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The psychology/strategy of coaching Al Harrington

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  • #1

    The psychology/strategy of coaching Al Harrington

    Hello all. Ive been busy with the holidays and with work and havent got to post much the past couple of weeks, but Ive been watching the games and reading the board, and one of the main topics here in Pacerland is the continued subpar play of Al Harrington. That got me to go back and think about what I thought about Harrington's signing at the time, how he'd be used both with and without JO, and how he would fit in with us.

    I was in the summer, and continue to be, a supporter of the move to bring Harrington back. I think he brings many things to the table to help us, if he can be used in the proper way. Harrington is not a star level player, but he can be a reliable scorer who can take some pressure off of JO to get huge numbers every single night, at least in theory. However, I think we need to go back and re-evaluate how to properly use Harrington in order to get the most out of him, both in a psychological way and in a strategic sense. Im sure that getting more out of the JO/Harrington combination has been a major topic of conversation in Conseco fieldhouse in the last few weeks, and I wanted to share my thoughts on the matter.

    First, the psychological part of how to get the most from Harrington:

    Whether its actually true or not, it appears to me that Carlisle views Harrington as a player that wants and needs to start the game. Now, ive said many times on here that coaches really dont care so much about who starts a game, they spend much more time and care alot more about who is going to FINISH the game. I still would predict that Rick Carlisle agrees with that statement completely. However, its clear to me both in actions and in words that Carlisle believes that HARRINGTON is motivated by being a starter. That would explain continuing to start him even though he has struggled lately, leaving him in to begin games even though he is slightly out of position starting defensively against the opponents best SF. It would also explain the psychological threat that I believe that was aimed at Harrington in the last 10 days about Rick threatening lineup changes for poor play.

    Now, there isnt anything wrong particularly with Harrington wanting to start desperately. Ive coached players like that, just to where the prestige and excitement and honor of starting means alot to them. I'm positive that Harrington is one of the guys who feels that way. What's interesting to me from a coaching perspective is after being threatened discreetly about having something important taken away from him, that Harrington seemed to play just as bad or worse with that added pressure put on him by Carlisle. A psychological ploy that didnt work, but one worth trying I think, and Im glad Carlisle played that game now in December/January, because it will help him learn how to motivate Harrington later in his career. Now the challenge will be to rebuild his confidence.

    But, now we are still left with the problem that Harrington is struggling, playing out of position at the "3" (defensively at least) and not playing well in other aspects of the game he should be better at, like rebounding. So, what do you do now psychologically if you are coaching Harrington?
    Seems to me you have 2 choices.....either take the position away from him as you threatened to do, or go the other way and leave him in to work his way out of it. Carlisle by his comments in the paper seems to have chosen the second option. I dont think any of us can argue with that decision, although a case can be made either way I know. Its possible that losing a starting spot might propel Harrington into playing harder and better in order to regain it, and that Granger or someone else might indeed be a better long term fit at the beginning of games. However, that result would also have long term effects and chemistry issues too, so I dont necessarily blame RC at all for sticking with Harrington and continuing to play him big minutes.

    Ok, so now we've decided to keep playing and starting Harrington. How can the coaches help him play better? And more importantly, how can we use Harrington more efficiently to help the PACERS be better? As Harrington has only one real strength as a basketball player (being a scorer) and is average in most every other way, it seems to me that scoring and getting touches is how we need to use him, especially early in games. I think being involved early and often in the offensive game plan will elevate the rest of his game back to where his abilities and production should be. To do this, Id suggest some of the following remedies/possibilities:

    1. I'd post up Harrington early in the game, and use Jermaine at the high post like we did early in the season. I know JO hated playing out there as much as he did, and even had a famous blowup after a game. I agree with his point to a degree, but JO can really help us in a high/low game, and if Tim Duncan can play the high post as much as he does, so can JO.

    2. Along with number one, Id use a big/big screen and roll with Harrington and JO. Thats an offensive wrinkle the Pacers havent shown at all yet, but its one we can steal from San Antonio and some of the other more creative teams in the league. Im not talking a wing screen/roll here, Im talking about one in the foul line/elbow area.

    3. Instead of drifting Harrington outside to a wing area so often, we need to use what Coach Knight called "triangle" movement, and use a 2 guard front with 3 players moving inside in the corners and wing areas....Foster/Baston, JO, and Harrington. I think part of Harrington's struggles is that Carlisle hasnt been creative enough offensively after Foster has been playing bigger minutes. We need to scheme better offensively in general, and using Harrington to get better shots is a sound idea.

