Post#414 » by NyCeEvO » Sat Apr 27, 2013 7:04 pm
I don't think it's entirely coaching and I don't think it's entirely on the players.
I think it's the combination of both that are causing problems.
The first quarter of Game 3 was a microcosm of the problems that we've experienced all year. EVERYONE needs to go back and watch that 1st quarter again.
In the first 5min 35sec of the game, we ran early offense. We got up by double-digits really quickly because we were pushing the ball and swinging it around before the Bulls could set up their defense. It seemed like it was going to be a blowout.
However, the problem is that we aren't built to run. As much as we like Lopez, if he's our first option on offense, we can run for a little bit, but eventually the tempo is going to have to slow down.
After the 5:35 mark, we (obviously) couldn't run anymore. Lopez picked up his 2nd foul quickly after and if you look at our players, everything took way too long to develop and the Bulls capitalized on it.
At that point, Deng started leaving Wallace extremely wide open so that he could help protect the paint and prevent penetration. The Bulls had at least 2-3 guys near the paint at all times at that point.
So let's just say for argument's sake that we're unable to make changes to our schemes until the end of the 1st quarter.
When that first quarter break comes, there are two main things we should realize.
1) Having an early offense established a big lead quickly
2) If we're unable to run early offense, you have to change the personnel so that the Bulls have to guard everyone.
Idk who to credit for point #1 but we at least know that neither PJ nor the players disapproved at pushing the tempo. So for that, I'd credit both.
Now for point 2, it's kinda hard to recognize problems the second that they occur so I can understand if it took til the end of the quarter for PJ to see what the problems are. But by the end of the quarter, the players and the coaches should recognize the fact that they were blowing the Bulls out when they played a fast tempo and they got dominated when the game slowed down.
I think PJ should ask D-Will how many minutes he can go with an uptempo style and then D-Will should run those minutes, but when everyone gets tired OR when Lopez needs to be the focal point of the offense, it's basically imperative that we throw Blatche or even Mirza out there so that the Bulls can't just sag in near the paint like they do with Reggie and Wallace.
Now, this speaks to two issues.
1) Our starting personnel is going to struggle in the halfcourt against teams who recognize that they can leave Wallace and Reggie in the halfcourt and it won't mean much.
Even if you replace Reggie with Hump, the same problem is going to occur maybe to a slightly lesser degree. If you start Blatche, what happens when Blatche and Lopez get tired? Are you going to make Hump and Reggie our PF and C combination? No.
We have a bad personnel problem and it's going to be apparent against playoff teams. Our talent alone can overcome this problem against the bad teams but it's going to be exposed against the better teams who have the personnel to matchup with us.
2) Because we have a personnel problem PJ has to recognize this.
He needs to see how he can stagger the uptempo offense and sub out Reggie and/or Wallace if we want to run a halfcourt offense.
However, it is quite clear that he doesn't see that and that is hurting us.
I disagree with the notion that we just need to play harder and with more passion. That's not the problem.
In almost all of Game 1 and in the scoring runs in Games 2 and 3, there wasn't a change in demeanor during the times where we scored and the times where we didn't.
The change was that when we play slow, the Bulls setup around the paint, our wings can't penetrate and we're relegated to shooting a lot of long jumpers.
I do think that if we had another coach, they'd probably recognize this problem and make the necessary adjustments to help us beat the Bulls, but at the same time we do have a personnel problem that needs to be addressed.
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But the greater problem is the fact that the Bulls are missing their best player and Noah is struggling with PF and yet we're struggling mightily against this team. Even if you replace the coach, what are you going to do with inherent personnel problem that we have especially when we face a healthy Bulls team, the Knicks, the Pacers, or especially the Heat?
If we keep our starting lineup the same next year, we'll have the same fundamental problem.
D-Will and Wallace thrive when we're playing uptempo, but Lopez does better when we slow it down. If we play uptempo, we won't have run into the issues that the Bulls are giving to us, but at the same time, it could limit Lopez' impact especially if he tires too quickly.
Now while I've grown on Lopez, I have said that I would trade him Love if the situation came up.
I've heard some responses citing Lopez's numbers and talking about 'if he's playing this well under a bad coaching system just imagine how good he'll play under a good one'.
The problem with that type of logic is that basketball does not work in geometrical/proportional components like that.
You can't look at Lopez numbers and say well with a coach of level 1, he's playing this well, therefore with a coach of level 3, proportionality should prove that if we get a coach of level 3, Lopez well be improve by threefold.
Basketball doesn't work that way.
Lopez is playing as about efficient as he can get. The things that would make him have a better impact are not going to come from coaching. They're going to come with him either improving his conditioning, becoming a better shooter, etc.
We already play in a halfcourt system and that's what allows Lopez to excel. If we get another coach that wants Lopez to be the main feature, it's going to be a halfcourt based system.
So while it's awesome that he's putting good numbers right now that does not mean that he's the least part of the problem.
Our current team is most effective when we're mainly playing uptempo. If we run some sets here and there for Lopez, the team will still be good but he won't be our main feature.
But if you want Lopez numbers to be good, you'll play a halfcourt system where he can thrive. But then you realize that Wallace is ineffective in a halfcourt system, Reggie's offensive weaknesses are exposed in a halfcourt set, and teams like the Bulls can just sit back and load up the paint to prevent D-Will from getting in there.
The question is "Is the goal to have Lopez get his numbers OR is the goal for the team to be most effective?"
If we're looking to keep Wallace and Reggie will continue to play 15-20min a game, then you'd need to consider what is best for the team and look at someone like Love who can play a more uptempo game and still be effective.
If you want to keep Lopez, you'll need to get a PF who can score to prevent teams from loading up on us and you'll have to do something with Wallace because he'll still be largely ineffective in this scenario.
Different people will have different opinions about which option is better.
