RealGM

Posted: **Tue Apr 1, 2008 2:15 am**

Reading True Hoop and they had a good article about the Hornets defense with a focus on Peja.

http://www.hornets247.com/post.php?id=553

And here is where my original intent for this post diverged. Peja's weakness in the post is pretty obvious. Why isn't he always put into that situation? The answer: against good teams, he is. Watch any disciplined offense - Detroit, San Antonio, Dallas - and you will see them running screens to get their man on Peja in the post. But it times like that where the Hornets show the effect of their coaching. Almost every time Peja gets posted, the double comes. It's nearly automatic. As a result, the ball kicks out and the defensive rotations start, players scrambling to their new man without even looking at each other. There is no hesitation, no worry that their man will be left uncovered, they just move to their new assignment and the defense continues. Even if there is a breakdown, the next play, they do it again. They trust each other, and they trust the system.

That trust is why the Hornets have a top defense despite all five of their starting players having defensive weaknesses that can be exploited. Paul and Peja can be posted. Chandler doesn't like to leave the paint or leave his feet to block shots. Morris can be beaten by fleet-footed guards. West will leave the jumper open and can be slow to contest it. These weaknesses, however, instead of being points of contention, are simply recognized by the coaching staff and compensated for. If a player needs help in the post - it will arrive. If someone is lost on a screen, the big steps out to slow them down.

Defenses are all about effort and trust, and are created and fostered by great coaching staffs that are capable of getting their players to buy in to the system. Byron Scott has done this before, when he took the New Jersey Nets to the NBA Finals on the back of a great defense. It looks like he's doing it again, building an efficient defense that functions around the players he has, no matter their flaws.

That's a good take imo. I watched Peja going against the Raptors and he actually had pretty good footwork and was able to stay with his man. I don't think the Hornets defense can lock a team down. But they are decent. Defense is about trust and covering your teammates and the Hornets don't really have great individual defenders but they seem to play well together.

I think it is a good point that only the good offensive teams are able to exploit the Hornets......

Posted: **Tue Apr 1, 2008 2:26 am**

It's still not better than the Rockets, Celtics or Spurs.

Posted: **Tue Apr 1, 2008 2:49 am**

Of course Peja is going to look sick going up against the Raptors' wing players. I mean look at who they play at those positions...

Posted: **Tue Apr 1, 2008 2:49 am**

NetsForce, you are the best poster on RealGM, literally.

Posted: **Tue Apr 1, 2008 2:51 am**

Texas Longhorns wrote:NetsForce, you are the best poster on RealGM, literally.

+1

Posted: **Tue Apr 1, 2008 2:51 am**

Texas Longhorns wrote:NetsForce, you are the best poster on RealGM, literally.

we already came to a conclusion that Phil Jackson is the greatest realgm poster.

Posted: **Tue Apr 1, 2008 2:59 am**

BirdIsDaKing wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

we already came to a conclusion that Phil Jackson is the greatest realgm poster.

Well, then, he is the new Phil Jackson. Nets Force give me credit by quoting me in your sig, lol.

Posted: **Tue Apr 1, 2008 3:25 am**

Guys let's try to stay on topic. This is an opportunity to have real basketball discussion here.

Posted: **Tue Apr 1, 2008 3:28 am**

Texas Longhorns wrote:It's still not better than the Rockets, Celtics or Spurs.

Well I don't think anybody thinks that.

But the article points out that the Hornets players have defensive weaknesses and the Hornets coaching staff accepts that. The solution is that the other players have been coached to cover each other to mask those weaknesses.

I just thought it was interesting article and it wasn't just the Raptor game that I saw Peja had played some pretty good defense.......

Posted: **Tue Apr 1, 2008 4:45 am**

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/7962 ... t-the-MVP-

Here is an interesting article on what teams have been doing to break the Hornets defensive pressure. People might be surprised who the weak link is for the Hornets defensively for some teams.

Posted: **Tue Apr 1, 2008 4:47 am**

I think everyone would love to have a player like Chandler as their 5...

Posted: **Tue Apr 1, 2008 5:01 am**

Kobe is the MAN wrote:I think everyone would love to have a player like Chandler as their 5...

Of course they would...

Posted: **Tue Apr 1, 2008 5:13 am**

the gameplan is more simple than that. just give the rock to the pointguard, and everything is fixed.

Posted: **Tue Apr 1, 2008 5:42 am**

Chandler and his mighty 1.0 blocks per game?

Peja has actually been really surprising to be honest, he uses his length really well, and he defends better than expected.

Tyson really gets too much credit for the Hornets defense, the scheme is nice, Tyson, David, and Paul all defend their man really well, and Paul's steals disrupt everything, but Tyson hasn't truly developed into an anchor yet.

Posted: **Tue Apr 1, 2008 6:53 am**

Hornets are a good defensive team. They are very good in the fourth quarter. Paul and Chandler are both capable of clamping down on defense but both they kind of go through the motions a lot of the time and are way too scared of fouling. If someone's in the lane already Chandler usually runs away to avoid the foul. Paul is the same way, he goes around screens every time during the first half.

Posted: **Tue Apr 1, 2008 7:10 am**

Byron Scott is a good coach.

Posted: **Tue Apr 1, 2008 7:28 am**

Byron has better glamor shots than Kobe Bryant I hear.

Posted: **Tue Apr 1, 2008 1:27 pm**

Texas Longhorns wrote:It's still not better than the Rockets, Celtics or Spurs.

I don't know man. When Finley scores +20 on you it's time to panic.

Posted: **Tue Apr 1, 2008 1:43 pm**

Batronuj wrote:http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/7962116/Paul-is-great-for-Hornets,-but-not-the-MVP-

Here is an interesting article on what teams have been doing to break the Hornets defensive pressure. People might be surprised who the weak link is for the Hornets defensively for some teams.

Cracks me up how Jazz fans think Hollinger is the Antichrist while giving Rosen props for his senile, knee jerk reaction articles.

another one of his gems:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/7531 ... reat-point

:clap:

Posted: **Tue Apr 1, 2008 1:50 pm**

Rosen must be a guy who put all his eggs into the Deron Williams basket, and doesn't want to admit he was wrong now.

RealGM

Good article on Hornets defense

Good article on Hornets defense