Recap #34: Golden State Warriors 90, Orlando Magic 110 - Owned the 1st Half, Pwned the 2nd Half

But again, missed blatant calls

They both turned over the ball at a very high rate. Come the 2nd half, they adjusted, took care of the ball better, and tightened up on defense. I think I’d have to agree, seems like these teams don’t really gameplan and it takes the half time break for teams to really adjust.

That plus we just aren’t the type of team yet that understands you have to really put the foot on the gas with the lead and pull it to a 20+ point lead and crush any hope of a comeback. Then you can coast to victory.

Pretty much confirms what I have felt about this team. Good enough not to be a cellar dweller, not good enough to really compete with the big teams. High lotto pick here we come!

Thanks, I made the change. Not sure what happened there. I think that was wishful thinking.

coach can’t create something that’s not there. Our guys have to play at too high a pace to be effective so they naturally tire in the second half. We need a post up game to let them take it easy occasionally. DHo didn’t shoot those threes but he occupied our defense so they could make them. We’re trying to pull stumps with a five porsches in the garage when we really need four plus one 4X4 diesel.

Both Heat and Magic turned up the defense and prevented penetration and the entry passes in the 2nd half. We have no post scorer and a ton of perimeter shooters. Don’t forget the Dwight effect. BWright couldn’t get in good position to use his baby hook, Udoh, as well as much of the team, was limited to contested jump shots. MTII tweeted numerous times that guys wouldn’t even look at the rim when driving the rim when Dwight was in the game.

Our gameplan was to double, and even triple team Dwight in the paint. Guys were more worried about providing help defense in the paint, thus leaving guys wide open on the perimeter. Even Udoh was getting manhandled by Dwight, who despite it all still had a good stat line.

So what happened this time?

Couldn’t agree more with your statements.

To switch gears a bit – I live in Oregon and the biggest difference between the Ducks football teams under Mike Bellotti and Chip Kelly is the changes and adjustments made at halftime. Before Kelly came in Bellotti would just go out in the second half and keep doing the same thing – the halftime adjustment is the biggest coaching opportunity and most telling sign of a good coach. It is one of the reasons that Oregon Football has won back to back Pac-10 Championships and is going to their first championship game in school history, and Kelly has only been in charge for two years. The Ducks were known for at least one or two big choke jobs a year under Bellotti.

No matter how you slice it the last two games have been all about Smart being out-coached in the second half.

I couldn’t agree more with your rant on the amount of set plays/looks/shots that went, SOMEHOW, to Gadz, Amund, and Law. Just head shaking material.

And it makes me ponder what the “thinking” is behind Smart doing it.

Sometimes a coach will feel the need to use his whole team to facilitate a strong team vibe, even if he knows that one or two possessions could probably get a hoop moreso with a different player getting the shot. This team vibe can be worked on, though, in blowouts, or at least not still in winnable games where you’ve worked hard to have a shot, only to give it away by being overly faithful and overly hopeful/positive. That doesn’t mean those guys cannot shoot the ball, they can if the shot clock is winding down or it’s an easy shot or it’s in the flow and has to be taken. But to give scrubs multiple looks in the situations Smart does…..is borderline delusional.

I think Smart is guilty of this. He’s a nice, good, hardworking guy. But he’s way too faith based in his thinking/coaching.

One great example of this is who he chooses to shoot the tech FTs upon illegal D infractions etc. The game in NY Smart sent Ellis to the line to shoot the first 3 out of 4 techs they got to shoot. He missed one, of course. But the question is why Smart would do that? He sent Monta to shoot them with Curry in the game, a FARRRR better FT shooter…3 times!!!

Sometimes you can send a cold scorer to the line to shoot the tech FT to “get him going,” heat him up. But, in the NY game only, maybe, the first one fit that. And really, it was so early, he wasn’t cold, just it was early. NONE of those FTs should have been shot by Monta, yet 3 out of 4 were. He missed one and the game was close at the end, could have cost us.

Then, vs either Mia or Orl recently, Smart did it again, only this time Curry wasn’t in the game. But other, better than Monta FT shooters were in the game. Yet, Monta is who Smart sent to the line. Why? The only answer is Smart doesn’t rely on percentages. He relies on his gut, it seems, or some sense of “team.” But with FT% and tech ft’s?! That’s really kind of, well, stupid. Or really naive.

Smart is a great person. Hard worker. But i really wonder if Nellie didn’t prop him up due to some feeling of respect for Smart’s loyalty/hard work instead of a real feeling Smart would turn out to be a difference making head coach.

Otherwise trading Curry now is the stupidest thing the franchise could do, unless it’s for Russel Westbrook or something.

If they don’t trade Curry now and he plays the way he has thru the season, his stock will drop

His stock will drop if he keeps playing well?

Yes, let’s not just trade Curry … let’s trade Curry hastily, for whatever we can get.

I’m sure you all saw how Jameer Nelson had his way with him all last night.

You mean the same Jameer Nelson who was 4-9 from the floor for 11 points, with 1 rebound, 4 assists, 1 steal and 4 turnovers?

Curry is playing hurt. Only in his second season. Already has very very good game. The whole team has been hurt, especially the bigs, making it impossible to work on pick and rolls consistently, which is huge for the PG.

Curry still has issues with TOs, which is a concern but also to be expected due to still learning PG and our constant issues with injuries to the very players he’s trying to build consistency with.

Curry doesn’t do nearly as many jaw dropping things as Monta does, yet he also doesn’t do as many subtle to not so subtle things that hurt you, like Monta does. And Curry does his share of amazing too.

It seems obvious by now many people are using Curry’s great rookie year against him. Put up those rookie numbers and people’s expectations get out of whack, i guess.

You put a good head coach, a plan, a system of play….with a better fitting roster around Curry and you have a winning plan led by Curry. i cannot feel the same confidence with Monta.

Eventually Smart, Monta and AB need to be exchanged for a better coach, a larger, better defensively SG and a larger, better defensively C. Monta due to lack of team flow issues and hoops IQ, AB due some to hoops IQ but moreso just his lack of being a fit with Lee (AB is OK at best on D, not intimidating, silly fouls, cannot do much on O, can’t be played late due to FT issues etc.)

Despite the injury, he’s been producing at about the same level as last season. Higher scoring volume, same shooting efficiency, same ast/tov ratio, slightly worse rebounding. By many measures, he’s still the best player on the team. Overall, the team has been significantly better with him on court than without. And … he’s 22 and still learning a tricky position. Given the dearth of primary ballhandlers who are worth a damn, I’d guess his value to us still vastly outweighs whatever we might get for him in a trade. How many teams trade highly productive starting PGs who are 22 years old on the second year of a rookie scale contract?

Ambal’s post at7:12

But Law? The guy isn’t an NBA player. He shouldn’t be in the league.

Hm, I’d consider Mayo for fourth guard if he could be had for next to nothing. He basically sucks, but he can at least shoot a little. I’m tired of watching defenses pack it in on Lin and Law because of their non-existent perimeter shooting.