coaching makes a difference

ESPN2's replaying the spurs/cavs game tonite. it was built as lebron versus the spurs. and spurs won. handily. the 3rd quarter was like video games. massive runs with relentless defense and good execution/fast breaks. they completely stopped lebron and no one else did anything. how can this team not win the championship? maybe detroit has the type of defense to beat them, but i dunno if they can stop the added firepower. then again, i guess detroit are playing flip sanders style basketball, making hamilton a ridiculous awesome scorer. it maybe a slightly higher scoring final this year. just telling you how much coach make a difference.

speaking of coach, lakers are gonna do better than most people expected. simply because phil will keep the game close (if the players actually do what he says), kobe will then have a chance to take over at the end and win for them. phil has indeed implemented some sort of system (and at least some defensive mentality), so if the lakers actually carry them out, they'll be good. maybe even decent enough to make the playoff.

knicks on the other hand, are dunzo for larry's first season. they won't make the playoff for sure.

nuggets has a tough start of a season already. 0 for 2 and lost nene for the rest of the season. can't believe this is the 2nd year in a row that they lost a player to injury on season opener. (voshod lenard's busted ACL) they opened up the season with spurs, the world champ who just whooped them in 4th quarter even though nuggets kept up with the the whole game. they were outdueled by lakers the second, completely lost their momentum in the 4th quarter and OT. here are a few things i can say:
- melo is best near the basket, which we all know already. so why give him the ball so far out when he has to create for himself off the dribble? that's call setting him up for failure. the results are usually a bad shot or a turnover or a charge. flash him to the post and get him the ball there.
- they have superb point guard who knows how to penetrate and eager to dish, so the simplest thing nuggets can do is have their big mens (kenyon, camby, whoever) slash to the basket. they could have done this a dozen times with lakers coz no lakers can stop their dunks/layups.
- at least george karl weren't coaching those 2 games as he was suspended for something before the season even started. nuggets looked completely lost in half court offense, everyone just stands there looking at whoever that has the ball. slash to the basket when someone else get double teamed! dumbasses. until kenyon and camby learns how to play offense, nuggets are not title contenders.

no worries about nuggets making the playoff though. northwest conference is ridiculously weak. nuggets shouldn't have any trouble being first in their division. they just stepped all over portland tonite, beating them by 40 points. that's freaking awesome. utah is 2-0 but i don't think they'll win more games than nuggets. you can never count out jerry sloan, and they do have an impressive front line (okur, boozer, AK47) . so we'll see.

wolves though... man. okay they are my team coz KG's my favorite player from back in the days. but i just watched wolves and sonics tonite and it's really not encouraging. jaric is decent, especially coz he's big for a point guard, but he's still not a grade-A point guard who can utilize KG to his max. kandi man actually crashed the board a lot tonite, but he is atrocious with the basketball. 6 turnovers and that last missed shot. i can't believe they setup a play for him. and dude. it's a layup. i guess he tried to dunk it but it was too far. dumbass. wally's playing decent, hustling and actually playing some D. but he's still not that second star who can take it to the next level. eddie griffin is awesome. he's a block machine. and i didn't know ronald dupree (yeah i know you don't know him) is on the team now.

i hope the new coach knows what he's doing, coz apparently the team doesn't. it's always the point G up top, a big man setting a screen around 3point line, and then everyone stands around for the play to develop. the 2-man game is really not convincing at all, nothing really comes out of that. someone should have rotate to the strong side to shoot. there's still a chance (since it's REALLY early in the season) that there may be a system implemented in the future that utilize all the jump shooters on the team. coz if they do, then they are back to the playoff; if not, damn KG, i feel for you coz i know you will never ask for a trade. (no one can trade for your salary anyway)

speaking of which, how is sprewell feeding his family now that he's unemployed?