    4. We can "script" our first few offensive possessions to run specials for Harrington. Going along with getting him going early, we can actually run and practice our first 4 possessions th run the plays that Harrington runs best, in order to get off to better beginnings and get him started. This is a football idea that many coaches are starting to adapt as a sound strategy. Incidentally, Rick Carlisle is not one of them, he seems to wait until the game begins to see how the flow is going, before deciding what scripted plays to call.

    5. We can substitute either JO or Harrington earlier in the first quarter, to have them play more minutes separately from one another. I actually look for this to happen even more than it already does, and in a more regulated manner. I wont be at all suprised to see Harrington or JO subbed for at the 6 minute mark of the first quarter, then see one sub for the other at the beginning of the second. The best rotation I think with that is to actually bring Baston in for JO after 6 minutes, let JO rest, then sub him back for Harrington at the end of the first quarter. I know that will bring cries of RC using a preplanned rotation, but I dont think thats necessarily a bad thing. Jerry Sloan did the same substitution pattern with John Stockton for years, always subbing his backup in at the 6 minute mark of the 1st quarter, and people on this board mostly recognize that Jerry Sloan is one of the best coaches around.

    Subbing for one of them early helps our defensive matchups with this first unit too. Either youd be taking Harrington out of the game, or youd be letting him guard someone at his more natural PF position. Either way it helps Harrington defensively hide his weaknesses a bit easier. If indeed JO is the player you take out first (my recommendation) it helps him stay out of foul trouble and stay fresher for the end of games, and for the end of the season. Following that up, it also lets JO rest before he re-enters the game at center, and most likely means he plays the "5" against the opponents backup, not the starter.




    No matter what we do, we have to get more consistent and better play from Harrington, if we want to have even a chance of being a good enough team to cause damage in the playoffs. When playing well, Harrington has an enthusiasm and spirit and smile that I think this team needs to be able to feed off of. I think it's IMPORTANT for him to play well for the chemistry of the team, and I think his spirit, both in good and bad times, effects the play of others perhaps more than any of our other players. Getting the most out of his strengths will be a real key for us in the next few months.

    As always, just my opinion.

    Tbird
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: The psychology/strategy of coaching Al Harrington

    I have watched only one or two Pacers games this whole season, and I must say I feel that I've doubled my knowledge of Harrington this year in Pacers by reading this post.
    I'm not saying it's all true or not, I'm saying it's a really nice job. Great read.

    Cheers,
    Mamluk

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: The psychology/strategy of coaching Al Harrington

      I didn't bother reading the prolix post.

      Frankly, we gave up Artest and a valued 2007 #1 pick for AL

      One would think we'd get a player able to contribute to the team, without the need for deep psychological/strategic effort (by the team, or forum members).

      This is a joke to me: AL's a PRICEY bust and the sad part is the Pacer's PTB had him before and should've know this. Al is not a difference maker NOR can he be relied upon for consistent OR TIMELY (as in clutch time) contribution.

      Bad move.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: The psychology/strategy of coaching Al Harrington

        Bust?????????????????????????????????

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: The psychology/strategy of coaching Al Harrington

          Originally posted by v_d_g View Post
          I didn't bother reading the prolix post.

          Frankly, we gave up Artest and a valued 2007 #1 pick for AL

          One would think we'd get a player able to contribute to the team, without the need for deep psychological/strategic effort (by the team, or forum members).

          This is a joke to me: AL's a PRICEY bust and the sad part is the Pacer's PTB had him before and should've know this. Al is not a difference maker NOR can he be relied upon for consistent OR TIMELY (as in clutch time) contribution.

          Bad move.
          I think this subject has been discussed ad nauseum....the Pacers made the best of a bad situation with Ron Artest, and I dont really want to get this thread off topic by rehashing this old argument. I think we've beaten that dead horse enough.

          On the substance though, Harrington is not an all star level forward, but I dont think anyone here ever really thought he was. He is what he is, which is an undersized 4 man who is normally a really good offensive player, particularly as a scorer. What i was trying to write about was the psychology that goes into motivating different players, and some different ways we could use Harrington offensively to get his game back on track, thats all.

