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Evilmav2 · 03-07-2006, 04:21 PM

Denver Nuggets

Team Strengths
You hate to read too much into one game but if the huge win over Detroit is a sign of things to come, well things look pretty good down the stretch for the Nuggets.

When they traded for Ruben Patterson and Reggie Evans it was clear they would immediately become the most physical team in the Western Conference.

They manhandled a very tough Pistons team, outrebounding them 59-35. Kenyon Martin, Andre Miller and Carmelo Anthony are all very physical players. Marcus Camby is just flat-out long -- long enough to pull down 20 rebounds against Detroit. Karl inserted Patterson into the starting lineup and their front line has quickly become intimidating now that Martin seems healthy.

The best thing that has happened to the Nuggets recently is the trade deadline is over and they have their team set. No more hearing Martin is getting traded stuff, which will translate into a more focused group.

They are 6th in the league in getting to the foul line (28.2 attempts per game), and block almost 6 shots per game (tied for 4th). Both are signs that they are not afraid of action near the hoop.

Team Weaknesses
The Nuggets struggle away from the perimeter. They got no relief at the trading deadline, shipping out a deep threat in Earl Watson and bringing in two more non-shooters in Patterson and Evans. This is a major problem.

They only take 13 3s a game and shoot only 31 percent, which is dead last in the league. They do not have one starter that can make enough 3s to keep an opponent honest. This is a huge advantage to how opponents defend. They will just load all five players near the lane and clog up Denver's offense. Ironically, opponents shoot 36.4 percent against the Nuggets from the arc which is also troublesome for Karl.

Coaching Style
Karl is an excelllent offensive coach who will get the maximum out of his players. The fact that his team is 11th overall from the field (45.8%) is proof of how good he is. In Milwaukee his teams were always difficult to guard but he had more diverse weapons and was more perimeter oriented. He does not have a system per say but adjusts according to his players' skill levels at the offensive end.

He has had conflicts with players this year and in the past because he is not hesitant to tell them when he is not happy with their game. When his teams have harmony look out. Last year the Nuggets went 32-8 after he took over, which is still the best record by a replacement in the history of the league.

Coaching Challenges
Karl must make them the nastiest team in the league to overcome their perimeter deficiencies. They are in the midst of a slew of road games and he must get them to hit the road with a chip on their shoulder.

Looking Ahead
They have to play better than .500 on the road to secure the division championship and give them momentum going into the playoffs. The Nuggets have 13 of their last 21 on the road and still have a six-game Eastern swing.

Los Angeles Lakers

Team Strengths
You do not have to go any further than Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson to talk about the Lakers' strengths. Kobe can play and Phil can coach.

Bryant has the highest Player Efficiency Rating in the NBA. He did not have to drop 81 points for people to come to the conclusion that he is the best in the game. He is also the only perimeter player among the stars who is a superior defender.

Jackson's teams always make the playoffs. All 14 of his teams have made the playoffs.

Team Weaknesses
Bryant's supporting cast is inconsistent and Lamar Odom has not proven he can be the sidekick that Scottie Pippen was to Michael Jordan.

For all the talk about Bryant being selfish, take into account that the Lakers were 9-4 in January when Bryant averaged 43.4 ppg and 4-8 when he averaged only 31.8 in February.

In addition Odom, Smush Parker and Chris Mihm struggle from the foul line.

Coaching Style
Clearly, Jackson understands the mental side of the game. He understands relationships and never misses a chance to tweak the minds of his team.

The triangle offense is a thing of beauty when it is executed with skilled players and it seems to be improving down the stretch. Bryant seems to be sharing the ball more, which is a good news/bad news story on this team.

Coaching Challenges
Jackson always will be trying to balance Bryant's great offensive skills and the triangle offense. He probably will have to let his superstar determine the balance himself.

Jackson also must get into the head of Odom and get him to be a more consistent performer.

Looking Ahead
The Lakers have the most favorable schedule of anyone locked in the battle for the last playoff spots. They have 12 of their last 23 at home. They finish the season with their last five games at the Staples Center. A huge advantage.

Portland Trail Blazers

Team Strengths
Nate McMillan has proven he can coach. He did a terrific job in Seattle and he is not going to back down from the challenge, nor from any player that is slacking off. The latter is an absolute must for any team in a rebuilding situation.

Zach Randolph can flat out score the ball and is capable of double-digit rebounds any time out. Joel Przybilla and Theo Ratliff are a good center tandem when healthy. Darius Miles, their most explosive player, has been hurt most of the year and is just coming back. Their back court is young and undersized but will scrap. Sebastian Telfair is only two years out of high school and could be pretty darn good especially if he becomes a consistent outside threat.

Team Weaknesses
On the court the Blazers are dead last overall in scoring (88.8 ppg), scoring differential (8.3 ppg), percentage of missed shots rebounded per game (one of three teams that get under 70 percent of their opponents' missed shots) and foul shooting percentage (68.2 percent).

They are 26th in defensive field goal percent (46.3) and 28th in defending the 3 ball. They are 20th in 3-point shooting percentage where they only take 11.7 per game and are shooting 34.4 percent.

