Hack-a-Boone? Good Or Bad Strategy?

by celicadriven27 on Jan 25, 2008 1:52 AM PST

Just wanted to see what other people thought of Nellie's decision to just foul Boone? Was at the game and seemed kinda ridiculous and got quite old. It had its effect because it kept New Jersey from getting into a solid rhythm, but it also threw off the Warriors too. Also it couldn't be good for belenelli's confidence. All in all, is this what we have to resort to now-a-days? Just shows how much we need another inside presence BADLY!!..just wanted to see what other people thought on the strategy though.

This FanPost is a submission from a member of the mighty Golden State of Mind community. While we're all here to throw up that W, these words do not necessarily reflect the views of the GSoM Crew. Still, chances are the preceding post is Unstoppable Baby!

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I think the reason why he resorted to HACK a BOONE

was because we couldnt play D at all in the third quarter!

by Delinquentsoul on Jan 25, 2008 1:58 AM PST 0 recs

nelson

I don't why he want to humiliate Marco?
4 fuols in a minute..if I were in Belinelli i'd not enter on the floor..a great player like him..that in Europe was dominant has been dealt in that way..it's unbelievable..Nelson is not a coach..

by montystefy on Jan 25, 2008 2:58 AM PST 0 recs

if you'd

not enter the floor -your NBA career is over (-go back to your level)
Belli is a rookie -not even good rookie

that's good to shine as summerstar -but that's the real game -how about Belinelli defensive skillz? -is he really so great?

CJ Watson > Belinelli
Azubuike > Belinelli
BWright > Belinelli

build a team & destroy the roof

by Lat We N Trash on Jan 25, 2008 4:40 AM PST up 0 recs

yesss

a heated debate between the euros :P

straight g

by RC650 on Jan 25, 2008 11:29 AM PST up 0 recs

in all seriousness

im gunna have to side with Lat on this one. It's painfully obvious to everyone who regularly watches the Dubs that Belli is more than a step slower than everyone on the floor. He doesn't know how to play D and his once praised outside touch seems to be a thing of the past. Plus, I think if he refused to enter the game Nelson would never play him again...

straight g

by RC650 on Jan 25, 2008 11:32 AM PST up 0 recs

maybe that's a bit euro stuff ;]

but i always had more respect to hardworkers like Kellena or CJ then "goldenboys" like Belli

you can't play in NBA if you're not tough enough or can't swallow your pride
-ok -maybe Belli is very talented -but right now he isn't even average player -he have to swallow it and keep working hard -here is not Italy where he had more credit then he earned
if Belli was in Raptors or Bulls right now -i think he'd have some PT and better numbers -but this is not about it
-he is a rookie -no matter how talented he is
-this is NBA not Italy

build a team & destroy the roof

by Lat We N Trash on Jan 25, 2008 1:05 PM PST up 0 recs

And

who are you to say that he's not a hardworking type of guy? Are you a trainer for GSW?

by buky on Jan 25, 2008 6:31 PM PST up 0 recs

i did not try to say

that he is not hardworking guy

i just think that here is some difference between (forexample) CJ and Marco

CJ is in NBA just because hes game and passion
while
Marco is in NBA because hes talent (no doubt) and strong promotion by agents and Italian media

build a team & destroy the roof

by Lat We N Trash on Jan 25, 2008 10:25 PM PST up 0 recs

your right

idn if he works hard or not but he hasn't improved at all.

straight g

by RC650 on Jan 26, 2008 12:38 AM PST up 0 recs

Actually

Mr.Lat We N Trash marco is 21 and has played more important games then anyone outside of BD,jax and Croshere because you have to remember that in Europe allmost every game is played on playoff level.And who takes the right to say that Marco is a bad player.Based on what, 15 minutes in half a season.Or do you really think that Europe and the rest of the world is lightyears behind the NBA.

by buky on Jan 25, 2008 6:26 PM PST up 0 recs

ok

"in Europe allmost every game is played on playoff level"
really??? hmmm
then maybe Marco is not good @ this level
because why Bologna was playing in Euroleague in 06-07 and now just in UlebCup? in legaA 13. place
-national team -9th place -really so great???

believe me or not but NBA is different level where you can almost forget about your "playoff level" experience -there is a reason why NBA players are best payed basketball players in the World

player is a white page -he have to prove himself more then ever before
forexample Sarunas is Euro star no doubt -he have biggest contract in euro basketball history -but he is not NBA star -why -because basketball is different -physical fast tough -you can't play chess with ball on court

build a team & destroy the roof

by Lat We N Trash on Jan 25, 2008 10:40 PM PST up 0 recs

It's

just a matter of time and money when Europe will be able to hold to the best European players and sign some world prospects which now goes to NBA where they don't even have a chance to play.And belive me there is no worst thing for a young player then sitting on the bench game after game.It's logical that players like Marco loose all the confidence when they are given a minute or two with all eyes on them expecting to see miracles.And do you think fans like you are helping them to gain confidence with comments like those.When Jax plays like crap arguing with refs and missing threes again and again, and then hits one or two everyone is happy.So why not give Marco a chance, I BELIVE he can also miss 4-5 threes in a row don't you think?

