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[LamarMatic7]

I wanted Joerger as our head coach more than anyone last year. I'm happy Memphis kept the chains on him and allowed us to shift our focus to Clifford. Clifford was a much better hire.

It's hard to compare coaches though. For all we know, both are defensive specialists that can install a great defense. Clifford has done a great turn-around here in Charlotte, Joerger was capable of creating a defense that made it to the conference finals (credit is due to Hollins as well, he's one tough mofo and I believe he's responsible for creating such an atmosphere in the locker room).

[LamarMatic7]

I ran the numbers for Gasol and they tell the whole tale:

Pre-Injury - Memphis was 16th with a DefRTG of 102.2
Post-Injury - Memphis is 29th with a DefRTG of 108.7

108.7.... That's seriously bad.

[HornetJail]

Jon Leuer has been balling as of late ever since he got the chance to play 20 mins with Z-Bo out. He's playing like a really good stretch four, making a three or two every game en route to double digits in points.

MEM was 7-4 before Gasol went down. They are having to rely on role players like Calathes and Leuer due to significatnt injuries to Gasol & Pondexter, and shorter term injuries to Allen, Prince, now Conley. Not sure you blame that on Hollinger, unless he's the one who figured via analysis it woud be wiser for them to tank.
As far as Leuer, Kufous, Calathes, I'd be happy with any of those guys on the Cats for depth.

Yeah, I know. As a huge fan of this current Memphis team (my favorite non-Cats team in the league for the last three years) it saddens me that this seems like the end of their run.

I never saw Memphis as a contender. They were a solid team (still will be once Gasol returns from his injury) but even when healthy, all they have is a solid trio of Gasol/Randolph/Conley along with role players like Prince, Ed Davis, Tony Allen, and Bayless. Chemistry can only get you so far, but you need more talent if you're going to put up a fight against San Antonio, Houston, Golden State, or healthy OKC. They would never have made it to the conference finals last year if Patrick Beverly hadn't taken out Westbrook's knee. OKC with healthy Durant and Westbrook would have annihilated Memphis. If Memphis is trying to tank in the wake of Gasol's injury (which I doubt, but they're doing so badly it looks like it), a guy like James Young can help them immensely.

[catch20two]

I wanted Joerger as our head coach more than anyone last year. I'm happy Memphis kept the chains on him and allowed us to shift our focus to Clifford. Clifford was a much better hire.

It's hard to compare coaches though. For all we know, both are defensive specialists that can install a great defense. Clifford has done a great turn-around here in Charlotte, Joerger was capable of creating a defense that made it to the conference finals (credit is due to Hollins as well, he's one tough mofo and I believe he's responsible for creating such an atmosphere in the locker room).

I'm not really comparing them. I still think Joerger is a good coach but I'm loving Clifford hire as our coach as he work out the kinks with his rotations and who to give the ball to at the end of games. He wasn't much but a mere afterthought to most of us during the coach search talks.

[LamarMatic7]

MEM was 7-4 before Gasol went down. They are having to rely on role players like Calathes and Leuer due to significatnt injuries to Gasol & Pondexter, and shorter term injuries to Allen, Prince, now Conley. Not sure you blame that on Hollinger, unless he's the one who figured via analysis it woud be wiser for them to tank.
As far as Leuer, Kufous, Calathes, I'd be happy with any of those guys on the Cats for depth.

Yeah, I know. As a huge fan of this current Memphis team (my favorite non-Cats team in the league for the last three years) it saddens me that this seems like the end of their run.

I never saw Memphis as a contender. They were a solid team (still will be once Gasol returns from his injury) but even when healthy, all they have is a solid trio of Gasol/Randolph/Conley along with role players like Prince, Ed Davis, Tony Allen, and Bayless. Chemistry can only get you so far, but you need more talent if you're going to put up a fight against San Antonio, Houston, Golden State, or healthy OKC. They would never have made it to the conference finals last year if Patrick Beverly hadn't taken out Westbrook's knee. OKC with healthy Durant and Westbrook would have annihilated Memphis. If Memphis is trying to tank in the wake of Gasol's injury (which I doubt, but they're doing so badly it looks like it), a guy like James Young can help them immensely.

I might be biased since I like them but they definitely could have won it all in the flukey 2011-12 lock-out season. They were a 3OT loss away from beating the Thunder in the second round. From there on, everything could have happened. It's not like that Mavericks team really stands out when you look back at it. Moreover, the Heat weren't ready to win the title yet. Z-Bo was probably the second most valuable player of those playoffs and could have pulled off a Dirk.

Sometimes luck is all a very good (but not great) team needs to get the rings. That year they were ready to battle against everyone. That's why you can't dismiss their last season's team. Yes, Westbrook got hurt and it helped them. But every year plenty of good players get hurt, while other luckier teams stay healthy. It's a part of all the things that goes right for the champions.

[LamarMatic7]

I wanted Joerger as our head coach more than anyone last year. I'm happy Memphis kept the chains on him and allowed us to shift our focus to Clifford. Clifford was a much better hire.

It's hard to compare coaches though. For all we know, both are defensive specialists that can install a great defense. Clifford has done a great turn-around here in Charlotte, Joerger was capable of creating a defense that made it to the conference finals (credit is due to Hollins as well, he's one tough mofo and I believe he's responsible for creating such an atmosphere in the locker room).

I'm not really comparing them. I still think Joerger is a good coach but I'm loving Clifford as our coach as he work out the kinks with his rotations and who to give the ball to at the end of games.

This might have been the first post that includes both the words "love" and "rotations" this season. Big Red Dog has caught too much heat for supposedly bad rotations.

