ESPN NBA

Denver assistant coach Adrian Dantley didn't have a particularly triumphant 2010 postseason. Dantley was handed the first chair after head coach George Karl took a leave of absence to receive cancer treatment, but the Nuggets were outwitted during their first-round series against Utah and promptly bounced from the playoffs a year after taking the Lakers to six games in the Western Conference finals.

For all the trouble Dantley had maintaining tactical control over his squad in the series, he had a knack of boiling down complicated questions with plainspoken wisdom. After Jazz point guard Deron Williams shredded the Nuggets with a high pick-and-roll attack, Dantley was asked to evaluate his big men's pick-and-roll defense. Dantley thought about the question for a second, then rubbed his cheek before explaining that NBA big men were uniquely unsuited to defending the pick-and-roll. That's the whole point. That's the reason almost every team in the real runs a high pick-and-roll 60 or 70 times per game. And Dantley wasn't about to publicly kill his front court for not having the coordination or footwork to backpedal against one of the most capable point guards in the world.

A couple of months later, Vinny Del Negro emerged as a top candidate for the Los Angeles Clippers' head coaching vacancy. One of the criticisms commonly leveled at Del Negro was a lack of offensive creativity in Chicago. Naysayers pointed out that the Bulls ran a predictable series of middle pick-and-rolls for Derrick Rose and little else, but Del Negro's defenders would tell you that it would've been malpractice for him not to run a high screen for Rose almost every time downcourt. Since the Bulls had few other offensive assets on the floor, a 1-5 pick-and-roll for Rose was far and away the unit's best opportunity to score on a given possession, even though the big men for Chicago rolling to the hoop lacked offensive polish.

Maybe Del Negro's supporters have a point. Rely on the high pick-and-roll exclusively as Del Negro did, and you're obtuse. But ride it to success, the way Stan Van Gundy has in Orlando in recent seasons, and you're a genius. Few teams have gotten more mileage out of a high screen from its center for its point guard at the top of the floor -- or the 1-5 pick-and-roll -- than the Magic have with Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard.

Using FastDraw, Eddy Rivera of Magic Basketball has diagramed some of Orlando's primary sets predicated on the 1-5 pick-and-roll, and has linked to a corresponding video for each play.

A suggestion: Watch each clip twice. On first viewing, take a look at the primary action -- how Nelson and Howard (and often Rashard Lewis with a staggered screen) initiate the screen-and-roll. But on the second viewing, watch what's happening off the ball, especially after the defense collapses on Nelson. That's what separates Orlando's execution from lesser teams. It's important to note that talent plays a role. For instance, Orlando has uncommonly good shooters spaced along the perimeter at the 2, 3 and 4 positions. But good teams, even in the absence of knockdown shooters from long distance, can still manufacture quality offense off the ball in these sets. It generally requires smart reads, something you see when Boston runs stuff up top for Rajon Rondo, or when San Antonio utilizes the high screen for its ball handlers.

Now that you've seen the offense in action, take a look at Sebastian Pruiti's manual at NBA Playbook on how to defend the pick-and-roll. Pruiti looks at traditional methods for defending the pick-and-roll -- hedging and switching. But the most interesting element in this primer focuses on Tom Thibodeau's aggressive tactic -- blitzing the point guard off the action, something more and more teams are doing. One NBA coach told me last season that the frenetic trap or "blueing" the screen (an attempt to get between the point guard and the pick man to force the point guard sideline) is really a NBA defense's only option against the league's young speedsters. "Penetration is what kills you in the half court," the coach said. "Keep the guy out of the paint and you have a fighting chance."

Sounds well and good, but a blitz leaves the back side of the defense vulnerable. They essentially have to zone up in a 3-on-4 scheme, something that requires heady defenders who know how to make smart decisions in a snap. Most NBA offenses can swing the ball around the floor in a flash, even against pressure. Unless there's a defender who can quickly rotate onto the open man or pick up the weak side cutter (which, in turn, means that another defender must rotate onto that defender's man), there's likely to be a breakdown.

As the Lakers and Celtics worked their way through the bracket last spring, it became increasingly clear that we don't pay enough attention to a player's skills as a team defender after the initial action (most frequently a high screen-and-roll). Here's where I believe guys like an aging Jason Kidd, Luol Deng, Andre Miller or Kyle Korver get short shrift. None of these players can be fairly regarded as a lockdown defender, but you have to watch a lot of film before you see them make an ill-advised decision late in a possession, long after the base defense has broken down.

DENVER -- The Denver Nuggets have a secret arsenal of nearly unstoppable plays. There's only one hitch headed into Game 5:

Acting head coach Adrian Dantley isn't sure he can get his team to run them.