Coaching Style
On the other side of the league, Dwyane Wade has said it is unrealistic for a coach to expect his players to give 100 percent every game for 82 games. From most of his post-game interviews, it is clear McMillan would disagree with Wade's opinion.

Coaching Challenges
McMillan knew he had his hands full when he traveled down last summer from Seattle to Portland. The Blazers are flat-out struggling on and off the court. Their owner, Paul Allen, admits they are losing money hand over fist. Telfair was suspended because he was caught on the team plane with a loaded gun. Their two centers, Przybilla and Ratliff, are out with injuries. McMillan is chiding his team constantly about their will to win. You get the picture.

Looking Ahead
The biggest challenge McMillan has for the rest of the year is to continue building a culture that will work hard and compete every time out, no matter what their record is at any given point. This team must come out of this year with some hope if they are going to start taking steps forward.

McMillan is capable of giving them this hope because he has the full backing of management. Clearly, what they do with their high lottery pick is of the utmost importance as McMillan takes them into his second year.

Sacramento Kings

Team Strengths
Geoff Petrie won the Ron Artest sweepstakes and it is paying off handsomely for the Kings who have won 10 out of their last 14. Artest has brought a new attitude at the defensive end.

Adelman's teams have always been efficient offensively and are still tough to guard although they are only 12th in the league in field-goal percentage (45.5 percent). Expect that to go up as Artest becomes more comfortable with the Kings' scheme.

The Kings are also second in the league in foul shooting (79.6 percent) which is key down the stretch.

Team Weaknesses
They are only 4-7 on the road since the trade and are a poor 10-20 overall. That could prove to be a road block in the Kings' quest for a playoff spot because 11 of their remaining 22 games are away from Arco Arena.

Coaching Style
Adelman relies heavily on Pete Carril's Princeton offensive concepts and variations of them. He has not had much of a low-post threat from his bigs and uses them often in face-up rolls. Artest and Wells can be tough in the low post and Adelman is more than happy to have these additonal weapons. If he gets them out together they will be very difficult to match up against.

Coaching Challenges
The challenge for the coaching staff is to get a key player like Artest hitting on all cylinders including the offensive end. Artest has struggled with his shooting since coming to Sacramento. From the field he is shooting 40.3% and only 27.3% from the 3-point line. Adelman is going to have to get better offensive production from Artest to turn around their fortunes on the road.

Looking Ahead
Adelman has averaged 56 wins a year over the last five years, so it is clear that he knows how to get teams to win down the stretch.

The additional toughness that Artest brings should start to pay off on the road. Toughness will also pay dividends in the dogfight for the last playoff spot.