[LamarMatic7]

Oh and one more note, Gilwalker. You can never underestimate the ceiling of a great defensive team. The past has proven that a top5 defensive team which is top15 on offense is way more than dangerous and reliable come playoff time than a top5 offensive team which is top15 on defense.

It's easy to over-look Memphis because of their struggles on offense but damn, they were a stingy team on the other end of the court. They needed Z-Bo to have a monster playoffs to raise the offense and win it all though. Could have happened in 11-12, as I previously said.

[mrknowitall215]

This might have been the first post that includes both the words "love" and "rotations" this season. Big Red Dog has caught too much heat for supposedly bad rotations.

All in all, I was able to give Clifford some leniency & benefit of the doubt with his substitution patterns being that he is a rookie head coach still feeling out the strengths & weaknesses of this roster, but amid this very learning experience I want to believe that he did cost the team around 3-5 wins

[LamarMatic7]

This might have been the first post that includes both the words "love" and "rotations" this season. Big Red Dog has caught too much heat for supposedly bad rotations.

All in all, I was able to give Clifford some leniency & benefit of the doubt with his substitution patterns being that he is a rookie head coach still feeling out the strengths & weaknesses of this roster, but amid this very learning experience I want to believe that he did cost the team around 3-5 wins

Yeah, you could say that. But in the same time Al has cost us about 3 wins in the last minutes of the game, Hendo and Kemba have been horrific in 3 or 4 games with their shooting. Everyone has had moments of inconsistency.

[mrknowitall215]

This might have been the first post that includes both the words "love" and "rotations" this season. Big Red Dog has caught too much heat for supposedly bad rotations.

All in all, I was able to give Clifford some leniency & benefit of the doubt with his substitution patterns being that he is a rookie head coach still feeling out the strengths & weaknesses of this roster, but amid this very learning experience I want to believe that he did cost the team around 3-5 wins

Yeah, you could say that. But in the same time Al has cost us about 3 wins in the last minutes of the game, Hendo and Kemba have been horrific in 3 or 4 games with their shooting. Everyone has had moments of inconsistency.

You're right. I guess that's why they call it a team sport, because the whole team can be held accountable from the owner, to the general manager, to the coaches, down to the nitty gritty of the players for each win and/or loss

[lmcguir5]

Speaking of rotations, I wonder how much time Clifford is going to give MKG when he gets back. It's really true that you don't know what you have until its gone and I can tell he's missing MKG something awful. The defensive presence and rebounding is sorely missed on this roster, as well as JT getting all of those minutes

[mrknowitall215]

Speaking of rotations, I wonder how much time Clifford is going to give MKG when he gets back. It's really true that you don't know what you have until its gone and I can tell he's missing MKG something awful. The defensive presence and rebounding is sorely missed on this roster, as well as JT getting all of those minutes

You can tell that Clifford is developing a distaste for Jeff Taylor's game & performances with the extended minutes he received in lieu of MKG's injury, because the past couple of outings his playing time has been decreasing to the point where Clifford has entrusted small lineups consisting of Gordon/Sessions at SG, shifting Henderson to SF, down the stretch of close contests

I think Clifford will integrate MKG back in slowly throughout the first 2-3 games of his return, with a 25 minutes limitation

[LamarMatic7]

Speaking of rotations, I wonder how much time Clifford is going to give MKG when he gets back. It's really true that you don't know what you have until its gone and I can tell he's missing MKG something awful. The defensive presence and rebounding is sorely missed on this roster, as well as JT getting all of those minutes

Kemba-Hendo-MKG-McBob-Al, 104 mins sample size, 95.7 - 86.3 per 100 possessions

Kemba-Hendo-JT-McBob-Al, 130 mins sample size, 99.5 - 97.9 per 100 possessions

[countryboi]

i know how much you guys love chandler parsons apparently he is now a model

[HornetJail]

Speaking of rotations, I wonder how much time Clifford is going to give MKG when he gets back. It's really true that you don't know what you have until its gone and I can tell he's missing MKG something awful. The defensive presence and rebounding is sorely missed on this roster, as well as JT getting all of those minutes

Kemba-Hendo-MKG-McBob-Al, 104 mins sample size, 95.7 - 86.3 per 100 possessions

Kemba-Hendo-JT-McBob-Al, 130 mins sample size, 99.5 - 97.9 per 100 possessions

86.3???

I didn't realize this team's true starting five was this good defensively. Damn! How many other lineups top that?

[LamarMatic7]

Speaking of rotations, I wonder how much time Clifford is going to give MKG when he gets back. It's really true that you don't know what you have until its gone and I can tell he's missing MKG something awful. The defensive presence and rebounding is sorely missed on this roster, as well as JT getting all of those minutes

Kemba-Hendo-MKG-McBob-Al, 104 mins sample size, 95.7 - 86.3 per 100 possessions

Kemba-Hendo-JT-McBob-Al, 130 mins sample size, 99.5 - 97.9 per 100 possessions

86.3???

I didn't realize this team's true starting five was this good defensively. Damn! How many other lineups top that?

No one really. All the usual suspects (Indy, Chicago with Rose, Spurs, Heat and the sneaky good yet always injured Wizards with Nene) are in the early 90s. Their sample size is at least twice as big though.

[JDR720]

Kobe has a fractured knee...out 6weeks....welp that sucks

[mrknowitall215]

Kobe has a fractured knee...out 6weeks....welp that sucks

Talk about a series of unfortunate events. As a Derrick Rose fan, I can relate to the grief

[LamarMatic7]

**** basketball gods...

[JDR720]

he played through it also, happened in the 3rd qtr, didn't tell anyone might have made it worse