Let me get a Buck --last second game thread

[hands11]

Nick Young is the prototypical and perfect bench scorer for this team. No way I'm looking to trade him unless he nets us a super star caliber player in a trade.

If JR Smith can become the player he is today, Young will be very good. You can't teach the things he does.

Think "The Microwave "

[hands11]

Milwaukee's defensive scheme is more effective than ours. They take away the middle and let guys go baseline, forcing them into bigger players. The Wiz do the opposite -- they give away the middle and it opens up a host of options.

Scott Skiles is a defensive genius. Last year, the Bucks ranked 30th in defense. This year, they're 7th. Think about it. The freaking Bucks, with Ridnour at starting PG and Villaneuva playing big minutes at PF, are ranked 7th.

Two years ago, Skiles had the Bulls ranked 1st in defense despite Ben Gordon in the backcourt and the aging PJ Brown starting at PF. Two years before that, he had an extremely young Bulls team ranked 2nd in defense with Eddy freaking Curry at starting center (and again, Ben Gordan at SG).

Scott Skiles is Exhibit A on how coaching can change a defense. I don't care what anybody says. A team with Haywood in the paint, Stevenson (or DMac) on the perimeter, and Arenas and Butler (who have been known to play good defense on occasion) should be able to play modestly below-average defense. I'm not asking to be ranked in the top 5, but if the freaking Bucks can be the 7th best defense, I don't see why we can't be 17th or so.

Top 10 best posts ever.

[miller31time]

Has anyone been tracking the Wiz defensively, this season?

Specifically, how we were rated defensively under EJ this year compared to how we are rated defensively under Tap?

Currently and cumulatively, we rank 28th in the NBA in defensive efficiency, giving up 110.7 points per 100 possessions.

[closg00]

Looks like Tankscott has found the recipe for losing games:

Step 1 - Start the veterans so they can spot the other team 5-10 points
Step 2 - Play the young guys long enough to get the lead
Step 3 - Put the vets back in with enough time left for them to lose it

It's brilliant!

One of the keys is you MUST have Song in at C in the 4th, it's critical for all of those key missed rebounds, and second chance points for our opponents.

Hey! Skiles adjusted, and we didn't, they really clamped-down in the 4th quarter. When was the last-time you saw a Wiz team out-coach an opponent down the stretch?

[ZonkertheBrainless]

Scott Skiles is a defensive genius. Last year, the Bucks ranked 30th in defense. This year, they're 7th. Think about it. The freaking Bucks, with Ridnour at starting PG and Villaneuva playing big minutes at PF, are ranked 7th.

Two years ago, Skiles had the Bulls ranked 1st in defense despite Ben Gordon in the backcourt and the aging PJ Brown starting at PF. Two years before that, he had an extremely young Bulls team ranked 2nd in defense with Eddy freaking Curry at starting center (and again, Ben Gordan at SG).

Scott Skiles is Exhibit A on how coaching can change a defense. I don't care what anybody says. A team with Haywood in the paint, Stevenson (or DMac) on the perimeter, and Arenas and Butler (who have been known to play good defense on occasion) should be able to play modestly below-average defense. I'm not asking to be ranked in the top 5, but if the freaking Bucks can be the 7th best defense, I don't see why we can't be 17th or so.

Yes. I have always wanted him to come coach this team.

[fishercob]

Funny you should bring up defensive tracking, miller. Kevin still tracks the Wiz. I was very surprised to learn from him that the defense under Tapscott has been unimproved, overall. And when you see the difference in the Wiz and Mil's "force rules" it's understandable why. The defensive scheme hasn't changed at all -- it's just being emphasized more, which if you think about it (and if it's true) is somewhere between depressing and insane. They are playing at a much slower pace though, according to TSW.

Offensively, not shockingly, the Wiz are worse under Tap then they were under Eddie.

It will be interesting to see if whatever defensive improvements they make next year (say they hire TT, who has to still be on their radar) are accompanied by any offensive struggles. They may very well end up missing EJ on the offensive side of the ball.

[rashad20]

My notes from last night: http://www.hoopsaddict.com/2009/01/13/g ... ashington/

[ZonkertheBrainless]

My notes from last night: http://www.hoopsaddict.com/2009/01/13/g ... ashington/

That's good stuff...

