[外電] Guard fitting into system
原文出自 nola.com
http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/109877408534700.xml
Guard fitting into system
Hornets' Armstrong likes up-tempo pace
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
By Benjamin Hochman
Staff writer
Hornets point guard Darrell Armstrong was animated and vocal
from the bench. Though he was supposed to be resting, he
couldn't stop himself from springing up and shouting out
pointers to his teammates, trying to help coach the intricacies
of the Princeton offense.
Armstrong, it seems, has fallen hard for the new Hornets'
playbook. It makes sense -- it's up-tempo and harmonic, just
like the way Armstrong plays the game.
"You don't just learn your position -- learn everybody's
position. That's how you really pick it up," Armstrong said.
"If you know what a guy's going to do, it makes it click.
"I like the cutting, the coming off the dribble, the hand-off
shooting the ball. I've gotten a lot of shots off that. It's
amazing the way (Coach Byron Scott) was saying you set the guy
up, use the guy, come off the screen. And if they overplay you,
cut back door. I remember being in Orlando when we had to play
against Coach Scott's New Jersey teams, it was amazing how they
ran that offense. And, once you have it down, you can do
anything out of it."
This preseason, the valuable sixth man has been fitting right
into the system, often getting off shots. But making them has
been another story. He has given the rim quite a workout in a
couple of games, such as his 3-for-10 shooting effort against
the Clippers on Sunday and a 2-for-11 showing against the Magic,
his old club, last Thursday.
But then there was the 3-point clinic he put on at New Orleans
Arena last Tuesday against Philadelphia -- 5-for-7 -- a game in
which he finished with 17 points. And there was the other game
against the Clippers on Oct. 16 when, in 20 minutes, Armstrong
had six rebounds and 10 assists.
Scott, pointing out the strength of his guards, looks forward to
the regular season when he will mix and match his point guards
and shooting guards; he said he won't hesitate to play both point
guards, Baron Davis and Armstrong, at the same time.
"The good thing about having both of those guys on the court is
that both can handle the ball," said Scott, who coached the Nets
for four seasons and was an assistant for two seasons with
Sacramento, where he learned the Princeton offense from former
Tigers coach Pete Carril. "Baron and Darrell have played together
in practice, and they can wreak havoc on the defensive end because
they can (guard) you for 94 feet, and they're both so quick that
they can guard people. And they have a real good feel for each other."
A year ago, Armstrong averaged 11.6 points per game, the most
of any New Orleans reserve, while still finishing sixth in the
NBA in 3-point attempts (429) and 18th in 3-pointers made (135
for 31.5 percent). But the only statistic that Armstrong worries
about doesn't exist. Hustle points.
Scott said Armstrong, who is 36, plays like he's 26 and he most
likely led the Hornets in floor burns, games played in pain and
boundless energy last season.
"I was telling Alex Garcia if he had passed the ball to me on
the fast break (against Orlando), I was going to dunk it and
show the young guys how a 36 year old can leap in the air,"
Armstrong joked. That game featured 18-year-olds J.R. Smith
and Dwight Howard, players whose combined age matches Armstrong's.
"I know I'm going to bring that energy right away. I'm going to
push the ball. That's one thing I think I did real well last
year when I started and Davis and (David) Wesley were injured.
We got off to good starts. We just couldn't finish the game
sometimes. . . . As a guy coming off the bench, I love that
fourth quarter. I think that's a crucial time in the game when
you need a push, and that's something I know I can do all the
time. And I love it. I love to be on the road, the other team
thinks they have the game, and here we come."
Such as in last season's memorable win at San Antonio, when
Armstrong led an 18-point comeback by scoring a career-high
35 points -- including a game-winning 3-pointer over Tim Duncan
with 1.5 seconds left.
Armstrong has hinted that he has two or three more good years
in him.
"I'm about 15,000 points shy of 20,000," he quipped, "so I want
to get there. In three years."
. . . . . . .
Benjamin Hochman can be reached at bhochman@timespicayune.com
or (504) 826-3405.
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