Happy Halloween. Plenty of games tonight.
Knicks come from 20+ down to force overtime, but perform badly and lost by double digits. Gallinari shot lights out for a stretch in the third quarter but seemed happy to hover around the 3 point line.
Washington recovers from their loss the other night to Atlanta and handles the Nets who really seem to lack any substantial firepower.
San Antonio takes a young Kings team to the wood shed with all the Spurs regulars sitting in the fourth quarter. You can add Spencer Hawes to the list of improving young bigs.
Game of the night, a rematch from a few days ago, Portland @ Houston. Houston took a high single digit lead early in the fourth and held on as Brandon Roy poured in 42 points. Roy loves the left elbow for isolation plays with a shooter buried in the left corner.
The Bucks win against the Pistons who are really searching for an identity. Acquiring firepower like Ben Gordon and Charlie Villenueva really boosts an offense, but their lack of effort on the defensive end will make wins hard to come by. Rookie head coach John Kuester will have his work cut out for him. The Bulls never really considered bringing back Ben Gordon because of his lack of commitment on the defensive end. Seems a change of scenery hasn't improved that element of his game.
Will have a recap of Dallas' second night in LA against the Clippers a little bit later.
October 31, 2009
Rick Carlisle- Coach of the Year candidate
In the book Seven Seconds or Less, Jack McCallum discusses Shawn Marion's dislike for playing the 4 thinking he's better as a 3. After watching tonight's Laker game, Rick Carlisle should be nominated for coach of the year. First he has Marion understanding that he's not a 3 (he simply cannot shoot!) but he's an extremely hard guard at the four spot. He's too athletic for virtually all 4 men going to the basket. The Mavericks ran a step up screen and roll to death in the fourth quarter with Marion being the beneficiary of many easy looks from Kidd and Barea.
Carlisle also gets the nod for switching to a zone around the 9 minute mark of the fourth quarter. The Lakers made a push at the end of the third and start of the fourth putting a little full court press and made a dent in Dallas' lead. The switch to the zone took the Lakers out of their rhythm and Dallas was able to walk away with the easy win.
Kudos to Coach Carlisle sticking to the zone as well, on the first possession of zone Shannon Brown had a thunderous put back dunk that would have had most coaches get out of the zone in a hurry.
Carlisle also gets the nod for switching to a zone around the 9 minute mark of the fourth quarter. The Lakers made a push at the end of the third and start of the fourth putting a little full court press and made a dent in Dallas' lead. The switch to the zone took the Lakers out of their rhythm and Dallas was able to walk away with the easy win.
Kudos to Coach Carlisle sticking to the zone as well, on the first possession of zone Shannon Brown had a thunderous put back dunk that would have had most coaches get out of the zone in a hurry.
October 30, 2009
Young Bigs
There's an adage that says young bigs take longer to develop than guards. In the first week of the NBA season we see that maturation process happening in 3 bigs.
Andrew Bynum of the Lakers is healthy and playing very actively, going to the offensive glass hard and finishing well around the rim. What we like about his game is he does a decent job of keeping the ball above his shoulders on rebounds and put backs and he goes up strong.
Brendan Haywood might not be considered a "young" big as he's been in the league for a while but his offensive game has really developed since missing most of last year due to injury. He's become more effective at facing and putting the ball on the floor and using his body to create space to get his shot off.
Joakim Noah had the play of the night on 10.30.09, he hit a 15 footer from the right elbow which made his teammates jump off the bench with excitement. His shot will never be considered nice, in fact it's in the running for all time worst, however, his work around the basket has gotten much much better. His confidence in his left hand jump hook is growing and so are his offensive numbers.
Lamarcus Aldridge has gotten much more confidence in his outside jumper and is becoming a nice compliment to the two headed monster of Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla. We would be remiss in failing to mention Aldridge's ability to finish around the rim.
We're still withholding judgment on Greg Oden as he's still a pup and only in his 3rd full season of high level competitive basketball but we like the growth we've seen in year 2 of his pro career.
Andrew Bynum of the Lakers is healthy and playing very actively, going to the offensive glass hard and finishing well around the rim. What we like about his game is he does a decent job of keeping the ball above his shoulders on rebounds and put backs and he goes up strong.
