Losing leads to more losing: Grizzlies 113, Wizards 97
by JakeTheSnake on Feb 3, 2009 7:25 PM EST
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Highest Plus/Minus: Darius Songaila (+7)
Lowest Plus/Minus: JaVale McGee (-21)
Best Five Man Unit: Mike James, Nick Young, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, Darius Songaila (+5 in the 4th quarter)
Worst Five Man Unit: Javaris Crittenton, Nick Young, Dominic McGuire, Antawn Jamison, JaVale McGee (-10 to end the 3rd quarter)
Four Factors
Photo of the Night
(Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
Game Thread Comment of the Night: "Why so serious Pech?" by Icantfeelmyface in response to Rook's observation that Oleksiy Pecherov had not yet attempted a three-pointer.
There's not a whole lot that I can add to what's already been said about the Wizards effort or lack thereof last night. The Wizards played like a team that was satisfied with their rare win on Saturday and decided to take the night off to celebrate. The Grizzlies saw a team on the schedule that they knew they had a chance to beat and came out and played like a team that wanted to end their 12 game losing streak. That was the difference last night.
In a perfect world, the teams with the worst records would be the hardest working teams because the fear of being the worst team is one of the most powerful incentives to play hard that's known to man. Sadly, attest to the fact that we don't live in a perfect world. Losing leads to discouragement, discouragement leads to hopelessness, players without hope don't give their all because they don't see the point, and if you see the point, odds are you're going to lose more. It's a vicious cycle.
There will be times during the year when the team breaks the cycle (like Saturday night), but for the most part this is going to be the cycle that the Wizards are going to be stuck in for the rest of the year. More times that not, the cycle won't produce games as sloppy as the one you saw last night -- Tap will make sure of that -- but just because Wizards will end up keeping games closer more often doesn't mean that the cycle has been broken. Only some health, a long off-season, and a high draft pick will be able to do that job.
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My two cents
http://www.hoopsaddict.com/2009/02/03/a-tale-of-two-teams/
http://www.hoopsaddict.com/author/rashad/
by rashad20 on Feb 3, 2009 7:38 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I don't think Ivan gets it
It’s not in the game write-up, but over at Wiz Insider, Ivan Carter wrote something like “it’s frustrating – Butler and Jamison played big minutes AND the young players played significant time and they still lost.”
Well sure they did. The Wizards aren’t very good. The point of playing Young, McGee, McGuire, even Pech isn’t that the Wizards will miraculously start winning (though they are improvements over certain veterans in certain areas). The point of playing them is so that they’ll learn how to react and respond to various situations on the court, not see what they’re like from the bench. Maybe it’s because I didn’t actually see the game, but I’m not too bothered by this loss, at least not compared to other losses this season. Mike James and Songaila only playing 20 minutes so that NY and McGee can see the court means NY and McGee will be used to being on the court.
by Jon L on Feb 3, 2009 9:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I think most people think that playing Young and McGee more will result in more wins. (I went out on a limb arguing that Tapscott agrees, but is more worried about development.) Pech is probably a different story.
I, too, have come to terms with the losing, though. I think the Wiznutzz were right on with their “7 stages of grief” analogy.
by Aldo on Feb 3, 2009 9:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Worrying about wins and losses now is pointless
And developing the young studs (McGee and Young) and figuring out if we have anything with McGuire (we do) and Pecherov (probably not).
"Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home." --- Daffy Duck
by George Templeton on Feb 4, 2009 9:08 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Tap doesn't get it either
Tap talks a good game but that’s all that he is…talk. He’s a horrific coach. His rotation is absolutely terrible. Ernie is his puppet master so he does whatever Ernie says. I’m tired of his stupid “inspirational quotes”. You can tell Randy Ayers doesn’t buy into anything Tap does because he hardly ever even joins the huddle. We NEED Randy Ayers right now. He had our guys playing some defense last season for a change. I think Ernie made a monumental mistake by firing Eddie and naming Tapscott as head coach. So many of our issues are coaching related (schemes, substitution patterns, etc.). I’m beyond frustrated with Tapscott right now.
by WizWhiz on Feb 4, 2009 9:23 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Good Analysis
I rec’d it. But what I want to know is how much of the defense Randy Ayers should be held accountable for. Is it his horrible schemes that are getting this team into trouble, or is he being overruled by Tap? I seem to remember the whole collapse into the paint on every play spiel to be his bright idea from last season. This strategy only seems to work when you have an excellent off-ball defender and enforcer like Haywood to clean up the mess. Even then his defense seems to give up way too many 3 point shots.
Tom Thibodeau resigning and being replaced by Randy Ayers may be the single most defining event for the Wizards of the past three seasons.
"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 Feb 4, 2009 9:57 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I kinda disagree
The “collapse into the paint”, “protect the rim” at all costs defense does NOT rely on an off-ball shot-blocking defender…. Which is why it works when Songaila (or Jamison, or Etan Thomas, or Michael Ruffin, etc…) is in the game at Center. (When I say it works – I mean that it protects the paint – The other problem is that it actually encourages open perimeter shots)
Actually, the off-ball shot-blocking defender is needed if Wizards DON’T collapse into the paint, but rather stay with their man – It would result in fewer open perimeter shots and it would force the other team to drive more – and THEN you need that excellent off-ball defender like Haywood to erase mistakes.
If you have Songaila or Jamison in the game at Center, and you don’t collapse, it’s just asking the other team to drive the lane for lay-ups.
By collapsing when you have a shot blocker in the game (like Haywood or McGee), you’re essentially telling the other team – “Here, take an open 3-point shot – because we’re going to take the lane away from you”.
Collapsing into the paint is a gimmick defense designed to hide personnel flaws. The Wizards have turned it into their main defensive philosophy.
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
by Rook6980 on Feb 4, 2009 12:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Here is What I See
You tell me where I go wrong. The other team feeds the post. The Wizards send a double-team and/or collapse into the paint. The post player dishes to a perimeter teammate. The Wizards rotate a man out to cover. If the rotating player doesn’t get there in time, the perimeter player takes the open 3. If the rotating player does get there in time, the perimeter player drives to the rim.
This is what I see on almost every defensive possession the Wizards have had for the past two seasons. Both this season and last the Wizards gave up a ton of 3 point shots, many of them wide-open. The difference last season was that Brendan often protected the rim when the perimeter player drove, either altering the close shot or blocking it. This season it has been a red carpet into the lane for opposing players. The only difference I see between the defense this season and last is Brendan Haywood, and it wasn’t primarily because of his on-ball defense but his off-ball defense.
"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 Feb 4, 2009 1:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
You also didn't double the post as much with Brendan out there
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
by Mike Prada on Feb 4, 2009 3:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Actually
They still did it quite a bit….. Ramon Sessions anyone?
When a Guard’s first instinct is to double the post, that’s been drilled into them. That’s been gone over in practice over and over again. They’ve been Coached up…
And with Haywood in the game, I REALLY didn’t understand it at all.
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
by Rook6980 on Feb 4, 2009 5:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Key words "as much"
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
by Mike Prada on Feb 5, 2009 4:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
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