NCAA Tournament Tickets - Biggest Upsets of Early NCAA Tourney9750618

Dear Scott Brooks,

Let me start by congratulating you on advancing to the Western Conference Finals. Receiving to this point alone has been very an accomplishment. Your team is unusually young, you have made the most of a confused and overconfident point guard, and you've adequately handled the pressure of becoming the NBA's darlings. Again, bravo.

Now, if you want to make the organization's very first NBA Finals due to the fact Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton had been in green and yellow, you happen to be going to want to adjust your coaching philosophy, specially late in games.

Last evening, in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, Dirk Nowitzki went berserk on your Thunder. Or, really should I say, he went "berDirk." You got torched. Don't be concerned though, Scott. When your opponent takes 15 shots and scores 48 points despite zero 3 point attempts, no one expects you to win. Immediately after all, any player that goes 12/15 from the field and 24/24 from the line is basically obtaining an outstanding game... and Clay Matthews Jersey benefiting from poor defensive adjustments.

Whoops. Did I just say that? Did I call you out for sitting idly by like a court-side spectator as you allowed the NBA's purest shooter to go 1-on-one particular? Yes, Yes I did.

I did not say anything at all when Zack Randolph went off in the 4th quarter of Game 6 in the Conference Semifinal Donald Driver Jersey s. You don't forget that 1, don't you? In refusing to double team Z-Bo, you permitted him to take control. Soon after getting into the game with Memphis up 4, Randolph dominated, scoring 12 points and grabbing 6 rebounds in the final 9 minutes. Memphis won by 12 and forced a Game 7.

I fully understand, like all NBA coaches, you happen to be stubborn. You have possibly watched as Gregg Popovich rode the "let Dirk get his and we'll manage the rest" method to relative good results in the playoffs. First of all, you happen to be not Pop. Second, even Pop would double Dirk when he got too hot (assuming the Spurs nevertheless had a shot at winning).

That's what irks me the most. You could have won that game, regardless of Dirk's impressive display. If the game had been out of hand, certain, let Dirk shoot his heart out and hopefully get it out of his system. That wasn't the case, even though. Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka cut the lead to 5 with 3 minutes left. You were ideal there.

About midway by way of the 3rd quarter you ought to have realized adjustments had been required. ESPN's Mark Jackson was dead on when he virtually begged you throw diverse looks at Dirk. Double group him, pound on him, ask him politely to stop. Anything at all would have helped additional than what you did, which was nothing at all.

Personally, I would have double teamed the big German. Just about every. Single. Time. Get the ball out of his hands. The man was on fire. He couldn't miss. What's significantly more, he was getting to the line anytime he pleased and certainly WOULD NOT MISS from the line. Why not make somebody other than the dude shooting 80% beat you? There is a explanation we all know Dirk's name. There is also a reason we do not know if it really is Shaun or Shawn Marion. There's a cause DeShawn Stevenson is improved identified as the guy with hideous neck tattoos. These guys are not NBA superstars. Dirk is. If you let him do the identical factor for 48 minutes, he's going to crush you. You did, so he did.

I like you, Scott Brooks. You're a young coach. Phil Jackson didn't become fantastic overnight. Encounter requires time. Subsequently Charles Woodson Jersey , let's use Game 2 to make some adjustments. Wait to see how Dirk performs before you make your move. If he's nevertheless scorching in the 3rd, then double him and force him to move the ball.

Also, the perfect way to limit Dirk's offensive wizardry is to make him function defensively. Force him to switch on Durant. Pound on him in the paint with Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins. Attack him anytime feasible. Make Dirk expend himself defensively and you'll reap the advantages when his offense suffers.

As you properly know, you are not going to stop Dirk. He's also fine. But you can guide your self by not permitting him to choose you off like a sniper in a bell tower. If he's in a groove, double him. Make his teammates knock down open shots.

Oh, and if you could give Russell Westbrook a kick in the rear, that might assist as well. Greatest of luck.

Sincerely,

Ryan