Hello again...Im off work today for the first time in a long time, so I have some thoughts on this week's Pacer developments, and some observations on JO's fundamentals that I want to share with all of you.
First of all, some discussion of JO and his role on offense. I realize that he has been struggling lately offensively, anybody who can read a box score can see the evidence of that. Apparently, both he himself and many of you are wanting him to play much less along the high post and elbow area, and much more posting up on the low block nearer the goal. However, my coaching experience and logic tells me that this is not a long term solution, and will only create different problems, and probably wont work much better than what we are doing already.
My reasoning goes like this. Even if you think JO is a much better low post player than I do, and you think he is a premier enough scorer in this fashion that it will cause double teams by the opponent, letting our offense work better because of that, how does that really help us?
There are 2 big problems that our lack of perimeter shooting causes us to have in my view. One of them is it makes feeding the post a huge huge problem. It will be very easy for teams to simply sag off our post feeders along the wing, making it a very difficult task just entering the ball to JO on the block. That lack of a shooting threat from our passer on the wing will cause JO to struggle to get open, and the passer to have to hold the ball longer on the wing, grinding our offense to a halt. When that happens, there will be many complaints on this board about us slowing down the offense and playing "JO ball".
JO posting on the block isnt his strength, and I think RC knows this. JO has a weaker lower body and legs, and often gets bumped off the block a few steps in the process of trying to get open. he isnt like Shaq, Yao, Elton Brand, or even Al Harrington who can hold their ground well and keep the defense pinned behind them. JO's defender can get around him, causing him to either have to drift away from the block to free himself, or to muscle even more with his defender, adding to the wear and tear on his already fragile frame.
With our lack of shooters, the other help defenders can sag as well, not just the passer's man. This will let double teams have less floor to cover to get to him, and will likely lead to more turnovers resulting from JO having to pass the ball out with tight defense on him. Even if he does make a successful inside out pass, who here likes our odds of our present roster making enough open outside shots to win?
JO could become better at holding his ground and being a better post player BEFORE he gets the ball, but he never has learned that key fundamental skill well. If I were coaching him at all, Id try and improve his footwork before the ball is passed to him by having him get wider and lower with his lower body, and present a bigger target to the feeder. He also clearly needs to learn to stick his inside leg (the leg closest to the defender when he is angling for the ball), right in between his defenders 2 legs, in effect making his defender straddle him. Almost always the defender (to prevent being hit in the groin) will back up a step, retreating to be able to come around him defensively. JO could then back him deeper to the goal to pin his man in closer or step back away from as the pass is in the air, creating himself some extra space to shoot or drive. Some of the players I can think of who did this fundamental well in the past were Jack Sikma, Karl Malone, Adrian Dantley, Robert Parish and Mark Aguirre. If JO would learn this and use it better he'd be a lot harder to guard. Larry Bird was pretty good at it too, except he did it on the perimeter alot to get open, especially at his favorite spot on the right side. JO doing this fundamental well, would help him get open, and set him up for a drop step to the baseline, which is a power move that can get him a dunk or a trip to the foul line. Instead, JO often catches the ball a little further out with the defender in great position on him, which causes JO to have to back in to his man while dribbling, slowing down the entire offense. Its all about leverage and footwork and balance, and JO in my view is weak in this particular fundamental.
I said before the season and I say again now: JO should be a much better player for us offensively if we play him away from the goal some, near the high post area. The only real adjustment that needs to be made with JO offensively, in my judgement, is he needs to get mentally tougher. By that I mean he needs to quit letting a shooting slump effect him and his attitude. He just needs to shut up and play, and start making some wide open shots. When that happens, teams will play up on him and he will be able to drive and get himself to the line more often. He also needs to attack the rim off the dribble, and make the man guarding him play him honestly, then he can spin against him possibly and make a more traditional post move.
The only true adjustment I think RC needs to use with JO offensively is to use him in some "big on big" screen/roll situations with Harrington near the foul line area. I wrote about this extensively in the summer as what I thought would be the Pacers very best half court offensive set play, and am disappointed we havent seen it yet. Those of you interested can go back and find it on here, or can recollect their memories to this years international team, when Coach K used this offensive play quite often.
I'm getting close to recommending a change in philosophy about our lineups and how we are trying to play the game, but I'm not all the way there yet. Even when or if I do write about that, putting JO on the low block more will not be one of the recommendations I make....neither he nor our other players are well suited to play that way.