That's because the Nuggets see themselves as a certain kind of basketball team with an anti-system. Mike D'Antoni has 7-seconds-or-less. Phil Jackson has The Triangle. Jerry Sloan has The Flex. And Dantley has inherited from George Karl what he's referred to more than once as "random basketball."

What does "random basketball" mean? That's Dantley's description of how the Nuggets perceive themselves offensively -- a team that flourishes by pounding you with dominant one-on-one play in the half court and with breakneck transition buckets. Dantley isn't the only one to make that general characterization. When asked about the Nuggets' woeful assist total of 13 following Game 4, Chauncey Billups conceded, "We aren't really a high-assist team. That's not how our offense is made."

It's true that Denver runs a more individualistic half-court offense than Utah does and, as Carmelo Anthony pointed out today, that plan of attack has served them well for several seasons. In fact, Denver isn't exactly struggling offensively in this series. The Nuggets' offensive efficiency of 110.9 points per 100 possessions is an improvement on their regular season efficiency of 108.7. But after walloping the Jazz in Game 1 of the series, the Nuggets have posted a more modest efficiency rating of 104.7.

A stubborn devotion to "random basketball" is one of the reasons Denver's offense has fallen off since Game 1, and there's something obtuse about the Nuggets' unwillingness to construct coherent possessions in the half court against Utah. When the Nuggets choose to run deliberate sets, they're shredding the Jazz -- particularly on the pick-and-roll.

To illustrate, let's go back to Game 2. The Nuggets are coming off an emphatic 126-113 win. Fesenko has taken over as Utah's starting center after Mehmet Okur was lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon in Game 1. The vibe is that the Jazz are done. Denver comes out of the opening jump with three straight Carmelo Anthony-Nene pick-and-rolls, and all of them produce points:

• Anthony gets the ball above the right elbow where he gets a little screen from Nene. It's not a Kendrick Perkins-grade screen, but it buys Anthony space away from C.J. Miles to dribble right and begin his attack. Anthony elevates for a jumper at 17 feet, draws the foul on Miles and drains two free throws.
• This play could've been ripped from the Phoenix Suns playbook. Another screen for Anthony from Nene at precisely the same spot. This time, Anthony puts the ball on the deck, drives right and dishes to Arron Afflalo in the right corner. Afflalo drives right by Wes Matthews into the paint. Fesenko is the last line of defense here. When he commits, Nene cuts behind him. Afflalo hits Nene on the move to the rim for an easy lay-in.
• This possession is just cruel and prompted me to write in my game notes, "UTA can't defend this." Same pick-and-roll with Anthony as the ball-hander at the same spot. This is Nene's best screen of the three and draws the switch the Nuggets are salivating for: Fesenko backpedaling against a driving Anthony in open space. When Anthony, who is driving right, sees that the bulk of the Jazz help defenders are on that side of the floor, he switches left, then finishes untouched at the basket. This is the moment I truly believed the series was over.

According to Synergy Sports, the Nuggets have choreographed a pick-and-roll -- then hit the roll man -- 17 times in this series. The results:

• Nine made baskets
• Six trips to the free throw line
• Two missed shot attempts

That's an 88.2 percent success rate.

Those 17 possessions in sequence is an impressive reel of video. Ball-handlers/passers include Billups, Anthony, Ty Lawson and J.R. Smith. All the Nuggets bigs are represented among the roll men. Whatever the scenario, the Nuggets score on 15 of the 17 opportunities, which leaves you with one question:

Why are the Nuggets running this action only four times per game?

One explanation might be that Jazz defenders are effectively trapping the ball-handler, making a pass through the double-team treacherous. But that's clearly not the Jazz's strategy when defending the pick-and-roll, even when Anthony is the ball-handler -- which brings us to another interesting bit of data:

Anthony has been the ball-handler on nine pick-and-roll sets. On those nine possessions, he's 7-for-7 from the field, with two turnovers.

Overall, only four teams this postseason are doing better work off the pick-and-roll, but with the exception of the Lakers and Utah (the two most orthodox systems in the bracket), no team is running them less frequently than the Nuggets. Instead, Denver is relying on isolations, post-ups and spot-ups, where they're generating ho-hum results -- less than one point per possession.

I asked Dantley about the success Denver had running the pick-and-roll and why the team wasn't deploying them more readily.

"We looked over our offensive stats and we definitely score more on our pick-and-rolls," Dantley said.

Then why doesn't he call for them more often over the course of the game?

"That's the way we play," Dantley said. "We've had more success right now with the pick-and-roll, more than 'random,' but our basketball team is known as a 'random' basketball team."

At some point, doesn't a team have to recognize what works? And whatever the identity of the team might be, shouldn't the team conform to what's working?

"That's what we've told them," Dantley said. "Whether they do it every time, that's a different story. Statistically, we tell them every game, 'Hey, run the pick-and-roll. Run drags. We've had success with that more than "random" basketball.'"