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: The psychology/strategy of coaching Al Harrington

            Originally posted by thunderbird1245 View Post
            Hello all. Ive been busy with the holidays and with work and havent got to post much the past couple of weeks, but Ive been watching the games and reading the board, and one of the main topics here in Pacerland is the continued subpar play of Al Harrington. That got me to go back and think about what I thought about Harrington's signing at the time, how he'd be used both with and without JO, and how he would fit in with us.

            I was in the summer, and continue to be, a supporter of the move to bring Harrington back. I think he brings many things to the table to help us, if he can be used in the proper way. Harrington is not a star level player, but he can be a reliable scorer who can take some pressure off of JO to get huge numbers every single night, at least in theory. However, I think we need to go back and re-evaluate how to properly use Harrington in order to get the most out of him, both in a psychological way and in a strategic sense. Im sure that getting more out of the JO/Harrington combination has been a major topic of conversation in Conseco fieldhouse in the last few weeks, and I wanted to share my thoughts on the matter.

            First, the psychological part of how to get the most from Harrington:

            Whether its actually true or not, it appears to me that Carlisle views Harrington as a player that wants and needs to start the game. Now, ive said many times on here that coaches really dont care so much about who starts a game, they spend much more time and care alot more about who is going to FINISH the game. I still would predict that Rick Carlisle agrees with that statement completely. However, its clear to me both in actions and in words that Carlisle believes that HARRINGTON is motivated by being a starter. That would explain continuing to start him even though he has struggled lately, leaving him in to begin games even though he is slightly out of position starting defensively against the opponents best SF. It would also explain the psychological threat that I believe that was aimed at Harrington in the last 10 days about Rick threatening lineup changes for poor play.

            Now, there isnt anything wrong particularly with Harrington wanting to start desperately. Ive coached players like that, just to where the prestige and excitement and honor of starting means alot to them. I'm positive that Harrington is one of the guys who feels that way. What's interesting to me from a coaching perspective is after being threatened discreetly about having something important taken away from him, that Harrington seemed to play just as bad or worse with that added pressure put on him by Carlisle. A psychological ploy that didnt work, but one worth trying I think, and Im glad Carlisle played that game now in December/January, because it will help him learn how to motivate Harrington later in his career. Now the challenge will be to rebuild his confidence.

            But, now we are still left with the problem that Harrington is struggling, playing out of position at the "3" (defensively at least) and not playing well in other aspects of the game he should be better at, like rebounding. So, what do you do now psychologically if you are coaching Harrington?
            Seems to me you have 2 choices.....either take the position away from him as you threatened to do, or go the other way and leave him in to work his way out of it. Carlisle by his comments in the paper seems to have chosen the second option. I dont think any of us can argue with that decision, although a case can be made either way I know. Its possible that losing a starting spot might propel Harrington into playing harder and better in order to regain it, and that Granger or someone else might indeed be a better long term fit at the beginning of games. However, that result would also have long term effects and chemistry issues too, so I dont necessarily blame RC at all for sticking with Harrington and continuing to play him big minutes.

            Ok, so now we've decided to keep playing and starting Harrington. How can the coaches help him play better? And more importantly, how can we use Harrington more efficiently to help the PACERS be better? As Harrington has only one real strength as a basketball player (being a scorer) and is average in most every other way, it seems to me that scoring and getting touches is how we need to use him, especially early in games. I think being involved early and often in the offensive game plan will elevate the rest of his game back to where his abilities and production should be. To do this, Id suggest some of the following remedies/possibilities:

            1. I'd post up Harrington early in the game, and use Jermaine at the high post like we did early in the season. I know JO hated playing out there as much as he did, and even had a famous blowup after a game. I agree with his point to a degree, but JO can really help us in a high/low game, and if Tim Duncan can play the high post as much as he does, so can JO.

            2. Along with number one, Id use a big/big screen and roll with Harrington and JO. Thats an offensive wrinkle the Pacers havent shown at all yet, but its one we can steal from San Antonio and some of the other more creative teams in the league. Im not talking a wing screen/roll here, Im talking about one in the foul line/elbow area.

