euphorbus wrote:Mystical Apples wrote:Some of the pessimism surrounding the Hornets kinda blows me away.
I would be a lot more optimistic if the team were shooting better, and if they seemed well organized on the court.
Shooting % is the least reliable preseason stat and that's saying a ton
Right now, the only player who has been impressive is Jeremy Lamb--the guy the front office tried to trade all summer.
I agree Lamb was encouraging. I'm actually higher on his defensive potential than offense and have been since last season. That said, attackers generally do well against disconnected preseason defenses, particularly high-level finishers like Lamb going against disconnected 2nd and 3rd units. Just to highlight the folly in extrapolating preseason FG% without context:
Lamb < 8ft: 77%
Lamb > 16ft: 24% (all shots)
Lamb 3P: 20%
I don't think Lamb's distance shooting was abyssal, nor are the conditions sustainable that netted 77% at the rim.
When the season gets underway, just watch who sets screens, who is effective at it, who passes the ball, and whether the connection is made at the other end.
I think you're focusing a little too heavily on the trees. While important, screens are more nuanced than the physical act of jamming an opponent. Slips, rolls, distance, pops, handoffs, re-screens, post on switches.....all are various options on the decision-tree with the ultimate goal of creating space by moving the defense.
For example a "great screen" kinda sucks if the screener should've slipped. Or if the defender sinks because they don't respect the roller.