by buky on Jan 26, 2008 7:35 AM PST up 0 recs

OK

i agree about money and Euro basketball -my opinion is 15 years from now

and
"And belive me there is no worst thing for a young player then sitting on the bench game after game.It's logical that players like Marco loose all the confidence when they are given a minute or two with all eyes on them expecting to see miracles"
yeah really -i agree
it is hard to warm a bench while everybody in your hometown thinks you're a star
-and how is put some guy called Janicenoks on Bologna bench and don't give him a chance to prove his value (and after that rent him)just because he is not a rising Italian star and nobody needs to make him have a good numbers for expected NBA draft?

listen up -life is cruel -even more in high level sport
i m not a Warriors fan just to help gain Marcos confidence -i really beg a pardon but right now he is full zero in this ballgames level -everything he got before is erased

one more time -i m not a Belli hater (i still think he will have a bright future as NBA player)-i really wish him luck -but Nellie as coach have more value in my eyes then confidence of Marco

build a team & destroy the roof

by Lat We N Trash on Jan 26, 2008 8:12 AM PST up 0 recs

well

i guess that only time will tell if we have or don't have a clue.Peace.

by buky on Jan 26, 2008 8:33 AM PST up 0 recs

this IS marco's chance

& it's also a chance for us to see Mullin's elite talent appraisal in action - he'd been watching marco's development "for years" and snatched him with our first round pick before any other NBA teams wised up, leaving some notably talents to be picked up by teams drafting lower (Sean Williams among others - think he might be helping a bit these days?)

by hardcore on Jan 26, 2008 10:10 AM PST up 0 recs

Sean Williams

Yea, I wish so too except he was snatched by NJ at 17, right before our 18th pick.

Bring on the BD Show!!!

by dajrichshow on Jan 26, 2008 9:41 PM PST up 0 recs

If you were him...

you would have a one-way ticket back to Italy. Rookies, and especially ones that suck, have no clout to disrespect the coach (see Joakim Noah).

Marco might have been a "great player" in Europe, but he has done absolutely nothing in the NBA yet (minus the summer league). That would be like Patrick O'Bryant sayinig, "I was a great player in junior high, therefore I deserve to be respected." Come on man, gimme a break.

"Nelson is not a coach" - Does anyone think that this blogger should be banned from GSOM? Come on dude, don't come in here with that crap.

Bottom line is, Warriors' D sucked in the 3rd (38 freakin' points!!!! are you kidding me????!!!!) Nellie went to a strategy that he thought could've worked, being that Boone is a 30% or so free throw shooter. Obviously, the plan backfired, which he admitted. Coaches make mistakes buddy. Get real.

by B Randon on Jan 25, 2008 10:18 AM PST up 0 recs

well I

would like to see a player that does miracles in a minute of playing garbage time.

by buky on Jan 25, 2008 6:36 PM PST up 0 recs

disappointing

I'd rather have them just play good ball and beat the other team instead of resorting to that kind of game.

by centerre on Jan 25, 2008 3:53 AM PST 0 recs

Hack-A-Boone

I think it was a very clever strategy employed at the wrong time. I think it's best used at the end of games in high pressure situations, where every possession and every point is crucial.

The only thing it did in the third quarter was provide some laughs, put our offensive rhythm to a grinding halt, and actually give some game time free throw practice to Josh Boone. Maybe it got to him at first (he airballed the first one), but after realizing it was only the third quarter and his free throws weren't that crucial I'm sure he was able to relax and actually hit his free throws at a rate that wasn't beneficial to our strategy.

by jlagace on Jan 25, 2008 4:13 AM PST 0 recs

hack-a-Boone

is OK
-nothing special
-just part of basketball

build a team & destroy the roof

by Lat We N Trash on Jan 25, 2008 4:44 AM PST 0 recs

maybe our players needed a blow

slowed the game down and let us catch our breath too. baron finished on some energy drives to close out. harrington had his legs for the threes.

by eshock on Jan 25, 2008 7:27 AM PST 0 recs

idn

Harrington was riding the pine for most of the third after going 0-4 to open the game...I think it was more of Nelson realizing that no one was playing defense well enough to stop the streak of powerful drives and post moves that the Nets were unleashing on the Warriors. He was trying to throw them off and he ended up throwing his own team off.

straight g

by RC650 on Jan 25, 2008 11:35 AM PST up 0 recs

Boone had 13 rebs at the time

I was at the game.

