4 words & Pacers shock world!

by HoopMoney on Apr 20, 2011 6:53 AM EDT

Don't help off Korver! If the Pacers will listen to those four words they can shock the world.

Derrick Rose can score 30+ points. Chicago can get more free throw attempts. The Bulls can out rebound the Pacers. We can get untimely injuries. Small market Indiana can get screwed by the refs. But there is one thing that can't happen any more. Don't help off Korver!

In the first game Paul George helped off Kyle Korver to triple team Derrick Rose while he was driving to the lane. Rose jumped up and easily found Korver for the three point dagger that gave the Bulls the lead at the end of the game. In the second game Tyler Hansbrough helped off Noah to trap Rose half court. Rose passes to Noah then A.J. Price helps off Korver to double team Boozer leaving Kyle open to hit another late three point dagger.

That is what Korver does. He's a spot up shooter. It doesn't matter if he hasn't shot the ball all game long. He's Chicago's best shooter. Under no circumstances do you help off Korver ever!

Korver has been the x-factor in this series. He's only played 22 and 21 minutes in the first two games but has been the difference. He comes off the bench but is in with the starters down the stretch.

Korver is easy to stop. Just keep a man on him at all times. We've been guarding him with our point guards and he has not made us pay. He makes his living on kickouts. Take that away and he is useless. He is a defensive liability and that is why he doesn't start.

Danny Granger was asked about the scheme of trapping Rose and he said. "We thought it was a good scheme, it worked and the one time it didn't work was when Korver hit the big three." Coach Frank Vogel was asked about the similarities of the first two games and even he acknowledged Korver's late bomb.

Take away Korver's late exploits and this is a different series. The Chicago media has over hyped there team. They have been asking over and over why are they playing so badly? And over and over they have had to say it's because Indiana is a good team. If you look closely to the Bulls faces they are shocked that the Pacers are giving them such a hard time.

I can't wait to see the Bulls faces when they come here and get beat soundly. If the Pacers can tie this series 2-2. We will have the mental edge going back to Chicago. We already know we can beat this team. Now it is a matter of doing it. Go Pacers!

Do you think Korver is the x-factor? Do you think that we have put the fear into the Bulls? Do you think we can win our home games? If so, do you think we will have the mental edge in this series? Feel free to drop some knowledge.

Fellow Area 55ers & PTOers, HoopMoney droppin knowledge. Oww

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I agree to an extent

The Pacers are so worried about Rose that they routinely leave guys open. It’s not just Korver. If Bogans could hit more than 1 open jumper a decade this would be an entirely different team. I think single coverage (with PG) on Rose, and sporadic trapping like we saw in the second half on Monday, is the way to go with Rose. As you said, even with constant pressure and double/triple teams, Rose is still putting up 35 a night. Why not make him score 45? The chances of him consistently scoring that much are pretty slim. Eventually PG is going to figure him out and limit him to closer to his season average.

It reminds me of a couple years ago when San Antonio was playing Phoenix in a playoff series, and they couldn’t stop the Nash-Stoudemire pick and roll, so they decided that instead of switching Nash’s defender to Stoudemire (which, 99% of the time resulted in an easy dunk for Amar’e as he cut to the lane against a point guard) they would just fight through the screens and leave Nash temporarily open, while Stouemire’s man would stick with him. The result was a bad game for Stouemire but something like 40+ points for Nash. The Suns lost though. Who cares that Nash carved the Spurs up? Same with Rose. In this case it’s not a pick and roll; Rose doesn’t need one, he just drives the lane and automatically draws multiple defenders. But the concept is the same. Stick your best defender on him (PG, or I still think Dhantay Jones as a breather option) and make him score 45. Rose is unselfish, but he’s got a scorer’s mentality. When he sees a one-on-one, he’s going to try to take it to the hoop. The three possible results: A. He scores, B. He gets fouled (hopefully hard) or C. He misses. I’m good with all three of those options over Kyle Korver hitting a wide-open dagger that puts the game out of reach.

"You're hitting the wrong person. Don't you know you're hitting Ron Artest?"

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by LukeNukem on Apr 20, 2011 7:48 AM EDT reply actions

Didn't Atlanta take a similar stance with Howard?

You could be on to something. It may be better to simply take everyone else away and let Rose try and outscore us.

by infinityzero.systemerror on Apr 20, 2011 7:50 AM EDT up reply actions

I thought about that....

…The Pistons took a similar approach single teaming fat Shaq with the outmatched Ben Wallace (Big Ben was at his best playing weakside help and flashing out on the perimeter letting Rasheed back him up in the post). Letting O’neal get his 25/12 and focusing on Kobe. But, that team had much, MUCH better individual defenders.

If we didn’t have to worry about Boozer, Deng, Korver and to a lesser extent Noah (who you could leave your 3rd best defender on away from the ball and foul him if he beats you…until he all the sudden decided to be the most reliable chest pass free throw shooter ever).

We don’t have the personel to shut down “the rest” of the Bulls and focus on Rose. I actually think we are taking this approach and Rose is still averaging 30+ppg.

peac.e

by trucutter on Apr 22, 2011 1:01 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree with all points

PG and DJ need to guard Rose exclusively. Maybe a couple over rotations by Foster or Tyler to ring his bell a bit and get him off his game.

