How will Dwight Howard fit into Budenholzer’s offense?

[Jamaaliver]

Showing some love for one of our REALGM Alumni who's now a contributor over at Peachtree Hoops.

From the poster formerly known as P-Mott:

Bud's coaching philosophy has been predicated on requiring all five positions on the court being able to space the floor. Now, after signing Dwight Howard this offseason...it would seem that Bud will be faced with making some changes to his offensive scheme.

Plugging Dwight Howard into Bud's system of pace and space is like attempting to squeeze a square peg through a round hole—it just isn't going to work. He can't shoot from short, mid, or long range.

...it is safe to say that Coach Bud has zero intentions to use Howard in the same ways as he did with Horford. In fact, he has hinted that he plans on going back to his roots from his early coaching stint in San Antonio when he was an assistant for Gregg Popovich.

"Offensively, I think having a guy that can put pressure on the rim is big," Budenholzer stated at Hawks introductory press conference, "In a lot of ways, we've adjusted to who we've had the first three years and in some ways, it will be going back to what I know maybe even better and maybe even more comfortable with having someone who can put that kind of pressure on the rim."

[H]ow will swapping Horford for Howard affect the rest of the team? For starters, Dennis Schroder is really going to miss Horford's screens. Now that Schroder is the lead orchestrator for the offense, he is going to be using the pick and roll with more frequency than any of his previous years. Hopefully, Schroder and Howard will develop chemistry early on, making that 1-5 pick and roll a thing of beauty. With the inclusion of Howard, the Hawks should see an uptick in second chance points this season.

Here

This is a nice read with some interesting points and pretty useful research nuggets.

Thoughts?

Predictions?

[Hawk Eye]

Showing some love for one of our REALGM Alumni who's now a contributor over at Peachtree Hoops.

From the poster formerly known as P-Mott:

Bud's coaching philosophy has been predicated on requiring all five positions on the court being able to space the floor. Now, after signing Dwight Howard this offseason...it would seem that Bud will be faced with making some changes to his offensive scheme.

Plugging Dwight Howard into Bud's system of pace and space is like attempting to squeeze a square peg through a round hole—it just isn't going to work. He can't shoot from short, mid, or long range.

...it is safe to say that Coach Bud has zero intentions to use Howard in the same ways as he did with Horford. In fact, he has hinted that he plans on going back to his roots from his early coaching stint in San Antonio when he was an assistant for Gregg Popovich.

"Offensively, I think having a guy that can put pressure on the rim is big," Budenholzer stated at Hawks introductory press conference, "In a lot of ways, we've adjusted to who we've had the first three years and in some ways, it will be going back to what I know maybe even better and maybe even more comfortable with having someone who can put that kind of pressure on the rim."

[H]ow will swapping Horford for Howard affect the rest of the team? For starters, Dennis Schroder is really going to miss Horford's screens. Now that Schroder is the lead orchestrator for the offense, he is going to be using the pick and roll with more frequency than any of his previous years. Hopefully, Schroder and Howard will develop chemistry early on, making that 1-5 pick and roll a thing of beauty. With the inclusion of Howard, the Hawks should see an uptick in second chance points this season.

Here

This is a nice read with some interesting points and pretty useful research nuggets.

Thoughts?

Predictions?

Thanks Jamaal! I dont know how much time I'm going to have for RealGM now that I'm contributing over at Peachtree Hoops. Anyways, this was my first article and I had a blast writing it! It took about 3 drafts to get it to where I wanted it (and honestly there are still some things I'd like to go back and change if i could). Would love to get any kind of feedback from the board and here everyone's thoughts.

[DirtybirdGA]

I didn't realize. Congrats Pmott.

[PandaKidd]

I think Coach Bud is a really really great coach, very high IQ. But, I havent really seen him try to deviate from this system in the last 3 years. He had a chance to maybe try an develop Horford into a post player, instead made him into a 3 pt launcher. Now, my ` question to Bud would be WHO MADE THE DECISION TO HAVE HORFORD SHOOT 3s? Was it Bud, or was it Horford. I feel it was Bud, and Horford, obliged. I cant see Bud being stunned that Horford comes back from offseason and now starts shooting 3s.