Given that success, will that be the plan Wednesday night in Game 5?

"I'm agreeing with you," Dantley said. "Statistically, we've had success on pick-on-rolls. We've told them that. We want them to do that tomorrow. Hopefully they do it. But, the last five years, we do more 'random' than we do pick-and-roll."

Dantley's comments suggest that there's a serious disconnect between acting head coach and the team's on-court personnel. It's not unusual for a team to fail its coach as a sin of omission. Both Jerry Sloan and Dantley are certain to tell their players to crash the boards tomorrow night, but one of their two teams will do a subpar job. That coach will be disappointed and very possibly angry. But that's much different than a coach laying out a very specific set of strategic imperatives, and the players on the floor not heeding those instructions. If you take Dantley's remarks at face value, he's implying this is what's been happening with the Nuggets, and he has no assurances that dynamic won't continue in Game 5.

SALT LAKE CITY -- A few themes that emerged Saturday as the Jazz and Nuggets practiced for Game 4:

System vs. Soloists
The Jazz play a very programmatic brand of basketball. "We run a great system that Coach Sloan and Coach Johnson put in…uhhh…30 years ago?" Carlos Boozer said. That date is debatable (there were cave drawings of "auto" sets dating back to the 7th century found in caves near Zion National Park), but it's indisputable that the Jazz have taken a 2-1 series lead by applying their system against a team of superior, but less efficient, athletes. "[The Nuggets] run plays, but most of their stuff is one-on-one isolations," Deron Williams said. "They only had 12 assists, so there’s not much ball movement going on." For the Jazz, necessity is the mother of invention. Denver would like to turn this series into a YMCA-style romp that would maximize their strengths. "They have a great team," Williams said. "Talent-wise, there aren’t many teams better. But what I think we have is a bunch of guys who have bought into a system, who understand what we have to do to win. We’re not a one-on-one team. We go one-on-one every now and then, but for the most part, we’re a team that relies on our passing and our system and playing defense.”

Nuggets acting head coach Adrian Dantley readily acknowledged that the Nuggets' DNA renders them a one-on-one team not suited to playing in a more structured offense. "Coach Karl always said we can't play that type of system," Dantley said. "We're more random basketball." For Chauncey Billups, the fact that the Nuggets play a lot of one-on-one ball isn't an issue, per se. After all, the Nuggets finished the season ranked fifth in offensive efficiency. "The problem with the isolation is not the actual isolation," Billups said. "It's the lack of movement." According to Billups, the Nuggets need to do a better job off the ball to help maximize the one-on-one advantages they have against Utah. "A lack of [movement] just lets one guy play against three or four."

Effort Deficiency
Carmelo Anthony vocally called out the Nuggets' effort following Game 3, and conversation continued today. "That was the main thing we talked about this morning in the locker room," Anthony said. "We've got to get out of our own heads. Last night I didn't see it in us. The body language wasn't there. People didn't seem focused throughout the game. As far as X's and O's, we know what they're going to do and they know what we're going to do. We just have to want it more than them." This line of reasoning was less persuasive to Dantley, who shrugged when asked about the Nuggets' effort Friday night. "Whenever you lose, you're always going to say 'lack of effort,'" Dantley said. "You just have to come with better effort and match their energy." Dantley joked that to amp his guys up, he was going to find an old clip of a Woody Paige story that characterized Dantley as a dog when Dantley's Jazz team trailed the Nuggets in a postseason series. "We came back and won the series," Dantley said. "Maybe I'll bring that to them."

Be Physical ... But Don't Foul Carmelo
Playing aggressive defense without putting your opponent on the foul stripe is a difficult balance to achieve. Against Anthony, it's the finest of lines. In Game 1 of the series, Anthony went off for 42 points against a Jazz defense that made things far too easy. Anthony was able to roam freely and control the game from the foul-line extended. The Jazz responded with a more physical presence on Anthony. They were able to get 42 points down to 32, but Anthony notched 14 points at the line in 15 free throw attempts. "Most of the fouls come in isolation situations, one-on-ones, and transition," Matthews said. In Game 3, Utah's wing defenders might have found their equilibrium -- relatively speaking. Anthony still had 25 points on 21 shots from the field in Game 3, but only got to the line for four attempts. Anthony acknowledges that racking up points at the line is vital for being successful. "That's a big part of my game," Anthony said. "For me to go out there and shoot three free throws in 40 minutes is tough, especially when I'm not trying to settle for a jump shot. My game is to get to the hole and get to the line. Three free throws is not going to do it."

