That about sums it up. The book on us now is get on us early and keep shooting 3s which we contest with inconsistent intensity, and withstand a run for a win.
It's a self-fulfilling pattern of late: we start tentatively, both looking afraid of making mistakes and as if we're waiting for the an opponent to get on a scoring streak and when one or both happens we get down on ourselves and it snowballs. Not long ago we had more of a fighting spirit, but this pattern seems to be getting to us.
It feels like we're missing a sort of inner confidence and a competitive spirit. We have to understand, really internalize it and not just talk about it, that commitment to defense is the foundation from which everything flows.
It was a game almost wholly reversed from out previous match-up when we got the early lead through great movement, positioning, passing, and shooting. Early in this game, they beat us down the court for some quick layups and open Js. We exchanged baskets and then down 7-5, they went on a scoring streak on an and 1, two 3s and a J and within three minutes the lead was 18-5 before DeMar started getting to the line. By the end of the first Q, we were down 34-19, including a long J we gave up to end the quarter.
We did so well to come back from a 19-point deficit and get to within four at the half. They were perhaps over reliant on the 3 which they now missed more, but we were quicker to the ball and got more scorers involved and chipped away, taking advantage of their turnovers along the way.
But an even higher 35-point third Q for them broke the game open to an even bigger deficit. We actually got it to within one 57-56 a third of the quarter in, but after exchanging baskets, we kept losing focus on consecutive plays that resulted in their lead growing; we chipped away time and again, until they hit consecutive 3s several times and blew the game open. They ended the final two and half minutes of the Q strong on a 14-4 run, including three 3s in the last minute and a half. We turned it over on our final possession.
By the latter half of the fourth, down 20, we subbed guys out, and even with the new group Pop had to call three timeouts in a row within a minute and a half span because we were still making careless turnovers and allowing our opponent to get far too easy layups. At this point, it was not about trying to outscore them, but about showing that we could adhere to the details of fundamentals and defensive principles.
All of this is to say that this game, they were the ones who ran down the court for easy transition baskets, alley oops, dunks, drove into us and kicked out for too many 3s at too bad (for us) a percentage. Only two weeks ago, we were the ones who did just that to them. So I don't buy the old and slow theory, especially when we're younger and more athletic this year. We allowed them to outrun us back on D, didn't close out shooters - especially on the arc, got caught on screens, etc. As a result, we got tuned up for their 56FG% and 48.4% from 3 compared to our 42.2FG% and 30.4% from 3. We did well in full court pressing and trapping Booker so we were able to thwart his impact. Unfortunately, giving up so many 3s and quick transition baskets were big difference makers.
The stats showed some improvements for us in several areas: we outrebounded them 43-38 (including a big 13-5 O advantage); we got to the line 19-24 compared to their 7-8; both teams gave up 22 points from turnovers; they had a 50-44 points in the paint advantage. But we had fewer assists (16) to an even higher number of turnovers than last game (18), and both are trending in the opposite ways needed for a good game.
Something is up with LMA. He is not just missing shots, he looks like he's sort of going through the motions of finding it. Perhaps it's too critical to get on him because he does a lot of the physical work, but it seems like he is not liking being the C and it is affecting his game. He said they doubled him all the time in the second half, but he also missed a lot of good looks in Js and damn bunnies. Nobody's stopping him from running out or putting it back with two hands.
He did all of that last time we played them, running and getting to his position, sealing their C, and having his way with crafty post moves which gave him the space and rhythm to get his Js. Perhaps it's better for him to get going down low and work his way out rather than the other way around. He's got many scoring tools and didn't bring out the full arsenal. His shot chart was littered with outside misses, and his only makes were down low. Go with what works.
Part of that is how we set him up, to be sure. I think we ran only one high-low play for him on which he scored. DeMar is doing well with LMA there with him, but LMA needs another big to play alongside to excel. He plays better when there's another facilitating big in the line-up with him. Without that, he is getting predictable when he takes shots or gets it out of a double. He ended up with only 6 points (3-12) and 12 rebounds (4 on O).
Not for nothing, but this is a weird game to be calling Jakob out considering he played ten fewer minutes than LMA but got more points (7) on better percentage (2-6) and grabbed 9 rebounds (also 4 on O). It was one of his better contributions this season, and he actually had to go in early because of LMA's struggles and pitched in right away.
We are not using all of our offensive versatility when we do not move the ball and do not move without the ball. We did have some really nice cuts like those by Beli across the key where DeMar passed to him for a quick J in the second, and Dante in the third when he sneaked into their key and LMA made a great pass though unfortunately Dante missed the floater. Derrick and DeMar were assertive in their drives, and we need more of that from more guys. They, along with Bryn continue to be consistent scorers for us, and our bench contributed on better percentages (though fewer shots), too. Davis needs more shots.
We are back to starting slow on O, and I think putting Rudy into the starting line-up will help get our movement going, make us a bigger threat for opponents D to worry about, and give LMA a big (sort of) to play off of. We played more cohesively at the start of the season, and there is something to the LMA, Rudy, DeMar synergy that had us moving and sharing and clicking. We need to get back to this style of play where everyone is involved and contributing. So we know we can play better, because we've already shown it earlier. We're still the team that is capable of scoring well over 100 points on a given night. To get back to winning ways, we need to take it one play at a time, one game at a time. We need stops on defense, let the rest take care of itself, rather than letting missed shots affect our drive to defend.
The last two games, Pop gave an assessment of what we need to work on by pointing out what opponents did well against us - basically being more physical, driving and kicking for open shots, buying into the team culture. We can't expect teams with bad records or on losing streaks to play to their numbers. When we play our game regardless of opponent, we give ourselves a good chance to win.
We're in a funk, but a broader context helps - several teams many predicted would be stellar are in a similar boat, still finding their groove while at times underperforming. Plus it's early into the season. It's not an excuse, just perspective. How we respond to the recent trend is what's important. We need to take heart and keep fighting through. One play to one quarter to one game at a time.
EDIT to add post-game interviews.
Pop (only one I've found so far):
