A question from Bill Simmons's mailbag

[Ninjafish]

Q: I don't get it. We run the high screen, I get into the paint, I'm going for a layup and then Shaq's guy comes over and I end up throwing the ball off someone's face. Next time down, we run the high screen, I feed Amare for one of his runaway train dunks, and then Shaq's guy comes over and takes the charge. Then we move Shaq 15 feet away from the basket to give us space, but his guy realizes immediately that Shaq can't shoot, so he just stands under the rim and gets in our way. What the hell do we do? How do we solve this? My head hurts.
--S. Nash, Phoenix

SG: (Scratching my head, unable to come up with a response.)


Well, anyone have a good answer to that?

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Yep. It is because they are using Shaq instead of Amare in the P&R's. It was nearly unstoppable before Shaq came, now they barely run it.

 

[Crash]

Yep. It is because they are using Shaq instead of Amare in the P&R's. It was nearly unstoppable before Shaq came, now they barely run it.

***Please see one of the "bad coach" threads.***

 

[dreamcastrocks]

***Please see one of the "bad coach" threads.***

Too negative for my blood.

 

[DeAnna]

Yep. It is because they are using Shaq instead of Amare in the P&R's. It was nearly unstoppable before Shaq came, now they barely run it.

They're experimenting. They'll go back to Amare in April :crossesfingers:

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Tim Legler was on ESPN just killing the Shaq trade last night. He says that the only way to fix the Suns right now is to make Shaq come off the bench. The spacing is awful with Shaq in the lineup and the pick and roll doesn't work.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Tim Legler was on ESPN just killing the Shaq trade last night. He says that the only way to fix the Suns right now is to make Shaq come off the bench. The spacing is awful with Shaq in the lineup and the pick and roll doesn't work.

Shaq needs to be on the weak side block, waiting for the Nash/Amare P&R to develop. It has already been proven that it works, and before Shaq, the weakside defender had to come over and help Amare. That should leave Shaq free.

 

[cly2tw]

Tim Legler was on ESPN just killing the Shaq trade last night. He says that the only way to fix the Suns right now is to make Shaq come off the bench. The spacing is awful with Shaq in the lineup and the pick and roll doesn't work.

The spacing is awful only when Shaq doesn't touch the ball or somehow involved on offense. Yet, our best +/- stretches came with feeding/involving Shaq on offense in the past 2 games. And even when Shaq was on the bench, our offense only got going for a short time vs. the Nugs.

Actually, if we hadn't committed so many turnovers mostly involving Nash, Nugs wouldn't have gotten as many fastbreak/transition points, and we might have had a chance to win.

Actually, having Nash come off the bench might be a better idea than Shaq doing it, as our defense would be greatly improved without much loss of offense, the way Nash has been dribbling our offense into the ground.

 

[msdundee]

"Actually, if we hadn't committed so many turnovers mostly involving Nash, Nugs wouldn't have gotten as many fastbreak/transition points, and we might have had a chance to win."

19 turnovers total:
5 - Nash
5 - Stoudemire
5 - O'Neal

 

[Ninjafish]

Actually, having Nash come off the bench might be a better idea than Shaq doing it, as our defense would be greatly improved without much loss of offense, the way Nash has been dribbling our offense into the ground.

I know it seems that way since turnovers have been our biggest problem and Nash has a lot of turnovers lately, but it's not true. Look no further than last night's game when we were up by 2 in the first quarter when he went to the bench. When Nash came back, we were down by 9.

Nash was taken out at the end of the third quarter, and we were down by 11. A loss of only 2 points in that huge stretch. When Nash came back in, we were down by 17. And when we he left for good, we were down by 16.

So, all of that put together, with Nash in the game we were a +1 in a game where we got blown out.

Or look at the Portland game. http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/playbyplay?gameId=280304022 On the third quarter, Nash went out at 2:10 and we had a 15 point lead. 2 minutes later, he had to come back because the lead had dropped to 8.

Against Philly. Tie game as Nash goes to the bench in the third, down by 6 when he comes back. Eventually we lost by 6.

The truth is that while we haven't exactly been playing great with Nash in the game, we're just completely dead with him on the bench. The same as it's been for years.

 

[nowagimp]

I know it seems that way since turnovers have been our biggest problem and Nash has a lot of turnovers lately, but it's not true. Look no further than last night's game when we were up by 2 in the first quarter when he went to the bench. When Nash came back, we were down by 9.

Nash was taken out at the end of the third quarter, and we were down by 11. A loss of only 2 points in that huge stretch. When Nash came back in, we were down by 17. And when we he left for good, we were down by 16.

So, all of that put together, with Nash in the game we were a +1 in a game where we got blown out.

Or look at the Portland game. http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/playbyplay?gameId=280304022 On the third quarter, Nash went out at 2:10 and we had a 15 point lead. 2 minutes later, he had to come back because the lead had dropped to 8.

Against Philly. Tie game as Nash goes to the bench in the third, down by 6 when he comes back. Eventually we lost by 6.

The truth is that while we haven't exactly been playing great with Nash in the game, we're just completely dead with him on the bench. The same as it's been for years.