Matthews believes that a defender has to take stock of the game when formulating a defensive strategy against Anthony. "You have to be smart," Matthews said. "You have to know when to be physical and you also have to know how the refs are calling the game. If they’re calling a tight game, then you can’t be as physical at times. But if they’re kind of letting the game go, then you can be a little bit more physical." Miles, who has carried the bulk of the assignment against Anthony, feels that a defender has to show Anthony a variety of looks. "I try to play him different ways the whole game," Miles said. "One time he comes down, I’ll just crowd him. Maybe the next time, he tries to post and I crowd him, but when he turns around to face me, I’ll back up – maybe give him a step, jump back and fake at him ... If he’s making a lot of jump shots, then I can’t play off him as much as I’d like to. If he’s getting to the basket or getting fouled, then maybe I give him a step."

Energy is a Solution for the Jazz
Asked about his first home playoff game, rookie Wes Matthews eyes lit up. "It was amazing," Matthews said with a big smile. "I can’t wait for tomorrow.” Naturally, Sloan dismisses any notion that playing at home should give a team a lift. Prior to Game 3, he performed his best Gene Hackman imitation when asked if his team would benefit from returning to their home court at Energy Solutions Arena. “I don’t know,” Sloan responded. “It’s the same length as the one over in Denver. It’s 94 feet. If you have to rely on that to get you going, you’re really in bad shape.” Court dimensions aside, playing in Salt Lake City made a difference for Matthews. "We were feeding off the crowd," Matthews said. "We were doing some of the same stuff in Denver, but you don’t get that same effect because, of course, they’re boos rather than cheers."

SALT LAKE CITY -- Chauncey Billups spoke to the media at shootaround on Friday at Energy Solutions Arena about George Karl's visit to Nuggets' practice on Thursday in Denver:

It was good to see him. It would good to see him out of the house and around and moving around a little bit. He looked great. Looked like he had some energy. It was just good to see ... When you see somebody going through something like that, you can't help but to not think about any of the things you have going on in your own life. I think, "It could be a lot worse."

On whether Karl's being at practice signals whether he'd be back for the conference semifinals:

Honestly, I don't even think about when and if George can come back. I'm more concerned with his getting healthy. Life goes on. We'll live with next season if that's when he can come back. I don't really think about him making it back this year. I'm just worried about his getting healthy to be honest.

Billups was then asked what message Karl had for the team:

It wasn't even like that. He just came, hung around a little bit, then left.

On what kind of adjustment the team has to make without Karl on the sidelines:

It's a huge adjustment when you don't have your leader, when you don't have your voice that you always hear, who is always going to lead you through any situation you've been in. It's difficult, but at the same time, we knew that was coming ... I think [acting head coach Adrian Dantley] is doing a great job of kind of conveying the same kind of messages that [Karl] would have.

The Wounded Animal
The loss of Mehmet Okur to a ruptured left achilles tendon has exacted both an emotional toll on the Jazz and left them with young third-year big man Kyrylo Fesenko as their starting center in Game 2. "Wounded animal" was a characterization used more than once in the circuit of interviews at the Pepsi Center on Monday morning. "A wounded animal is a dangerous animal," Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups said. "[The Jazz] still have some players who can beat you. They have some players who really weren't getting an opportunity to play and now they will get that opportunity, and they're going to be hungry." "They're backed up into a bit of a corner," Nuggets guard J.R. Smith said.

Adjustments on Anthony
The understanding from both squads is that Utah will combat Carmelo Anthony much more physically. "They're try to get me frustrated, try to beat me up a little bit," Anthony said. "I know it's coming. I just want to get ready for it and stay composed, not let them try to get in my head, which I know they'll try to do." C.J. Miles will assume the bulk of the defensive work against Anthony. "We can't let him be the initiator every time," Miles said. "Wesley and I sat down and talked about yesterday before practice about how we want to play him -- just try to get up and force him further out on the floor. He likes that mid-range area. He made a lot of jump shots last game and we want to make him take longer shots. We want to be up on him and make him take more than one or two dribbles to get into his moves and his shots." On a different note, Adrian Dantley made reference both on Sunday and today that, in some respect, Anthony has caught a break in this series by not having to face off against Andrei Kirilenko. Asked to comment on his coach's assessment, Anthony replied, "Next question."

Meet Kyrylo Fesenko, Starting Center
The 23-year-old big man has played a total of 408 minutes in the 2009-10 season. By virtue of Mehmet Okur's season-ending injury, Fesenko has been thrust into Utah's starting lineup. Opportunity or liability? Fesenko was a bit reticent, clearly nervous, but cautiously excited about the chance to play. As he began his response to the first question, Fesenko quickly excused himself to spit out his gum. "Just trying to be respectful," he said sheepishly. He then spoke about the huge chance he has to contribute to a team that desperately needs a defensive presence in the middle. "It means a lot to me," Fesenko said of the opportunity. "It means that coach really trusts me. I don't know, I'm speechless." Fesenko will have the daunting task of trying to contain Nene defensively. "The biggest challenge is that he's very quick," Fesenko said. "All his spin moves. That's going to be very tough for me. I've played against him and I fouled out in about 10 minutes." Fesenko also appreciates that he's not alone. He doesn't need to match Okur's offensive output and his primary responsibility will be helping to wall off the paint from a Denver team that destroyed the Jazz inside in Game 1. "I think I'm ready," Fesenko said. "I feel very confident about tonight's game. I might not score 45 points, but I know that I'll bust my ass on defense." Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said that Fesenko should embrace the starting role. "That's what you hope for as a player," Sloan said. "This is about as good a setting as you would want to have an opportunity to play and play well."

