Don't blow it up!
by yop32 on Dec 17, 2009 12:47 PM EST
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Print[Editor's Note: Bumped, because I agree (and because it's interesting to discuss). I'll have more on this game later - real work calls. -MP].
Our problem is simple: too many scorers. Gilbert has a usage rate of 30.2%, Antawn is at 24.7%, and Caron 22.2%. Brendan is a relatively modest 13.9%, but that's probably just because the other players don't pass him the ball that often. For those keeping score at home, the total usage rate for those four players comes out to 91.0%. Mike Miller was our fifth starter with a rate of 12.7%, so the total for the starting lineup came out to a reasonable 103.7%. Unfortunately, Miller got hurt, so Flip has been scrambling to find a replacement. Also unfortunately, we don't have a good replacement.
Try to replace Miller with Foye (21.3%) or Young (21.9%) or Boykins (22.5%) or Blatche (20.1%), and the total usage rate for the lineup comes out to over 111%. No wonder we've been been having problems with players jacking up contested shots with tons of time left on the shot clock. Playing any of those players in place of Miller is like trying to fit square peg into the round hole in the lineup created by Miller's injury.
To fill that round hole, we need a low usage rate player who can contribute without a lot of shot attempts, through defense or passing or rebounding. Unfortunately, the round pegs on our bench have proven to be a poor match for our round hole. Oberto is a round peg, but he has turned into a foul machine and is a poor fit defensively alongside Antawn. Dominic is another round peg, but he can't shoot and the passing touch he showed last year has gone mysteriously missing. DeShawn has been a serviceable round peg for the last few years, but since his back injury, his defense and especially his shooting stroke have degenerated badly. Our round pegs have turned out to be too small to fill this round hole.
The good news is that Miller will be back later this season.
In the meantime, we can wait and hope that one of the round pegs on our bench gets his game back. But in that case, we actually have to let them play their way out of their slump. We seem to be taking this tack with DeShawn, but Flip's patience doesn't show any signs of paying off. Maybe we can try the experiment again and get a better result with Dominic.
Alternatively, we could try to trade a square peg for a round one. Mike James, Randy Foye, and Nick Young are all square pegs with some value. Can we trade one or more of them for a nice bench-quality round peg? A Barry brother type of role player would be perfect.
Yes, we've looked terrible so far. But there is still plenty of reason for hope. Miller will come back, Dominic may find his game, and Grunfeld may be able to trade for a the round peg that completes the puzzle. Don't blow it up until we have exhausted our options for making this work.
This represents the view of the user who wrote the FanPost, and not the entire Bullets Forever community. We're a place of many opinions, not just one.
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So, don't blow it up because ..
Miller takes one of the worst teams in the league and makes it one of the best teams?
Isn’t it optimistic to think we are much above .500 even with Miller. Is it worth tying ourselves to this fate for years just to get into the playoffs this year?
We should blow it up anyway.
It will also help
for Gilbert to get used to being in the NBA again, and Caron to come out of his slump, and Antawn to be healthy.
We’ve had what? Two games with both Antawn and Miller in the lineup? And they were both probably still dealing with pain from their dislocated shoulders.
Couple of points
We didn’t have Miller the last three seasons, so saying that having Mort Rainey back will solve the problems is stretching things.
We’ve had a “Big Three” since what…2004? Now suddenly the problem is they (and Haywood) consist of 90% of the offense? Wasn’t that the point?
The team has used less-offensive-minded players like Stevenson in the past, to disastrous results (see: every game where DeShawn has played heavy minutes).
I don’t advise blowing it up, but we definitely need some surgery.
Anyone know what the usage rate of the Laker’s or Celtic’s Big Three Are? Just curious.
In the past, Stevenson
was a decent fifth wheel. Remember when he was “Mr. Fifty” because he was one of the only SGs in the league knocking down over half of his shots? He was playing pretty good D back then, too. Not so much these days.
?
