Great breakdown of the Suns Offense Last Year

[SweetD]

http://mweb.cbssports.com/nba/eye-o...he-phoenix-suns-offense-then-and-now?v=1&vc=1

 

[Covert Rain]

http://mweb.cbssports.com/nba/eye-o...he-phoenix-suns-offense-then-and-now?v=1&vc=1

Pretty cool analysis. The scary part is it appears by this the Suns live and die by the 3. That's not going to get you very far when you play teams in the playoffs like the Spurs who are very good at shutting down the perimeter.

Good stuff though. Those heat maps are pretty cool.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Pretty cool analysis. The scary part is it appears by this the Suns live and die by the 3. That's not going to get you very far when you play teams in the playoffs like the Spurs who are very good at shutting down the perimeter.

Good stuff though. Those heat maps are pretty cool.

For the most part, we live by the wide open three. They came on pull-ups and penetration/kick-outs and other than the occasional forced shot from Green they were mostly undefended. And I think it can get you all the way in the playoffs. If you can penetrate from either side and if you have the players to run the pick and roll on either side, I don't see how any team can defend those and the kick-out threes. We didn't end our season early because of our three point shooting, it was a failure of defense from January on that did us in.

Steve

 

[Covert Rain]

For the most part, we live by the wide open three. They came on pull-ups and penetration/kick-outs and other than the occasional forced shot from Green they were mostly undefended. And I think it can get you all the way in the playoffs. If you can penetrate from either side and if you have the players to run the pick and roll on either side, I don't see how any team can defend those and the kick-out threes. We didn't end our season early because of our three point shooting, it was a failure of defense from January on that did us in.

Steve

A good perimeter defensive team would stop us in our tracks. You can employ zones and if you play against a team like the Spurs that is above average in defensive rotations....we wouldn't stand a chance IMO. That's also assuming that the team stays hot from the outside. The pace always slows in the playoffs for a reason.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I think TJ Warren has the ability to really make a difference in this area this year. His midrange game gives us the ability to score all over the court.

Here is an interesting article about TJ. I think the fascinating thing about the chart is his 3 point shooting. He actually shoots a good percentage from several spots on the floor. It looks like he shoots a lower percentage from one particular spot (angle right) where he took most of his threes. That tells me that TJ can shoot the three with a reasonable percentage when he is open. But in the spot where he feels comfortable enough to shoot a contested three he does not do well. The end of it is that if he can be more selective at the three point line, he can be more effective there.

http://www.shotanalytics.com/2014/03/12/tj-warren/

 

[SirStefan32]

I think TJ Warren has the ability to really make a difference in this area this year. His midrange game gives us the ability to score all over the court.

Here is an interesting article about TJ. I think the fascinating thing about the chart is his 3 point shooting. He actually shoots a good percentage from several spots on the floor. It looks like he shoots a lower percentage from one particular spot (angle right) where he took most of his threes. That tells me that TJ can shoot the three with a reasonable percentage when he is open. But in the spot where he feels comfortable enough to shoot a contested three he does not do well. The end of it is that if he can be more selective at the three point line, he can be more effective there.

http://www.shotanalytics.com/2014/03/12/tj-warren/

Mid-range game is something I really hope Dragic works on as well. He was always good at driving and finishing in the paint, and last year he added a scary long-range jumper to his arsenal. If he can develop a respectable mid-range game (floaters, pull-up jumpers, etc), he will be unstoppable.

I agree about Warren. The kid seems to understand the angles, timing, and just taking what the defense gives him.

 

[Covert Rain]

Mid-range game is something I really hope Dragic works on as well. He was always good at driving and finishing in the paint, and last year he added a scary long-range jumper to his arsenal. If he can develop a respectable mid-range game (floaters, pull-up jumpers, etc), he will be unstoppable.

I agree about Warren. The kid seems to understand the angles, timing, and just taking what the defense gives him.

I will take a team deadly and highly efficient mid-range jumpers over a 3 point heavy team any day of the week....especially come playoff time. Not every team can have the type of players to dominate the paint.

 

[Errntknght]

Poor Archie Goodwin, about the time you think Jeff will loosen the reins a bit on him, he's going to have trouble getting on the floor at all. One thing he will learn - should learn - is the value of floaters and short pull up jumpers. If Bled can do it, so can he.

 

[Superbone]

I can't wait to watch Warren this season and see how he fits in.

 

[SirStefan32]

I will take a team deadly and highly efficient mid-range jumpers over a 3 point heavy team any day of the week....especially come playoff time. Not every team can have the type of players to dominate the paint.

I agree, BUT you really need to have both. If you have no three point shooting, the teams will retreat from the three point line and clog the paint/ mid-range area. If my memory serves me right, the Spurs did this to Memphis and absolutely destroyed them.

 

[Covert Rain]

I agree, BUT you really need to have both. If you have no three point shooting, the teams will retreat from the three point line and clog the paint/ mid-range area. If my memory serves me right, the Spurs did this to Memphis and absolutely destroyed them.

Agree. You have to have a legit 3 point threat but to live or die by it is it different thing entirely.

 

[elindholm]

In today's NBA, your team has to be able to score from anywhere: behind the arc, mid-range, in the paint, at the line. Otherwise the defense will take away what you can do and leave you with what you can't.

 

[Covert Rain]

In today's NBA, your team has to be able to score from anywhere: behind the arc, mid-range, in the paint, at the line. Otherwise the defense will take away what you can do and leave you with what you can't.

True but you don't have to be great at all 3...just competent enough to remain a threat to keep the other teams honest.

 

[Errntknght]

The tracking data site gives a different slant on our defense. We are in the middle of the pack (14th best) for %FG against at the rim. But we were 29th for both FG made against and FG attempted against. Given that our percentage against was average why did people attack the rim so often... my guess is because they could! A shot at the rim is still your best bet to score pretty much independent of the other teams defense at the rim. In other other words thay weren't attacking our soft middle, they were simply able to get by their individual defenders so they did it. The sort of good news is that we were only 1 made basket per game worse than average and 3 made baskets worse than the top team - the Bulls.

The bad news is that Markieff and Marcus have quite bad FG% against while Frye's was good. Tolliver's FG% against is quite good but he challenged very few shots - so few that if that doesn't increase then it matters little how good his pctage is. Len might hilp some if Jeff can find a way to keep him on the floor.