            3. Instead of drifting Harrington outside to a wing area so often, we need to use what Coach Knight called "triangle" movement, and use a 2 guard front with 3 players moving inside in the corners and wing areas....Foster/Baston, JO, and Harrington. I think part of Harrington's struggles is that Carlisle hasnt been creative enough offensively after Foster has been playing bigger minutes. We need to scheme better offensively in general, and using Harrington to get better shots is a sound idea.

            4. We can "script" our first few offensive possessions to run specials for Harrington. Going along with getting him going early, we can actually run and practice our first 4 possessions th run the plays that Harrington runs best, in order to get off to better beginnings and get him started. This is a football idea that many coaches are starting to adapt as a sound strategy. Incidentally, Rick Carlisle is not one of them, he seems to wait until the game begins to see how the flow is going, before deciding what scripted plays to call.

            5. We can substitute either JO or Harrington earlier in the first quarter, to have them play more minutes separately from one another. I actually look for this to happen even more than it already does, and in a more regulated manner. I wont be at all suprised to see Harrington or JO subbed for at the 6 minute mark of the first quarter, then see one sub for the other at the beginning of the second. The best rotation I think with that is to actually bring Baston in for JO after 6 minutes, let JO rest, then sub him back for Harrington at the end of the first quarter. I know that will bring cries of RC using a preplanned rotation, but I dont think thats necessarily a bad thing. Jerry Sloan did the same substitution pattern with John Stockton for years, always subbing his backup in at the 6 minute mark of the 1st quarter, and people on this board mostly recognize that Jerry Sloan is one of the best coaches around.

            Subbing for one of them early helps our defensive matchups with this first unit too. Either youd be taking Harrington out of the game, or youd be letting him guard someone at his more natural PF position. Either way it helps Harrington defensively hide his weaknesses a bit easier. If indeed JO is the player you take out first (my recommendation) it helps him stay out of foul trouble and stay fresher for the end of games, and for the end of the season. Following that up, it also lets JO rest before he re-enters the game at center, and most likely means he plays the "5" against the opponents backup, not the starter.




            No matter what we do, we have to get more consistent and better play from Harrington, if we want to have even a chance of being a good enough team to cause damage in the playoffs. When playing well, Harrington has an enthusiasm and spirit and smile that I think this team needs to be able to feed off of. I think it's IMPORTANT for him to play well for the chemistry of the team, and I think his spirit, both in good and bad times, effects the play of others perhaps more than any of our other players. Getting the most out of his strengths will be a real key for us in the next few months.

            As always, just my opinion.

            Tbird
            Thanks for sharing the knowledge. Even if early play call gets him going early, defensively he is still too much of a liability at the 3. Whatever rotation we use, JO needs 40 min at PF. IF RC cannot come up with creative defense scheme to hide AL AND JT, we still won't go anywhere far.

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: The psychology/strategy of coaching Al Harrington

              One thing about moving a player to the bench. A good angle to approach it from can be as the "sympathetic friend". RC says to Al "let's just have you come off the bench for a few games to change the look and feel of the game to bust you out of this rut."

              You are no longer demoting the player for bad play, but simply changing something about the game routine they face in order to shake off the current bad rhythm. No different than having a guy warm-up differently, change his shoes, or any of a myriad other "habits".

              It's just about getting to a fresh mental state so a player can truly reset his approach and game timing. As soon as it gets going again they move right back to the starting lineup and a normal role, at least if you truly think it was just a slump.


              Granger was overmatched as a starter and left out as a 4th or 5th scoring option. For him the bench allows him to play an entirely different type of game than starting currently would.

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              • #8
                Re: The psychology/strategy of coaching Al Harrington

                i won't pretend to have anywhere near your level of technical knowledge, tbird, but dg4mvp raises a good point. what about harrington's defense at sf? your suggestions are mostly aimed at getting harrington on track offensively; only the last suggestion (earlier substitution) tries to alleviate the defensive problem. or is it your contention that a scoring al is more likely to put in the effort defensively? and what about harrington's rebounding? he had i think one or two exceptional rebounding games, but was sub par most of the time.

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                • #9
                  Re: The psychology/strategy of coaching Al Harrington

                  The ideas I like most are tweaking the way we utilize Al and JO when on the court together-high post/low post combo and big/big PnR.

                  The idea of subbing out JO earlier in the 1st is interesting and does offer the important possibility of getting Al some minutes at PF where I think he definitely is better.

                  At the same time though, if Al isn't off to a good start by that point you have him anchoring the five on the floor 1/2 the first period. And that's the issue with Al.