Brendan Haywood might not be considered a "young" big as he's been in the league for a while but his offensive game has really developed since missing most of last year due to injury. He's become more effective at facing and putting the ball on the floor and using his body to create space to get his shot off.
Joakim Noah had the play of the night on 10.30.09, he hit a 15 footer from the right elbow which made his teammates jump off the bench with excitement. His shot will never be considered nice, in fact it's in the running for all time worst, however, his work around the basket has gotten much much better. His confidence in his left hand jump hook is growing and so are his offensive numbers.
Lamarcus Aldridge has gotten much more confidence in his outside jumper and is becoming a nice compliment to the two headed monster of Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla. We would be remiss in failing to mention Aldridge's ability to finish around the rim.
We're still withholding judgment on Greg Oden as he's still a pup and only in his 3rd full season of high level competitive basketball but we like the growth we've seen in year 2 of his pro career.
10.30.09 Update
The Boston Celtics shot the lights out in the 3rd quarter to take an already uncompetitive game to bed early. Paul Pierce and Eddie House nailed shot after shot on the perimeter as the Bulls had no answer.
In the first half of the Dallas-Lakers game, the Mavericks role players have had an outstanding half making shots and competing against the defending champs. What a difference a night makes in the NBA!JJ Barea made some shots which then forces the Lakers to play him tougher on pick and rolls which then opens up his teammates on the roll.
In other games the Wizards folded to the Atlanta Hawks down the stretch and the Sacramento Kings made a nice stand after a lackluster opener with Martin and Evans having big nights to take New Orleans to the wire.
In the first half of the Dallas-Lakers game, the Mavericks role players have had an outstanding half making shots and competing against the defending champs. What a difference a night makes in the NBA!JJ Barea made some shots which then forces the Lakers to play him tougher on pick and rolls which then opens up his teammates on the roll.
In other games the Wizards folded to the Atlanta Hawks down the stretch and the Sacramento Kings made a nice stand after a lackluster opener with Martin and Evans having big nights to take New Orleans to the wire.
October 30, 2009 Preview
Best games of the night,
Chicago @ Boston
Dallas @ Los Angeles
Washington @ Atlanta
Early reviews
The Celtics defense may be the most suffocating defense out there. Holding Charlotte to 59 total points and then holding the Bulls to 32 at the half is indicative of that.
Rajon Rondo may not be able to hit a jump shot consistently but he may be the best in the league at poaching outlet passes and stripping big men of rebounds if they bring the ball low. Also for him to create more space for his teammates he must be able to hit a pick and roll jumper and force teams to play him differently, right now everyone simply goes under the ball screen on him and clogs his driving lanes.
The Bulls' length is impressive with Salmons at the 2 guard and Deng at the 3. A few years ago teams used to exploit the diminutive back court of Hinrich and Gordon, now the Bulls have the size to match up with any big guards in the league. The Bulls really played lousy offensively in the first half against the Celtics.
The Washington Wizards cannot handle the ball against the Atlanta Hawks. Time and time again the Hawks pressure on the ball has resulted in turnovers, bad offensive sets, and forced shots. DeShawn Stevenson looked lost in the first half against what looked like a token man press by the Hawks. Coming into crunch time now, check back for a recap.
Chicago @ Boston
Dallas @ Los Angeles
Washington @ Atlanta
Early reviews
The Celtics defense may be the most suffocating defense out there. Holding Charlotte to 59 total points and then holding the Bulls to 32 at the half is indicative of that.
Rajon Rondo may not be able to hit a jump shot consistently but he may be the best in the league at poaching outlet passes and stripping big men of rebounds if they bring the ball low. Also for him to create more space for his teammates he must be able to hit a pick and roll jumper and force teams to play him differently, right now everyone simply goes under the ball screen on him and clogs his driving lanes.
The Bulls' length is impressive with Salmons at the 2 guard and Deng at the 3. A few years ago teams used to exploit the diminutive back court of Hinrich and Gordon, now the Bulls have the size to match up with any big guards in the league. The Bulls really played lousy offensively in the first half against the Celtics.
The Washington Wizards cannot handle the ball against the Atlanta Hawks. Time and time again the Hawks pressure on the ball has resulted in turnovers, bad offensive sets, and forced shots. DeShawn Stevenson looked lost in the first half against what looked like a token man press by the Hawks. Coming into crunch time now, check back for a recap.