03-07-2006, 04:21 PM	#7
Evilmav2 Diamond Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 7,788	Denver Nuggets Team Strengths You hate to read too much into one game but if the huge win over Detroit is a sign of things to come, well things look pretty good down the stretch for the Nuggets. When they traded for Ruben Patterson and Reggie Evans it was clear they would immediately become the most physical team in the Western Conference. They manhandled a very tough Pistons team, outrebounding them 59-35. Kenyon Martin, Andre Miller and Carmelo Anthony are all very physical players. Marcus Camby is just flat-out long -- long enough to pull down 20 rebounds against Detroit. Karl inserted Patterson into the starting lineup and their front line has quickly become intimidating now that Martin seems healthy. The best thing that has happened to the Nuggets recently is the trade deadline is over and they have their team set. No more hearing Martin is getting traded stuff, which will translate into a more focused group. They are 6th in the league in getting to the foul line (28.2 attempts per game), and block almost 6 shots per game (tied for 4th). Both are signs that they are not afraid of action near the hoop. Team Weaknesses The Nuggets struggle away from the perimeter. They got no relief at the trading deadline, shipping out a deep threat in Earl Watson and bringing in two more non-shooters in Patterson and Evans. This is a major problem. They only take 13 3s a game and shoot only 31 percent, which is dead last in the league. They do not have one starter that can make enough 3s to keep an opponent honest. This is a huge advantage to how opponents defend. They will just load all five players near the lane and clog up Denver's offense. Ironically, opponents shoot 36.4 percent against the Nuggets from the arc which is also troublesome for Karl. Coaching Style Karl is an excelllent offensive coach who will get the maximum out of his players. The fact that his team is 11th overall from the field (45.8%) is proof of how good he is. In Milwaukee his teams were always difficult to guard but he had more diverse weapons and was more perimeter oriented. He does not have a system per say but adjusts according to his players' skill levels at the offensive end. He has had conflicts with players this year and in the past because he is not hesitant to tell them when he is not happy with their game. When his teams have harmony look out. Last year the Nuggets went 32-8 after he took over, which is still the best record by a replacement in the history of the league. Coaching Challenges Karl must make them the nastiest team in the league to overcome their perimeter deficiencies. They are in the midst of a slew of road games and he must get them to hit the road with a chip on their shoulder. Looking Ahead They have to play better than .500 on the road to secure the division championship and give them momentum going into the playoffs. The Nuggets have 13 of their last 21 on the road and still have a six-game Eastern swing. Los Angeles Lakers Team Strengths You do not have to go any further than Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson to talk about the Lakers' strengths. Kobe can play and Phil can coach. Bryant has the highest Player Efficiency Rating in the NBA. He did not have to drop 81 points for people to come to the conclusion that he is the best in the game. He is also the only perimeter player among the stars who is a superior defender. Jackson's teams always make the playoffs. All 14 of his teams have made the playoffs. Team Weaknesses Bryant's supporting cast is inconsistent and Lamar Odom has not proven he can be the sidekick that Scottie Pippen was to Michael Jordan. For all the talk about Bryant being selfish, take into account that the Lakers were 9-4 in January when Bryant averaged 43.4 ppg and 4-8 when he averaged only 31.8 in February. In addition Odom, Smush Parker and Chris Mihm struggle from the foul line. Coaching Style Clearly, Jackson understands the mental side of the game. He understands relationships and never misses a chance to tweak the minds of his team. The triangle offense is a thing of beauty when it is executed with skilled players and it seems to be improving down the stretch. Bryant seems to be sharing the ball more, which is a good news/bad news story on this team. Coaching Challenges Jackson always will be trying to balance Bryant's great offensive skills and the triangle offense. He probably will have to let his superstar determine the balance himself. Jackson also must get into the head of Odom and get him to be a more consistent performer. Looking Ahead The Lakers have the most favorable schedule of anyone locked in the battle for the last playoff spots. They have 12 of their last 23 at home. They finish the season with their last five games at the Staples Center. A huge advantage. Portland Trail Blazers Team Strengths Nate McMillan has proven he can coach. He did a terrific job in Seattle and he is not going to back down from the challenge, nor from any player that is slacking off. The latter is an absolute must for any team in a rebuilding situation. Zach Randolph can flat out score the ball and is capable of double-digit rebounds any time out. Joel Przybilla and Theo Ratliff are a good center tandem when healthy. Darius Miles, their most explosive player, has been hurt most of the year and is just coming back. Their back court is young and undersized but will scrap. Sebastian Telfair is only two years out of high school and could be pretty darn good especially if he becomes a consistent outside threat. Team Weaknesses On the court the Blazers are dead last overall in scoring (88.8 ppg), scoring differential (8.3 ppg), percentage of missed shots rebounded per game (one of three teams that get under 70 percent of their opponents' missed shots) and foul shooting percentage (68.2 percent). They are 26th in defensive field goal percent (46.3) and 28th in defending the 3 ball. They are 20th in 3-point shooting percentage where they only take 11.7 per game and are shooting 34.4 percent. Coaching Style On the other side of the league, Dwyane Wade has said it is unrealistic for a coach to expect his players to give 100 percent every game for 82 games. From most of his post-game interviews, it is clear McMillan would disagree with Wade's opinion. Coaching Challenges McMillan knew he had his hands full when he traveled down last summer from Seattle to Portland. The Blazers are flat-out struggling on and off the court. Their owner, Paul Allen, admits they are losing money hand over fist. Telfair was suspended because he was caught on the team plane with a loaded gun. Their two centers, Przybilla and Ratliff, are out with injuries. McMillan is chiding his team constantly about their will to win. You get the picture. Looking Ahead The biggest challenge McMillan has for the rest of the year is to continue building a culture that will work hard and compete every time out, no matter what their record is at any given point. This team must come out of this year with some hope if they are going to start taking steps forward. McMillan is capable of giving them this hope because he has the full backing of management. Clearly, what they do with their high lottery pick is of the utmost importance as McMillan takes them into his second year. Sacramento Kings Team Strengths Geoff Petrie won the Ron Artest sweepstakes and it is paying off handsomely for the Kings who have won 10 out of their last 14. Artest has brought a new attitude at the defensive end. Adelman's teams have always been efficient offensively and are still tough to guard although they are only 12th in the league in field-goal percentage (45.5 percent). Expect that to go up as Artest becomes more comfortable with the Kings' scheme. The Kings are also second in the league in foul shooting (79.6 percent) which is key down the stretch. Team Weaknesses They are only 4-7 on the road since the trade and are a poor 10-20 overall. That could prove to be a road block in the Kings' quest for a playoff spot because 11 of their remaining 22 games are away from Arco Arena. Coaching Style Adelman relies heavily on Pete Carril's Princeton offensive concepts and variations of them. He has not had much of a low-post threat from his bigs and uses them often in face-up rolls. Artest and Wells can be tough in the low post and Adelman is more than happy to have these additonal weapons. If he gets them out together they will be very difficult to match up against. Coaching Challenges The challenge for the coaching staff is to get a key player like Artest hitting on all cylinders including the offensive end. Artest has struggled with his shooting since coming to Sacramento. From the field he is shooting 40.3% and only 27.3% from the 3-point line. Adelman is going to have to get better offensive production from Artest to turn around their fortunes on the road. Looking Ahead Adelman has averaged 56 wins a year over the last five years, so it is clear that he knows how to get teams to win down the stretch. The additional toughness that Artest brings should start to pay off on the road. Toughness will also pay dividends in the dogfight for the last playoff spot. __________________ What has the sheep to bargain with the wolf?