Thursday, November 1, 2012

League Pass Diaries: 10/30/12

Washington vs. Cleveland: The Bullets are without Wall (best player)
and Nene (second best player).  Although the score didn't reflect it,
you never got the feeling the Bullets would win this game.  Top thing
I pulled away from this game is the potential of the Cavaliers
backcourt.  Kyrie was excellent like we knew he would be.  He scored
at will from 3, mid range and at the cup and he made the crucial plays
at the end that nailed the Wiz in the coffin.  I was pleasantly
surprised by how good Waiters looked out there.  He was just as
effective as Irving at getting to spots.  He missed some shots in the
lane, but I was impressed how easily he got there.  He's quicker and
shiftier with the ball than I thought him to be.  He's also every bit
of a combo guard....he played a lot of possessions at the point and
looked poised from the start.  Varajeo was unstoppable on the
offensive glass.  I think the Cavs rebounded almost half of their
misses and Andy was largely the reason for that.  Alonzo Gee was a
good compliment to Irving and Waiters.  He hounded the PG for his
entire stint making it tough for the Wiz to run a good offense.
Beal's got game, but he lacks any aggression, and there was a complete
failure by the Wiz (coaches and PGs) to keep him involved.  Even when
everyone gets healthy, the Wizards are going to struggle to score.

Boston vs Miami: Both teams came out like they hated each other.  This
game made the Wizards game look like JV.  The Heat have completely
embraced small ball......more so than they did in the playoffs.
Lebron played most if not all the game as the 4 or the 5.  The entire
game the Heat were trapping, sometimes as far out as half court.  It's
crazy how they're able to protect the rim, playing this small.  The
defense is also more disciplined this year.  They're not giving up open 3's
as much this year, because guys have a better idea on how to rotate.
Offensively, the Heat looked crisper as well.  Long gone are the
stretches where the ball is stagnant and they don't know who is taking
over.  Wade and Lebron on the floor complimented each other well, with
Lebron taking the lead, and Wade looking to score when given the
chance.  Lebron went down with cramps mid-way through the 3rd.  He
came back for a minute in the 4th, but he already did his job.  He
still finished with 25 and 10 or something, which is crazy...he was on
his way to a 35, 15, and 7 night.  All the shooters looked to be in
playoff form.  Ray, Battier, and Rashard looked dangerous behind the
line.  Chalmers looked savvier running the show.  For Boston, it's all
about Rondo.  Pierce and KG came out hot, but faded as the game wore
on.  Celtics need to get over Jeff Green......he's just not that good.

Dallas at Los Angeles: Why the hell are the Lakers running the
Princeton offense?  It was mid way through the first and I was
wondering when if I would ever see Nash in a pick and roll with
Dwight.  For most the game, he walked it up the floor, threw it to the
high-post and than ran around setting off the ball screens.  WTF?
This offense made sense last year, but not this year.  Only person
that will thrive in this offense is Pau, because he's a high post
maestro.  As of now, the Lakers are under utilizing Nash, Kobe, and
Dwight.  By the third quarter, the Lakers were already resorting to
what the Wizards used to do with Eddie Jordans offense: screw it.
Defensively, the Lakers were slow.  They were slow in keeping the ball
in front of them, they were slow to rotate and help, and most
importantly they were slow in transition.  Mike Brown said he is going
to stick to the Princeton no matter what.......his ass will be fired
by January.  As usual, you're sleeping on Dallas.  They've got 3 new
starters and they all looked good yesterday.  Mayo and Collison were
good at attacking the basket and looking to score.  I expect the
Lakers to be fine, but they are going to have to revamp that offense.

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