NBA Saison 2010/11

Pushing him out of his spot

SUMMARY: Denying Nowitzki the ball in the post, forcing him to catch further away from the basket and staying right in his face.
REASON IT SOMETIMES WORKED: Nowitzki wasn't always the best at dealing with contact.
PAST EXAMPLES: David West did a great job of doing this in the 2008 playoffs, when the Hornets eliminated Dallas in five games in the first round.
WHY IT DOESN'T WORK NOW: Nowitzki has dramatically improved his ability to get position, using angles to give his point guard a passing angle and sometimes screening for the ball-handler to give himself a head start. He gets much bigger now and doesn't let his defender get around him.


Fronting and sending the pass to the baseline

SUMMARY: Putting your primary defender in front of Nowitzki, keeping weakside help around the basket and force the pass down to the right baseline, where Nowitzki isn't as lethal because he's better shooting to his left.
REASON IT SOMETIMES WORKED: Nowitzki was better shooting to his left. Also, it made it easier for teams to align their help defense in case they want to double team.
PAST EXAMPLES: The Spurs have had their issues with Dirk over the years, but when they guarded him well, this was how. The Lakers also tried this before and succeeded relatively well until this year's playoffs.
WHY IT DOESN'T WORK NOW: The 2008 trade for Jason Kidd helps most here. Kidd is the best in the league at putting a post entry pass on the money, and he'll find a way to get Dirk the ball one way or the other. Coach Rick Carlisle has also had Dirk set up for position on the perimeter instead of on the block, giving Kidd more space to get the ball into him.


Double-teaming from the top of the key

SUMMARY: Sending a man down from the center of the court to double Nowitzki on the catch and force him to give the ball up.
REASON IT SOMETIMES WORKED: Nowitzki wasn't a great passer out of double teams, and the Mavericks' weakside spacing wasn't great.
PAST EXAMPLES: Golden State in 2007
WHY IT DOESN'T WORK NOW: Nowitzki is so much better at finding the open man, and the Mavericks' spacing is worlds better. The advantage of having Kidd is that the Mavericks can station their best shooter in the corner. Teams often take away the first pass, but Dallas always finds an open shot when they keep rotating the ball. Also, Shawn Marion is really good at cutting and finding openings around the basket, which either result in layups or clearer passing lanes for Nowitzki to the perimeter.


Guarding Nowitzki with a smaller defender

SUMMARY: Treating Nowitzki like a perimeter player and guarding him with a wing player instructed to cut off his drives and stay in his body without worrying as much about Dirk shooting over the top.
REASON IT SOMETIMES WORKED: Dirk is essentially a perimeter player, and he had trouble getting on balance when shooting over someone like this.
PAST EXAMPLES: Golden State in 2007
WHY IT DOESN'T WORK NOW: Nowitzki has developed the perfect counter move: a one-footed fadeaway that gives him the separation he needs. He also uses shot fakes extremely well to force small defenders up in the air, and has mastered a series of jab steps that give him even more separation.


Double-teaming after he starts dribbling

SUMMARY: Confusing Nowitzki with a double team after he catches the ball, whether it's a hard double team or what's known as a "one-swipe," where defenders reach in trying to strip Nowitzki as he's making his patented spin move.
REASON IT WORKED SOMETIMES: Without an explosive first step, Nowitzki's primary means of getting to the basket was that spin move, and teams learned to key on it and attack at the perfect time.
PAST EXAMPLES: The Nuggets used to do this very well, using their quickness on the perimeter.
WHY IT DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE: Nowitzki has studied hard and now can tell when defenders are coming to do this. There were several times on Tuesday where he picked up his dribble at the perfect time, leading to a three by Jason Terry or Peja Stojakovic.


Staying attached to his hip on pick and rolls and taking everyone else away

SUMMARY: Just don't leave him under any costs.
REASON IT WORKED SOMETIMES: His teammates didn't step up.
PAST EXAMPLES: Golden State in 2007.
WHY IT DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE: Have you seen what J.J. Barea has done in this year's playoffs?

The bottom line is that there's no right way to play Nowitzki anymore. Whether it's personal growth or the improvement of the conditions around him, you can't have one strategy to slow him down. Your only hope is to mix it up and hope he gets confused.

