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cmonkee
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 Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:06 am Post subject: Grantland Recap of 11/7 LAL @ HOU |
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| Quote: | But that’s when (bleep) got weird.
It was time for hack-a-Dwight, that bizarre and ruthless tactic that reduces the beautiful, fluid game we all love to a god-awful free throw contest. The idea is to lengthen the game and reduce the value of your opponents’ possessions by fouling a man who can’t shoot free throws very well. This technique rarely works, so we don’t have to watch it too often. But in the ultimate twist of the evening, D’Antoni, who’d watched teams employ it against him all last season, decided it was his turn for revenge.
He was about to introduce Rockets fans to one of Howard’s biggest flaws, stealing the game in the process.
Howard missed seven of his 12 fourth-quarter free throws, letting the Lakers stay in the game despite their sudden inability to make shots. After making 12 of their first 15 3s, the Lakers missed 16 of their next 18. But their 35th 3-point attempt of the night would provide the night’s most iconic moment. Steve Blake drained one of the biggest shots of his career — and he has had some big ones — from deep along the left wing as Howard frantically and fruitlessly lunged in his direction. As the ball went through the net, a few sobering realities fell upon Houston.
Reality 1: The Rockets play bad perimeter defense, and that will cost them games. Harden does not bring the same energy to both sides of the floor. He’s a great athlete and a heady player, but it’s his will to burn calories playing defense that is highly questionable.
Reality 2: Howard’s continued inability to make free throws will be a liability for whatever team he plays for. It’s the biggest hole in his game and will haunt his entire career if he can’t improve it.
Reality 3: The Lakers had just beaten the Rockets in Houston without Kobe.
Rockets fans have seen a lot of wins and losses, but perhaps they had never seen a loss quite like this. It began with an abysmal defensive performance and ended with an unlikely comeback made possible in part by their new superstar’s inability to make free throws. These are problems. A few weeks ago it was easy to find people predicting great things for the Rockets franchise, and those things still might come, but they won’t come without some big adjustments.
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Chronicle
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:07 am Post subject: |
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dantoni is like a wizard harry
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epak
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:12 am Post subject: |
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| I wonder if McHale will leave Dwight off the floor during crunch time |
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srm90
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:18 am Post subject: |
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The technique rarely works? It seems to work pretty well when it involves Dwight.
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lakerjoshua
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:24 am Post subject: |
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| srm90 wrote: | | The technique rarely works? It seems to work pretty well when it involves Dwight. |
I enjoyed watching the Lakers do to Dwight what other teams did to the Lakers all last year. |
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LakersMDGurl
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:28 am Post subject: |
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Teams will now start employing the hack!!! I don't know why they have not been doing it more this season!!!! Take Harden out of the game and Houston is left with Dwight who can't do nothing..
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lakersken80
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:28 am Post subject: |
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| It worked when the Rockets employed it against the Lakers last year, and it worked this year when D12 was on the other side. |
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Thugnomoe
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Joined: 19 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:28 am Post subject: |
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| srm90 wrote: | | The technique rarely works? It seems to work pretty well when it involves Dwight. |
rarely works is a myth.. i remember us losing at least 5 games last year because it kept the opponent close. it also caused teams to pull away when we were making a run.. either way.. its effective. |
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K28
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:31 am Post subject: |
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| srm90 wrote: | | The technique rarely works? It seems to work pretty well when it involves Dwight. |
We lost around 8 games last season where Dwight's free throw misses exceeded the final point differential.
I don't know who said it rarely works, that's not true at all. |
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srm90
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:34 am Post subject: |
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| kray28_ wrote: | | srm90 wrote: | | The technique rarely works? It seems to work pretty well when it involves Dwight. |
We lost around 8 games last season where Dwight's free throw misses exceeded the final point differential.
I don't know who said it rarely works, that's not true at all. |
It's stated In the recap but I was too lazy to isolate the quote as I'm on my phone.
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dirka dirka
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:43 am Post subject: |
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Not a single mention of the ridiculous free throw discrepancy BEFORE Hack a Dwight even began. 
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| jbjb wrote: | | Echoes from the half empty glass. |
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gill2k
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:50 am Post subject: |
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Their defense should be the biggest concern there with Dwight's liability on FT being a close second. This is the same team that let the Clippers put up 130+ points on them the other night.
It's THAT bad! 
Patrick Beverley seems to be the only one who gives effort on the perimeter when it comes to defense. |
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mhan00
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:58 am Post subject: |
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| Thugnomoe wrote: | | srm90 wrote: | | The technique rarely works? It seems to work pretty well when it involves Dwight. |
rarely works is a myth.. i remember us losing at least 5 games last year because it kept the opponent close. it also caused teams to pull away when we were making a run.. either way.. its effective. |
It rarely worked when we had Shaq and teams hacked him, but then he wasn't a choker like Howard seems to be, and his favorite saying of "I make them when they count" was actually surprisingly accurate during our threepeat. People forget, but the game where Horry had his huge three to tie the series, Shaq was six for six from the ft line in the fourth quarter. |
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yinoma2001
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:59 am Post subject: |
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| mhan00 wrote: | | Thugnomoe wrote: | | srm90 wrote: | | The technique rarely works? It seems to work pretty well when it involves Dwight. |
rarely works is a myth.. i remember us losing at least 5 games last year because it kept the opponent close. it also caused teams to pull away when we were making a run.. either way.. its effective. |
It rarely worked when we had Shaq and teams hacked him, but then he wasn't a choker like Howard seems to be, and his favorite saying of "I make them when they count" was actually surprisingly accurate during our threepeat. People forget, but the game where Horry had his huge three to tie the series, Shaq was six for six from the ft line in the fourth quarter. |
And Shaq was often scoring high 20s and 30s so the impact was felt through the duration of the game. When Dwight isnt' contributing offensively, his missing FTs hurts even more.