Having said all that, LethalShooter is showing constant videos of Dwight shooting midrange jumpers, and 3s. He states in 1 video "Will Dwight shoot 3s? HELL NO, but he has to learn to have confidence from anywhere on the floor".

Itll be interesting to see because , IMO , 2 things Bud has been opposed to he will have to embrace now:
1) A low post player who has no range
2) Depending on young players /rookies.

[Jamaaliver]

...LethalShooter is showing constant videos of Dwight shooting midrange jumpers, and 3s. He states in 1 video "Will Dwight shoot 3s? HELL NO, but he has to learn to have confidence from anywhere on the floor".

I'm wary of this. As coach, it's your job to put players into position to succeed. To play to their strengths.

This is the opposite of that. We've seen Dwight carry a franchise by surrounding him with shooters and allowing him to dominate inside one-on-one. That's the proven, successful approach.

This concerns me greatly.

I think Coach Bud is a really really great coach, very high IQ. But, I havent really seen him try to deviate from this system in the last 3 years. Now, my ` question to Bud would be WHO MADE THE DECISION TO HAVE HORFORD SHOOT 3s? Was it Bud, or was it Horford. I feel it was Bud, and Horford, obliged.

Doing some digging, sounds as if both player and coach are responsible:

The first year [AL] watched how the team played and the spacing of the offense and the opportunities in the offense started to plant the notion that this could be helpful to us. Last year, he started to do it some. Now, he spent the whole summer working on it and gaining confidence. I think he’s there...

We feel good when Al is getting his shots, where he is getting them and how much space he is getting...

...they are good shots. We want him to shoot them. He looks very confident and comfortable. It’s a way for us to be harder to guard. We still want to get to the basket. We still want to collapse the defense and get to the free-throw line. When you have more space, you can do that.

It’s been a process. All summer I’ve worked on it some but now that the season is here, now that we have games, you get a better feel for it. I think the biggest thing for me is coach is confident in allowing me to do it. I feel good shooting it so it’s something I’ll keep working on.

If you look at our offense, there are times when (the opposition) is giving me that shot, that top-of-the-key 3. Then there are some other times when I have to read (the defense) and make sure I pick-and-pop or that I just roll. It’s just making sure I have balance.

Here

[Jamaaliver]

Millsap speculates on how D12's presence will create open shots for the perimeter players:

Millsap: Howard should help Hawks ’ floor spacing

Count Paul Millsap among those in the Hawks organization would initially believe that the addition of Dwight Howard will help the team’s offensive floor spacing next season...several players and coaches have indicated [a similar line of thinking].

How does Millsap expect the Hawks’ offense be different with the addition of Howard?

“Offensively, we have a consistent roll guy, a guy who can put pressure on the basket every time you set a pick-and-roll,” Millsap told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday. “He’s a guy you have to pay attention to down low. We are hoping, and I think everyone sees the vision, of the court opening up. A lot more open shots. A little more physicality. Things that we needed to get better at, I think we have.”

Millsap added that opponents will have to pay close attention to Howard’s ability to play inside. If that is the case, shots should be available on the perimeter. It will be a contrast from a system where Horford pulled the opposition away from the basket.

Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said last month that he may be more comfortable with an offense that incorporates a traditional big man who can get inside the paint on offense and protect the rim on defense.

Here

[Geaux_Hawks]

...LethalShooter is showing constant videos of Dwight shooting midrange jumpers, and 3s. He states in 1 video "Will Dwight shoot 3s? HELL NO, but he has to learn to have confidence from anywhere on the floor".

I'm wary of this. As coach, it's your job to put players into position to succeed. To play to their strengths.

This is the opposite of that. We've seen Dwight carry a franchise by surrounding him with shooters and allowing him to dominate inside one-on-one. That's the proven, successful approach.

This concerns me greatly.

I think Coach Buds realized that we relied to much on jumpers falling. When they didn't, we hit a wall. Bringing in Howard gives us more of an inside presence to clean up the boards, and also someone who can attack the rim inside the paint with some physicality.

You could say a fault of those Orlando team's Dwight played on was not having someone who could attack the basket, and create offense for themselves. They too relied heavily on 3's falling. We have Milsap and hopefully Dennis who can do just that.

Keep in mind, we still have a few shooters in Korver, Baze, and even Milsap. Scott(if he's still here) can space the floor. Dennis is an improving shooter. Prince should come in right away as well and knock down some shots. THJ is a career 35% shooter from 3.

