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Abbott is a fool who has been disproven many times.
If you hate Abbott (I don't see how you couldn't), go here:
[url]http://wrongagainhen.wordpress.com/[/url]
This guy basically goes in an points out all the logical inconsistencies (and editing errors) that Henry Abbott has. Does a good job of it (though, he hasn't covered this new article yet).
[QUOTE=Mr. I'm So Rad]But what i don't get is how people just assume that giving the ball to Pau or Bynum to take the last shot would necessarily work out. How do you know? People just scream "Give it to the bigs!"
I mean, Kobe has been a winner throughout his career playing the way he has. I mean, in his mind he's probably like, "Why change now?"[/QUOTE]
Bynum is shooting 87% in crunch time this year
Kobe is shooting 27% in crunch time this year
You can never be 100% sure, but logic would tell you that Kobe needs to stop shooting so much late in games.
Its really not that hard. Kobe either needs to play a lot better or pass more. Pick one.
[QUOTE=chips93]one thing that irritates the shit out of me with abbott's arguement, is that he takes late-game execution as a given.
he makes it seem like teams could get great shots by running standard offense, if they just[I] tried[/I].
but, in reality, defense late in games step up. a lot. so simple screening and cutting, having everybody on the same page, its not as simple as just deciding to do it. it takes great execution, which is a skill that lots of teams lack.
fact is, most teams make small mistakes on defense every possession, thats why simple offenses work. somebody gets lost on a screen, somebody misses a rotation, somebody is ball watching, these things occur in regular situations and yield baskets for the offense. offenses rely on defenses making mistakes.
but in crunch time, when the defense is locked in, these mistakes are greatly reduced, so the offensive teams suffer, if they are running standard sets.
im not going to defend kobe, but this idea that all you have to do is decide to run some screens, everything works perfectly, and you get lay-ups is nice in theory, but when the other team is digging in defensively, and the pressure is on, executions suffers.
thats why teams go to isolations. you dont have to worry about execution and cohesion, because it is so simple. get him the ball, get out of his way, and we get a decent shot. as opposed to running some elaborate screening motion, where there are a lot of moving parts, where only one thing has to go wrong, and the play is ruined.
you need very smart players to run good plays at the end of games, and most teams dont have enough of these smart players to make it work, so they resort to isos.
in an ideal situation you have 5 smart guys (like say the celtics or spurs) or a great floor general (cp3) who can get everybody on the same page, then you can run real plays, and get good shots. but if you have metta world peace, or andrew bynum, you are probably going to have to resort to something [I]much[/I] simpler.[/QUOTE]
Great post, man. :cheers:
[QUOTE=Droid101]Abbott is a fool who has been disproven many times.
If you hate Abbott (I don't see how you couldn't), go here:
[url]http://wrongagainhen.wordpress.com/[/url]
This guy basically goes in an points out all the logical inconsistencies (and editing errors) that Henry Abbott has. Does a good job of it (though, he hasn't covered this new article yet).[/QUOTE]
He's not wrong. Kobe shoots 27% in crunch-time. Time to pass the ball, sport.
[QUOTE=Psileas]Apparently because team basketball is too Euro, too sissy and too boring for the casual fan, who wants to see heroic individuals, not heroic teams.
I'm glad Magic doesn't play nowadays. He'd get criticized so much for passing up shots.[/QUOTE]
no doubt. as you point out, the media and fan base is supremely superficial. Just look at the game highlights that are available on espn or even nba.com (not to mention actual sportscenter). I have seen highlights that only show dunks and other spectacular feats of athleticism by stars on a squad, meanwhile that team lost. The shallow view of bball has really changed the game. Its more about marketing and fancy moves by those who are marketed than quality XO bball.
[QUOTE=kuniva_dAMiGhTy]He's not wrong. Kobe shoots 27% in crunch-time. Time to pass the ball, sport.[/QUOTE]
How is Andrew Bynum going to create his own shot in clutch situations?
[QUOTE=Mr. I'm So Rad]But what i don't get is how people just assume that giving the ball to Pau or Bynum to take the last shot would necessarily work out. How do you know? People just scream "Give it to the bigs!"
I mean, Kobe has been a winner throughout his career playing the way he has. I mean, in his mind he's probably like, "Why change now?"[/QUOTE]
Well, I think one of his main points is that it really isnt working. Sure, kobe has hit some incredible game winners. But if you look at the numerical data for his late shots, he is not actually that clutch. The data is all there, and someone like abbot is basically just pointing out that how we perceive it is skewed from a objective data driven approach.
[QUOTE=kuniva_dAMiGhTy]He's not wrong. Kobe shoots 27% in crunch-time. Time to pass the ball, sport.[/QUOTE]
[IMG]http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzcqj9O4cr1rpznnqo1_400.png[/IMG]
[QUOTE=kuniva_dAMiGhTy]He's not wrong. Kobe shoots 27% in crunch-time. Time to pass the ball, sport.[/QUOTE]
Yes, it's either:
1) Pass/Better ball movement
2) Find better shot selection. He's supposed to be the "most skilled" player ever right ? Use some of those skills to get a better shot at the basket or even create for a teammate (hence, going back to #1).
[QUOTE=DMAVS41]I think its more about just not doing something that isn't working. Kobe is shooting 27% overall in crunch time this year while taking 28 shots per 36. Words can't describe how truly horrendous that is.
You have to try something else. Anything. Just not iso Kobe or Kobe ball because it simply isn't working.
And as a whole, iso ball late in games doesn't work that well from the perimeter to begin with.
Its all about results.[/QUOTE]
like i said, im not saying that what the lakers are doing is working, just that you dont simply [I]decide[/I] to be great at executing late in games.
[QUOTE=Droid101]How is Andrew Bynum going to create his own shot in clutch situations?[/QUOTE]
the idea that only a handful of stars can create their own shots is absurd. maybe kobe could create an opportunity by drawing a double and then passing it? Bynum can pretty much get his against most of the other centers in the league. Setting him up out of a timeout with a high quality shot should be relatively straightforward.
[QUOTE=Droid101]How is Andrew Bynum going to create his own shot in clutch situations?[/QUOTE]
How is Kobe gonna make the Lakers better late in games when he's missing 73% of his shots?
[QUOTE=chips93]like i said, im not saying that what the lakers are doing is working, just that you dont simply [I]decide[/I] to be great at executing late in games.[/QUOTE]
Its never that simple, but right now the Lakers are "deciding" to let the least efficient late game player take 28 shots per 36 minutes of crunch time.
That is a decision they have made against all logic and evidence.
You can decide to run plays and not iso. You can decide to drop it down to the bigs a little more often.
Its not simple, but its not rocket science either. Its still just basketball.
I can't resist.
[IMG]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-OEUf4uSzYnM/T1jyeoA_oZI/AAAAAAAAQbw/aoT3fOCtgZg/w300/35ns7d.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE=Legends66NBA7]Yes, it's either:
1) Pass/Better ball movement
2) Find better shot selection. He's supposed to be the "most skilled" player ever right ? Use some of those skills to get a better shot at the basket or even create for a teammate (hence, going back to #1).[/QUOTE]
It's really not that hard. Kobe HAS those skills, he just refuses to give the ball up. It's why the Lakers are statistically one of the worst teams in crunchtime.