The Key to Game 7: A David West Reality Check
Unfortunately, we have to wait about a month for Game 7 of Hornets/Spurs (they don’t play ’til Monday night).
If you’re a Hornets fan, you have to be pretty worried about your young squad having to deal with the veteran Spurs in a Game 7 situation. What makes it worse, is seeing how Tim Duncan kind of put David West in the lockbox last night. TD hadn’t spent a ton of time on West this series for various reasons, but in an elimination situation, Timmy was all over him. It was a move by Gregg Popovich correctly predicted by Pounding the Rock yesterday:
Why it makes sense for Pop to put Duncan on West:
1. It will fire Duncan up. He’s been playing too timidly on defense.
2. It will fire David West up. This is a good thing for the Spurs. He gets emotionally unraveled fairly easily, and we’ve seen it affect his game.
3. The Hornets will still go to David West just as often. The Hornets are still running plays for Peja, despite the fact Bowen has now made him nearly completely worthless of offense. Any New Orleans’ half court possession that ends in a Stojakovic jump shot is a good thing for the Spurs. Duncan will not be as affective against West as Bowen is against Peja, but he will do a better job against him than anybody else. And that’s the point. Tim Duncan is the Spurs best answer against David West, a guy who’s killed us three games, while Tim Duncan has been assigned to Tyson Chandler. Tyson fucking Chandler. A guy with as many post moves as Jacque Vaughn.4. If Pop doesn’t make the change, and the Spurs lose with West going off, I will never, ever, EVER let it go. Stop being so fucking stubborn Pop. You’re this close to being eliminated, and yet you’re still going with hopeless strategies like playing Robert Horry. Do the simple things. Put your best post defender on their best offensive post player. Just for shits and giggles. Just to humor me. Just to win.
We wish the best players on each team matched up more often - it would obviously make for much better ball. It gives you a much better sense of how good (or overrated) certain players really are. If you watched the first few game of the series, West looked like the second-coming of Kevin McHale as he was ripping the soul right out of Fabricio Oberto. Big-time reality check though when Duncan is locked in …
May 16th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Frank says:
First, and umm no they play on Monday.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Myrie says:
Slight correction Dime crew, I believe Game 7 is scheduled for Monday in New Orleans; not Tuesday.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:50 am
yallallreadyknow says:
hahaha. mistakes happen. but its funny when the readers gotta correct yall. damn dime….how hard is it to get the dates right?
May 16th, 2008 at 10:53 am
iain. says:
big shot rob’s addition to the game might be “hopeless” from a perspective of actually contributing by playing basketball, but i’ll be damned if that dude don’t know just what to do to help his team when it comes to a cheap play to gain the psychological advantage. Guess thats what 7 rings and 250 odd playoff games gives you.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:53 am
djKianoosh says:
hahaha.. yeah, West was killing both Thomas and Oberto earlier this series.. But Oberto did his thing early on in game 6 with the nice one-touch passes to duncan for layups. that’s his game, high post passing.
duncan’s great footwork allowed him to make david west put it on the floor instead of taking open jumpers (cause oberto can’t hope to stay with him on a drive) and then duncan’s footwork caused west to give up on some drives and settle for hurried/harassed shots. Duncan is special on both ends of the court. we still take him for granted. but coaches don’t match up their best players because they can get into foul trouble too easily in this league. and foul trouble just kills you in big games.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:58 am
GEE...Word to mama, I tongue kiss a pirahana... says:
iain. It will be crazy if Rob hits a three to move San An. past N.O.
Yea now that San. An is forcing West to shoot over Duncan that is a major problem.
Foul trouble and free throws will be the deciding factor in game 7.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:13 am
iain. says:
@Gee
Completely crazy.
But now you put the idea in my head I have this funny feeling…
haha
May 16th, 2008 at 11:24 am
GEE...Word to mama, I tongue kiss a pirahana... says:
Yea I got a crazy vibe too. lol
May 16th, 2008 at 11:31 am
Dime Magazine says:
sorry about the Monday/Tuesday mixup. these things happen sometimes…
- PC
May 16th, 2008 at 11:35 am
hahns says:
bugs the hell out of me how coaches dont match up superstars against each other, especially good defensive players. if you got a player that can lock someone down? why waste that ability? STICK HIM on west!
this is why i like how pierce wants to guard lbj
May 16th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Yoooooooo says:
Duncan definitely didn’t shut West down. West just missed a lot of shots he normally makes. All his shots from the top of the key and both elbows were flat. He looked stiff going up, im guessing due to his back. Duncan can play post players extremely well, but news flash David West isn’t a post player. I will admit he is the best choice to defend West because Kurt Thomas is too slow and Oberto is all heart and no defensive skill. But West should have had 20-25 pts last night had he made shots he normally makes.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
swoosh says:
Now that you guys mention it, I bet Big Shot will make game winning shot to end this series.
May 16th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
purple_stuff says:
I give the Spurs the slightest edge in game 7 because both teams now know they can’t rely on going to their respective home court and the enormity of the situation will cause the hornet’s butts to tighten up a little bit, which will give the edge to SA. The hornets haven’t felt any pressure because they were never really threatened in the playoffs. On Monday they’ll feel it.
keys to a Hornets victory: let duncan go off and stay on the perimeter shooters. Have Duncan go 1 on 1 against Chandler and live with him scoring 40.
keys for a spurs victory: have horry and bowen take out everyone. seriously, make perimeter shots.
If the Spurs advance, they’ll give the Lakers a hard time. If the Hornets advance, Kobe is going to average 35 points in that series (Paul will get his too).
May 16th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
purple stuff says:
I give the Spurs the slightest edge in game 7 because both teams now know they can’t rely on going to their respective home court and the enormity of the situation will cause the hornet’s butts to tighten up a little bit, which will give the edge to SA. The hornets haven’t felt any pressure because they were never really threatened in the playoffs. On Monday they’ll feel it.
keys to a Hornets victory: let duncan go off and stay on the perimeter shooters. Have Duncan go 1 on 1 against Chandler and live with him scoring 40.
keys for a spurs victory: have horry and bowen take out everyone. seriously, make perimeter shots.
If the Spurs advance, they’ll give the Lakers a hard time. If the Hornets advance, Kobe is going to average 35 points in that series (Paul will get his too).
May 17th, 2008 at 12:35 am
doc says:
I seen the Spurs lose a game 7 at home so I can see them taking that L.