You’re saying that the reason the Wizards are struggling is because Grunfeld didn’t build around the Big 3 ENOUGH? That this team should be the Big 3, plus a lot of complimentary players who don’t shoot often? But when they do shoot, they are excellent shooters, unlike McGuire and Stevenson?
The usage rate issue is a legitimate issue, and I agree that this team could use more defensive-oriented players. But I think the bigger problem on the usage rate issue is the high usage rate of the Big 3, not the high usage rate of the players around them.
by disgrunted on Dec 17, 2009 1:21 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
The Big 3 are scorers
It’s what they do. We’ll get better results out of them if we can let them do what they do. It’s already a lot to ask them to get acclimated to a new system and re-acclimated to each other. Also asking them to change their mentality, from scorers to complementary players, is asking too much.
My point is that the Big 3 are not good enough
Yes, you’ll “get better results out of them if we can let them do what they do.” But that will mean, best case, 44 wins, 38 losses.
by disgrunted on Dec 17, 2009 1:47 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
The last time the Big 3 were healthy
we were one of the most efficient offensive teams in the league. This year, we have demonstrated the ability to be at least average defensively. We have the pieces to be an elite team if we can just get them all working together.
Agreed 100%
I wrote a fan post a week ago making this exact point. If you’re satisfied with a slightly above .500 record and a first-round exit, then by all means stick to the status quo. People are saying that the “soft part” of the schedule is coming up and that we’re primed at a run – well at this point, when other teams see the Wizards on the schedule, they’re the ones chalking up a W.
disgrunted
i think you make some good points here
by DarrellWalkerFan on Dec 17, 2009 4:07 PM EST up reply actions
I agree with the fundamental point
But I also think that means trading one of the Big 3 for role players and also trying to find more low-usage bench guys.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
Miller
I thought a complaint of everyone’s that his usage rate was too low? At least it was a complaint of mine – I thought he was being too passive in the offense given his shooting and passing ability.
It was definitely irritating
when Miller was passing up an open three for, say, a contested hook shot from Brendan. But remember, Miller hasn’t played much with Antawn yet. If he’s passing to a cutting Antawn for a high percentage shot near the basket, that’s a completely different situation.
We can't blow it up completely...
1. Because Gilbert is (a) essentially unmovable and (b) getting his act back together pretty reasonably. In a few weeks, ideally by the time Miller comes back, he could be pretty close to his old scary self
2. Because we cannot get full value back for Antawn (well, maybe Boozer…)
The thing that has become apparent, though, is that Caron is sending out all the signals of a man who wants to go some place else… The Wizards should accommodate him. If we want to trade a 3 for a 3, I would bet that the Spurs would take Butler for Richard Jefferson, but that would not be the ideal deal. I think that going for a quick point guard who can push the ball and dish it off quickly without insisting on owning it for 12 seconds per possession would enable the Wizzies to move Miller to the 3 (a better fit for his his rebounding capability) and Gilbert to the 2. The most available player who fits that description is Ramon Sessions, as a number of people have mentioned over the past couple of days. A deal with the Wolves that would net us Sessions, Gomes and a draft pick for Butler and Crittenden would work IMO.
Meanwhile, it is pretty painful to watch the development of this team. We do need, as Mike suggests, to see the silver linings that are there but we can’t stay married to the “Big 3” as its members are today… What’s changed the most is that while Gilbert can still do many things very well (and the clutch play will come in time) he is no longer turbo-charged. This means that his game (i.e what he needs to do on court to be sucessful) has become more deliberate and this impinges much more on Caron’s game, which also is relatively slow-paced, than it did three years ago. We need to compensate for the speed that Gilbert used to bring, and that is where a guy like Sessions comes in.
Actually high usage lineups should produce high efficency. http://www.countthebasket.com/blog/2008/03/06/diminishing-returns-for-scoring-usage-vs-efficiency/
but our offense is terrible. I’d say it’s because guys like Butler with high usage aren’t efficient, but my bias is showing.
