"All I hear is that we’re soft and everything else or that we just win games by jacking up 3’s. Ver...

"All I hear is that we’re soft and everything else or that we just win games by jacking up 3’s. Very few people have realized that we’ve won games at the defensive end of the floor. I think Dwight has been consistent defensively, I think Rashard has improved dramatically defensively and we have better options to go big."

Stan Van Gundy, as told to Kyle Hightower of the Orlando Sentinel after today's shootaround. Instant Quotes From Coach material, wouldn't you say?

12 months ago Ben Q Rock 3 comments 0 recs |

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If I could, I'd give SVG a high-five for that quote.

That’s exactly the counter-argument the Magic bring to the table with regards to being known as a three-point shooting team. Hello, Orlando plays DEFENSE .. again, this isn’t the D’Antoni Suns we’re talking about.

This is my end and my new beginning Nostalgia/Alpha and Omega places, it's like a glitch in the matrix/I seen it at all, did it all, most of y'all been pop for a minute/Spitters, sinners and the game get rid of y'all/Y'all got there but y'all didn't get it all, I want my style back/Hate to cease y'all plan it's the rap repo-man - Nas

by erivera7 on Mar 25, 2009 4:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Really? The counter-argument I would use is, what exactly was wrong with the Suns? They were a championship-caliber team that just happened to exist at exactly the same time as another championship-caliber team whose greatest strength – defending against the fast break – happened to negate their greatest strength. And even then, they played them close. It was a case of two great teams – maybe even EQUALLY great teams, against a hypothetical neutral opponent – whose styles of play happened to match up in a way that greatly favored one of them. Take away the Spurs, and those Suns would have won at least one title, no question. Possibly more.

I mean, then I’d point out that the three-point shooting is the only real similarity between the Suns of that era and the Magic, and many of the Magic’s other tendencies (most notably forgoing offensive rebounds to defend against the fast break) are more reminiscent of the Spurs’. But I’m sick of everyone acting like the Suns were the Harlem Globetrotters or something — this was a 60-win team, a legitimate championship contender, that happened to coexist with another legitimate contender that happened to match up perfectly with them.

by 3.3seconds on Mar 25, 2009 8:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs