It's just like a real camp, but mini-er

by JakeTheSnake on Nov 4, 2007 9:07 PM EST in Coaching

Hurry! We're going to miss the bus to VCU!
(AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

In a very Joe Gibbs-like move, Eddie Jordan is reaching for the reset button. According to ESPN.com Jordan is using the time between now and Thursday night's game as a "mini camp" to fix what's broken with the Wiz.

"We can bounce back," Jordan said. "If this was three in a row in January, there wouldn't be red flags. Since it is three in a row in the beginning of the season, we aren't in a rut. We are feeling good and we will bounce back."

Perhaps as important, it will give Gilbert Arenas a chance to rest his knee which he said after the game felt stiff. As Truth About It noted, Gilbert wore a compression sock during warm-ups and you'd have to guess that played a big part in Gilbert's performance on Saturday night.

If you're Eddie Jordan, what would you make the main focus for mini camp? Please refrain from saying "Everything!" or "Breaking Hedo Turkoglu's legs."

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Focus

On defense, contesting the 3 pointer.

On offense, I'm not sure what you can do in practice to get Antawn and Gilbert's shots to fall in at a higher percentage during actual games. Maybe give them each a couple of days of to rest their legs.

by hotplate on Nov 5, 2007 8:26 AM EST 0 recs

Primarily focus on offense

Maybe some of this is Gil still lacking his explosiveness, but the main thing I've noticed is that the offense has come to a grinding halt. Even when they're scoring, this team isn't pretty anymore. I've found myself wondering a few times, "Did EJ actually have them spend any time on their offensive sets in preseason?"

Defending the 3 is clearly a problem, but I agree with Wooz's assessment that this team is actually looking better on defense, and has shown flashes of being capable on the defensive end. They just don't look comfortable on the offensive end, though. They aren't creating open looks for anyone, and that means the other team can get out and run on all the missed attempts.

So I say motion, motion, motion. Gil isn't gonna become Steve Nash, but he can at least get comfortable working the pick & pop with Jamison again. Where did our offensive sets go?!?

by sierradave on Nov 5, 2007 9:00 AM EST 0 recs

WWHD

If we can't break Hedo's legs, can we at least waterboard him?

I know, I know! We should have TASED him!

In seriousness, the offense has looked awful pretty much every second I've seen of the first three games. I can't count the number of contested, off-the-dribble jump shots from 18+ feet the Big 3 have taken early in the clock. I know they can make those occasionally, but it's never going to be a high-percentage shot, and you can get it with 2 seconds left on the clock as easily as with 12.

Our offense just is not efficient in any way. When the Princeton offense is working, we get a a lot of layups and open jump shots and make our way to the foul line. Right now, our only good offense is on BTH putbacks. Seriously, Kevin Martin, who for my money is one of the most efficient scorers in the league, dropped in 28 points on 14 shots against Dallas the other night (granted, in a loss). In 3 games, the Big 3 have 182 points on 171 shots -- not very efficient, and no one else on the team has half as many shots as any of the Big 3. They're not getting it done.

"Now, obviously individual production does not unilaterally equal better team production, but there's a high level of causation."

by Vanilla Gorilla on Nov 5, 2007 9:33 AM EST 0 recs

Really??

In 3 games, the Big 3 have 182 points on 171 shots

Are you sure you don't mean 171 points on 182 shots? If not, then they are actually more productive than I thought. A point a shot equates to a 50% FGP, not taking into account free throws. I'm not sure what point/attempt ratio is considered good when taking into account free throws.

"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier

by cuppettcj on Nov 5, 2007 10:17 AM EST up 0 recs

No, that's the right ratio

Think it might be one FGA off. But regardless, it's not great--about 1.06. For comparison's sake, the Big Three last year each had 1.22 or over (as do most leading scorers). Right now, Gilbert and co. are putting up Raymond Felton/Rafer Alston shooting lines...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/statistics?stat=nbafgpct&sort=pps&league=nba&split=0&o rder=true&row1=51&qual=true&season=2007&seasontype=2&avg=none&pos=all

by crucifictorious on Nov 5, 2007 11:37 AM EST up 0 recs

I think we need to work on... offense?

It does sound weird to say it, but we do. We are a potent offensive team that is completely out of rhythm. Our "motion" offense has involved 3-4 guys standing still on every play, and we've been suffering for it.

We can scream about defense, defense, defense, but the fact is that we are never going to beat people on defense alone and we need to play to our strengths first, before working on other things.

We would be 2-1 (at least) if our offense is up to par and we were attacking the hoop. Its good that we have this break so we can stop this skid before it gets any worse. Its unthinkable that we have avoided the free throw line the way we did, when its one of our main strengths.

The Washington Wizards: providing career scoring nights for unknown opposing bench players since 2004.

by mamemimo on Nov 5, 2007 12:39 PM EST 0 recs

Offense

Finally someone who is the right state of mind, a calm state of mind. The sky is not falling, the wizards are playing much better defense then past years. Haywood has done a decent job defending the paint, and their perimeter defense has looked a little shabby only because they face a red hot Pacers and Celtics teams who were hitting 3's a clip way above what anyone would expect of them. The wiz's offense has been putrid though. The big three shooting something in the mid thirties (about 35.6 percent) from the floor. Compared to the 43.2 percent they shot last season. The big is only averaging 60.7 points per game compared to to 67.3 points last year. Once they get their offense back in motion and start running the princeton offense like they have practiced they will once again have one the most potent offenses in the league.

There is one thing that is bothering though, I read on another board that offense in the NBA is all about mismatches. That EJ's offense is complete crap. I would just like to say why our Washington's and Phoenix's offenses quickly becoming the two most copied styles of play in the nba if running set plays is so unssuccesful.

by chmelikt on Nov 5, 2007 1:07 PM EST up 0 recs

Crunching the Numbers

Here is a breakdown of last season's stats for the Big 3:



+--------------------+--+---+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+---+----+---+----+

|Name                | G| FG| FGA| 3P|3PA| AFG%| FT|FTA|FTAPG|  FT%| TO|TOPG| PF|PFPG|

+--------------------+--+---+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+---+----+---+----+

|Gilbert Arenas      |74|647|1548|205|584|48.4%|606|718| 9.70|84.4%|236| 3.2|249| 3.4|

|Antawn Jamison      |70|512|1139|138|379|51.0%|226|307| 4.39|73.6%|104| 1.5|194| 2.8|

|Caron Butler        |63|451| 975| 18| 72|47.2%|283|328| 5.21|86.3%|181| 2.9|188| 3.0|

+--------------------+--+---+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+---+----+---+----+

Compare that to this season's stats:
+--------------------+--+---+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+---+----+---+----+ |Name | G| FG| FGA| 3P|3PA| AFG%| FT|FTA|FTAPG| FT%| TO|TOPG| PF|PFPG| +--------------------+--+---+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+---+----+---+----+ |Gilbert Arenas | 3| 20| 60| 1| 17|34.2%| 24| 33| 11.0|72.7%| 15| 5.0| 11| 3.7| |Antawn Jamison | 3| 18| 61| 6| 20|34.4%| 15| 19| 6.3|78.9%| 3| 1.0| 12| 4.0| |Caron Butler | 3| 23| 51| 1| 5|46.1%| 13| 19| 6.3|68.4%| 17| 5.7| 11| 3.7| +--------------------+--+---+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+---+----+---+----+

As you can see, the Adjusted Field Goal Percentage for each of the Big 3 is way down. Also, both the Turnovers Per Game and the Personal Fouls Per Game for each is up. What might surprise some people is that the Free Throw Attempts Per Game for each is up. The Big 3 are getting to the line plenty. They're just not hitting their jumpers.

"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier

by cuppettcj on Nov 5, 2007 2:19 PM EST 0 recs