Tuesday Bolts – 5.26.15
Zach Lowe of Grantland with a fascinating piece: “A few executives have dumped the term “stretch 4” altogether and replaced it with “playmaking 4” — a term I’m officially stealing right now. Shooting is nice, but it’s not enough anymore as defenses get smarter, faster, and more flexible working within the loosened rules. Spot-up guys have to be able to catch the ball, pump-fake a defender rushing out at them, drive into the lane, and make some sort of play. If they can’t manage that, a possession dies with them.”
Berry Tramel on Jeremy Lamb: “Where did it go wrong? Where did it go right for Jeremy Lamb? Here’s a guy who rarely gets to play, is on a team wiped out by injuries early in the season AND IS INJURED HIMSELF, missing the first five games. Then Lamb gets healthy, gets to start and plays halfway well. But his defense remains spotty, and when Andre Roberson returns, Lamb goes back to the bench. But in a five-game stretch from Nov. 26 through Dec. 7, Lamb averages about 22 minutes a game, makes 26 of 35 shots and averages 15.2 points a game. Then the bottom fell out. Over the next three games, Lamb made just six of 23 six shots, and bam! He was out of the rotation. Dion Waiters arrived in January to seal Lamb’s fate. So where it go wrong? That three-game stretch from Dec. 9 through Dec. 12.”
Jeff Van Gundy is a top candidate for the Pelicans.
And Scott Skiles might coach the Magic.
Darnell Mayberry on Lamb: “Since his rookie year, the inability to defend was said to be Lamb’s biggest limitation. But this season was different. Lamb really tried. He got beat less, and he was engaged more. The Thunder played some of its best defense of the season when Lamb was in the rotation due to multiple injuries. In that 20-game stretch from early November through mid-December, players shot 38.3 percent shooting when Lamb defended their shots. That’s 4.8 percentage points less than what they normally shot, according to nba.com/stats. OKC also allowed just 101.3 points per 100 possessions with Lamb on the court during that same stretch. That’s nearly two points per 100 possessions less than what the Thunder allowed all season. Lamb still had moments where he lost his man, got beat off the dribble and had communication breakdowns. But he got better on defense in Year 3.”
Lil B on the new Harden curse: “We wouldn’t be talking if it wasn’t. It can’t be fake. You see what happened to KD. He was doing great before messing with me.”
Billy Donovan thanked Florida fans with a full page ad.
Anthony Slater on who starts at center: “I think it’s 50-50. Seems like Adams may fit a little bit better than Kanter with the opening unit, considering defense should be more useful in a lineup already loaded with offensive weapons. But either way, both Kanter and Adams should average around 25-30 minutes a night, playing together at certain times. And that’s what’s important. They’re both hugely important to this team’s success, regardless of who starts.”
