Of course one could speculate that Felton was going to have a breakout year under any coach or system but when you look at Nash and the similarities moving to SSOL one can draw a parallel. Add that to a David Lee who had all-star numbers last year and a dramatic drop this year and one can safley conclude that the system has definitely helped Felton elevate from mediocrity to all-star caliber. That elevation of his game is a direct reason we are currently in the 6th seed and one can look at the pattern of his play verse our record for further proof.
Absolutely no doubt that Felton's game has been unleashed. I'll never deny that.
I think Lee, on the other hand, was a reveller in circumstance. A focal point in his two best facets on an appalling team. Raymond has been great, good and disappointing as a fallback on a decent team.
I'm not selling out our players, I am recognizing reality. Amare has never been a good defensive player and certainly cant be effective playing out of position at center because we lacked(may still lack since jury is still out on Moz) a starting center. This ends up putting Chandler at PF when he should be playing SF(possibly as 6th man) and our size issues are further compounded.
I don't really see how 90/10 in favour of MD pitted against the roster is a recognition of reality. Ronnie T can't be left out of the equation here, either. He played some inspiring minutes for us in a defensive role, and was a boon in our winningest month this year. Undeniably, that is still not a role that appeases MD's criterion, but showed its worth out of place. I believe that.
Let's be real...we have two centers on this team, Moz and Turiaf. (I would argue Turiaf really is a PF) Turiaf has battled knee injuries all year and Moz was simply not ready in spite of his tremendous play in pre-season. This left D'ant with no choice but to play Chandler at the PF. Compound that with the fact we don't have any other viable PF other than AR (see above) and one can see how Chandler has been relegated to that role even when coming off the bench.
The fact that we have 2 centers is born of affection for small lineups with MD. I'm not calling Barron or Soloman Alabi, for instance, saviours in that regard, but raw evidence of the fact is that both were overlooked in Rautin's stead. A 3 point shooting guard that makes more money than Fields because he hits 3s. He should never have been drafted. That's born of a misguided mind, IMO.
So you are saying that with another coach our size and defensive issues would just go away? How do you make that conclusion? When Larry Brown, a defensive HOF coach was our coach we were giving up almost the same amount of points and our defensive ranking was 27th in the league. Yes, our roster was completely different but this highlights the importance of the roster verse system when it comes to rebounding and defense.
No, I said that our players are under-coached defensively. I said that our rotation and communication are a debacle. Blatant ignorance of fundamental basketball. That's what I see, and it's about practiced cohesion. Size is an issue, but that's apart from coaching. I can't get in and watch defensive practices, but if I saw a synchronised swimmer drowning, I wouldn't wonder why their competition is bettering them.
Well, if you don't have a defensive presence down low or you have a player like Amare who is afraid to pick up a foul resulting in an easy shot how can you blame the coach? Add to it, the extra possessions our lack of rebounding creates and additional scoring opportunities as a result and one can see why we struggle on the defensive end.
This again is about rotation, communication, cohesion and the right roster. That is literally 90% the fault of the coach. Our players are not bad defenders.
I don't agree. This is not 2k11 and D'ant does not have a wireless controller able to make minute by minute decisions on what each player does. The players hold in my opinion 90% of the culpability. The coach can make an impact with substitutions, play calls, defensive switches and during practice but cannot control what players do on the court from play to play.
Come on......90%? Our offence is so predictable. As I said, we run a motion offence 3/2 with a high 4 as often or more than anything built around transition, and it's under adjusted. Spread, roll, face up, penetrate, chuck and hope.
Lack of adjustment? Wasn't starting Chandler over Moz several games in an adjustment? Wasn't cultivating Williams and giving him minutes after 20+ games an adjustment? Isn't going back to giving Moz meaningful minutes now an adjustment?
Nope. If you'll recall, all of these were necessity based temporaries that proved 'surprisingly' successful. An adjustment made by having no choice is not evidence of anything deliberate.
Yes, its under threat but we our OVERACHIEVING while you admit no one expected us to do so. I argue that the overachieving is due to several players having career years and I would argue that our system has a direct role in that.
But that's so easily countered: career years for players pitted around an MVP candidate - see Gasol, Pippen, Majerle, Mahorn, and many more without need of elaboration - showing my age a bit there. And the system does have a direct role via inflation, does it not? Not to mention a PG that's an offensive threat.
Compound that with the extra possessions they give up due to a lack of size and the lack of depth because of injury and you can see why we are struggling.
That, to me at least, is another beacon of appropriate adjustments not being made. Both with the roster from the beginning of the season, and the fact that our game's precedent is built around inflated possessions. The size issue, again, is but part of the lack of cohesion when we need stops more than shots.
I don't see what another coach could do to somehow win more games or makes us good defenders/rebounders with the roster as currently constructed.
Lastly, I've said I'd like to see another coach next year, but I'd like to make it resoundingly clear that I am NOT a D'Antoni hater. I criticise him, as I do the players for any ineptitude. I could, and no doubt will be, more specific, but for now.................
Laters.
Cheers
Crazy⑧s