"Logic" is not "bias", Fundefined
You are correct. Butler is the problem here. Having a high usage rate combined with a 99 offensive rating is not something to be proud of. You don’t find players to accomodate a high-usage, low-efficiency player. You tell him to stop shooting the ball so much, or you trade him.
Arenas isn’t much better with his offensive rating of 101, but at least he has shown improvement lately (and he has the built-in excuse of two years of rust).
Statistics
I don’t know too much statistics, but I’d really like to see error bars on the data points in that graph. If the error bars are huge, who cares if the points line up nicely? Also, if we’re talking about a lineup of Gilbert, Caron, Antawn, Brendan, and one of our high usage rate SGs, then we’re off the edge of the graph. Maybe there’s a reason that the graph doesn’t go out that far.
Last data point
The conclusions of that analysis seem to be heavily dependent on the last data point. I wonder if that data point is dominated by data from the Spurs. Ginobili plays so many minutes with the second unit that it really skews the Spurs’ usage rate data.
One big question is
what % of this team’s problems would be solved if Butler returned to playing within the offense or we replace him with a catch and shoot player?
Right now Butler is stopping the ball and taking one contested jump shot after another. Its truly painful to watch and it really destroys our flow. Has he always had this problem, to some degree, and we were overlooking it when the shots were falling?
Completely agree
Butler looks completely lost out there. If we were to blow up the Big 3, I think it has to start there because he’d probably fetch the most value in return (because of his cap-friendly contract).
A big percentage
Gil would look like a smarter, more mature player, too, since he’d probably get another two assists a game by just playing exactly like he has since the season began. 20 and 7 looks ok, but 20 and 9 makes him look like someone who might actually deserve a max contract and thus be at least somewhat attractive to other teams.
by pantslessyoda1 on Dec 17, 2009 9:05 PM EST up reply actions
By the way
Did anyone catch Van Gundy giving Jamison a hard time in loafing up and down the floor? As much as we love Antawn, between lazy defense and ill-advised shots like the three he took last night with under a minute to play, I wonder sometimes if we give him too much credit for being a “smart veteran”.
by mfish on Dec 17, 2009 3:28 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
Some of us haven't showered Jamison with love
But in his defense (partly), a coach can’t expect a player to bust his butt all game long when he is repeatedly playing 40+ minutes and is 32 or 33 years old. Play Jamison 34 minutes a game, then you can criticize him if he isn’t hustling every second of the game. Personally, my biggest disappointment with Flip is the high minutes he has given the big 3, because with high minutes, defensive intensity is sure to drop.
I didn't mind the corner 3
It came with a bunch of time left on the clock, but the threes from the corner are the most efficient outside shot, and he also had a decent look. I agree his defense often leaves something to be desired, but his shot selection is usually pretty good.
Ridiculous Upside, where developing talent and winning are not mutually exclusive.
Low usage, high assist, high shooting percentage players
This is what comes up for the past three seasons: http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/tiny.cgi?id=eBXxG
Some of these guys are free agents or playing in Europe (including our old friend Antonio Daniels). One of these guys might be a better fit for us than Boykins.
Yes, Marko Jaric is the answer to our prayers!!
Sorry, couldn’t help it ;p
by Manimal Smith on Dec 17, 2009 3:56 PM EST up reply actions
I'd sign him
If he gets bought out and we can get him for peanuts. And as long as his wife comes to every game dressed in her work clothes.
Hah
If that were in his contract, then sign me up.
by Manimal Smith on Dec 17, 2009 4:44 PM EST up reply actions
i would take blake
portland wants to trade him i hear, probably wouldn’t cost much
Me too
and he could be had in a more substantial deal with Portland.
by Manimal Smith on Dec 18, 2009 2:42 PM EST up reply actions
Another possible in house solution
Javaris Crittenton has started practicing with the team again. He missed making the list because his True Shooting percentage is just below the cutoff. He could be a younger version of Antonio Daniels to play with our Big 3.
I would love to see them try for Kyle Weaver.
Ridiculous Upside, where developing talent and winning are not mutually exclusive.
Weaver shows promise, but he can't help us now
because he is going to miss much of the season, recovering from shoulder surgery.
Butler's "Gunner Rating" is pretty darn high
Only 8 starters in the league have an offensive rating lower than Butler’s while also having a usage rate above Butler’s:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/tiny.cgi?id=oTez6
what's the difference between this team and the 06-07 version?
that’s been occupying my mind today. i feel like we’ve had some good games out of 2 of the big 3, or even all 3 guys once or twice during the recent stretch and still lost, against mediocre opponents standings-wise… that didn’t used to happen. if we had even 2 of the 3 going off, we usually won more often than not, sometimes handily.
the guys are coming out to play, as we’re desperate, and we’re still losing.
so what gives?
is the competition that much better? i don’t think so. the east is pretty weak right now.
are the big 3 significantly worse than they were then (apples to apples)? gil isn’t where he used to be, but he’s getting closer lately and i find it hard to believe that CB and AJ are just flat out worse all of a sudden, particularly CB. gil’s recovery is probably part of it, but seems less of an issue lately.
is our supporting cast significantly worse? maybe. AD used to be big for this team. and, despite the groans i’ll get on this board, i think Etan was effective at coming in and banging for stretches and playing physically, back when he was healthy. and DS used to be a respectable NBA starter. I never thought i’d be saying this, but i’d actually trade our supporting cast right now for what we had back then. I think this is a big part of it. blatche, by far our best reserve, is soft and doesn’t protect the rim. we’ve got nothing else. i’ll even mention roger mason and songaila from two years ago for comparison’s sake.
is our coaching worse? sadly, in terms of schemes for our personnel, i think EJ made better use of our big 3. maybe our ceiling wasn’t as high as a team, and maybe we were covering up all our deficiencies by trying to outscore folks, but that was the best approach we had for our personnel and it worked to an extent. however, on the whole, i think flip is a good coach with a good track record, so i’ve come to the decision that he can’t be the major problem, even though maybe he’s not getting the absolute most out of the big 3, particularly caron.
in conclusion, then, the biggest differences are:
a noticeable drop in efficiency in the big 3’s play, due to long absence, new scheme, or just general brain fog (caron), which i’ve been thinking might right itself over time, but moreso:
we have nobody remotely decent to start at 2 guard who is a good fit right now. we have no good backup reserve guard, particularly no backup point guard/combo guard who is anywhere near as good as antonio daniels was, and we have no physical inside presence off the bench to do the little things around the basket. blatche is good at some things, but he is soft and still doesn’t play big. oberto is washed up. mcgee is still a project.
in short, we don’t have a 5th starter, which hurts us tremendously, and our second unit is for sh*t, which gives us zero room for error, even less than we used to have, and well, caron and gil haven’t been perfect. (but they haven’t been THAT bad either, at least not lately)
this is a total surprise to me as i thought our depth would help this year. even a week ago i was defending the roster. but last night i thought they ran flip’s schemes pretty well, and i thought gil, caron, and AJ all played decent, yet, sadly, they don’t look even remotely like a good team right now.
if i could point to one thing and one thing only, it’d have to be randy foye. he has been a HUGE disappointment. we gave up a lottery pick for him. he has been no AD thus far.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Dec 17, 2009 5:42 PM EST reply actions
I've thought about this a lot the past couple of weeks too
Primarily, I think it breaks down something along these lines:
06-07: More low usage, role players
09-10: Much more talent, but lacking low usage role players
06-07: Personnel that were a great fit for the Princeton (Caron, Songaila, Jarvis, AD)
09-10: Personnel mismatch with Flip’s Hawk offense (mainly Caron’s inability to catch and shoot and play without dominating the ball)
Also, one other thing that I’ve been thinking of is that we were really something offensively in 04-05 when we had both Gil and Larry Hughes going helter-skelter out there attacking at all times. Yes they sometimes made us cringe when they took terrible pull up jumpers and over penetrated at times, but they were always on the attack and that version of our team probably put more pressure on opposing defenses than any team we’ve had this decade.
We lost that after Larry Hughes left. Caron is a different player and he arguably ended up fitting the Princeton better than Hughes. My gut feeling is that if today we had another player who could handle the ball in the backcourt along with Gil and able to slash at will, then we’d be better balanced offensively.
I know we’ve had a lot of issues with Gilbert’s inconsistent ability to burst and also finish, but it’s also worth noting that he seems like he’s doing all the heavy lifting. Bringing the ball up all the time, initiating the offense, and then we rely on him to drive because if he can’t get to the rim and create easy shots for others, than no one else on the team is qualified to do it.
i agree with pretty much everything you said
makes a lot of sense. especially that gil is the only guy who can get at the rim. the only guy!
and sacramento just attacked attacked attacked last night, and it’s working for them. and they’ve got no center and are missing maybe their best player!
by DarrellWalkerFan on Dec 17, 2009 6:28 PM EST up reply actions
Yep
It didn’t hurt that Tyreke Evans looks like an absolute machine. Its really scary that he has that kind of on-ball skill, combined with tremendous size, strength and quickness.
It really might be the case that this team is 25% better just by subbing out Ball hogging, flow stopping Caron for a defense first/3 point shooting SF (a Nicolas Batum type). It pains me to make that kind of observation because Caron has been my favorite player for 2-3 years now.
by Manimal Smith on Dec 17, 2009 6:37 PM EST up reply actions
Woops
Wasn’t exactly on the point you guys were making.
Yes, we definitely need more variation in the kinds of offensive games that our guys have. Caron duplicates aspects of Gilbert’s game and Antawn’s game but does neither as well. We NEED a catch and shoot type out there to complement them and, of course, better post scoring would help.
by Manimal Smith on Dec 17, 2009 6:39 PM EST up reply actions
i think you're totally on a different page unfortunately
but yeah, you could argue we should get a low post presence and a catch and shoot guy to play flip ball. and we should also try to pick up a decent 2 guard and a backup point/combo guard who can actually create for others. how we’re going to do all that anytime soon, especially the low post presence – you got me.
unfortunately i DO NOT like flip better than caron and we were pretty good with unconventional players. let’s face it, when you’re running with gil and AJ you’re not gonna be a conventional team.
i miss eddie jordan and antonio daniels.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Dec 17, 2009 6:50 PM EST up reply actions
let’s face it, when you’re running with gil and AJ you’re not gonna be a conventional team.
Thats pretty much my point thanks.
i miss eddie jordan and antonio daniels.
I am not sure I can make that step for one EJ man managements skills were terrible. After watching this half court abomination though I would glady run back to the princeton.
yeah we're on the same page there
but i liked our oddball, unconventional, explosive, buck the john hollingers and mark steins of the world team. i didn’t necessarily care if we were a leading title contender, just that we were a dark horse that could potentially beat anyone on a given night, that would win 45-50 games and was a lot of fun to watch in the process. and hey, maybe we’d make a run in the playoffs? it’s hard to tell since the team is so quirky…
i guess my question is if you’re just wanting the team to perform up to its capabilities, whether they are limited or not, or if you think we could go all the way with the unconventional approach. i mean, we did wait 4 years to get the band back together, and we don’t want flip ruining the fun do we?
by DarrellWalkerFan on Dec 17, 2009 10:58 PM EST up reply actions
Check the time when I am posting this
I love this team but I really really agree with you when it comes to this team entertaining us. This is what made Gil and the Wiz circa ’06 so special. Flip has made the Wiz so boring and we are losing. I would love to see the run and gun Wiz. Remember when they called us the Phoenix of the East. Thats where I want us to be.
Manimal's point
I think conceptually, we’re in agreement that we need a better balanced attack. We need someone else other than Gil that can attack the basket, create easy shots, and draw fouls.
(Btw what ever happened to the Randy Foye that we saw in the first 3 games who was basically able to do that?)
We also need low usage players who can provide spacing and defend. And I agree that Batum would be really solid for us I think.
Our whole roster atm...
is known primarily for their scoring ability (and not much else ’xept miller/blatche) with the exceptions of haywood, taser, oberto, stevenson, mj and crittenton and only 2 of those players contribute at all in a positive way. not the way to construct a solid, winning team
If MJ's not known for his scoring, what is he known for?
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
if i could point to one thing and one thing only, it’d have to be randy foye. he has been a HUGE disappointment. we gave up a lottery pick for him. he has been no AD thus far.
I really can’t be mad at Foye. Flip’s substitution patterns are killing our reserves. They never know who and when they are coming in game to game.
Maintain the offense, improve the defense, improve the bench
If we could do those three things, we thought we could be an elite team.
We had a top offense. We hoped to maintain that under offensive guru Saunders. Hasn’t happened, but there is still reason for hope. See the rest of the discussion on this page.
We had a crappy defense. We hoped to improve it under Saunders, whose teams have been solid defensively in the past. Has happened. I think we can consider it proven that Eddie’s defensive schemes were crap.
Our bench was terrible before. AD was a very nice backup. Songaila was an unspectacular reserve “big”. Mason was a pleasant surprise. Etan wasn’t too bad. After that, it got ugly quick. How would our old lineup have stood up to injuries to Antawn and four guards at the same time? Is our current bench as good as we thought it was back during the summer? Probably not, because Foye has been a disappointment so far. But it’s still a lot better than it used to be, and hopefully it will improve as we shake off the injury bug and we can implement a set rotation.
love the optimism
How would our old lineup have stood up to injuries to Antawn and four guards at the same time?
probably about as well as ours has this year… not so well.
and injuries to mike james and crittendon are pretty much non-factors. it says nothing about our bench. it’s like asking how past year’s teams would have survived simultaneous injuries to donnell taylor and awvee storey. it wouldn’t have made any difference.
But it’s still a lot better than it used to be,
disagree. our past year’s benches were not all that impressive (terrible as you say), which speaks volumes about the current state of our bench. i suddenly would love to be in a situation again where we could actually go 7 guys deep without dropping off a cliff.
but anyway, yeah, if we could turn foye, young, and/or james into a second facilitator and a big man who does some of the little things up front, (or if foye, young, or mcgee would just pan out already) and if the flip-caron conundrum could be worked out without diluting caron’s talent level, we’re golden. but that might be a lot to ask and i have yet to see anyone here come up with a proposal that i could get behind.
i’m more tempted to side with ccrun and just get mad at flip for not getting the most out of these guys.
but i think i am seeing prada’s earlier line of reasoning, channeled through formula0, which isn’t so much about usage, as it is about having too many guys with redundant skills. heck, even blatche is kind of just a jump shooter.
then again, maybe it is about usage, that is, if you think of jump shooter as simply a euphemism for shot jacker. if that’s the company line tho, i think i’d rather keep butler and replace the supporting cast of shot jackers. but that’s just me and might fail to account for flip saunders.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Dec 18, 2009 12:17 AM EST up reply actions
Gotta be optimistic to be a sports fan
Pessimism + inability to affect the situation = bitterness
yeah well
the night after the wiz-mavs opener i went to a sports bar to watch the real opening night. there was some kid sitting next to me who said he was a nets fan getting ready to watch the nets-wolves opener. he honestly thought they were going to do well this year. he didn’t like it when i said i thought maybe they’d be better than milwaukee, charlotte, new york, but that’s about the ceiling for the nets this year. he had been thinking they’d be a top team in the east. optimism is one word for it i suppose.
i’ve really gone off the deep end with this squad this past week.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Dec 20, 2009 2:01 PM EST up reply actions
Caron is trying to re-learn how to be a traditional swingman
Last year, he was basically playing point forward. Before that we played the Princeton. Point forward and the Princeton are hard. Being a traditional swingman should be easy. In theory, at least. It’s analogous to how it’s easier to convert a PG to a SG than vice versa.
