Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
I don't know if there was any organized event this time, but nice crowd too BTW.
Official Boxscore
Garcia ( B+ ) -- one of the early beneficiaries of us getting our future Big Three together out there and dominating the ball has been Cisco, who has started the last few games alongside the young stars and been able to just play a saavy roleplayer/glueguy game. Was scoring on spot shots set up by the three young guys, off of off the ball movement, and by running the break, and hit several timely threes on kickouts to break Jazz runs. And on the other side of the ball did a nice job repeatedly poking around away balls on defense, including an extended early stretch where the Jazz experimeneted with their mega-lineup where they bring in Fesenko and put Milsap at SF. Rather than go to the bench and bring in Donte perhaps for more size to counter, we left Cisco out there on Fesenko, and he did a nice job harassing him, poking away, and disrupting postups. This was good all around roleplayer stuff.
Cousins ( B+ ) -- showed in the first half again that while he does need his touches, he doesn't need his SHOTS -- he's just as happy to work as a passer, and that's hard to find amongst PGs, let alone 280lb center types. Nice play poking a ball away for a steal, then scooping it up, leading the break and dropping it to Dalembert. That too is hard to find amongst 280lb center types. Of course then next time got the ball off the defensive glass and committed his full court I'm Magic error, again causing him to pick up a pointless offensive foul -- that's one error he has not cleaned up as fast as I would have hoped. Had a spin move and kiss high off the glass at the start of the second, but would only have two first half FGs on four attempts. Was spending his energy instead gobbling up defensive rebounds and piling up assists. Another nice pass to Thronton for a hoop in the early third, but after the very quiet first half offensively, began to work into things and use his size and power inside, and repeatedly just blew right through the much smaller Milsap. Did a nice job taking a charge in the mid 4th with the Jazz having numbers and being ready to score and really the player that has obviated the need a true PG -- we are running a ton of offense through him, and inexperience aside, there are probably only a handful of PGs with better passing instincts/touch.
Dalembert ( B- ) -- not a big statistical game, and I think despite the enormous promise of the group we are trotting out right now you can see its still early and we are still figuring out how to balance touches/shots when Daly, who was getting a dozen shots a week ago, only gets 2 in 30 minutes tonight. Of coruse one of the beauties of Daly is that he can contribute without those shots. Made a couple of his nice little hi-low passes for assists, ran the break for his only hoop on a nice little pass from Cousins on the break (and the other way made a nice play hustling back to get a block on the break to start the third), but mostly was using his length on defense to make things hard on Big Al (who shot 4-13 for 11pts), including a nice block on Al in the final few minutes that helped us put this away. Not much statistically, and not a huge boarding night -- I'm not 100% sure he is fully back from that ribs thing and seems somehow less physical right now -- but he played his role and helped us get this win.
Thonton ( B- ) -- for the second straight game his shooting was off, but once again he showed that he is much more than just a shooter, racking up numbers across the board and flashing some real teamwork with Reke -- something we have been waiting to see. In any case, when your starting backcourt racks up 17 assists, you are doing alright. Was missing threes from the beginning, and after a while did not seem to want them, but was out n the break working both ends of it, scoring a layup on a nice droppoff on break by Evans, and making a beautiful behind the back pass on the break to Donte for a huge dunk, and hopping back down court wiht an ear to ear smile on hsi face afterwards. In general a great job passing in the first half, but again missing his threes, and airballed his last shot just before half. Moving without the ball for easy hoops from Reke and Cousins to begin the 3rd, and hit a quick slashing layup to start the 4th. Not able to get tough shots in close to go down the strech and too small to challenge cutting Jazz guards around the hoop, but continued to make very professional looking passing decisions, running drive and kicks, pick and rolls etc. like a guy who had been doing that for years. Remains bery surprising how sophisticated a passer he is given his rep coming over. What, did every New Orleans coach miss this somehow? Even CP3 accused him indirectly of being a gunner.
Evans ( A ) -- just looked very comfortable in what we would have to call our new passing system. Was still looking for teamamtes, and has just shown a big jump forward in sophistication as far as the sorts of passes his offense opens up --he doesn't have to pass like Nash to rack up assists, because all of the attention he draws as an offensive threat mean that all he has to do is find the guy they left open to help on him. But this time also just seemed to have all the answers as to when, and when not, to mix in his own attacks. Was making nice dropoff pases on the break to anyone willing to run with him, and mixed in several of his special drives finishing with little flips. Few too many turnovers in the early going, but played some good defense on the last Jazz shot of the half, and came back out of the break and had an excellent second 15pt 7ast half. Started with a beautiful drive and dump to Thornton again for a little layup to begin the third. Then started draining long jumpers, incxluding a pair of threes to hold the Jazz at bay, and then started slashing and moving without the ball to the hoop for buckets down the stretch as we put them away. One thing I noticed is that with so many threats on the floor now next to him, a much higher percentage of his drives were coming against only one man, and hence the big uptick in efficiency. Only rarely did the Jazz have a chacne to laod up on him wiht Thronton and Cousins also major concerns. Not just 24pts 10ast, but done on 10-16 shooting. I almost wanted to go A- here, but the numbers alone, as well as the very encouraging nature of this style of play and teamwork, dictated I bump it the extra half grade.
Bench
Thompson ( C ) -- nice block as our hustle game really picked up down the stretch of the 1st quarter. A little post move of his own, and scoring off of passes from the guards. But wasn't destined to have much impact in this one. His offense dispapeared after the early going, and he wasn't getting much else done to make up for it. Jackson outplayed him and took minutes in the first half, and our starters were getting it done after the break, and meanwhile Jason was judt sort of there but rarely heard from either way.
Jackson ( B+ ) -- nice job coming on in in the first half, fighting for a d-reb, then hitting a long jumper. Offensive follow of missed Thornton shot and racked up 11 first half points just receiving so much off of the ball movements. But it should be noted willingly if not spectacularly moving it hiimself -- we had few sticky hands in this one.
Udrih ( B- ) -- again clearly took a back seat here, and jsut efficeintly scored and kep the ball moving. Also had a few of his defensive flubs, getting easily beat on the final Jazz play at the end of the first quarter, and beat again for the Jazz's three at the end of the third. Knocked down a three from the corner after more excellent ball movement in the mid 2nd, adn scored on a nice little curl as Evans hit him over the top. First true one on one move may have been when he finally came up with one of his quick spins to get to the line in the early 4th. Poked a ball away in the mid 4th, and then raced out to take the layup back from Cousins I think it was. Nice unseflish moment in the last minute having a chance for a layup himself in the open court and stopping and looking back for Cousins for what could have been a monster dunk if they had not fouled him. Along wiht Cisco showed how valuable a smart player who understands his role can be once you have the stars guys ahead of him to make it east.
Greene ( INC ) -- only got one bucket in his brief minutes, but made it count with a huge dunk on the break off a behind the back pass from Thornton on the break. Made his own little unselfish kick to Jackson for a jumper and felt very much in the spirit of things, but never a major factor.
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I really dont mind tho with the play of these kings lately.