[WizStorm]

My notes from last night: http://www.hoopsaddict.com/2009/01/13/g ... ashington/

This is really discomforting to me...

-Antawn Jamison has a strained patella tendon coming into this game that caused him to sit out Sunday’s practice, but Coach Tapscott said that Jamison would start and try to give it a go. Tapscott remarked that a game without Jamison is “Like a game without sunshine.” Despite wincing visibly early in the game, Jamison played through the pain and scored 25 points. However, Jamison was clearly hampered on the defensive end and on the boards, as he tied his season low with only three rebounds. He also laid the ball up when he was alone on a fastbreak, rather than slamming it home with authority.

And he played the most minutes of anyone else because? I'm sorry, but this is F'n ridiculous.

[Ruzious]

My notes from last night: http://www.hoopsaddict.com/2009/01/13/g ... ashington/

This is really discomforting to me...

-Antawn Jamison has a strained patella tendon coming into this game that caused him to sit out Sunday’s practice, but Coach Tapscott said that Jamison would start and try to give it a go. Tapscott remarked that a game without Jamison is “Like a game without sunshine.” Despite wincing visibly early in the game, Jamison played through the pain and scored 25 points. However, Jamison was clearly hampered on the defensive end and on the boards, as he tied his season low with only three rebounds. He also laid the ball up when he was alone on a fastbreak, rather than slamming it home with authority.

And he played the most minutes of anyone else because? I'm sorry, but this is F'n ridiculous.

Yeah, if this leads to a serious injury... I don't know what to say - it's just a ridiculous situation - considering the injuries the team has gone through with Gil and Caron. At least in those years, they were fighting for something. Now, there's just no excuse. Good info, Rashad.

[MJG]

Don't know why some of you are so pizzed. We're getting a top 3 pick out of this season. The young guys seem to getting more minutes...and the vets don't give a $h!t. Perfect tank season.

Yes, definitely. Minutes for the kids + a loss = best possible outcome this season.

[DCZards]

Don't know why some of you are so pizzed. We're getting a top 3 pick out of this season. The young guys seem to getting more minutes...and the vets don't give a $h!t. Perfect tank season.

Yes, definitely. Minutes for the kids + a loss = best possible outcome this season.

I know some of you love the idea of "tanking." But do you guys actually like losing? I think it sucks!

[fishercob]

Hate losing. But at this point, losing a lot this year is in the long term best interest of the franchise. Lose now, win later.

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

Hate losing. But at this point, losing a lot this year is in the long term best interest of the franchise. Lose now, win later.

I agree. It took me a long time to get here, but 7-30 is what it is.

[dobrojim]

Funny you should bring up defensive tracking, miller. Kevin still tracks the Wiz. I was very surprised to learn from him that the defense under Tapscott has been unimproved, overall. And when you see the difference in the Wiz and Mil's "force rules" it's understandable why. The defensive scheme hasn't changed at all -- it's just being emphasized more, which if you think about it (and if it's true) is somewhere between depressing and insane. They are playing at a much slower pace though, according to TSW.

Offensively, not shockingly, the Wiz are worse under Tap then they were under Eddie.

It will be interesting to see if whatever defensive improvements they make next year (say they hire TT, who has to still be on their radar) are accompanied by any offensive struggles. They may very well end up missing EJ on the offensive side of the ball.

I'm not terribly surprised that our D is the same or worse.

The thing I'm seeing is not that the individual players are bad in on the ball
situations, but as soon as their man doesn't have the ball, they become completely
useless. That's why all you have to do is pass the ball 3-4 times against us and you
get a wide open basket. No one is close enough to their man to recover.

They're also really soft on allowing the opp to force us to switch and start
the progression of rotations that ends up with a wide open shot.

Nothing has substantially changed in that regard.

Not that I'm pining for EJ's return, but this is why I held out so long
on firing him. There was no guarantee that his replacement would be
an improvement. That said, perhaps we have to go through having an
interim coach before we get a permanent replacement.

[JWizmentality]

Don't know why some of you are so pizzed. We're getting a top 3 pick out of this season. The young guys seem to getting more minutes...and the vets don't give a $h!t. Perfect tank season.

Yes, definitely. Minutes for the kids + a loss = best possible outcome this season.

I know some of you love the idea of "tanking." But do you guys actually like losing? I think it sucks!