Dwight adding some range, is just icing on the cake if he can knock an open jumper down. If he can do that, then that makes the backdoor cuts and dives to the basket even better. He won't be counted on to hit 3's or long 2's. We'll make up for that down low, where he's hauling in second chance rebounds for put backs.

He's already mentioned having being use to a traditional big man on offense--Duncan I would assume. Duncan was obviously a better shooter than Howard, but I can see how Howard would fit, and having a half decent jumper only makes his fit in this offense more intriguing. I don't think we're trying to fit a square peg into a round hole here.

[Jamaaliver]

[Bud] had a chance to maybe try an develop Horford into a post player, instead made him into a 3 pt launcher. Itll be interesting to see because , IMO , 2 things Bud has been opposed to he will have to embrace now:1) A low post player who has no range...

LethalShooter is showing constant videos of Dwight shooting midrange jumpers...He states that [Howard] has to learn to have confidence from anywhere on the floor".

And now even the Hawks official site is touting D12's improved outside shooting...oh boy:

WATCH: Dwight Howard Expanding Range, Hits 11-of-15 Mid-Range Shots

Dwight Howard has been in the gym all summer working on...post moves, free throws and mid-range shots. @LethalShooter__ posted video of Howard making 11-of-15 shots from just behind the right elbow, a distance of what appears to be 18 feet. Howard, known mostly for post scoring on the offensive end, is clearly making an effort to expand his range and diversify his offensive game.

Read on Twitter

Having watched Horford & Pero spend too much time camped out at the three point line, I sincerely hope we aren't making the same mistake. D12 having the ability to hit outside shots is fine, but if this becomes a staple of the offense moving forward...

[ATL Boy]

Dwight being able to hit a mid range shot here and there is great, it'll keep the defense honest on pick&rolls.

But if he'll be exclusively camped outside the paint doing an Al Horford impression then that's a problem. We have one of the most dominant C's in the game on our team, in a conference where there's maybe one or two C's at most (Drummond, Whiteside) who could bang with him. We need to utilize Dwight's strengths and play around those strength of we want any chance of hitting our ceiling.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

[Geaux_Hawks]

Dwight being able to hit a mid range shot here and there is great, it'll keep the defense honest on pick&rolls.

But if he'll be exclusively camped outside the paint doing an Al Horford impression then that's a problem. We have one of the most dominant C's in the game on our team, in a conference where there's maybe one or two C's at most (Drummond, Whiteside) who could bang with him. We need to utilize Dwight's strengths and play around those strength of we want any chance of hitting our ceiling.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

And that's all we're going to ask of him to do. Hit one or two a game just to keep the defense honest. There might be a game where he goes off and knocks down 4 or 5, but more often than not, he's going to be attacking the rim. Al's game was all about camping outside the paint. He couldn't really bang down low, and create consistent offense. Dwight on the other hand, can actually generate offense around the basket consistently.

[Jamaaliver]

A more in depth look at the work D12 is putting into his FT shooting and mid range game.

Watch on YouTube

[Jamaaliver]

From a piece over on the Hawks site. I'm not usually a big fan of these things, cause they are straight propaganda from the marketing department. But this provides some clarity at least.

Mike Budenholzer's expectations of what adding Howard can do for the offense:

The way that Dwight can fit with us offensively, I think (it's) having a guy that can put pressure on the rim as a big. The way we run motion, the 4 (power forward) and 5 (center) are interchangeable. It's great to have somebody that is going to roll and put pressure on the rim and have shooting around him.

...in a lot of ways we've adjusted to who we've had the first three years, and in some ways it will be going back to what I know, and maybe even better and maybe even more comfortable with: having someone who can put that kind of pressure on the rim.

The numbers support that notion. Howard finished second in the NBA in both field goal percentage (62.0 percent) and dunks (177). He also ranked sixth in the NBA in field goals per game within 5 feet of the rim (4.6 per game) where he converted 69.6 percent of his attempts.

Part of the reason for Howard's success is that he isn't just making plays at the rim; he's also making plays from above the rim.

