Suns vs Mavericks

[Errntknght]

If the rookies are overloaded it's with junk. There's no sign that the coaches know anything about beating a zone - the team isn't even positioned appropriately to attack it. As EJ said during the broadcast the attack starts with getting the ball into the middle of the zone, and clearly the Suns made only a few wimpy, futile attempts to do that. They kept trying to go directly to Amare who had three guys keying on him. First you go to someone else in the middle and when he draws the defenders then go to Amare. Zarko or JJ or even Lampe would be the right guys to send into the middle as they are all tall and good passers. The second line of attack is on the baseline and the Suns successfully avoided attacking there as well, as always. In this game they'd have done much better to have Amare prowling the baseline, distracting the low post defenders from being much help on anyone else. When a pass goes into the middle he makes a quick move to the hoop or an opening not far from it.

I really don't believe the coaches can be teaching anything resembling that to the players... some sign of it would have to be showing up after all this time if they were. Sheesh, coaches get several guys to coordinate their movements by diagramming a play in 30 seconds - with months to practice they could certainly get them to learn to coordinate an attack on a zone.

 

[George O'Brien]

Originally posted by Errntknght
If the rookies are overloaded it's with junk. There's no sign that the coaches know anything about beating a zone - the team isn't even positioned appropriately to attack it. As EJ said during the broadcast the attack starts with getting the ball into the middle of the zone, and clearly the Suns made only a few wimpy, futile attempts to do that. They kept trying to go directly to Amare who had three guys keying on him. First you go to someone else in the middle and when he draws the defenders then go to Amare. Zarko or JJ or even Lampe would be the right guys to send into the middle as they are all tall and good passers. The second line of attack is on the baseline and the Suns successfully avoided attacking there as well, as always. In this game they'd have done much better to have Amare prowling the baseline, distracting the low post defenders from being much help on anyone else. When a pass goes into the middle he makes a quick move to the hoop or an opening not far from it.

I really don't believe the coaches can be teaching anything resembling that to the players... some sign of it would have to be showing up after all this time if they were. Sheesh, coaches get several guys to coordinate their movements by diagramming a play in 30 seconds - with months to practice they could certainly get them to learn to coordinate an attack on a zone.

You would think, but in fact that Suns only recently started having enough days off to hold actual practices. There are signs that the practices are having some effect in that Amare is beginning to become a playmaker rather than just trying to force every shot.

I was disappointed that they did not pass the ball to Lampe, Maybe it is because the other Suns centers seem to fumble passes not part of the pick and roll. Of course, Lampe has to become part of the offense, rather than trying to shoot a three every time he gets his hands on the ball.

In any case, the Suns problems with the zone was not what beat them. The Suns ended up shooting 45%, which was 3% higher than the Mavs. The real problem was too many turnovers based on lazy passes and getting killed on the boards.

 

[Errntknght]

They've had plenty of practice time to learn how to attack a zone not to mention plenty of zones thrown at them to practice on. Amare starting to pass more and better probably does show the effect of the coaches but it is not team play. I think the Suns staff is fine when it comes to coaching individuals - where it stinks is in coaching the teamwork part of the game.

I have to disagree about what cost the Suns the game - had they attacked the zone in anything like an effective manner they'd have been in the game - it was a really a blowout where we made a late run against the subs when it already too late. Why all the poor passes? Because the Suns didn't have a plan of attack to work from. Why did a team playing a zone outrebound us so badly - because we were not even positoned correctly.

The Suns remind me of a poorly trained boxer -- some nice punches but no footwork and no ring workmanship - getting caught on the ropes or in corners.

 

[George O'Brien]

Originally posted by Errntknght
They've had plenty of practice time to learn how to attack a zone not to mention plenty of zones thrown at them to practice on. Amare starting to pass more and better probably does show the effect of the coaches but it is not team play. I think the Suns staff is fine when it comes to coaching individuals - where it stinks is in coaching the teamwork part of the game.

One of the problems with not having a good team defense is that the players don't get to practice against a good defense. Unfortunately, tem defense is as much about communication as it is about effort. It is not an accident that the best defensive teams are veteran teams.

In any case, the Suns are not good to win when Barbosa is not playing well. I am really high on his potential, but clearly he is struggling right now and it bogs the offense down. When he gets beat while playing defense it seems to take him completely out of his game.