JMO as always.
First of all, some discussion of JO and his role on offense. I realize that he has been struggling lately offensively, anybody who can read a box score can see the evidence of that. Apparently, both he himself and many of you are wanting him to play much less along the high post and elbow area, and much more posting up on the low block nearer the goal. However, my coaching experience and logic tells me that this is not a long term solution, and will only create different problems, and probably wont work much better than what we are doing already.
My reasoning goes like this. Even if you think JO is a much better low post player than I do, and you think he is a premier enough scorer in this fashion that it will cause double teams by the opponent, letting our offense work better because of that, how does that really help us?
There are 2 big problems that our lack of perimeter shooting causes us to have in my view. One of them is it makes feeding the post a huge huge problem. It will be very easy for teams to simply sag off our post feeders along the wing, making it a very difficult task just entering the ball to JO on the block. That lack of a shooting threat from our passer on the wing will cause JO to struggle to get open, and the passer to have to hold the ball longer on the wing, grinding our offense to a halt. When that happens, there will be many complaints on this board about us slowing down the offense and playing "JO ball".
JO posting on the block isnt his strength, and I think RC knows this. JO has a weaker lower body and legs, and often gets bumped off the block a few steps in the process of trying to get open. he isnt like Shaq, Yao, Elton Brand, or even Al Harrington who can hold their ground well and keep the defense pinned behind them. JO's defender can get around him, causing him to either have to drift away from the block to free himself, or to muscle even more with his defender, adding to the wear and tear on his already fragile frame.
With our lack of shooters, the other help defenders can sag as well, not just the passer's man. This will let double teams have less floor to cover to get to him, and will likely lead to more turnovers resulting from JO having to pass the ball out with tight defense on him. Even if he does make a successful inside out pass, who here likes our odds of our present roster making enough open outside shots to win?
JO could become better at holding his ground and being a better post player BEFORE he gets the ball, but he never has learned that key fundamental skill well. If I were coaching him at all, Id try and improve his footwork before the ball is passed to him by having him get wider and lower with his lower body, and present a bigger target to the feeder. He also clearly needs to learn to stick his inside leg (the leg closest to the defender when he is angling for the ball), right in between his defenders 2 legs, in effect making his defender straddle him. Almost always the defender (to prevent being hit in the groin) will back up a step, retreating to be able to come around him defensively. JO could then back him deeper to the goal to pin his man in closer or step back away from as the pass is in the air, creating himself some extra space to shoot or drive. Some of the players I can think of who did this fundamental well in the past were Jack Sikma, Karl Malone, Adrian Dantley, Robert Parish and Mark Aguirre. If JO would learn this and use it better he'd be a lot harder to guard. Larry Bird was pretty good at it too, except he did it on the perimeter alot to get open, especially at his favorite spot on the right side. JO doing this fundamental well, would help him get open, and set him up for a drop step to the baseline, which is a power move that can get him a dunk or a trip to the foul line. Instead, JO often catches the ball a little further out with the defender in great position on him, which causes JO to have to back in to his man while dribbling, slowing down the entire offense. Its all about leverage and footwork and balance, and JO in my view is weak in this particular fundamental.
I said before the season and I say again now: JO should be a much better player for us offensively if we play him away from the goal some, near the high post area. The only real adjustment that needs to be made with JO offensively, in my judgement, is he needs to get mentally tougher. By that I mean he needs to quit letting a shooting slump effect him and his attitude. He just needs to shut up and play, and start making some wide open shots. When that happens, teams will play up on him and he will be able to drive and get himself to the line more often. He also needs to attack the rim off the dribble, and make the man guarding him play him honestly, then he can spin against him possibly and make a more traditional post move.
The only true adjustment I think RC needs to use with JO offensively is to use him in some "big on big" screen/roll situations with Harrington near the foul line area. I wrote about this extensively in the summer as what I thought would be the Pacers very best half court offensive set play, and am disappointed we havent seen it yet. Those of you interested can go back and find it on here, or can recollect their memories to this years international team, when Coach K used this offensive play quite often.
I'm getting close to recommending a change in philosophy about our lineups and how we are trying to play the game, but I'm not all the way there yet. Even when or if I do write about that, putting JO on the low block more will not be one of the recommendations I make....neither he nor our other players are well suited to play that way.
JMO as always.
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