[Jamaaliver]

David Aldridge's take:

...Howard still has enough tread left on the tires to give the Hawks defense and rebounding. The issue is the team's transition on offense...Atlanta ran so much through Horford -- pick-and-rolls, slip screens, pick-and-pops -- things that Howard is not good at.

But if there's one thing coach Mike Budenholzer and his staff are great at, it's finding out ways to utilize what they have. So Atlanta will no doubt develop some quick hitters and post-ups for Howard, who will have room to operate with All-Star Paul Millsap able to stretch the floor and Bazemore able to run the baseline.

Here

[jayu70]

David Aldridge's take:

...Howard still has enough tread left on the tires to give the Hawks defense and rebounding. The issue is the team's transition on offense...Atlanta ran so much through Horford -- pick-and-rolls, slip screens, pick-and-pops -- things that Howard is not good at.

But if there's one thing coach Mike Budenholzer and his staff are great at, it's finding out ways to utilize what they have. So Atlanta will no doubt develop some quick hitters and post-ups for Howard, who will have room to operate with All-Star Paul Millsap able to stretch the floor and Bazemore able to run the baseline.

Here

This - the staff is great at working with what they have.
And as much as we ran supposedly ran the offense through Al - he wasn't putting up a lot of shots. He was always passive on offense - how many time he had the ball in the lane and never looked at the basket.

[PandaKidd]

Theres vids of D12 running PnRs with Lethal, and he looks really good. Im not worried about the outside shooting. being and AVID player, the 1 thing to give you confidence is consistent shooting. Doesnt matter if its midrange or whatever. give you confidence all over the court.

His main problem was free throw shooting, learning midrange shots will help with FT shooting. its just repetition. thats all it is. If you can get comfortable shooting from the elbow moving, you should be able to shoot FTs much easier.

[PandaKidd]

Dwight and Korver now

Check out @LethalShooter__'s Tweet:

Read on Twitter

?s=09

[jayu70]

Theres vids of D12 running PnRs with Lethal, and he looks really good. Im not worried about the outside shooting. being and AVID player, the 1 thing to give you confidence is consistent shooting. Doesnt matter if its midrange or whatever. give you confidence all over the court.

His main problem was free throw shooting, learning midrange shots will help with FT shooting. its just repetition. thats all it is. If you can get comfortable shooting from the elbow moving, you should be able to shoot FTs much easier.

Agree, it's about fixing and having the same shooting motion/mechanics.

[jayu70]

Another article about Dwight and the Offense

http://www.si.com/nba/2016/08/15/dwight-howard-atlanta-hawks-offense-post-rockets-lakers-magic

Most of Howard's teams have inevitably fed him on the block for deliberate, sunk-cost possessions. This summer he joined the outfit least likely to indulge him. Mike Budenholzer and the Atlanta Hawks aren't beyond compromising their pass-happy style for a superstar, but those compromises only go so far. The post is an area of inherent inefficiency—especially for an aging, oft-injured Howard. Atlanta has deliberately kept its offense out of that muck whenever possible, opting instead to keep the ball buzzing from one side of the court to the other through the best spacing its rotation can manage. Only four teams in the league used fewer possessions in the post last season, per Synergy Sports. At least one of these parties must bend. More likely is that both do, meeting in the middle in a space where a three-year, $70.5 million contract makes sense for all involved.

No matter the specifics, everything that we know about Atlanta's offensive construction suggests that Howard will be featured this coming year in fundamentally different ways. The pick-and-roll has been less a centerpiece for the Hawks than a starting point; its functions feed into the kind of movement and flow Budenholzer is looking for, though part of its intention lies in creating small advantages to leverage into larger ones.

[Jamaaliver]

Another article about Dwight and the Offense

Nice find. Nice post.

Other intriguing nuggets:

*Built into that is the need for bigs to do more than merely pick, roll, or even post...Now that Howard has assumed Horford's spot, those precise responsibilities must change (Howard masquerading as Horford would be a disaster) but the underlying philosophy remains intact: Howard will have to find ways to be comfortable and effective beyond the more direct opportunities he's accustomed to.

*Howard could very well live off of the things that have made him successful in the past. Atlanta presents an opportunity, though, for a new sort of usage.

*There's a valid reason why Howard has never been entrusted to the kind of role that Horford filled previously. The two aren't in the same league as shooters or passers...

[Jamaaliver]

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