It's not like we like the idea of losing. My biggest concern is developing losing habits that
go into next season. But let's be real, it is what it is. We aren't going to the playoffs, so atleast we can find some solace in the young guy's development and a high lotto pick. It's would have been too depressing to get pizzed 30 times this year. My therapist says it's not healthy for me, or my T.Vs.

[ZonkertheBrainless]

Why do you see Tapscott as a "replacement"? He's not, he's just an interim coach making minor changes at the margins in mid season.

I'll be upset about the zards defense when Scott Skiles or someone like him gets here and even HE can't improve the defense.

[dobrojim]

it's ironic that Skiles apparently can coach D when he was perhaps the
worst defensive PG I can remember.

Webber and Howard were always pissed at him for contually getting beat
off the dribble and forcing them to rotate.

Great shooter and passer though.

[miller31time]

Funny you should bring up defensive tracking, miller. Kevin still tracks the Wiz. I was very surprised to learn from him that the defense under Tapscott has been unimproved, overall. And when you see the difference in the Wiz and Mil's "force rules" it's understandable why. The defensive scheme hasn't changed at all -- it's just being emphasized more, which if you think about it (and if it's true) is somewhere between depressing and insane. They are playing at a much slower pace though, according to TSW.

Offensively, not shockingly, the Wiz are worse under Tap then they were under Eddie.

It will be interesting to see if whatever defensive improvements they make next year (say they hire TT, who has to still be on their radar) are accompanied by any offensive struggles. They may very well end up missing EJ on the offensive side of the ball.

Yeah, the defensive improvement (or lack thereof) isn't terribly surprising. Tap was on the coaching staff of EJ's so if he didn't offer any helpful advice on our miserable D when EJ was coach, then he just doesn't bring much to the table in the category.

I just want to bring in a defensive coach who is so good at what he does that we can afford to lose ground on offense (which is almost a certainty). EJ had this team running just fine on offense. The players knew the system and the system was incredibly effective. But if we drop from, let's say, the 4th or 5th best offensive team in the NBA (when healthy) to the 8th or 10th, but improve defensively from 28th to, say, 15th or so, it will be a net improvement and our team will hopefully be a bit more fundamentally sound and more of a threat come playoff time, where game-tempo slows down significantly and defense reigns supreme.

[nate33]

Funny you should bring up defensive tracking, miller. Kevin still tracks the Wiz. I was very surprised to learn from him that the defense under Tapscott has been unimproved, overall. And when you see the difference in the Wiz and Mil's "force rules" it's understandable why. The defensive scheme hasn't changed at all -- it's just being emphasized more, which if you think about it (and if it's true) is somewhere between depressing and insane. They are playing at a much slower pace though, according to TSW.

I was curious, so I ran the numbers myself. WizKev is accurate, but he didn't tell you the whole story.

Under EJ:
Points scored per 100 possessions: 102.9
Points allowed per 100 possessions: 112.6

Under Tapscott:
Points scored per 100 possessions: 104.6
Points allowed per 100 possessions: 111.0

So the defense has improved slightly under Tankscott, and the offense has improved slightly as well. And it's worth noting that we played a pretty easy schedule under EJ. Only 3 of his 11 opponents are currently above .600 and only 1 is above .750. Tapscott's schedule has been much tougher. 13 of his 26 opponents are above .600 (and Portland is close at .595). 7 of Tapscott's opponents are above .750. I haven't done the math, but if you applied the Pythagorean formula to convert winning percentage to point differential and adjust the point differential accordingly, Tapscott would look even better and EJ would look even worse.

But here's the interesting part: since DMac was inserted into the starting lineup, the defense has been dramatically better. Over the last 12 games, we are yielding just 107 points per 100 possessions despite playing a ridiculously hard schedule (including @CLE, @BOS, @NO, @HOU, @ORL, and vsCLE). The downside is that we have scored just 100 points per 100 possessions during the same stretch.
Ignore the Boston blowout and we've yielded just 105.3 points while scoring 100.4.

The bottom line is that possession-adjusted point differential under EJ was -9.7. Under Tapscott, it's just -5.4. And over the last 12 games against an insanely hard schedule, it's only -7.0, and that's with Butler missing 3 of the games.

The team has been much better under Tapscott. There is no question about it.