo/Bradley duo defensively.

Yeah I wasn't thinking height, but girth.

Girth is well-put, because that weight certainly ain't in his shoulders

[Fafnir]

Felton's also significantly bigger than Bradley--and, for whatever reason, has always been a bad matchup for AB.

Raymond Felton is, in fact, considerably smaller than Avery Bradley (measures 2.5 inches shorter barefoot). You can make the argument that he's stronger (~20 lbs heavier in listed weight), but if that's considered a tough matchup with a bigger guard, it just comes as a highlight of my skepticism about the potential efficiency of the Rondo/Bradley duo defensively.

You might be the first person in years to believe Felton's listed weight.

[sed522002]

Felton's also significantly bigger than Bradley--and, for whatever reason, has always been a bad matchup for AB.

Raymond Felton is, in fact, considerably smaller than Avery Bradley (measures 2.5 inches shorter barefoot). You can make the argument that he's stronger (~20 lbs heavier in listed weight), but if that's considered a tough matchup with a bigger guard, it just comes as a highlight of my skepticism about the potential efficiency of the Rondo/Bradley duo defensively.

You might be the first person in years to believe Felton's listed weight.

It takes going on the Knicks Posting and Toasting to truly understand the image of Felton...LOL...they absolutely hate him as their pg..lol.

[D.o.s.]

Everyone should check Posting and Toasting regularly, anyway.