Attn: Coach McHale!…..D-mo is NOT a three point shooter!

People blaming this on McHale have no prior knowledge about Motiejunas' history as a player. There is a reason he dropped from being projected as a top pick down to the end of the first round.

It's because he's always been a super soft big man that likes to stand at the 3 point line. At this point I think he is showing that he's just never going to change.

It isn't Mchale. I guarantee it is NOT Mchale.

Last year there were complaints from Lithuanian media, fans and their federation over Prokom's coach using Motiejunas as a "spot up shooter". The coach of the team swiftly responded by saying he had told Motiejunas over and over to stop shooting 3 pointers and to get in the low post, and that the player simply would not listen to him.

There is no way in hell, I am placing the blame on Motiejunas fancying himself a 3 point shooter (even though he's always been very mediocre at best from that distance), rather than wanting to go into the low post, high post, and face up game.

Because the fact is that the history of the player says otherwise. The coach he had last year said he was being told to stop shooting 3 pointers and that he wouldn't listen.

People blaming McHale clearly don't know about the history of this player, and why he was drafted so much lower than his talent level.

 

Thanks for the insight.

 

This doesn't surprise me at all. They are basically making him play to his weaknesses. I always hear coaches talk about how rookies need to focus on what they do best when they are on the floor and our coaching staff tell him do exactly the opposite.

I sure hope this won't continue even to the playoffs. We need everyone playing as well as humanly possible at that point

 

If McHale was asked about Motie shooting 3's, he would respond by saying that they need him to do that to create spacing. I haven't heard a word from the coaching staff all year that would lead me to believe otherwise.

 

It's obvious coach is saving the post up game for the playoffs. Just be patient it will come soon enough.

 

Anyone notice Dmo getting all that low post position and holding his defender on his back for extended periods of time? No? That's probably because it doesn't happen....

You need strength to post up and hold your guy in the post in this league. He only gets early, duck-ins for his posts. Otherwise, all of his post moves have been initiated off the dribble from faking his jump shot.

He does not have the strength to do a traditional post-up. You'd have to get him on some rip screens (something that our offense has fundamentally not been geared to do at all this year - we did it last year with Scola, so I don't want to hear **** about "McHale no has offense"). That would mean putting our bigs on the block and the elbow. Do we really think we have the passing skills out of our bigs to do this? We have ONE 4 who can pass, Dmo. This offense only works if you have multiple passing bigs (because you have to go high-low a lot).

I could go on, but I bet you already stopped reading - just like I stopped reading the idiotic commentary on how this is somehow McHale's fault... Did McHale do the trade? Or is it just his job to get a bunch of 22 year old rookies to change their entire offensive philosophy 3/4 of the way through the season and during a playoff push?

 

I honestly think D-Mo prefers playing this way. He needs not strong enough and doesn't have the cardio to regularly bang in the post.

 

Agreed here. D-Mo is clearly still trying to gain confidence in his starting role and the team is adjusting to him. More chemistry = better rhythm = better shooting

Why aren't there more "Asik cannot make layups consistently" threads?

 

He costed us the game clearly.. he was indecisive. Morris or PPat would have shot with confidence and made shots.

 

Isn't it a little late in the season to be trying to put in set post plays for DMo?

 

I would tend toward yes. We could put in little folds in to our packages, but I don't see us going to a "wedge" series like the Spurs or to start running corner series (we don't have the personnel).

I just don't see him being a better offensive weapon than James, Jeremy, or Chandler and worth destroying our driving lanes to develop new sets for him.

 

Something about a 7 footer standing behind the 3 arc just doesn't seem right.

 

Yeah, I mean what is Dirk doing out there anyway?

 

Personnel dictates it. When D-Mo was first drafted McHale said he wouldn't be taking 3s in the NBA but that was a whole different Rockets team.

 

Dmo's defense concerns me more than his 3's. He has 0 defense.

 

I fear the day when Morey gets his hands on Josh Smith or Paul Milsap, and forces him to become a career outside shooter. The post up game is still the most efficient way to break down a half court defense.

 

Those Euro big men see Dirk's success in the nba. They all fancy themselves as the next Dirk. I am not surprised, nor should anyone.