Boone killed the W's on the board. 13 rebounds up until that point.

I think Nellie's strategy was to throw the nets off rhythm and also to get Boone off the floor. But on the TV telecast, Nellie said that his strategy backfired b/c Boone didn't miss as much as nellie wanted. Good strategy if Boone missed more. But I agree w/ most, it really threw the W's offense off because it slowed down the game.

But, it was fun as hell at the game hearing all the fans scream at Boone at the line.

by warriordean on Jan 25, 2008 8:35 AM PST 0 recs

bad strategy

because it did not worked, it slowed the game down to their tempo, and nelson himself said so.

by GameSix on Jan 25, 2008 9:19 AM PST 0 recs

bad writing

did not *work

by GameSix on Jan 25, 2008 9:19 AM PST up 0 recs

Bad Idea

I turned the TV off for a while after the third foul. It granted Boone an importance that he doesn't merit--even if he was having a good run--and it struck me as Nellie doing something goofy just for the sake of it; to enhance his image of being off beat/innovative.

by yohan on Jan 25, 2008 9:45 AM PST 0 recs

ehh

i don't blame nelson for trying it out..
it worked out ok when they did it to Ben Wallace.. and Ben Wallace has a better FT% this year than Josh Boone..

Not a bad strategy- just a bad result, in this case.

is latrell sprewell gonna have to choke a b*tch?

by Spree4Threee on Jan 25, 2008 9:52 AM PST 0 recs

it wasnt a bad idea

First, it made the gaem more interesting. Why do you watch the games? They're fun to watch and we love basketball. I love it when things like this happen. It isnt like Nellie will do it every game now.

Second, it is not a bad strategy. If Nellie calls a play for Monta and he misses the shot, was it a bad strategy? No, sometimes things just dont work out. It was a good idea to try because he is a 38% free thrower and was killing the glass. If he missed more of those free throws we would have had a lot of chances to rebound and break. How many times does the shooting team grab the offensive rebound after a free throw? 10% of the time maybe?

Also, since Nellie tried it 4 or 5 times he probably anticipated Boone being pulled from the game which would improve our chances in the paint shooing and rebounding.

It didnt work out so well, but it didnt cost us the game, and this was a good game for Nellie to try a move like this. New Jersey and Minnesota are the teams you want to experiment on. They arent push overs, but you have a very realistic chance of winning even if you fall behind for a while.

And Belinelli should be honored he was put in instead of anyone else. Nelson knows Belinelli wont cost him offensive production when the ball comes to the other end of the floor. I am sure he had the green light to knock down an open three if the opportunity presented itself

Dammit Dampier!

by attatt on Jan 25, 2008 10:50 AM PST 0 recs

maybe it worked more then we will ever know.

just because nellie said it failed doesnt make it so. Nellie tends to BS a lot. I mean how can anyone of us really say whether the strategy worked. We aren't the ones playing in the game so we can't really detect the change in rythmn. Maybe nelson wanted the nets to become complacent. Davis said it worked I don't know whether he just said it to support Nelson but clearly it made a difference.

by saintdee on Jan 25, 2008 11:43 AM PST 0 recs

I was just happy

That Nellie did it in the third, not the fourth. If he had done it in a close match in the waning minutes of the game (like what used to happen to Shaq in his Orlando days), I would have thrown a brick through my TV.

But echoing the aboves, not a bad idea, just bad result, etc. etc.

I think that Nellie was really just trying to rep for our boy Hash in his preview:

* Kidd gets a single double

Kidd ended the game with 8 boards, 12 assists, and 6 points, so I'm saying that the Hack-a-Boone worked and Hash is a gangsta for getting that part of his prediction right.

And yes I know the two are unrelated. Who cares.

then we will fight in the shade.

by Swamp Thing on Jan 25, 2008 11:47 AM PST 0 recs

It didn't work

and screwed up the momentum in the game. I thought a few times to get into Boone's head and ensure he would not be playing in a tight 4th quarter was ok but they did it to many times and of course the Warriors went cold at the same time

I love Nelson and the team but sometimes I think he tries to get too clever. I also am getting sick of the small line-ups and want to see more of B-Wright (who could have easily matched up with Boone) and less of Matt Barnes as the power forward.

by Zig on Jan 25, 2008 11:49 AM PST 0 recs

Pros/Cons

Pros of the strategy:
Made me laugh.
Could have gotten their best rebounder off the floor.
Got our guys some extra rest.
Got Reggie Miller so excited that his voice was cracking. (wait is that a pro or a con??)