I just can't agree with this post
This is not a good team that can’t finish or or is just one/two players away. We went on our last win streak with Miller our injured. Malcom Gladwell wrote an article in the New Yorker about how teams with inherent flaws ( height, talent, etc ) can mask them by speeding up the game. i.e. Using the press, scoring in transitiion. I am not saying that that is wholly true but he does have a point. The Wizards as a half court team plain out just suck. Good half court teams have good post play, take care of the ball, and play good defense. None of these the wizard do well.
Flip really needs to get a clue. His substitution patterns, heavy reliance on veterans and the poor sets the wizards run show a coach who is scrambling for answers. We are getting by on talent alone.
Look at that fourth quarter comeback against the Kings. Everybody stood around while Gil or Antawn took a contested J or drove to the basket. Not one play was called at all.
This is a poorly coached team right now that needs good coaching over the addition of a role player.
i think you meant "plays away" not "players away"
and i agree. i also agree that flip isn’t getting the best out of what he’s got. EJ was able to adjust in 07-08 when gil was out. that was a completely different team than in 04-05 or 06-07. i’d like to see flip put his guys in the best possible position to succeed. EJ did.
but i still think our lack of anything off the bench right now is more pressing and i’m not sure i can blame flip for how bad randy foye sucks right now. and i’m no nick young believer. i can’t pin that on flip.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Dec 17, 2009 6:43 PM EST up reply actions
The offense stinks, the defense stinks
….and there are no special teams.
Arenas is shooting 40.2%, which is the lowest among the top 33 scorers.
NY is shooting 39.4%.
RF is shooting 37.3% (and has the worst stats of his career on a per-minute basis).
DS is shooting 28.3%.
If you think CB can move down to the 2, he’s shooting 41.4%.
There are no stars on this team anymore. Putting such an emphasis on Arenas is hurting him and hurting the team.
The team needs a stand-out point guard to run the show — at any cost (outside of AB and JV, given that young athletic big men don’t grow on trees).
Man i really like this team …… but if we keep breaking down and losing to the Kings Pacers Clippers and all the bottom feeders …. then it would be the Smartest time to try and rebuild now before we lose all our expiring chips and the BIG THREE values start to decline even more and end up with NOthing to start over with but overpaid role players…. I would only hold on to Mcgee maybe Blatch n Young
Does anyone have any idea what happened to Dominic?
In particular, Dominic’s passing. Last year, he was dishing out assists at nearly 4x the rate he has managed so far this year.
nuke them. they suck together and i dont respect anyone that wont play defense. they will never win until they do. you guys are being either too hopeful or nice. get a real lottery pick and use it on a franchise big man.
by les boulez bomber on Dec 18, 2009 8:03 AM EST reply actions
Flip Saunders' greatest success with a Big 3
came in ‘03-’04 with KG, Cassell, and Spreewell. The other two starters: Earvin Johnson (the big one who couldn’t shoot, not Magic) and Trenton Hassell. Usage rates: 7.1% and 9.5%.
K.I.S.S.
If I were Flip, I would do everything possible to simplify things for our guys. For starters, I would find lineups that balance players’ usage rates. This allows everyone to play within their comfort zone. No scorers trying to be setup men, for example. On top of that simplification, I would come up with a first unit and a second unit and platoon sub the entire units for each other, like changing lines in hockey. This would ensure that each player always plays the same position and always plays with the same teammates.
First Line: Gilbert, Dominic, Caron, Antawn, Brendan
32 minutes per game (or as many as Brendan can sustain)
Total usage rate: 98.6%
Second Line: Earl, Randy, Nick, Andray, JaVale
16 minutes per game
Total usage rate: 98.7%
It’s a break from the “ideal” eight man rotation, and it would result in a cut in minutes by our Big Three, but it would be worth it if the extra simplicity helps everyone find their groove. I just wish there was a way to get everyone playing at their primary position, but injuries suck and so does DeShawn.
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