Outside of Rose Korver is their other weapon. Just like a pacers opponent would never want to help off of Dunleavy or Granger on the outside, we should avoid this with out other guard.

I think that whenever your opponents offense is so ball dominated by one player like this the ideal strategy is to make that player beat you alone. Kobe once scored 81 in a game the Lakers lost. The Pacers tried to do this in the finals against LA in the past. I don’t care if Rose scores 70. I don’t want us getting out rebounded and I don’t want to get beat by Korver, Boozer, and Noah.

by indycrr on Apr 20, 2011 8:25 AM EDT reply actions

the 81 by kobe was actually a win

they beat the raptors by about 20 that game.

by Agent J on Apr 20, 2011 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions

the lakers won that game

and they actually needed kobe to do what he did though if I remember right. He took himself out of the game when the lead got comfortable.

by dbcb on Apr 20, 2011 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions

That's correct.

I was at Kobe’s 81-point game, and the Raptors were blowing the Lakers out of the building in the first half. The Lakers were down by almost 20 pts, and Kobe sat out a HUUUUGE chunk to start the 2nd quarter. Then he came back en fuego, but I don’t think L.A. actually took the lead until the 4th (maybe late 3rd). It turned into a blowout because Kobe was hotter than anyone had ever been before in an NBA game, the game was still in doubt, and he really HAD to keep shooting.

If Kobe took himself out though, there wasn’t much time left. I remember when he was at the line to try to set the Lakers franchise record for points in a game (Elgin Baylor’s I think) and there was about 4 minutes left, I was on the phone giving play-by-play to my buddy at school in Arizona. At least several minutes ran off before he could have come out.

Either way…it was not a wasted effort by Kobe. It was the greatest performance ever by an individual on an NBA basketball court, and his team won handily in the end.

That is Bach and it rocks, its a rock block of Bach

by Prince Lawrence Waverly on Apr 20, 2011 4:14 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree

Rose is already getting every foul call. We need to place emphasis on not allowing any And 1’s. The trap really gave Rose a hard time and should be utilized early and often. Make Rose a passer. If he has 20 assist then so be it. We need to have a goal of keeping him under 10 FT attempts. If we can do that then we have a much better chance of winning. His point totals in the 1st 3 qtr are irrelevant but we can’t allow him to take over down the stretch. Using D Jones in the 4th to frustrate Rose would be a great strategy. He’ll have 100% energy and 0 fouls.

by Real Talk on Apr 20, 2011 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Agreed

Even with Rose doing all that damage, Korvers 3 is worth more than 2. We can’t afford to have him make those down the stretch. And If we foul Rose, we have to make sure he doesn’t finish. His And 1’s are killing us

by Real Talk on Apr 20, 2011 11:04 AM EDT reply actions

Great article, when you gonna be at PTO on thursday?

by B-Huse on Apr 20, 2011 1:44 PM EDT reply actions

Me and the hard core PTOers will start about 4:15.

by HoopMoney on Apr 20, 2011 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions

I’ll be there with my bro and sis prolly just a lil later

by B-Huse on Apr 21, 2011 1:49 AM EDT up reply actions

Korver isn't the difference. Chicago is just better. Pretty straight forward.

Good teams find open players, and also get players open. Good teams also let opposing players get open on occasion. That’s just how it is. Korver just did what Korver does. Pretty straight forward.

Chicago is just much better and knows how to close out games. Indiana does not.

When Indiana finds their leader, their clutch player, their winning instinct, the Korver plays will still happen, they just won’t make as much of a difference.

by Funkerdown on Apr 20, 2011 2:00 PM EDT reply actions

if these games continue like they are

then chicago’s team really isn’t that much better and people will have to start thinking of the pacers as a legit playoff team. The Bulls have rose and are better rebounders, and that’s all. These games are too close to say the bulls are “much” better, its the playoffs and the regular season is no longer the now. Even if the pacers lose, next season they will be a top team in the east barring injury/hiring another stupid coach.

by Agent J on Apr 20, 2011 5:10 PM EDT up reply actions

If the pacers can stop Noah, they can win. He’s been their major problem.

by RIAS on Apr 20, 2011 5:51 PM EDT reply actions

If one completely ignore the existence of Derrick Rose.

Then yes, Noah is the Major problem.

by infinityzero.systemerror on Apr 21, 2011 2:30 AM EDT up reply actions

Rose hit the winning shot

but it was Korver who won game 3 for the bulls

by Jamison1 on Apr 21, 2011 10:39 PM EDT reply actions

Korver...yes...

…but I think Noah’s free throw shooting and defense on Hibbert deserve alot of the credit for laying the ground work. If it wasn’t for that, Hibbs would’ve had another 6-8pts and Noah must’ve been like 6-6 from the line…haven’t checked the box score…but that’s pretty good considering how ugly his stroke is from the stripe.

peac.e

by trucutter on Apr 22, 2011 1:03 AM EDT up reply actions