O'Brien's Offense

[Miller4ever]

Alright, fellas, we all know the offense well enough to come up with a good nickname for it. I nominate:

Headless Chicken Offense
Motion Sickness Offense

If you like one of those, or you want to come up with your own, go for it.

[Boneman2]

I think both are appropriate. Seeing how pg's diminish in his motion sickness offense, I nominate 'Headless Chicken.

Seriously he needs to throw a few iso's in there for Collison, allowing him to break down defenses with his speed and penetration. Running the offense through Roy is lip service, maybe it'll happen, who knows. But right now it looks like a three point shooting contest.

I remember a time when only the wings were allowed to shoot the deep ball. All Obie is doing is staking his job to our ability to hit the most difficult shot. Unfortunately everybody is not Larry Bird.

I'd compare it in football terms as trying to find a balance between running and passing. We're going for to many 30 yard passes, when we should be running higher percentage plays.

[Miller4ever]

^^That's a pretty good analogy. Unfortunately, though, it comes down to points per possession, and 3-pointers are the fastest way to really high ones, because it's 150% of a 2-point shot. It just can't be settled for.

[chube]

I'm going with "Velcro Offense."

Just throw it out there and see what sticks. Plus, it can be thrown together real quickly, but seemingly is only adjustable to a certain extent. Just like Velcro, it's quicker and maybe more convenient, but comes undone easier. And...perhaps most importantly, it's not what the big boys have.

[Wizop]

I must admit to having second thoughts ever since I heard that Brad Steven's credits O'B as helping the Butler offense which I always thought went back to Tony Hinkle unchanged. I'd have no problem at all if the Pacers could play the Butler way even if it leaves some point guard skills untapped.

[n_s_s31]

Every name mentioned so far seems appropriate. One thing I cant quite figure is how did Tinsley average over 8 assists per game in his only year under O'Brien yet Ford (who before Indiana would typically get you 7 a night) and Collison (who averaged nine a game as a starter last year) just seem to completely drop of the assist charts. Two games ago Collison had zero assists. Yet when Tinsley was under O'Brien's system he was able to get over 8 per game. Just doesn't make since to me.

In know way am a saying Tinsley is the better player. Just saying that it doesn't make since that these guys who before coming to indiana put up equally as good assist number to Tinsley but once they got here that skill seems to have gone away?

[Miller4ever]

On paper, Tinsley had the most ideal skillset for Obie's system.

[Indy2thaWindy]

I must admit to having second thoughts ever since I heard that Brad Steven's credits O'B as helping the Butler offense which I always thought went back to Tony Hinkle unchanged. I'd have no problem at all if the Pacers could play the Butler way even if it leaves some point guard skills untapped.

That's college, this is pro.

[Hoop Hunter]

JOB's "system" I call it "Chuck and Duck" and it's got to go.

Different rotations every single game. Puzzling substitutions, generally playing the worst possible lineup at the worst possible times. I'm not sure I can deal with another season of the same old sh*t.

[UGA Hayes]

Wow, this thread sounds exactly like the Celtics board the year before he quit. One of the biggest criticisms of him was that he was so beholden to his offensive principles that it didn't mattered what our personnel was.

[Miller4ever]

^^Thanks for the insight. Shows that this is just him as a coach. I think we need a coach that preaches discipline but as far as the system allows the players to breathe and play within themselves better.

[Starkiller]

I think last nights game and the Denver game shows this system only works if the team is hitting it's jump shots, otherwise, no chance.

[Solid]

I'll second "Chuck and Duck".
It's hard for me to discern any "offensive principles"
He simply seems to have a fetish with the three ball. I strongly disagree with that notion. Yes you do get an extra point if you hit it and you may get a less fiercely contested shot but stats will show that the smaller percentage of completions will even that out.

To consistently throw up crap with twenty seconds on the clock with a bunch of average shooters is just insane and has several serious drawbacks. e.g.
1. You don't get to the foul line.
2. You don't get your opponent into foul trouble.
3. You don't take advantage of interior match-ups.
4. You lose the chance to slow down the game.
5. You create a lot of long rebounds.
6. Players don't develop their post skills.
7. It's the easy way out. The team gets soft.
8. We simply lose more games and it hurts our confidence.
9. In short, we become a bunch of pussies.

And unless your opponent is similarly demented you have all the corollary problems.
That is to say if we are getting strong drives and post ups against us then relatively speaking...
1. we are in foul trouble
2. we give up lot of points at the line.
3. we give up more points in the paint.
4. We have to defend against teams that have lots of practice with their post moves.
5. Our opponents feel like they have the day off defensively and have more energy to pound it on us.

AND
Since we MUST keep our best shooters in we fall pray to idiotic match-ups.
We end up playing Small forwards at center at the end of close games!!!
We live with turnstiles on the perimeter.
We under utilize our big post assets because we LIKE them (ugh throw up) with their hands out out thirty feet from the rim.

Makes me mad every time I think about it.
How long has it been since someone was tarred and feathered around here?