NBA At 2: Sizing Up The Lakers
For years the Dallas Mavericks have approached their offseason moves with one goal in mind: matching up with the Los Angeles Lakers. Of course, the flaw in that logic has been that in preparing for the Lakers they were never good enough to get an audience. They managed to make it to the 2006 NBA Finals without seeing LA, but in the intervening years the Lakers have been to the Finals nearly every season, and never once did they encounter Dallas along the way. Now, for the first time in 23 years, the Mavericks will meet the Lakers in postseason play, and it may very well be a case of being sorry to get what they asked for.
The Mavericks have never had an answer for Kobe Bryant, and it’s certainly questionable whether or not a platoon of DeShawn Stevenson, Jason Terry, Jason Kidd, Corey Brewer and the kitchen sink will be enough to contain him in their series, which begins tonight. Still, it’s not the backcourt where this series will be won or lost . . .it’s in the paint.
Tyson Chandler has been a godsend for the Mavericks this season, and he was absolutely the difference in the first round. When he was in foul trouble early and failed to impact the game, Dallas had a hard time holding their own with LaMarcus Aldridge and the Portland Trail Blazers. In the Mavs’ four wins in the first round, Chandler averaged 7.8 points and 11.5 rebounds; in their two losses he managed just 4.0 points and 5.5 rebounds. When this series with the Lakers is over you can look back at the box score line for Tyson Chandler and tell which games Dallas won and which they lost based on Chandler’s line alone.
The other frontcourt match-up will be almost as telling, as Dirk Nowitzki takes on Pau Gasol. Nowitzki is, of course, the better scorer, and will have the better line every night, but Gasol will absolutely get his numbers, as well, owing to Nowitzki’s lack of physical defensive presence. Gasol had a sub-par first round because Carl Landry, in particular, got down and dirty in the paint, fighting for every inch of space on both ends of the floor and wearing Gasol out with his constant defensive pressure. That’s simply not Nowitzki’s game. His version of defense is mostly outscoring his defender, meaning Gasol will have a better time of it against Dallas than he did against the Hornets.
When Bynum or Gasol goes to the bench, the Mavs are better equipped to match up, as they can slide Shawn Marion down to the four and let him to battle with Lamar Odom. When the starters are on the floor, however, the Lakers will have a distinct advantage. Whether it’s Bynum and Gasol doing the damage themselves, or perimeters players benefiting from the extra attention their defenders will give to helping out in the paint, low post play will be the Lakers’ key to beating Dallas.
So is all hope lost for Dallas? Certainly not, no more than all hope was lost for the Memphis Grizzlies as they prepared to take on the San Antonio Spurs. The Mavericks have to do what all teams must do if they’re to win a playoff series. They have to have everyone playing at the top of their games in four out of seven times out. They also need some heroes to emerge. Everyone knows Nowitzki and Terry will be factors, but someone – Brendan Haywood, Corey Brewer, JJ Barea, Peja Stojakovic, maybe even Caron Butler – someone is going to have to step up every game and become one of the stories of the series for Dallas to finally achieve their goal of upsetting the Lakers.
If the Mavericks can’t find four really good stories, the Lakers will be right back in the Western Conference Finals and well on their way to earning Kobe his sixth ring.
Grizzlies’ Success No Surprise To Hollins
The 2011 NBA postseason has held more surprises than we usually see in a first round, but none more surprising than the unlikely success of the Memphis Grizzlies. It was one thing to become just the fourth team to enter the playoffs as the eighth seed and topple the first seed, but taking Game 1 in Oklahoma City has people across the country talking about the Grizzlies. In a recent interview with ESPN radio, head coach Lionel Hollins said winning Game 1 in San Antonio was the confidence boost his team needed to start the playoffs.
“I think winning that first game gave us confidence and I told them, ‘if you don’t think you can play with this team after tonight then something is wrong with you.’ We played a pretty good game the second game, they got the win and made some big plays, but we’ve just been growing and believing more and more that we can if we keep doing the things that we are capable of doing.”