DENVER -- Saturday night should've been a coming out party for Jazz forward C.J. Miles. The former second-round pick, who was drafted straight out of high school, has had a tumultuous five-year journey to the Jazz's starting lineup in this series. During that stint, Miles has spent time in Jerry Sloan's doghouse (kennel?), been shuttled back and forth from the D-League to the big club and fought mightily for playing time.

The first half of the seesaw Game 1 affair between Denver and Utah was the culmination of Miles' long path. The lanky southpaw matched Carmelo Anthony shot for shot. Miles attacked Denver off the dribble, and got to the stripe five times in the game's first five minutes. He followed that series with a smooth 3-point bomb in transition. Miles tallied 13 points in the first quarter, and 17 for the half -- two more than Anthony.

Miles was smoking hot, but about a minute into the second half, he collided with Chauncey Billups and left the game with a woozy case of nausea. At that point, Wes Matthews took over the assignment of guarding Anthony. Matthews' trip to this moment was every bit as improbable as Miles'. Ten months ago, Matthews, undrafted in 2009, was toiling in Summer League, trying to claw his way on Utah's roster. He succeeded. With the departure of 2-guard Ronnie Brewer to Memphis at the trade deadline, Matthews inherited Brewer's starting slot in the Jazz lineup and played a key role in the Jazz's torrid March.

Anthony, however, finished Game 1 with 42 points, most of them at the expense of Miles and Matthews. When a scorer as lethal as Anthony goes off to the extent he did, it's unfair to lay the entire blame on his defenders. But with Mehmet Okur now done for the series with a torn left Achilles tendon, the Jazz simply can't afford to give up points at the rate they did in Game 1 and have a chance to take the series. It will now be up to Miles and Matthews to check Anthony. They don't have to shut him down -- there is only so much mere mortals can do to combat certain forces of nature -- but the young tandem must make some adjustments.

Anthony will inevitably bury a few contested 18-footers from the right side of the floor, but he was able to post-up then face up on the right block far too easily on Saturday. When Anthony got an early pick-and-roll from Nene, the Jazz defenders were helpless to fight over or around the screen. And when Anthony was roaming off the ball, Miles and Matthews were far too passive.

In Jerry Sloan's perfect universe, veteran defensive ace Matt Harpring would be the man charged with challenging Anthony -- and Sloan said as much prior to Game 1 (Andrei Kirilenko -- out with a strained calf -- would be choice No. 2). Harpring is a perimeter scorer's worst nightmare, but chronic knee and ankle injuries have forced the veteran into semi-retirement.

When you see Harpring at practice playing the role of onlooker, you can't help but wonder how things might have played out differently had he been on the Pepsi Center floor Saturday night. "When you guard a player like Carmelo who has size and strength that he’s got, you have to get him outside of his game," Harpring says. "When he crosses the 3-point line, you start bodying him up right away.”

Harpring's point is dead on.

Take a possession in the third quarter, with the game tied 73-73. Billups works up top before he swings the ball left to Arron Afflalo on the left side. Where's Anthony? He's lurking on the weak side along the 3-point line. As Anthony begins to cut toward the paint, Matthews is a good 10 feet off him. Afflalo returns the ball to Billups as Anthony darts to the stripe unimpeded. Billups feeds him at a spot inside the foul line (Anthony still hasn't been touched by a Jazz defender).

A single dribble, then a lay-in. That's all it takes.

"Off the ball, my goal is to constantly touch him, constantly put my body on him, wear him down throughout the game," Harpring says. "As a bonus, you get him frustrated, or talking to the refs, or worrying about you rather than worrying about his game. [Saturday] night, he was just in rhythm all game. There was no disruption to his rhythm -- open jump shots -- it was just too easy for him.”

Miles acknowledges the ease with which Anthony was burying jumpers and smiling on the return trip down the court, although Miles still concedes that Anthony was going to get his, irrespective of the defense.

"We’re definitely going to make some adjustments, but he’s going to score," Miles says. "He’s too good and will get too many looks at the basket not to score. We just want to limit some of the easy baskets.”

Doing that means denying Anthony ownership of the floor, something he took for granted in Game 1. He set up wherever he wanted to, whenever he wanted to.