Problem is, Dirk doesn't really get confused anymore, and he has a counter for every strategy. So really, all an opposing team can do is try their best and hope he misses shots. More and more, it's becoming clear that even that strategy isn't going to work.

NBA Comparison: Channing Frye

Strengths: Considered the top bigman prospect in the country ... Extremely smooth post player ... Has excellent touch within 12 feet of the basket ... Soft hands ... Excels on the offensive end with great fundamentals and footwork ... Put on 25 pounds of muscle between his freshman and sophomore seasons and it's made him a much more aggressive and confident post player ... Runs the floor especially well for a (near) 7 footer ... Good transition player ... Good shot blocker, with his long arms he should get a fair number of blocks on the next level ... Long arms and a quick leaper ... Very versatile big man ... Has many effective moves in the low post including a go-to jump hook. Has even developed a sky hook in his sophomore year ... Great at positioning himself in the post ... Has nice form on his jumper, range is developing ... Positions himself well for rebounds and excels on the offensive glass ...

NBA Comparison: Drazen Petrovic

Strengths: One of the purest shooters anywhere ... ***** has a beautiful outside stroke that creates fear in the eyes of opponents ... He possesses incredible range and routinely takes shots well beyond the three point line. He's a player that you simply can't leave open anywhere within the area code of the basket ... He has also added a deadly mid range game to his repertoire, with the ability to create shots for himself with ball fakes and the dribble drive Unbelievable at rolling off screens and hitting the open J ... ***** has picture perfect form, a lightning quick release and gets great elevation on his shot. He is also automatic from the free throw line ... Has a killer instinct and seems to step his game up in clutch situations ... Never appears tired, has great conditioning and work ethic ...

NBA Comparison: Pau Gasol

Strengths: Good ball handler who has no problem taking opposing defenders off the dribble Great finisher around the basket as he is capable of making some impressive dunks on the break Fundamentally sound player with a decent basketball IQ and court awareness Rarely does ***** force the issue, instead he lets the game come to him Unlike many players his size, he is a great free throw shooter Runs the floor especially well considering his size His perimeter shooting is very impressive as he can stretch the defense out to 18-20 feet comfortably While he doesnt own many back to the basket moves, ***** possesses a consistent turnaround jumper in the post Does a great job of using his long body and athleticism to make an impact on the boards Passes out of double teams well due to his court vision and awareness Excels in an open court offense that promotes fast breaks thanks to his mobility and leaping ability Rarely gets intimidated when physical play occurs Although he has been on the NBA draft radar for quite some time, and may be a few years older than his listed age, he appears to still have considerable upside Defensively he is a solid help defender due to his lateral quickness and wingspan Possesses quick hands that can disrupt passing lanes

NBA Comparison: Larry Bird

Strengths: A special talent ... Old school right down to the stripes on the socks ... Like a coach on the floor ... Incredibly competitive ... The game comes very easily to him ... A great player in the half court ... Can create offense for himself or others ... Really excels with the ball in his hands at the top of the key ... Very good scorer with complete offensive repertoire ... Effortless shooting stroke ... Has great anticipation and basketball understanding ... Great intangibles, competes and inspires others to play hard ... Hard worker ... Plays with great intensity and aggressiveness ... Fundamentally solid, does all the little things to help his team win ... A true competitor. Will not back down from anyone ... Wants to take the big shot ... Sees the floor well, and is creative finding teammates for baskets ... Catches and shoots, or can shoot on the move ... Great at moving without the ball ... Finds a way to score against better athletes ... Great leadership ability ...

NBA Comparison: Michael Jordan

Strengths: Special player. Extremly gifted athlete. Great ball handler. Very advanced shooter and scorer for his age. A showstopper. Can play the 1 or 2. Super character. As NBA ready as any player in his class.

Dans le fond c'est logique même si personne n'y croyait des cette saison (enfin peu de gens)

The Bunk a écrit:Je les ai donné dans mon post précédant, je sais que c'est pas croyable mais c'est le cas

C'est sa finale (il l'a dit s'il gagne pas un titre il va cauchemarder de 2006 toute sa vie) et c'est fou comme il n'a laisser personne l'emmerder sur la fin de match. Un (tres) grand joueur!!

The Bunk a écrit: la tactique c'est Wade/James qui s'alternent les périodes de scoring (voila les deux lignes du book de Spo)..

The Bunk a écrit:Not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6, not 7, but 8 points!