October 29, 2009
A coaching tree that needs to be planted and grown
The media makes a great deal out of "Coaching Trees", coaches who's assistants go off and become head coaches at other franchises or schools. Much is made of Tom Izzo with Tom Crean, Brian Gregory, and Doug Wojick all becoming fairly successful coaches at their schools.
Watching the Minnesota Timberwolves last night reminded us of a coaching tree that has failed. Coaches who have used the Sideline Triangle not named Phil Jackson have had little success in the NBA, Kurt Rambis will struggle to succeed with this group of personnel and Jim Cleamons and Tim Floyd failed miserably with the triangle. It's similar to the missteps people had with Pete Carril at Princeton, how the system was great, etc etc. Yet teams who run the Princeton offense tend to hover at or below .500. Guess it's easy to forget for that entire time the Princeton offense was en vogue, Princeton was also consistently getting the best players in the Ivy League.
This begs the question, why do we not hear about coaches born of Jerry Sloan's tree? Granted tonight wasn't a great night for the Utah Jazz but his teams have always run consistently good stuff (coaches language for play sets), they rarely beat themselves and seemingly win 48+ games a year. Yet are there ANY notable coaches who were assistants under Sloan? It goes without saying that a UCLA screen for a jumper is not exciting but if you have effective shooters it wins games. In Sloans 20+ years at the helm of the Utah Jazz, he's had 2 sub .500 seasons. That's an incredible feat.
True to his quiet nature, you won't hear about Jerry Sloan's excellence but remember this coach, when you run your UCLA into a Rip, into a Back screen for a lob out of a time out, us coaches are watching and appreciate your team's execution and your longevity.
Watching the Minnesota Timberwolves last night reminded us of a coaching tree that has failed. Coaches who have used the Sideline Triangle not named Phil Jackson have had little success in the NBA, Kurt Rambis will struggle to succeed with this group of personnel and Jim Cleamons and Tim Floyd failed miserably with the triangle. It's similar to the missteps people had with Pete Carril at Princeton, how the system was great, etc etc. Yet teams who run the Princeton offense tend to hover at or below .500. Guess it's easy to forget for that entire time the Princeton offense was en vogue, Princeton was also consistently getting the best players in the Ivy League.
This begs the question, why do we not hear about coaches born of Jerry Sloan's tree? Granted tonight wasn't a great night for the Utah Jazz but his teams have always run consistently good stuff (coaches language for play sets), they rarely beat themselves and seemingly win 48+ games a year. Yet are there ANY notable coaches who were assistants under Sloan? It goes without saying that a UCLA screen for a jumper is not exciting but if you have effective shooters it wins games. In Sloans 20+ years at the helm of the Utah Jazz, he's had 2 sub .500 seasons. That's an incredible feat.
True to his quiet nature, you won't hear about Jerry Sloan's excellence but remember this coach, when you run your UCLA into a Rip, into a Back screen for a lob out of a time out, us coaches are watching and appreciate your team's execution and your longevity.
10.28.09 Recap
Well the Boston Charlotte game was ugly. Boston took an 8-0 lead and then found an extra gear in the 3rd quarter to put the game away. All apologies to Dallas for yesterday's criticism on not having a legit 3rd or 4th option. Charlotte doesn't have a legitimate FIRST option in it's lineup.
The team of the night was the Denver Nuggets. A close game for 3 1/2 quarters was blown open late with a spectacular steal and dunk of a poorly thrown outlet pass by Paul Milsap. Carmelo Anthony rocked the Pepsi Center and then Kenyon Martin followed up a miss with a thunderous 2 handed dunk to put the momentum squarely in favor of the Nuggets. Ty Lawson was very impressive running the second unit and was very effective getting to the paint.
Sacramento and Charlotte are in for long seasons and New Orleans shockingly did not play well at all against the Spurs.
The team of the night was the Denver Nuggets. A close game for 3 1/2 quarters was blown open late with a spectacular steal and dunk of a poorly thrown outlet pass by Paul Milsap. Carmelo Anthony rocked the Pepsi Center and then Kenyon Martin followed up a miss with a thunderous 2 handed dunk to put the momentum squarely in favor of the Nuggets. Ty Lawson was very impressive running the second unit and was very effective getting to the paint.
Sacramento and Charlotte are in for long seasons and New Orleans shockingly did not play well at all against the Spurs.