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George the Greek
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:04 am Post subject: |
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| dirka dirka wrote: | | Not a single mention of the ridiculous free throw discrepancy BEFORE Hack a Dwight even began. |
To put how bad it was in perspective, the Rockets fans talked about it a lot in their forums.
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| I wrote: | | The anagram for Danny Granger is GRANNY DANGER!!! |
| matrixskillz wrote: | | everybody steals moves from everybody |
I call that Basketball Communism. |
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George the Greek
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:05 am Post subject: |
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| yinoma2001 wrote: | | mhan00 wrote: | | Thugnomoe wrote: | | srm90 wrote: | | The technique rarely works? It seems to work pretty well when it involves Dwight. |
rarely works is a myth.. i remember us losing at least 5 games last year because it kept the opponent close. it also caused teams to pull away when we were making a run.. either way.. its effective. |
It rarely worked when we had Shaq and teams hacked him, but then he wasn't a choker like Howard seems to be, and his favorite saying of "I make them when they count" was actually surprisingly accurate during our threepeat. People forget, but the game where Horry had his huge three to tie the series, Shaq was six for six from the ft line in the fourth quarter. |
And Shaq was often scoring high 20s and 30s so the impact was felt through the duration of the game. When Dwight isnt' contributing offensively, his missing FTs hurts even more. |
At least Shaq finished those plays where he was fouled with And-1s.
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| I wrote: | | The anagram for Danny Granger is GRANNY DANGER!!! |
| matrixskillz wrote: | | everybody steals moves from everybody |
I call that Basketball Communism. |
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Thugnomoe
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:05 am Post subject: |
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| exactly! Shaq had go to moves.. dwight struggles to score 18 a game. I think its because he's a good 3-4 inches shorter than shaq. |
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George the Greek
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:07 am Post subject: |
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| Thugnomoe wrote: | | exactly! Shaq had go to moves.. dwight struggles to score 18 a game. I think its because he's a good 3-4 inches shorter than shaq. |
Isn't Dwight 6ft 9 without the shoes? He's like 4 inches above Kobe, a wing. He's so short. The only reason he looks big is that he wears those heels that 4ft11 women wear to appear tall.
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| I wrote: | | The anagram for Danny Granger is GRANNY DANGER!!! |
| matrixskillz wrote: | | everybody steals moves from everybody |
I call that Basketball Communism. |
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mhan00
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:09 am Post subject: |
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| If Howard wants to shut up his doubters and haters, he needs to execute and win. That's what all the greats did. If he thought he was avoiding pressure by running from the Lakers, then he is an idiot. The pressure to win will be on him everywhere from fans. |
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Thugnomoe
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:09 am Post subject: |
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yup.. 6'9
6'11 with shoes.. LOL.. we never had this discussion about shaq with or without shoes.. it didn't matter.. he was a BEAST night in and night out. |
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LakersDC
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:09 am Post subject: |
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| Thugnomoe wrote: | | exactly! Shaq had go to moves.. dwight struggles to score 18 a game. I think its because he's a good 3-4 inches shorter than shaq. |
Shaq had a nice jump hook, but even disregarding that, Shaq was by far a bigger freak of nature than Dwight. His goto move was back you down and dunk in your face, lol. I don't know why Shaq seems insecure about Dwight, since frankly, Dwight isn't in Shaq's league overall (I will concede Dwight is probably a better overall defender, but Shaq's offense is FAR better). |
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hoopschick29
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:33 am Post subject: |
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When teams tried to hack a shaq, he would get so pissed off that he'd start making the FTs out of sheer spite. Shaq could've and should've worked harder on his FTs, but he had too much pride to get up there and brick 7-8 in a row and cost his team games.
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Thugnomoe
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:42 am Post subject: |
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I remember people trying to foul shaq so hard and it would barely affect him. he'd just dunk it right in their face. miss the FT.. but because it was an AND1.. he still put points on the board..
not really fair to compare shaq to dwight.. Shaq is the most dominant big man ever. dwight isn't even in the same class. |
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George the Greek
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:49 am Post subject: |
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Shaq's a top 10 player in NBA history. Howard doesn't even sniff the top 30.
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| I wrote: | | The anagram for Danny Granger is GRANNY DANGER!!! |
| matrixskillz wrote: | | everybody steals moves from everybody |
I call that Basketball Communism. |
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K28
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:51 am Post subject: |
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Seriously though, as someone said above...Shaq has got nothing to worry about from Dwight.
Shaq was a champion...Dwight is a pretender to the throne. |
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