Kravitz: Jim O'Brien's moves are baffling
IndyStar.com
IndyStar.com
With 2:35 remaining in the Indiana Pacers' 95-83 loss to the Boston Celtics at Conseco Fieldhouse, the folks in Area 55 started their smartest chant of the evening:
"We want Roy! We want Roy!''
It's understood that Hibbert's loyal people want the big man every game, every minute, but in this case, they had a very good point.
The only thing they forgot to mention was this: "We want Brandon! We want Brandon!''
Rush, that is.
Same guy who had 17 points, seven boards and a desire to go to the basket and draw fouls, was yanked from the game with 6:01 remaining, never to return.
Here was the lineup Jim O'Brien used as his team was getting blown off the court in the fourth quarter and was desperate to find somebody, anybody, who could put the ball in the basket.
Josh McRoberts. Jeff Foster. And a few minutes later, James Posey came in for McRoberts. All of them, offensive ciphers.
Look, on their best day, the Pacers are going to lose to the Boston Celtics nine times out of 10. Even without Rajon Rondo, the Celtics are simply too overwhelming, too talented, too deep. But it's the coach's job to give his team its best chance to win, and on this occasion, O'Brien was lacking.
And yes, his players have noticed. Let's just say there was lots of eye-rolling and quiet griping in the postgame locker room. This group hasn't quite figured out what their coach is doing, and chances are, they never will.
There was more, though: The game changed in the fourth quarter when former Pacer Marquis Daniels was used as Boston's point guard. Time after time, Daniels posted up either T.J. Ford or Darren Collison, two smaller players, and time after time he either scored or got to the basket, drew the help and passed it to an open shooter.
So, how did O'Brien deal with the mismatch?
He didn't.
He thought about Dahntay Jones or Mike Dunleavy on Daniels, but in the end, he stayed put.
"Did you think Jim might put you in to cover Daniels?'' I asked Jones.
He shook his head.
"Nope. Jim was going to stick to his script and gut it out,'' Jones said in matter-of-fact fashion. "I didn't think I would be used in that situation.''
Back, though, to the Hibbert and Rush disappearance. In the interest of providing equal time, here's how O'Brien explained it when I asked the question after the game.
"Roy really had a difficult time covering their pick-and-pops,'' O'Brien said. "When teams play smaller centers like (Glen) Davis and Roy has to guard a middle pick-and-roll, unless it's a very short run, he has a difficult time getting out there. And if Roy is not scoring in the low post, we have to go to other options because we need him to score in the low post.''
Hibbert played 24 minutes in the game, 10 in the second half. He was 3-for-5 shooting in the first half before going 0-for-4 in the third quarter. Davis hit two jumpers against him in the first 3:30 of the fourth. At which point, he went missing completely.
Short leash, indeed.
As for Rush, I will once again give O'Brien the floor:
"Why wasn't he in the game? Because he played just about the whole third quarter (actually the whole third quarter) once Mike (Dunleavy) got hurt,'' O'Brien said. "I like having Mike and Danny (Granger) on the court at the end of the game at the wing spots.''
Except here's the problem: Granger, who played 41 minutes, hasn't had a decent shooting game in weeks. He made just 5-of-21 Tuesday, 0-for-6 on 3-pointers. And Dunleavy? He had a nice game, but again, he's not someone who creates his own shot.
Rush was politically correct after the game.
"I was kind of surprised I didn't play (late in the game), but it's a coach's decision and he'll do what's best,'' Rush said. "I'm not mad about it.''
He was then told that O'Brien had concerns about his energy after playing extended minutes the first three quarters.
"Tired?'' he said. "Nah, I don't get tired.''
In fairness, we should give O'Brien credit for this much: He has slowly but surely turned the Pacers into a very good defensive team, a top five team in field goal percentage defense. And that bodes well for the future, especially with a young team that figures to grow over time.
But . . . his rotations make no sense.
How are Tyler Hansbrough and Paul George supposed to grow? When will they let Collison do what he does best, which is to initiate offense off the pick-and-roll? Why sign Jones, a defender and midrange shooter, to a four-year deal and then staple him to the bench because he can't stretch the floor?