October 28, 2009
12 Games tonight
12 NBA Games to select from tonight, we'll be focusing on the Charlotte Bobcats and Boston Celtics as one of the premier teams in the East takes on one of the legendary coaches. We'll see what Larry Brown has cooked up for the C's.
Also San Antonio hosts New Orleans and in a divisional game the Jazz take on the Nuggets.
Also San Antonio hosts New Orleans and in a divisional game the Jazz take on the Nuggets.
Dallas Hawk Flare Action
This action is run to get Nowitzki into the post or Terry coming off a flare.
Readying for the attack
This is an exciting time of year. The NBA is underway. The NCAA has started practice and will start playing games in a few weeks and most high schools will start practice in the next two weeks with games less than a month away.
After watching some college practices this week it brought to mind a dilemma that all high school coaches face. Many states limit the amount of work you can do in the off-season, unlike college where the coaches get a mandated number of hours during the week. Watching the first week of practice many college programs were already well into installing and running sets with the fundamentals established and rehearsed in the fall during those individual workouts.
What's the right approach in getting ready for the season for a high school program? Many states face a crunch of 12 or 13 practices before you start playing games. How much time do you spend on fundamentals vs. installing offenses, defenses, ob's, etc.
There are many variables to consider when starting a season:
Do you have a veteran team that knows your sets and only needs to be reintroduced to them?
Do you have a young team that needs to learn your sets?
Are you a new coach to your school or are you established and have been running your system throughout the summer and previous years?
Are you a surprise and change coach and need to have more plays and defenses in your arsenal?
Are you a simplicity and execution coach who relies less on plays and more on the fundamentals?
Do you do your players a disservice by focusing on plays and neglecting their fundamental development?
Unlike college and the NBA, high school coaches have a finite amount of time to prepare for the season, using it wisely is of the utmost importance. The answer lies within you and your philosophy.
After watching some college practices this week it brought to mind a dilemma that all high school coaches face. Many states limit the amount of work you can do in the off-season, unlike college where the coaches get a mandated number of hours during the week. Watching the first week of practice many college programs were already well into installing and running sets with the fundamentals established and rehearsed in the fall during those individual workouts.
What's the right approach in getting ready for the season for a high school program? Many states face a crunch of 12 or 13 practices before you start playing games. How much time do you spend on fundamentals vs. installing offenses, defenses, ob's, etc.
There are many variables to consider when starting a season:
Do you have a veteran team that knows your sets and only needs to be reintroduced to them?
Do you have a young team that needs to learn your sets?
Are you a new coach to your school or are you established and have been running your system throughout the summer and previous years?
Are you a surprise and change coach and need to have more plays and defenses in your arsenal?
Are you a simplicity and execution coach who relies less on plays and more on the fundamentals?
Do you do your players a disservice by focusing on plays and neglecting their fundamental development?
Unlike college and the NBA, high school coaches have a finite amount of time to prepare for the season, using it wisely is of the utmost importance. The answer lies within you and your philosophy.
October 27, 2009
Games Added to the File
Dallas vs. Washington 10.27.09
Boston vs. Cleveland 10.27.09
Houston vs. Portland 10.27.09
Lakers vs. Clippers 10.27.09
Subscribe to www.basketballcoachesreport.com to see their key sets.
Boston vs. Cleveland 10.27.09
Houston vs. Portland 10.27.09
Lakers vs. Clippers 10.27.09
Subscribe to www.basketballcoachesreport.com to see their key sets.
GILBERT ARENAS IS BACK!
Finally basketball games that matter are here! Here's a quick recap of the games for 10.27.09.
Gilbert Arenas is back. Gone are the nicknames and side shows and welcome back to his explosive game. He owned Dallas tonight and every time Dallas threatened Arenas made them pay. Watch out for the Wizards, their supporting cast is solid and getting better and Flip Saunders has already made an immediate improvement.
Shaq's new nickname should be the "Big Speedbump", he slows down any offense he's involved with. Recently he said that maybe he should have studied the playbook more in the off-season? Um, correct me if I'm wrong, you're still a pro and knowing the plays is your job.