"We can’t just let him walk to the spots he wants to be in and spots he’s comfortable in," Miles says. "We need to take away some of those easy 14- and 15-foot jump shots. He made shots everywhere [Saturday] night, but we have to try to make it harder on him."

Are Miles and Matthews too youthful, too green and too nice? When asked what he saw in Anthony's eyes on Saturday night, Nuggets acting head coach Adrian Dantley chuckles.

"He probably didn't see Kirilenko, that helps," Dantley says. "When you have a rookie on you, a guy like Matthews ... it’s difficult, his first game ... and CJ Miles, that makes [Anthony’s] job easier."

Dantley is no Phil Jackson. His intention isn't to get inside the heads of Miles or Matthews, but his honest assessment of the matchup can't be dismissed. Dantley is essentially saying that neither Miles nor Matthews fully grasp the craft of defending a beast like Anthony, and that cuts Anthony a break. Dantley adds the same disclaimer that Miles expresses.

"But the bottom line was that Melo was hitting the shots," Dantley says.

Harpring doesn't deny that Anthony will fill up the box score, but he also maintains that disrupting a guy like Anthony requires more vigilantism than most young players realize.

"When a guy gets going like that, you got to make a hard foul, you’ve got to do something to get him out of his rhythm," Harpring says. "If you want Carmelo smiling in the fourth quarter after he makes a couple of shots, then that’s on you. That’s a pride thing, when you’re guarding someone. If it’s me, I’m fouling out before that happens. You don’t go out without fighthing.”

Matthews has been watching film of Anthony's exploits in Game 1. While examining the way he played Anthony, he noticed something about his performance that he plans to take into Game 2 on Monday night.

"When you think you’re playing physically, you’re not as much as you could be," Matthews says.

For the Jazz to get out of Denver with a win, they must ratchet up their instincts. And though nobody will say it aloud, they might even have to play Anthony a little -- gasp -- dirty.

Hakeem Olajuwon

• Fran Blinebury of the Houston Chronicle on Olajuwon's first days at the University of Houston, when he was still new to basketball: "Michael Young was a high-flying member of those Phi Slama Jama teams and marvels at how far Olajuwon progressed so fast. 'They told us at the time that he had only been playing basketball for three months and that was tough for me to believe on that first day,' Young said. 'Because the guy could catch and didn't have a bad touch. In our early practices, coach Lewis would put Hakeem at one end of the floor to defend the basket and we would go three-on-one against him. The first few times, we'd go down and dunk on him, because he couldn't recover fast enough. But as we got deeper into the season, we'd go up to dunk and he'd contest that shot. So you'd pass to another guy and before he could go up for a dunk, Hakeem had already closed and was over there to block that shot, too. That's three-on-one and we couldn't score."
• Highlights of Olajuwon's NBA days.
  
• A mini-documentary on the Rockets' two title runs. Watch that, and you'll think: When he was presented his MVP award, right before a playoff game against the Rockets, David Robinson really should have named Hakeem Olajuwon among the great players he had played against. Olajuwon became a man on a mission, and the Rockets got a title out of the deal.
• Fran Blinebury of the Houston Chronicle tells the story of Olaujuwon's entire career, starting with his first dunk in Nigeria, his discovery a few months later by an American baskteball coach, and his swift arrival at the University of Houston: "It is true that he arrived at Intercontinental Airport and there was no representative from the school to meet him. It is true that a still-doubting Guy V. Lewis told him to take a taxi to campus. It is true that his Nigerian accent caused him to mispronounce the name and asked the cabdriver to take him to the 'University of Austin.' His correct destination at last settled, Olajuwon, wearing a white dashiki, white pants and polished dress shoes, walked into the basketball office to meet Lewis. 'He smiled,' Olajuwon remembered. 'He was happy to see that I was a real 7-footer.' It was September 1980 and the members of the Cougars, including Clyde Drexler, Michael Young, Rob William and Larry Micheaux, were holding informal workouts. Lewis asked Olajuwon if he'd like to get in a pickup game with them. 'You must remember, I was coming into the unknown,' he said. 'All I knew is I could play in Nigeria. I was dominating. But I did not know if I could play in America.' The trainer took Olajuwon to the locker room and gave him a T-shirt and shorts. 'Then he asked about basketball shoes and what size I wore,' Olajuwon said. 'I told him 14 was my usual size. I was shocked that he produced a brand new pair. It wasn't something you could find in Nigeria. I squeezed them on and they were tight. I was going to take off a pair of socks and he said, 'No, let's try 15.' More new shoes. Still tight. He got 16s. I could not believe all of these brand new shoes. I put them on and they fit. For the first time ever, I would play basketball without pain in my feet. It was always a distraction when I was running and jumping. But this was comfortable. I thought, 'Oh, man! They're in trouble out there on the court.'"
• Hakeem Olajuwon, real estate magnate.
  