                  Even if you run early possessions essentially for him, if he doesn't wind up getting shots, or he misses them, be prepared for the familiar disappearing act. I think he is player whose motivation is completely contingent on his offensive success. If he's in the midst of a solid scoring night, you're likely to see energy in other areas of his game. Otherwise, don't expect much of anything.

                  That's ironic given much of the reason we brought him in was his being a constant source of up-beat, positive energy. Now it seems it's only potentially there if he's in the starting lineup and scoring well. Kind of sounds like most of our team to me. Guess who's going to come mentally prepared for tonight's game? No more than two correct answers anygiven night. Maybe a new pre-game contest for Conseco.
                  I'd rather die standing up than live on my knees.

                  -Emiliano Zapata

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                  • #10
                    Re: The psychology/strategy of coaching Al Harrington

                    Originally posted by v_d_g View Post
                    I didn't bother reading the prolix post.

                    Frankly, we gave up Artest and a valued 2007 #1 pick for AL

                    One would think we'd get a player able to contribute to the team, without the need for deep psychological/strategic effort (by the team, or forum members).

                    This is a joke to me: AL's a PRICEY bust and the sad part is the Pacer's PTB had him before and should've know this. Al is not a difference maker NOR can he be relied upon for consistent OR TIMELY (as in clutch time) contribution.

                    Bad move.

                    IF you want to use that logic then would it be technically: Jackson and a #1 for Artest?

                    You can't look at the scope of Artest like that. It would be like saying:

                    WE traded Mark Jackson for Rose to get Artest and Miller to get Al whom we traded for SJackson,

                    So we traded Mark Jackson for Stephen Jackson....

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                    • #11
                      Re: The psychology/strategy of coaching Al Harrington

                      Originally posted by v_d_g View Post
                      I didn't bother reading the prolix post.

                      Frankly, we gave up Artest and a valued 2007 #1 pick for AL

                      One would think we'd get a player able to contribute to the team, without the need for deep psychological/strategic effort (by the team, or forum members).

                      This is a joke to me: AL's a PRICEY bust and the sad part is the Pacer's PTB had him before and should've know this. Al is not a difference maker NOR can he be relied upon for consistent OR TIMELY (as in clutch time) contribution.

                      Bad move.
                      You and others who share this mentality have all missed the point of re-acquiring Al. It wasn't about getting skill, i.e., "equal talent/value", as much as it was about getting a player who was less troublesome and could add to team unity rather than help tear it apart. The sooner people STOP comparing Al to Artest, the better and faster they can accept the direction this team is trying to go in.

                      I happen to agree w/the majority of T-Bird's assessment on Al. RC simply needs to find the best way to use him and maximize his talents, and Al simply needs to accept that he only brings certain skills to the table AND fully embrace his role whatever it may be. But the biggest thing he has to accept is the fact that he will always be #2 (at the most) behind JO as long as JO and he are on this team. The sooner he accept these truths, the better off he and the team will be.

                      As to his minutes, etc., the best he could do is prove that he deserves more time, and that will only come when his stats show it. I've been concerned of how the "JO/AL as starters project" would pan out, and so far it hasn't worked out nearly as well as I had hoped. But here lately, it seems Al may be starting to figure out what his part is on the team - that being, the long-range shooter this team needs. But we also need another low-post defensive presence and another solid, consistant rebounder. For some reason Al hasn't provided much of either, but here recently he has shown signs of making the effort to do more of both. Still, the problem as I see it is this:

                      Having a single low-post threat (JO) means this team quickly becomes 1-dimensional on the blocks. It's the main reason I was so hopeful Baby Shaq would have turned the corner this year. Instead, he's still out nursing every injury known to man it seems (sarcasm). So, all we've got is Foster. And as much as I truly appreciate his rebounding and off-the-ball defensive capabilities, I'd really like to see some more scoring from our bigs down on the blocks, as well as more shot blocking.

