Should Howard sit out the 4th quarters of CLOSE games?

[jsthornton7]

Here is my question, if the opponent scores while Dwight is on the floor. You are down by 2, and there are 5 seconds left, do you take out Dwight for the final possession?

I would say yes because of his rebounding and ability to get other guys open. Remember when Phil would keep Shaq late in the game? The only reason why Horry got that game winning three against the Kings was because Shaq rebounded Kobe's miss and then Divac deflected it towards Horry.

If they foul howard off the ball we get 2 free throws and the ball.

Also in another scenario, with there being little time left it is still not a smart move as the Lakers could be in the act of shooting at the time of the foul and could get a three point play to win the game.

[kendodgerfan]

No howard should not sit. U take the good with the bad. Lakers just need to be smart with Dwight in the fourth. Focus on more lob plays and getting him the ball deep in the key as opposed to giving teams a chance to foul him. Dwight also needs to play in the fourth so he develops that confidence to knock down free throws in crunch time.

[TmacBryant]

If they foul howard off the ball we get 2 free throws and the ball.

Also in another scenario, with there being little time left it is still not a smart move as the Lakers could be in the act of shooting at the time of the foul and could get a three point play to win the game.

I meant no. type lol.

[MickeyMgl]

As Mike D'Antoni was explaining recently, and others have explained in the past, the Hack-a-Whoever game will generally not work if the player is able to at least make half his free throws consistently. An average of 1 point per possession in a close game is actually pretty good, as long as you can play some defense.

Having said that, if I were Mike D'Antoni, I'd call Dwight into my office to discuss his free throw shooting and my options as coach. I'd reassure him that as long as he can hit 50% of his free throws, even though that's not a good pct, I would not consider removing him from the game because everything else he provides the team is too important.

However, I'd give him a heads-up that if he can't hit 50% of his free throws, at minimum (and he's below 47% right now), I may have to make some situational changes at some point. Not a guarantee that he would sit, but Dwight may need to have the math explained to him, and why he shouldn't take a negative attitude if I sub him out at the offensive end for a key play or two.

Below 50% FT shooting, it's got to be on the table. I don't mean a rule that says "Dwight sits from minute X to minute Y of the 4th quarter". Just the occasional offense-defense substitution is on the table. Get it above 50%, Dwight, and I won't even consider it.

[Lakerfan In NY]

^^ So you'd risk sitting our team's best defensive player for the first 10 mins of the fourth quarter to protect him from shooting FTs?



^^ I agree.

Absolutely. May not be 10 minutes maybe 4 minutes or some game 5 minutes, you manage the game. They start the hacking, usually bc they are down & want to stop the clock. So, eliminate that equation.

You act like having Gasol play center is a bad thing. I mean it only got us two cahmpionships.

[Hellcrooner]

so, are you people done doing jokes bout Pau and bashing him?

Or do you realize already that in a close game at least for the last 6 minutes or so we NEED Pau out there at center and Jamison spreading the floor isntead of allowing the oposing team to hack a dwight us out of the win?

[Chavacano]

Absolutely. May not be 10 minutes maybe 4 minutes or some game 5 minutes, you manage the game. They start the hacking, usually bc they are down & want to stop the clock. So, eliminate that equation.

^^ You said it yourself and I agreed with you that our team heavily relies on Dwight for defense. His prolonged absence unless with a sufficient lead would be more detrimental to our team than him being fouled.

Also, even if let's say you purposely sit Dwight for the first 4-5 mins of the fourth quarter to protect him from shooting FTs, what makes you think the opponents wouldn't foul him when he'll finally enter the game? Either way, whatever rhythm and momentum we might have will be disrupted.

Finally, I'd rather Dwight figure it out than protect him. Reports say he's a good FT shooter during practice so it's all mental with him. Let him figure it out by exposing him rather than be forever haunted by dodging it.

You act like having Gasol play center is a bad thing. I mean it only got us two cahmpionships.

^^ When or where have I ever acted that?

[Avenged24]

so, are you people done doing jokes bout Pau and bashing him?

Or do you realize already that in a close game at least for the last 6 minutes or so we NEED Pau out there at center and Jamison spreading the floor isntead of allowing the oposing team to hack a dwight us out of the win?

Nah. It depends on the game.

Last night was a game where Dwight clearly needed to be taken out.

But in other games, teams have hacked him, and gone away from it. Or Dwight has made some. Last night he wasn't though.. Just depends. There's no need to pick favorites. Sometimes someone has it, other times someone else has it, and sometimes nobody does. It's about adjustments - D'Antoni failed last night.

[ldawg]

Nah. It depends on the game.

Last night was a game where Dwight clearly needed to be taken out.

But in other games, teams have hacked him, and gone away from it. Or Dwight has made some. Last night he wasn't though.. Just depends. There's no need to pick favorites. Sometimes someone has it, other times someone else has it, and sometimes nobody does. It's about adjustments - D'Antoni failed last night.

Well thats the point. Everyone jump on Pau knowing his roles has changed from the years he won rings. His decline started even before Phil left when Bynum was healthy enough to start. With the new nba he is better at center no different than Kg and Duncan who now plays center. His knees hurt but no one bi#$%h about Kobe being slow as well playing no d sagging off his man and ***** about every miss shot. My point is Howard and Pau is two different style centers they both bring something different to the table. Pau is not the problem, but at pf he is more a role player, its the overall team make up. I pointed this out before the season started. Overall they are slow as a team. The starting unit need to inject some quick legs. No one in there to hide Pau and Kobe slow legs. Those positions belong to Nash and Artest who is not quick either. But how can u trade Nash Dantni guy and Artest who is playing great? That is why Pau becomes the odd man in the starting unit in this style of play.

[MickeyMgl]

Here is my question, if the opponent scores while Dwight is on the floor. You are down by 2, and there are 5 seconds left, do you take out Dwight for the final possession?

I would say NO because of his rebounding and ability to get other guys open. Remember when Phil would keep Shaq late in the game? The only reason why Horry got that game winning three against the Kings was because Shaq rebounded Kobe's miss and then Divac deflected it towards Horry.

If there weren't Howard's impending free agency casting a shadow over the season, at 46-47% FT I would sit him out. They have other rebounders (Gasol, Hill). Howard does get guys open, but he's not a particularly good passer. He's an improvement over Bynum in that he can get the ball out safely from a double team, but he doesn't really *create* shots, as he has a very low ast/TO ratio.

At getting other guys open and getting other guys shots, Gasol is superior. Shaq was also a very good passer, unlike Howard.

This is a very specific circumstance (last seconds, down by 2, DH's FT shooting below 50%) where I feel it would be best for the team to play a lineup without Howard. If he could get his pct up to even 50% - which isn't asking much - I'd leave him in. I'd try to use it to motivate him to get his % up to a minimum of 50%.

[ldawg]

This is not a 7sec and less team. Why have bigs play small? no way Pau beat Lebron or Melo playing small they will beat him off the dribble 95% of the time and he punish them back by shooting a quick jumper? only to be blow by running down court in transition. Lakers should trade Pau not because he is a bad player but because he is being used wrong. The Coach want his offense lead to defense? Thats a first. If that is the case he may want to bench Nash and inject some speedy legs in the starting 5. Either quick,Kobe, Artest,quick,Howard or quick, Kobe, quick, Pau, Howard. At this point I dont think Nash is a starter capable of logging over 30min a game. He will add to an already slow team that lack defense.