Cons:
Umm... he made a lot of his free throws.
It rallied the nets around him. (VC seemed to get pumped about it)
Got Reggie Miller so excited that his voice was cracking. (yeah, thats better)

by olympicmike on Jan 25, 2008 12:03 PM PST 0 recs

Please read to understand situational...

styles/innovations in basketball being played here in Oakland.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hack-a-Shaq

Is one example of a defensive strategy used periodically.

I have posted these before, but here they are again.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Ball

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Nelson

by streetballer on Jan 25, 2008 12:09 PM PST 0 recs

its a horrible strategy

You don't have to believe me- believe Don Nelson. Even he said it blew up in his face.

I knew that, the only difference is I coulda told you that BEFORE it happened.

We thrive on tempo because we have no discipline. Killing the tempo so you can have more half-court possessions is stupidity itself.

AIM: Jetforze

by OptionZero on Jan 25, 2008 5:17 PM PST 0 recs

yea....

it didn't work at all. It was pretty funny, but that it. lol

by warriorfan4life on Jan 25, 2008 7:56 PM PST 0 recs

What's reported by the media...

are snippets vs. what is actually said in the media room after the game. Don admited mixed results with this defensive tactic, but said he will use it again this year. Btw...your trusted Jenny/Marcus (combined asked) 1 question - "Was your intent by going to Hack-A-Boone to stop the momentum of the Nets in the third?" Don, "Yes, they were on a roll and we couldn't stop them."

WHY USE IT? Was Don trying to motive his players by showing them HE was going to play defense because they couldn't/wouldn't? Alternatively, was it to ice the Nets Shooters - tighten those "old legs" - they were on a roll - hitting everything they threw up? Did this tactic shave 6 points or so off what the score would have been without Hack-A-Boone? Alternatively, was it to get the crowd involved with those 4 misses in a row (one air ball) - given his burned out starters some time to rethink/retool/reset that emotional feeding frenzy that is Golden State?

by streetballer on Jan 25, 2008 9:29 PM PST 0 recs

Hack-a-?????

Controversial -> yes, effective -> maybe, obvious results -> hmm

by streetballer on Jan 25, 2008 10:01 PM PST up 0 recs

Reply

But..CJ Watson has played in Italy, in Bipop Reggio Emilia a team very very bad..and he did not averaged Marco's figures.. he was a bust.
Marco need to have more confidence, he can make shots, he can handle the ball give him time and minutes and support.
And Nelson with is strategy of sistematic foul only humiliate him..it's not the type of gestion he need to grow and become a useful player..
Yes he have to improve defensively but if he stays always in bench well how can he improve and demonstrate his talent?

Ps i'm an European, i don't want to offesne anyone..i bring only my point of view..if you don't want ban me..

by montystefy on Jan 26, 2008 4:13 AM PST 0 recs

reply

i know that "CJ Watson has played in Italy, in Bipop Reggio Emilia a team very very bad..and he did not averaged Marco's figures" lol
-tell me -is it easy to play in Italy and be non Italian player? -to put good numbers? (i m not high minded about coaches in Italy)
no doubt that "Marco need to have more confidence, he can make shots, he can handle the ball give him time and minutes and support." but Warriors today are not about make Marco a good NBA player -Dubs just need wins today -then more then better
"Nelson with his strategy of sistematic foul only humiliate him" -and so what? HE IS ROOKIE -if he can't get over humiliation then he have nothing to do in real world -be tough enough or die

i m European same as you -not even some hater or something like that -but when somebody is screaming that NELLIE IS NOT A COACH just because he is using Marco in different way then somebody expect
i can just try to show how stupid it is
Nellie is 3 times coach of year -here must be some reason for that

build a team & destroy the roof

by Lat We N Trash on Jan 26, 2008 7:29 AM PST up 0 recs

Who knows what Nellie's intentions were...

but he's the coach, and the rest of us aren't. I trust him because time and time again he has shown us that he can win. For all we know, maybe the intentional fouls were to ruin his fantasy opponents FT% because he has Boone on his team or something, lol.

In any case, it really is a double-edged sword. Sure, it slows down the pace of the game, and knocks us out of our tempo. On the flip side, it also gives our starters some extra time to rest (Baron especially), takes away some momentum from the nets, and statistically we don't lose too much when the other team averages 1 point per possession. Then again, all that is moot if we can't put the ball into our own baskets or grab the rebound off a missed FT.

Honestly, I thought it was a good gamble. Nellie rolled the dice, and it didn't come up the way he probably would have hoped. Strange things happen sometimes (don't forget we had a 22-0 run and still nearly blew the game. O wait, that's Warriors basketball, heh).

by pingpong on Jan 27, 2008 3:21 AM PST 0 recs