                      You see, I listened to what JO had to say at the close of last season, and I've watched our bigs perform thus far, and what I've noticed is none of our bigs are performing anywhere near JO's productivity. We get blocks occassionally from Granger and Foster, but that's about it. Baston has the makings of being a more atheletic version of JO, but the verdict is still out as to whether or not he'll be a shot blocker. I think if Al were playing more @ the 4, we'd see more of his interior defense shine through, but anyone who expects him to fulfill that role from the 3...well, you're fooling yourselves. His job @ SF is more perimeter defense w/a little interior defense added in. As for his overall game, however, I'd like to see him take his game more inside as T-Bird suggests than to watch him continuously settle for fade-a-ways and 3PAs. He's coming along nicely in the later area, but if he'd try to work both into his game, ala, Jax2, he'd have far more success. But the bottom line is Al needs to accept his role and his place on this team. The sooner he does both, the better off he and the team will be.

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                      • #12
                        Re: The psychology/strategy of coaching Al Harrington

                        Al/Jeff/JO is a much worse starting frontcourt than either:

                        Danny/Al/JO

                        or

                        Danny/Jeff/JO.

                        Regardless, you've got two significant frontcourt problems right now...

                        Al is playing out of position at SF (not just defensively; at both ends of the court.)

                        And you've got the JO/Jeff on-court spacing/ chemistry issues that are re-emerging because Jeff is a lousy on-court compliment to JO.

                        Having said all that,

                        Danny/Al/Jeff is a front court that is destined for the lottery. Gotta come up with players that compliment JO, and Jeff at PF and Al at SF is not the way to do that.
                        Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
                        Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
                        Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
                        Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
                        And life itself, rushing over me
                        Life itself, the wind in black elms,
                        Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you

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                        • #13
                          Re: The psychology/strategy of coaching Al Harrington

                          I like all of tbird's suggestions except #4.

                          Originally posted by thunderbird1245
                          4. We can "script" our first few offensive possessions to run specials for Harrington. Going along with getting him going early, we can actually run and practice our first 4 possessions to run the plays that Harrington runs best, in order to get off to better beginnings and get him started.

                          How many games would it take for other teams to know the ball was coming to Harrington on the Pacers first few possessions, and for them to start collapsing on him? Two or three? After that, Harrington would be unable to get started and the tactic would be futile. Plus the Pacers would be down 6-0 and the players would be having "confusion among themelves."

                          There is no substitute for players who are adept at thinking on their feet and who can take advantage of what the defense allows them. Good coaching can help the players develop this skill and sometimes the coach is right to call a play because he has recognized an opportunity sooner and more clearly than the players. But when scripting possessions in the locker room becomes a substitute for active/reactive ball movement, it become bad coaching.
                          And I won't be here to see the day
                          It all dries up and blows away
                          I'd hang around just to see
                          But they never had much use for me
                          In Levelland. (James McMurtry)

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                          • #14
                            Re: The psychology/strategy of coaching Al Harrington

                            Putnam,

                            Good points. I'll add this:

                            (1) scripting like that is on a single-game basis and
                            (2) best used in the playoffs.

                            Still, the best-ever examples I've seen of that type of scripting were Pacers vs. Hawks, 1994 EC Semis, Games #3 & #4 (Saturday and Sunday) In one of those games, Brownie made sure Rik had a huge first quarter offensively. In the other game, Brownie made sure Derrick McKey had a huge first quarter offensively. By the end of Game #4, AD blocked three straight shots and Byron Scott threw down a monster dunk on Craig Ehlo, and the Pacers 27-hour blitz of the #1-seeded Hawks left us up 3-1.
                            Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
                            Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
                            Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
                            Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
                            And life itself, rushing over me
                            Life itself, the wind in black elms,
                            Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Re: The psychology/strategy of coaching Al Harrington

                              Originally posted by Jay@Section19 View Post
                              Al is playing out of position at SF (not just defensively; at both ends of the court.)

                              And you've got the JO/Jeff on-court spacing/ chemistry issues that are re-emerging because Jeff is a lousy on-court compliment to JO.

                              Having said all that,

                              Danny/Al/Jeff is a front court that is destined for the lottery. Gotta come up with players that compliment JO, and Jeff at PF and Al at SF is not the way to do that.
                              To Al playing out of position: Of course he is. I think he'd rather play PF than SF, but given the choice of playing Center, I think he'd accept being moved to the 3.

                              To finding a compliment to JO down low: It's the main reason I'm hopeful Harrison will return soon and show improvement. JO could use his another low-post scorer in the middle - someone who can score readily from the floor. Again, I like Foster, but he's not a scorer except on putbacks (and even then he makes me cringe most times; but I love his rebounding ability and off-the-ball defense!)

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