Die hard

[3 Comment(s)]

By James Moroney

The Hornets destroyed the Spurs 101-82 in game one of the Western Conference Semi-Finals and showed the basketball world that they should be taken seriously from now on. The Hornets overcame a four point lead, flop-fest 2008 and even the hack-a-Chandler strategy to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

This is a tough match up for the Spurs because the Hornets are a lot younger and a lot harder to defend than their first round opponent, the Suns. Tyson Chandler and David West are both versatile and mobile, and you could see the Spurs struggling to keep up with them in the paint. Chris Paul and Jannero Pargo are also tough to defend because they are so much quicker than Steve Nash and Raja Bell were for the Suns.

Here are a couple of thoughts from the game:

1. Tyson Chandler was secretly the MVP for the game. He held Tim Duncan to five points and three rebounds in the game. If he can do that for the rest of the series, the Hornets will sweep the Spurs.

Chandler was active on the glass, and you could see that Duncan had a hard time adjusting to his length and athleticism. Chandler only had 10 points, but he added 15 rebounds and three blocks to that total and set the tone in the paint instead of letting Duncan take charge. He also allowed David West to rest on the defensive end and roam free on the offensive end, and West rewarded that effort with 30 points and nine boards.

2. There isn’t a single person on the Spurs who can cover David West. If West hits his shots, he will have 30 points every game in the series. You can’t put Duncan on him because he is more mobile and can bring Duncan out of the paint because he can hit the mid-range jumper. Robert Horry and Fabricio Oberto are much too slow to cover West, and he continually made them pay in the paint. You can’t double team him because that leaves Chris Paul free to drive the lane or Peja wide open for a three. If the Hornets get stops on the defensive side, the Spurs will have a hard time holding their own when New Orleans is on offense.

3. Chris Paul is unstoppable. There is not a single person in the league who can cover him for an entire game. He might not drop 30 points a game, but he manages the game like a veteran, and he knows when to take over and when to get others involved. Paul is such a tough match-up because he has vision like Steve Nash, but he can also drive the lane and draw fouls, which is something Nash doesn’t do well. Paul is also the most competitive player in the league not named Kevin Garnett, which leads me to my next point.

4. What was Bruce Bowen thinking when he shoved Chris Paul after the foul? The Hornets were already ahead. Why would you want to make one of the most competitive guys in the league even more fired up? Remember in “Die Hard” where Hans Gruber takes John McClane’s wife hostage? You just knew that Hans was in for a long night after that.

In “Die Hard II,” when his wife was on the plane that was about to crash, did you ever think that the terrorists were going to come out of that alive? No, because you don’t mess with John McClane’s family.

This rule should be applied to Chris Paul. Paul takes EVERYTHING personally. If you are defending Paul, just walk the other way, there is no reason to take cheap shots, even though Bowen can’t help himself, and get him more involved in the game.

Last night, there were two plays at the end of the fourth quarter that showed Paul’s competitiveness. Both were fast breaks. The first break, Paul was running and dished it to David West for the easy slam. The second break, Paul was driving at Bowen with the same two Hornets running with him. This time, however, neither of his teammates attacks the basket and instead they leave the lane for Paul to do a fake pass and spin past Bowen. Paul wanted to go at Bowen, and he wanted Bowen to look bad.

That’s why you don’t … Wait. Forget I said that. Keep taking cheap shots at Paul. I’m sure Paul won’t take the next one personally and embarrass you on national television. In fact, I hear they are making a “Die Hard Five” where the terrorist wins, and John McClane ends up falling from the building.

Originally Published: Issue 607 - May 6, 2008

Share on Facebook

Back to the top