indeed. and even though the warriors do look like a fantastic young team, there's a reason they finished 6th overall in the western conference. 3-point shooting teams without an effective attack in the paint don't get to the finals. they just don't. they don't get to the free throw line often enough, and it's far too easy to take away outside shooting in a seven-game series. the warriors (and the knicks, for that matter) were doomed when faced with a defense that eliminated their primary offensive threat: the 3-pointer...
stephen curry is on an all-star trajectory, but he has no clear path to the basket, and much of that is due to his size. he can't muscle his way to the rim when the defense takes away his outside shot. golden state gets by with a plethora of jump-shooting threats, but if you stay home on the shooters, it's much harder for them to win. as much as everybody likes to talk about trading david lee's albatross of a contract, i hold the opinion that he might have been he difference in the warriors' series against the spurs, if healthy. he's a poor interior defender, but he can do what few other warriors can do--score consistently in the paint. funnily enough, while steph curry was bricking his way through the last few games of that series, it was jarrett jack who carried that team, because he was able to get to the rim from time to time...
so, as far the kings are concerned, i maintain that, if you build a team that scores at the rim, that rebounds well, and that plays solid defense--both on the perimeter and in the paint--then you're on your way to the playoffs, sooner rather than later. a team centered around demarcus cousins and tyreke evans can become that team, and it won't even require clever GM'ing to get it done. bring in defensive-minded role players who can rebound the ball, and maybe one or two that can space the floor with some outside shooting, and rely on DMC and 'reke for the bulk of your scoring. oh, and be sure to hire a coach with a head for team defense and a consistent philosophy (as always, JVG strikes me as the best man for the job). that's a playoff team in a couple of seasons...
stephen curry is on an all-star trajectory, but he has no clear path to the basket, and much of that is due to his size. he can't muscle his way to the rim when the defense takes away his outside shot. golden state gets by with a plethora of jump-shooting threats, but if you stay home on the shooters, it's much harder for them to win. as much as everybody likes to talk about trading david lee's albatross of a contract, i hold the opinion that he might have been he difference in the warriors' series against the spurs, if healthy. he's a poor interior defender, but he can do what few other warriors can do--score consistently in the paint. funnily enough, while steph curry was bricking his way through the last few games of that series, it was jarrett jack who carried that team, because he was able to get to the rim from time to time...
so, as far the kings are concerned, i maintain that, if you build a team that scores at the rim, that rebounds well, and that plays solid defense--both on the perimeter and in the paint--then you're on your way to the playoffs, sooner rather than later. a team centered around demarcus cousins and tyreke evans can become that team, and it won't even require clever GM'ing to get it done. bring in defensive-minded role players who can rebound the ball, and maybe one or two that can space the floor with some outside shooting, and rely on DMC and 'reke for the bulk of your scoring. oh, and be sure to hire a coach with a head for team defense and a consistent philosophy (as always, JVG strikes me as the best man for the job). that's a playoff team in a couple of seasons...
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