Also Cleveland has some issues with their bigs. Shaq and Ilgauskas can share the floor on the offensive end as Big Z can space the floor and knock down some open jumpers but the two of them on the floor at the same time are a nightmare defensively. Time and time again in the fourth quarter the Celtics ran pick and roll to the middle of the floor with Rasheed Wallace spacing out behind the 3 point line for a jumper. They got this every time they wanted it. Cleveland has a lot of work to do defensively with those two on the floor at the same time.
Subscribe to www.basketballcoachesreport.com and you'll set Boston's sets in the 4th quarter as they beat the Cavaliers.
The Wizards were the team of the night, they were really impressive and they have some nice pieces. Mike Miller stretches teams with his perimeter shooting and his overall basketball IQ is higher than I gave him credit for. Brendan Haywood was very active on the glass in the fourth quarter and looks recovered from last year's wrist and this pre-season's ankle injury. I love Caron Butler who's as good as it gets as an NBA third wheel (Jamison being the second). Lastly Randy Foye did a great job knocking down jumpers when the Mavericks played the pick and roll by going under the screener.
So far Houston has looked listless against Portland who is impressive with Andre Miller running the PG for the second unit. Houston made a good comeback to close the game to single digits late in the game before Portland finished them off. Portland's versatility is exceptional. On one possession Brandon Roy guards Luis Scola then plays the point on the offensive end. I can't imagine trying to match up with Portland.
Dallas really struggled last night. Here's a good rule of thumb for Rick Carlisle, keep two of these players on the floor at all times as they're your only offensive threats: Dirk, Terry, & Marion, and we're not quite sold on Marion unless it's in the open court. Jason Kidd is a threat only in transition, Erick Dampier is a solid defensive role player but not a threat on offense. Unless they come from Terry and Nowitzki, points will be hard to come by in Dallas this year.
Gilbert Arenas is back. Gone are the nicknames and side shows and welcome back to his explosive game. He owned Dallas tonight and every time Dallas threatened Arenas made them pay. Watch out for the Wizards, their supporting cast is solid and getting better and Flip Saunders has already made an immediate improvement.
Shaq's new nickname should be the "Big Speedbump", he slows down any offense he's involved with. Recently he said that maybe he should have studied the playbook more in the off-season? Um, correct me if I'm wrong, you're still a pro and knowing the plays is your job.
Also Cleveland has some issues with their bigs. Shaq and Ilgauskas can share the floor on the offensive end as Big Z can space the floor and knock down some open jumpers but the two of them on the floor at the same time are a nightmare defensively. Time and time again in the fourth quarter the Celtics ran pick and roll to the middle of the floor with Rasheed Wallace spacing out behind the 3 point line for a jumper. They got this every time they wanted it. Cleveland has a lot of work to do defensively with those two on the floor at the same time.
Subscribe to www.basketballcoachesreport.com and you'll set Boston's sets in the 4th quarter as they beat the Cavaliers.
The Wizards were the team of the night, they were really impressive and they have some nice pieces. Mike Miller stretches teams with his perimeter shooting and his overall basketball IQ is higher than I gave him credit for. Brendan Haywood was very active on the glass in the fourth quarter and looks recovered from last year's wrist and this pre-season's ankle injury. I love Caron Butler who's as good as it gets as an NBA third wheel (Jamison being the second). Lastly Randy Foye did a great job knocking down jumpers when the Mavericks played the pick and roll by going under the screener.
So far Houston has looked listless against Portland who is impressive with Andre Miller running the PG for the second unit. Houston made a good comeback to close the game to single digits late in the game before Portland finished them off. Portland's versatility is exceptional. On one possession Brandon Roy guards Luis Scola then plays the point on the offensive end. I can't imagine trying to match up with Portland.
Dallas really struggled last night. Here's a good rule of thumb for Rick Carlisle, keep two of these players on the floor at all times as they're your only offensive threats: Dirk, Terry, & Marion, and we're not quite sold on Marion unless it's in the open court. Jason Kidd is a threat only in transition, Erick Dampier is a solid defensive role player but not a threat on offense. Unless they come from Terry and Nowitzki, points will be hard to come by in Dallas this year.
October 17, 2009
Additional Games
Dallas vs. Detroit 10.15.09
Cleveland vs. Washington 10.15.09
Have been added to the directory....
Check us out at www.basketballcoachesreport.com
Cleveland vs. Washington 10.15.09
Have been added to the directory....
Check us out at www.basketballcoachesreport.com
October 11, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)