William Davidson

• William Davidson as told by Detroit Free Press news services: "Davidson built The Palace of Auburn Hills two decades ago with a different type of financing: one without a penny from taxpayers. 'There's so much you have to go through to get public funding,' he explains. 'And I'm not big on big government.' He also didn't follow a trend when he bought a plane for the "Bad Boys" to travel in, replaced it with a newer one and built luxury suites into the lower level of his arena. Leading the pack also has made Davidson a rich man. Forbes magazine reports Davidson's net worth is $4.5 billion to rank first in Michigan, tied for 68th in the country and knotted at 227 worldwide. Most of his wealth is tied to Guardian Industries, a family owned glass manufacturing business he joined as president in 1957 and bought three decades ago. Davidson is motivated by winning on and off the court and he's witnessed many victories from his front row seat near the Detroit bench at The Palace. He said circulation in his legs prevented him from being the regular fixture last season, adding that a succession plan is in place for the future of his basketball team and businesses. 'The Pistons won't be for sale,' he said. It's also priceless that Davidson won't be the center of attention when he goes into the Hall of Fame. 'It's more fitting than it is ironic,' said Tom Wilson, an employee of Davidson's for three decades. 'It's how he lives his life. Mr. D loves it when a coach, player or somebody at Guardian gets heaped with praise. I think deep down he knows he makes that possible, but he's very comfortable staying in the background.'"
• Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press: "Dick Vitale was speechless. He knew what was coming when Pistons owner Bill Davidson's office contacted him on the morning of Nov. 8, 1979. Davidson wanted to meet with him at Vitale's home. Vitale was gone after only 94 games as the Pistons' head coach, his team and his health crumbling at an equally accelerating pace. Vitale understood Davidson had no alternative following a 34-60 record, but that didn't ease the catastrophic sense of failure that sent Vitale into a sullen funk. 'Little did I know then that day would change my life,' Vitale recalled this week. 'Mr. Davidson probably saved my life that day. I would have been dead by 50 if I stayed in coaching because of my bleeding ulcers.'"
• Davidson talks to Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press about all kinds of things, including his relationship with Isiah Thomas: "Well, I was very, very close to Isiah, and there were times he was almost like a son. But, because of his background, um ... I told him he had to change -- you know, coming from where he came from. I said, 'You've got it made now. Don't keep doing those things that you've been doing.' I won't tell you what they are. But he couldn't change. ... We're the best of friends. ... One day I decided -- this was about five years ago -- that there's only one guy that
  I'm really not friendly with. So I called Isiah up, and I said Isiah (chuckling) -- before I go to my grave -- you know, whenever I do -- I want you and I to be friends."
  

Pat Riley

• Riley wrote about his college experience for Sports Illustrated: "At Kentucky they didn't need to go out of state -- most of the best basketball players were local. There was a scout in New York who would report to the coaching staff in Kentucky, and that scout recommended me to Rupp, who came to Schenectady to sign me personally. It was my understanding that he rarely did that. [His visit] sealed the deal. When he walked through the door in that brown suit, he was bigger than life. He said to my mother, 'Mrs. Riley, don't worry about your son. We're going to make him an All-American at Kentucky and we're going to take care of him.' I don't think any kid knows the impact a teacher or coach is going to have on him. It was only years later that I realized [playing for Rupp] was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Being in his program for four years and experiencing his no-nonsense approach -- he probably influenced me more than any man I've ever been around, other than my father. I didn't have any problem with hard work or discipline, and I didn't mind somebody calling me out. That's the way I wanted it. I liked to be in that kind of system because I wanted to win. Rupp never played any favorites, and he rarely called you by your first name until you gained his respect. You had to earn it. If you didn't do it, man, would he let you know it. He would let you know verbally and he would put you down on the third team. You did not want to be on that third team. In his system it was the starting team, the second team and then there were the turds. If you were on that third team, you knew where you stood."
• Let us never forget Pat Riley's magnificent dance after winning the title in Miami.
• Chick Hearn interviews Pat Riley in the 1980s.
• Video highlights of Riley's coaching career in Los Angeles, New York, and Miami.
• Heat players talk about the things Riley has done to motivate them.