Yeah, its amazing that even after 2 MVPs a SUNS fan would think the suns were better with nash on the bench. One bad ten game stretch and he's done, just like the year that Bell and KT came aboard, one of his MVP years. The facts are out there, the suns are a mediocre team without nash in the game. You've gotta be blinded to think they are better without Nash. Yeah they could play better defense without nash and shoot 38% field goals and lose 95-85 every night and be in the lottery.

 

[MiamiHeat]

Yeah, its amazing that even after 2 MVPs a SUNS fan would think the suns were better with nash on the bench. One bad ten game stretch and he's done, just like the year that Bell and KT came aboard, one of his MVP years. The facts are out there, the suns are a mediocre team without nash in the game. You've gotta be blinded to think they are better without Nash. Yeah they could play better defense without nash and shoot 38% field goals and lose 95-85 every night and be in the lottery.

on top of all of this, to dog on Nash when a huge questionable and ridiculed trade for Shaq was made to cause all of this............ i just can't believe they would dog Nash

 

[ambchang_]

The thing I don't get is this, Shaq has always made PFs who can shoot and SGs in his days. He made Penny Hardaway and Horace Grant who they are in Orlando, then Kobe and Horry, then Haslem and Wade, why can't the Suns integrate him in the offense?

There are two major offense the Suns can run that can increase Shaq's effectiveness:
1) Shaq on one side of low block, Amare and Nash pick and roll up top on the other side. There are now three options, Nash can shoot if his man goes under the screen, he can pass it to Amare if Amare can effectively seal his man and roll to the basket, or Nash can penetrate, then either kick it out to Amare for an open jumper, or pass it to Shaq for a dunk if Shaq's man come over to help.
2) Feed Shaq the ball in the low post, Amare hangs on the opposite side on the high post, while Nash sits in between, with Hill/Barbosa/Bell in the corner alongside Shaq, and the other 3 pt shooter on the opposite side. If Shaq got doubled, he can pass to whoever is opened (usually the guy on the opposite side), if Shaq continued to be singled, Amare can cut to the basket, while Nash rotate to mid court, or Amare can set a screen of Nash and let Nash cut to the basket, getting an easy layup.

But then D'antoni continues to run the pick and roll with Shaq (which has NEVER worked in Shaq's career), or he just dumps the ball to Shaq waiting to be fouled. He is not doing anything on his offense to use the strengths of his players, but instead is continually trying to fit a round peg in a square hole.

 

[Feeble Mcjackson]

you cant run the high pick n roll and leave shaq on the block. if you do that then shaq's defender can sit in the paint and wait for either amare or nash to flash towards the basket and stop them.

 

[Covert Rain]

Shaq needs to be on the weak side block, waiting for the Nash/Amare P&R to develop. It has already been proven that it works, and before Shaq, the weakside defender had to come over and help Amare. That should leave Shaq free.

Thank you. I thought I was the only one thinking the same thing. Put Shaq on the weakside. Don't put him at the top of the key. Then you can still run the pick and roll and Shaq can come help with weakside defense.

 

[Hat]

Thank you. I thought I was the only one thinking the same thing. Put Shaq on the weakside. Don't put him at the top of the key. Then you can still run the pick and roll and Shaq can come help with weakside defense.

I was screaming that all night at the TV. WTF is Shaq doing with the pick and roll? Amare needs to do it with Shaq down low.

It's funny 100 of us on these boards see what's wrong but the coach can't

 

[Ninjafish]

I was screaming that all night at the TV. WTF is Shaq doing with the pick and roll? Amare needs to do it with Shaq down low.

It's funny 100 of us on these boards see what's wrong but the coach can't

Maybe one of us should email Steve Kerr.

I'm not joking. If you go to Suns.com, there's a link after every game where you can send Kerr questions.

Has anyone here used that before?

 

[ambchang_]

you cant run the high pick n roll and leave shaq on the block. if you do that then shaq's defender can sit in the paint and wait for either amare or nash to flash towards the basket and stop them.

And that is why you can pass to Shaq. For all this age, Shaq has amazing hands and can still dunk the ball with anyone.

 

[SirStefan32]

Shaq needs to be on the weak side block, waiting for the Nash/Amare P&R to develop. It has already been proven that it works, and before Shaq, the weakside defender had to come over and help Amare. That should leave Shaq free.

EXACTLY! YOU nailed it! For the life of me, I can't figure out why Coach Antoni is not doing that. Let Amare and Nash do their thing and have Shaq hang around on the weak side block for easy dunks.

And for God's sake, do not ALLOW Shaq to come anywhere near 3 point line on offense.

 

[arwillan]

but instead is continually trying to fit a round peg in a square hole.

lol, a round peg would fit into a square hole. i think you mean "square peg in a round hole"?

 

[MiamiHeat]

lol, a round peg would fit into a square hole. i think you mean "square peg in a round hole"?

not if the round peg was larger than the square hole!

 

[TheHopToad]

you cant run the high pick n roll and leave shaq on the block. if you do that then shaq's defender can sit in the paint and wait for either amare or nash to flash towards the basket and stop them.

Maybe this is D'Antoni's master plan. He wants Shaq's defender to wait in the paint. He's hoping we can pick up a lot of 3-second calls. Genious!

 

[malooga]

Actually, having Nash come off the bench might be a better idea than Shaq doing it, as our defense would be greatly improved without much loss of offense, the way Nash has been dribbling our offense into the ground.

Are you out of your mind? Or was that a joke?