Revolution 2-3

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Wouldn't it be ironic if the Phoenix Suns, who we all thought were going to revolutionize the game with their patented "7 seconds or chuck" offensive strategy, instead do so on the opposite end of the court, with the first successful use of zone defense in the NBA Playoffs known to man. It has worked for two games so far. If it's effective for two more games in supplanting legends Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson, and the Triangle Offense, then it will surely spawn followers and possibly even usher in a new era into the NBA.

In order for this to happen, the zone must find a way to lead the Suns to a victory on the road at The Staples Center. Is this possible? I think so. People overreacted to the blowout from Game 1, while the Suns were in Game 2 until the very end. It is possible that the Lakers let all the talk of the series being over (and it was overwhelming) get their heads big. The time could be right for a home letdown. At this point in the Lakers-Thunder series (2-2), all the talk was that the series was up for grabs, while few people think that the Suns even have that chance in this series. This plays to the Suns favor. In order for a big upset to occur, you want a special blend between keeping your confidence high while having as few people as possible on your bandwagon.

So what has made the Suns use of the zone so effective? Well, in essence, the rare usage of it has confused the seasoned Lakers team. They just plain aren't used to seeing it. Suddenly, isolation plays called for Kobe are double covered, and Kung Pau's chicken isn't so spicy. This has led to the wrong people shooting the ball. The Lakers shot 27 more three pointers in the two road losses than in their two home wins, making precisely one more out of those 27. You must work the ball out of Kobe and Kung Pau's hands to find success against the Lakers, they are too good. Every shot Ron Artest or Lamar Odom takes is a win for the Suns defense. The problem with this strategy, is that role players always play better at home than on the road (aside from The Road Warrior, Derek Fisher). The other way a zone defense can backfire is offensive rebounding on the weak side. Penetration will draw a big man over, leaving a smaller player (or even worse, Amare Q'wang-Zilla) to block out a big guy. In fact, I'll go ahead and make that the key stat for Game 5 tonight, with my guess being that will be the Lakers adjustment.

The NBA should be ready to fully embrace this revolution. Don't they know it's gonna be....alright? These playoffs, even with The LeBron Game, have been a humongous disappointment. People don't care anymore. I am friends with an eclectic group of sports fans, and mostly I hear about how they wish they were more into it, but just aren't interested. Look, we all want to change the world, but shouldn't we be hanging on every last dribble with such a wide variety of superstars playing such a popular game? I'm not saying the Suns winning changes anything in actuality, but the NBA does need new blood injected into its veins. The last 26 years have seen only seven different teams win championships. People are bored with it. Look at the NFL, where 15 different teams have won the Super Bowl in the last 26 years. People like parity.

And if you are still unsure, just watch this...




You say you want a revolution? Well, you know...Go Suns!

Dirkness