More and more, the players don't see the method to the madness.
And they're not alone.
"We want Roy! We want Roy!''
It's understood that Hibbert's loyal people want the big man every game, every minute, but in this case, they had a very good point.
The only thing they forgot to mention was this: "We want Brandon! We want Brandon!''
Rush, that is.
Same guy who had 17 points, seven boards and a desire to go to the basket and draw fouls, was yanked from the game with 6:01 remaining, never to return.
Here was the lineup Jim O'Brien used as his team was getting blown off the court in the fourth quarter and was desperate to find somebody, anybody, who could put the ball in the basket.
Josh McRoberts. Jeff Foster. And a few minutes later, James Posey came in for McRoberts. All of them, offensive ciphers.
Look, on their best day, the Pacers are going to lose to the Boston Celtics nine times out of 10. Even without Rajon Rondo, the Celtics are simply too overwhelming, too talented, too deep. But it's the coach's job to give his team its best chance to win, and on this occasion, O'Brien was lacking.
And yes, his players have noticed. Let's just say there was lots of eye-rolling and quiet griping in the postgame locker room. This group hasn't quite figured out what their coach is doing, and chances are, they never will.
There was more, though: The game changed in the fourth quarter when former Pacer Marquis Daniels was used as Boston's point guard. Time after time, Daniels posted up either T.J. Ford or Darren Collison, two smaller players, and time after time he either scored or got to the basket, drew the help and passed it to an open shooter.
So, how did O'Brien deal with the mismatch?
He didn't.
He thought about Dahntay Jones or Mike Dunleavy on Daniels, but in the end, he stayed put.
"Did you think Jim might put you in to cover Daniels?'' I asked Jones.
He shook his head.
"Nope. Jim was going to stick to his script and gut it out,'' Jones said in matter-of-fact fashion. "I didn't think I would be used in that situation.''
Back, though, to the Hibbert and Rush disappearance. In the interest of providing equal time, here's how O'Brien explained it when I asked the question after the game.
"Roy really had a difficult time covering their pick-and-pops,'' O'Brien said. "When teams play smaller centers like (Glen) Davis and Roy has to guard a middle pick-and-roll, unless it's a very short run, he has a difficult time getting out there. And if Roy is not scoring in the low post, we have to go to other options because we need him to score in the low post.''
Hibbert played 24 minutes in the game, 10 in the second half. He was 3-for-5 shooting in the first half before going 0-for-4 in the third quarter. Davis hit two jumpers against him in the first 3:30 of the fourth. At which point, he went missing completely.
Short leash, indeed.
As for Rush, I will once again give O'Brien the floor:
"Why wasn't he in the game? Because he played just about the whole third quarter (actually the whole third quarter) once Mike (Dunleavy) got hurt,'' O'Brien said. "I like having Mike and Danny (Granger) on the court at the end of the game at the wing spots.''
Except here's the problem: Granger, who played 41 minutes, hasn't had a decent shooting game in weeks. He made just 5-of-21 Tuesday, 0-for-6 on 3-pointers. And Dunleavy? He had a nice game, but again, he's not someone who creates his own shot.
Rush was politically correct after the game.
"I was kind of surprised I didn't play (late in the game), but it's a coach's decision and he'll do what's best,'' Rush said. "I'm not mad about it.''
He was then told that O'Brien had concerns about his energy after playing extended minutes the first three quarters.
"Tired?'' he said. "Nah, I don't get tired.''
In fairness, we should give O'Brien credit for this much: He has slowly but surely turned the Pacers into a very good defensive team, a top five team in field goal percentage defense. And that bodes well for the future, especially with a young team that figures to grow over time.
But . . . his rotations make no sense.
How are Tyler Hansbrough and Paul George supposed to grow? When will they let Collison do what he does best, which is to initiate offense off the pick-and-roll? Why sign Jones, a defender and midrange shooter, to a four-year deal and then staple him to the bench because he can't stretch the floor?
More and more, the players don't see the method to the madness.
And they're not alone.
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