The Grizzlies were particularly effective at limiting San Antonio’s three-point shooting, which Hollins felt going in would be the key to the series.
“(We had to stop) their three-point shooting and their perimeter people penetrating. They have pretty much three playmakers and they have two others that can put the ball on the floor and get to the basket, as well. You start out with (Manu) Ginobili, (Tony) Parker, and George Hill, then you add Richard Jefferson and (Gary) Neal. If you run them off the three-point line they put the ball on the floor and go make a play for somebody. Then they have Tim Duncan inside, old reliable. We just came out with an emphasis that we’re not going to give up open threes. We were going to try and run them off the three point line, just keep scrambling, and if we had to switch we would switch, do whatever we need to do to take away their three point shooting and not letting them get in a rhythm. Another key for that was us executing offensively and not turning the ball over so that they could get out and run. It’s where they really hurt you penetrating and dishing out to the three point shooters as you try to help.”
As much as the Grizzlies’ big front line has helped them in postseason play, their second unit has been extremely important. From the veteran Shane Battier to the rookie Greivis Vasquez, everyone has had an important role to play, and all will need to continue to step it up if they’re going to get past the Thunder.
“It might be a surprise to some, but these guys have been playing this way and that’s why we are where we are. Our bench has done a nice job with Shane Battier, Darrell Arthur, OJ Mayo, Greivis Vasquez, we have been able to really expand our team from a team that had a pretty decent starting five to a team that has gotten a little deeper with those guys improving and developing. I will say this here, coming into this postseason not a lot of people knew who we were. They knew we were the eighth seed, but as the (playoffs) have gone on people are getting to see what we’re made of and why we’ve gotten to where we are.”
Where the Grizzlies are in surprising territory, indeed. Not only did they knock off the top seed in round one, they stole home court advantage from the Thunder with their win in OKC on Sunday. They’re playing far better in the postseason than they did during the regular season, and if they can continue to stay confident and work hard, the Grizzlies might not be finished surprising people.
Listen to Lionel Hollins on ESPN Radio by linking here!
Jeff Teague’s Big Chance?
The NBA Playoffs . . .where legends are born!
That was the advertising campaign for the NBA’s postseason at one point in time, and to a certain degree it’s true. Fans who rarely check in for the regular season watch with rapt attention once the playoffs begin, and players who make a name for themselves in the playoffs often leave a lasting impression. Big free agents contracts are often born of playoff heroism, and injuries create opportunities for new heroes to rise. This year just such an occasion has arisen for Atlanta Hawks back-up point guard Jeff Teague.
The heralded young point guard from Wake Forest, who stepped right out of Chris Paul’s footprints and into the NBA, has yet to show much in his professional career and he was used only sparingly in the Hawks’ first round series against the Orlando Magic. Now, however, an injury that will likely keep Kirk Hinrich from playing in the second round at all, has created an opportunity for Teague to show what he can do.
{AUTHOR_BOX}The word is that Teague, who played just nine total minutes across two games in the first round, will be the Hawks’ floor leader as they take on Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls tonight beginning at 8:00 PM Eastern on TNT. Teague did start seven times during the regular season, averaging 8.4 points and 3.3 assists, but that won’t be nearly enough if he’s going to even remotely hold his own against likely league MVP in Rose.
It’s going to take a concerted team effort for the Hawks to even slow down Rose, and much like the Pacers used Paul George, the Hawks are going to have to use a variety of defenders on Rose. Still, Teague is getting the first start, so this is his battle to start. Often times, when put in a situation like this, players perform above and beyond what anyone believed they would be able to do, and the Hawks are betting their Game 1 strategy on Teague doing just that.
Realistically, you have to wonder just how long Teague will last against Rose. The Hawks use Jamal Crawford at the point a lot, and he may be the better solution, particularly on the offensive end. If Crawford can at least make Rose work to defend him, it may give the Hawks a chance to contain him. If they don’t contain Rose, this series will be over before it’s really even begun.
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