The biggest mismatch night in and night out is JVG and his players. As we all know JVG is a deffensive coach, while both Yao and McGrady are extreme offensive talents. Yao is very slow on the deffensive end, the opponent big man creates big problems to the Rox if he can shoot from outside, for example PJ in Hornet or tonight. The opponent guard or small forward also creates mismatch problems to Yao. TMac has never been known as a denfensive player. And we have a coach to direct them to play very hard defense and knowing nothing to use their offensive skills. The rox are playing to their own shortness but not strength. When the rox win, that's not because of good coaching and game plan, but because of the extraordinary play of Tmac, often out of control from JVG. I am wondering what JVG has brought to this team? Can someone name a few? When Doc Rivers's team and Scott's Hornets beat us badly, I can not say for sure JVG is a better coach. Or at least he has done a poor job in putting together this team or coaching them? And I know the rox is not getting rid of JVG soon, that's just sad.
Did you happen to watch the team last year when we got on a roll? You know, when we were clicking offensively and crushing teams that didn't play defense. Did you know we beat Phoenix twice in Phoenix, including one time by 20 points? Did you know teams that don't play tough defense will not win the NBA title? Phoenix scored a lot of points but they were barely a blip for the Spurs in the WCFs last year because they couldn't stop anyone. The Pistons and Heat would have done the same thing to them. Asking Tracy and Yao to play defense doesn't hurt on offense, it sets up opportunities on offense because it's much harder to score or run a break when the other teams scores. Did you know most fast breaks happen when the other team misses? If you didn't watch the Mavericks series, find a tape and watch how Tracy completely frustrated Jirk Nowitski. You'll see that he is really an excellent defensive player. In fact, he is a complete player which is what makes him great. Yao's slowness afoot isn't JVG's fault. When the other team has a quick center, Yao either has to guard them or come off the court. Which one do you suggest? My main concern with JVG on Yao's defense is against PnRs. That subject has been beaten to death already. On the offensive end, clearly JVG must make some changes in the scheme to fit the players on the roster. No doubt. But asking Yao and Tracy to play hard on defense is NOT a part of our offensive problems. I think we need to play better defense and push the ball harder and create more fast break opportunities. We aren't running nearly enough.
Yes. I watched every game since Tmac joined this team. I agree with you that he is one of the best defender ON THIS TEAM. I have seen too many times nobody in this team can score and they lost. With Yao and Tmac in this team and score 70-80? That is not acceptable. Of course I do not mind if the other team at the same game only score 60-70. But the NBA is changing rules to promote small ball and the game becomes faster, you won't see that happen too often. JVG simply does not show he can adjust and still struggle with offensive stratagies.
It is very hard for us to play small ball with Yao on the court. Yao is one of the slowest players in the NBA. Nearly all of his points for us come in the 1/2 court offense and NOT on the break. We need to improve our defense, get better at cleaning the glass when we make the stop and run the ball more. AND JVG needs to tune up the 1/2 court offense to fit our players better. Then again, we've only played 6 games and Tracy missed 3 of those. Give it 10-15 more games and if our offense continues to stink, something has to change.
What was our record after the first 18 games last season?? I think it was something like 6-11 - not real good!! Why was the record so bad?? Was it because we had lousy players? Well, the personel didn't change so much after that, but the results certainly did! IMO the reason we had a bad record early is the simple fact that plagues a lot of teams - chemistry! When you assemble a new bunch of players, it can take some time for things to click on the court! We assembled a new bunch of players last season and it took a while to click We've assembled a new bunch of players this season - it'll take a little while to click - but I think not too much longer - so we got blown out on the second game of a back to back - it happens from time to time! Let 'em play - I predict a win in Minny coming up!!
While I share your general frustration, that our team does not play to our offensive strengths, I want to add this thought. JVG's teams develop in a manner opposite of Dallas/Phoenix/Boston/LA/New Jersey/Sacramento/Insert Offensive/Fastbreaking/Less Defense teams. JVG's teams do develop in a manner akin to Detroit/Indiana/San Antonio. Basically the elite teams. JVG stresses the hard way, the disciplined way, the no play wasted way, the way of champions. And he sticks with it. Many will argue (even I feel it sometimes) why JVG doesn't High post Yao, stop having Yao come out on the pick and roll, let Tmac and Yao pnr every play, generally open up his offense. Why doesn't he? Because of the more important issue of first establishing the system and drilling it into our players heads. To be fair to JVG, his players every year have undergone major overhaul. I still believe this is for the better as every year we have found players more willing and able to execute his system. He doesn't adapt in part because adapting is "giving in", and letting loose the reigns should only happen after establishing the system. So where does that leave us? With a stagnant offense and a bad defense. However, this is only to start. Our learning curve may take a long time, but our overall ceiling is much higher than other teams'. So lets watch these other non-disciplined teams and see how many of them turn into fool's gold, and which of them will become the new Dallas/Phoenix/Sacramento/New Jersey's of the year. Go ahead and let them enjoy their ride. I will root for this team, the team that is gearing itself in preparation and dedication to true perfection, not immediate results.
Phil Jackson won a bunch of rings with a little more respect for his player's finesse. His teams also played very good defense. Bulls and Lakers would have stunk under JVG pound it, pound it. That ball has to move to get real champions the room to do their thing. If you think San Antonio and Detroit had the only model for trophies, you are wrong. In fact, they are very bad models for our talent.
The Lakers did have success with Phil Jackson under a different style, true. However, following this argument - how are we "pounding and pounding it?" Was not the Lakers model quite similar to ours in this respect? Shaq received the ball in the post a large majority of the time and they did what Rudy's Rockets did, San Antonio did, the list goes on. Space out and pass out of the double team. The Bulls are a different story, they are not even comparable here, they are the only team within the last x-years to win with a dominant guard and not dominant big man. The difference is that the Lakers had Shaq and Kobe, we have Tmac and Yao. Yes JVG can try to adopt the "triangle" and use a high post Yao, but that would turn us into a better version of Sacramento, and that's not what we want. The Lakers were a good defensive team - well I guess you could say so, but I would attribute most of that to personnel more than the coach. It is not like Phil's offensive schemes are completely "creative" either, he also drills a system - the triangle, it simply looks more loose because of his personnel. However, many players have reported that it is tough to learn this. Lets see just how far the Lakers go this year.
I think there is a point to be made about the lack of innovation in JVG's offense. Tonight we kept running the high screens for TMac. The help would come and push TMac out along the 3 point line and we were never able to capitalize on this. It would have been nice to see an adjustment made in the gameplan. That and not see Raef Lafrentz drop triples like it was nothing...