Adrian Dantley

• Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune: "Between 1980 and 1986, Dantley played 461 regular-season games with the Jazz. He averaged a Jordan-esque 29.6 points, shot 56.2 percent from the field and established himself as one of the game's greatest low-post players, despite being only 6-foot-5. 'I was always fascinated by how he could get his shot off in traffic against bigger guys,' said broadcaster Ron Boone, who was also Dantley's teammate with the Lakers. "The things he could do ... just amazing.' Said Layden: 'Wilt Chamberlain once said Adrian Dantley was the best pivot man he ever saw.' Professionally, the Hall of Fame is as far as a player can get from the Utah Jazz in 1979, when the financially fragile franchise moved from New Orleans and players like Tom Boswell, Paul Dawkins, James Hardy and Jerome Whitehead were good enough to carve out significant roles. Not that many fans noticed. In their first-ever game at the Salt Palace, the Jazz played Milwaukee and drew a crowd of 7,687. Three nights later, the Jazz faced Portland and drew 5,443. On the court, the Jazz also struggled. They finished 24-58 during their inaugural season in Utah. Over the first four years in their new home, the Jazz averaged 26.8 wins and never finished better than 30-52. Still, Dantley legitimized the franchise with his work ethic, focus and ability to produce points. Said Boone: 'I just remember the hard work. ... Professional basketball is all about being prepared, and he prepared himself to succeed every night.' Dantley was 'the consummate pro on the court,' said Eaton. 'The way he handled himself. The way he prepared. His conditioning. ... The guy was basketball-basketball, 24-seven.'"
• "He fears no defense." Career highlights.
  
• Extended video of Adrian Dantley.
  
• Traded three times in his first three years in the League, Dantley told Sports Illustrated's Bruce Newman: "Sometimes I think these owners just trade for the sake of trading. Each of those guys I've played for has told me, 'You're going to be here, buy a house, you're going to end your career here.' I've heard that so many times it's ridiculous. They say, 'Trust me, trust me.' But I don't trust anybody anymore. I hate to get close to people now, and I feel bad that I've never had a home, but I think I'm at the point where if I got traded again, it wouldn't bother me. I just go out and play my game and don't bother anybody."

Patrick Ewing

• A huge video tribute to Patrick Ewing.
• Isolated in the post against Alonzo Mourning. Years after dunking on him, Ewing offered Mourning one of his kidneys.
• At the time of Ewing's arrival in the NBA, Sports Illustrated's Jack McCallum dared to mention Bill Russell: "When William Fenton Russell played his first pro game against the St. Louis Hawks , on Dec. 22, 1956 -- his arrival had been delayed by his participation in the Melbourne Olympics -- the Celtics had a 16-8 record. They went on to finish the season with a 44-28 overall record, the best in the NBA, and beat the Hawks in the championship series for Red Auerbach's first title. Russell was obviously the spark, but he also had a great supporting cast: Cousy, Sharman, Heinsohn, Ramsey. When Patrick Aloysius Ewing strides out to midcourt to make his pro debut Saturday afternoon at the Garden against Philadelphia, he will look around and see such unheralded teammates as Pat Cummings, Gerald Wilkins, Rory Sparrow and Butch Carter. 'Obviously, Ewing has the determination, and he's hardnosed,' says Celtic coach K.C. Jones, a teammate of Russell's. 'But whether or not he can become another Russell may depend a lot on his first year. He's in a make-you-or-break-you town.'"
• The 13 best plays of his career.
• The draft lottery that led to New York winning the top overall pick that became Ewing.
• The NBA Encyclopedia: "The Jamaica-born Ewing arrived in the United States at age 11, and the gangly youth who had reached the height of 6-10 by junior high school was initially awkward on the court when introduced to the game. But by the time he was a senior in high school, the world knew he would be something special. 'He will be the next Bill Russell, only better offensively,' high school coach Mike Jarvis said of Ewing while the budding giant played at Cambridge (Mass.) Rindge & Latin School. Many had similar thoughts as he was heavily recruited and was the focal point of media attention throughout his basketball career. He understood the hoopla that came with his stardom but always reserved his right to just play basketball. Perhaps that is why he chose to attend Georgetown, where he blossomed under the mentor-like guidance of coach John Thompson, a 6-10 former NBA backup center to Bill Russell on the Boston Celtics in the mid-1960s. Ewing's pro career was presaged by four superb years at Georgetown. Besides his team accomplishments, he was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player as a junior and as a senior, and his long list of honors included The Sporting News College Player of the Year Award and the Naismith Award. Although many of his contemporaries -- including Olajuwon, Jordan and Charles Barkley -- were leaving college early to join the NBA, Ewing stayed all four years and earned a degree in Fine Arts. His patience paid off as the yearning for his services reached almost epic proportions with the first-ever NBA Draft Lottery in 1985. As recounted in Sports Illustrated, Los Angeles Clippers president Alan Rothenberg and GM Carl Scheer joked about enlisting 33 (Ewing's jersey number) Hasidic rabbis to chant Ewing's name in unison to enhance the teams chance of winning his draft rights."

(Hakeem Olajuwon photo: Bill Baptist/Getty Images. Bill Davidson photo: AP Photo/Carlos Osorio. Patrick Ewing photo: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)