shadrock wrote:eddy33 wrote:shadrock wrote:
Dunno what game you watched, but the one i saw had Hezonja playing poorly for 3 qtrs, then he hit a few 3's late. Thats it. 16 pts was inflated by 6 ft's in the last minute, which were good, but shooting is his strength so you expect that. Basically, i didnt see anything from Mario today that i didnt think he already had, and he hadnt already shown us last season. Im a 100% Mario fanboy, dont get me wrong, but overall i thought there was more bad today that good.
You are fibbing now. More good than bad? Poorly in the first 3 quarters? This is the problem with some on this board. Give me a break.
If you saw the game you will have known that Hezonja did not play that much in the first 3 quarters, especially Croatia's horrid 3rd quarter. His plus/minus was excellent for the whole game- by far the best on the team. Plus he had 8 rebounds and was very active to the loose balls throughout. He only took one shot in the first half, and it was well taken although off the back rim. He was on the bench most of the 3rd quarter, especially when the Serbs had a run and went from even to a 14 point lead. Even my daughter who watched the game, noticed the drop-off in quality when Hezonja was out, and the difference he made when he came back in. When the coach let the kid play he brought them back into the game single-handedly. He had the ball in his hands just about every possession at the end and the Serbs were smart to foul him so that he wouldn't hit a three. The six free throws were huge and not window dressing. It kept them in the game until the last few seconds. His fourth quarter was big time! If that 30 foot three pointer went through for the tie, it would have made history. It was right on line and just a tad short. What is amazing is that it was so well taken it was surprising it didn't go in. The kid has amazing talent and showed up during crunch time in a pressure filled game.
I don't want to be mean but your take on Hezonja's performance in this game is so way off that I am perplexed beyond comprehension.
Its pretty simple. As i said, first 3 quarters he did nothing. Bad defense, was getting caught on almost every pick. Made a few nice passes but for the large part was non-existant. There really isnt a lot more i can say. I watched the game with no bias either way. If my take perplexes you, then so be it, but perhaps it is how you watch him play that is the issue. Hes showing flashes, but to act like he played soundly and was just let down by a bad coach just isnt accurate.
Let me get this straight. The coach instructs Hezonja to stand in a corner and then runs isolation plays for Bogdanovic and Saric, but you inexplicably blame Hezonja for being non-existent. Do your really think Hezonja took it upon himself to be a stationary decoy rather than a real scoring threat? Does he really just stand in the corner against coach's instructions? Of course not.
You could take any player in the NBA, stick him in the corner, never look to free him up, continuously force feed other options, and never pass him the ball, and they too would seem to be non-existent on offense. But when the going got rough in the third quarter and out of options, the coach cut the leash and the kid responded brilliantly in a very important and pressure filled game. He went after loose balls and rebounded too. If not for him they would have lost by 20. The flashes you saw were the result of the chains coming off and allowing him to do his thing.
As for getting caught up in every pick, I don't agree but please note this can be a criticism for every player in every game of this competition. Screening and physical play is such a big part of the international game. That is why zone defense is employed with various switching techniques. Sometimes you go over the pick and chase. Consequently this makes you dependent on quick recovery and a strong interior defense to prevent penetration . Other times you might go under the pick and risk the 3 pointer. Most teams are switching on the perimeter and are willing to risk potential mismatches as opposed to giving up penetration or 3 point looks. I remember Hezonja went under the pick once, and Bogdanovich (the Serb) hit a very tough 3. This was not his fault, it was simply the defense that was called. A better option would have been to switch in this case. Hezonja's problem is not getting caught up in picks but rather sagging off his defender too much when on the weak side. Also he needs to anticipate better in one-on-one situations. He has the tools and needs more experience to get better in this area. But getting caught on picks needs to be viewed with a wider lens and each such situation should be looked at with respect to the defensive scheme, the players involved, the help of teammates,the game situation, etc.
For you to say he played poorly is not only inaccurate, it is downright absurd. For you to say he did nothing for 3 quarters because the coach placed him in the corner with a tight leash evidences a prejudice on your part. Any honest observer can see that Hezonja was given the freedom only because all else was failing. And the difference he made when given the opportunity was monumental - like night and day. I'm astounded that any unbiased observer would see otherwise. There are certainly things Hezonja has to work on but yesterday he was not only good, he was stellar.
