Nash is refusing to run it, cool. It's like a broken record at this point having read that in probably a dozen different posts. What has it done for us? We're sitting at 0-3 against teams we could have dismantled with ease. Awesome, it totally didn't backfire. 
So instead of exploiting the terrible defensive frontlines of the three teams we've played so far, all easily winnable games, we should veer completely away from the one play that would have broken the game wide open just to practice the new offense. We couldn't possibly build up a cushion and then look to practice running the offense, we had to do it right from the outset. Even if it meant falling behind by double digits early on and playing our injured shooting guard for 43 minutes in the last game in a desperate attempt to steal a win. That was the master plan courtesy of Mike Brown. We had Eddy Curry as the last line of defense for Dallas, a rookie center in Meyers Leonard for Portland, and DeAndre Jordan who is worthless defensively unless he's providing weakside help. Don't use our superstar center to punish the inferior frontlines, just run the offense instead. Genius.
When exactly is the point where we start looking for easier scoring opportunities? When Kobe is run into ground like last year? When the offense isn't doing its job for whatever reason, you go for something simpler that will work. I can tell you why Hill/Bryant P&R isn't as effective; Jordan Hill is not Dwight Howard. Running P&R with Jordan Hill is not the same thing as running it with Dwight Howard, the best finishing big man off P&R in the entire league.
We've had Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard on the floor at the same time for long stretches but we haven't seen a single high P&R play between the two since the preseason match against Sacramento. We certainly don't have any need for easy points on the offensive end. Playing through to the end of shot clocks, relying upon Kobe Bryant isolation, and giving the opposition easier transitional opportunities is so much better.
You ever think that the rest of the team ALSO buys into the philosophy of wanting to get the system down instead of running PnR all day and night? Ever think the opinion of Nash is also the opinion of his teammates? That the team as a whole wants to get the system down before transitioning into just running PnR?
I think Kobe put it best on his facebook towards those like you, recently that question it
GCMD already made great points against you in another thread that was basically my opinion so I won't rehash it here, you can respond to him there.
Anyway, Kobe's quote
"You have to know 400 notes that you can play, then pick the right four." - Miles Davis.
The process takes work and dedication, no matter the profession.
Mamba out
It seems to me like this team wants to get the system down rather than rely on Pick and Roll to net them early wins and would rather win with whatever this system is and getting it down.
Because in the long haul, if we went to a pick and Roll Mindset then by the time we wanted to run anything else our timing would be off, like it is right now. If they start winning games on pick and roll because they are struggling with the system then they're never going to learn that system and will overly rely on the pick and roll and then when comes time for the playoffs and the game slows down and they won't be able to run pick and roll much they are screwed. Ask Nash. Because it's happened to him every year, and he doesn't want to relive that. Which is probably another reason he's intent on himself and the team getting the system down to a tee first before running pick and roll(which they all are familiar with)
Even Phil Jackson has coached this way, but I am sure you're aware of it. Phil was always fine with losing early in the season while players got acclimated with a new system and worked on the mistakes they were making.
if we were running the same kind of "crappy" offense last year that Kobe had to hoise up 41% of his shots over then he wouldn't be shooting 67% right now thus far. What you're not taking into account is Kobe's movement off the ball, he and Pau(whom both come from the triangle) adjust to the offense very well because it's almost second nature.
Nash is handcuffing himself to learn it as best he can, and Howard is getting back to 100% and MWP is trying to find his place in it.
Struggling and "the shot clock going down" is part of it. When you're running a set like the Princeton(which they've run more sets of than you give them credit) need you and them to be moving, when someone stands still or offsets where it's supposed to go, the entire play breaks down and it goes to Kobe.
They've also been running the 4 out 1 in offense as well to effect which Mike Brown said they would(which they ran last year) but that also goes by unnoticed. They've also ran some triangle and Princeton sets as well.
They actually have run the Princeton a lot more often or tried to initiate it more often than you suggest, but again GCMD broke it down better than I can, so again, check his reply to you instead. . But a team that's trying to get chemistry down I'm not shocked at all by the shot clock going down when sets break.
Fact of the matter is, if they rely on Pick and Roll solely to win them games while they struggle with the Princeton then it will become a safety net and they'll spend even less time trying to learn the Princeton and they'll roll with it for the season and then in the playoffs when they're forced to run something else they will be screwed. Again.. ask Nash.
They're willing to struggle early till they can win with their system and when they get their system down seamlessly THEN they will run pick and roll which they have a greater knowledge about.
Your idea of "it's so simple! They could just run PnR to win them games now!"
Yeah but their execution of the Princeton would still be mediocre and they'd win a lot during the season but in the playoffs they'd struggle.
Sometimes it's not worth choosing a band-aid to get us through early games, once we start winning with our system currently we'll delve into other things. These mistakes also give us more sets to run with.
The Bright side is our 4 out 1 in offense is looking a LOT better than it did last year and when we do execute a Princeton set to effect it gets us an easy basket. It comes down to the player sometimes "seeing" a play that another player doesn't see. AS Kobe said, it's also about that each of them can see a different play they want to make and they try to initiate it but they don't have each other's tendencies down enough to the point where the guy receiving the pass knows what's coming. That's the base of some of our turnovers. And again it comes with time and chemistry.
This may be a broken record, but at the end of the day it's going to take time and patience. We aren't gonna run pick and roll JUST to get us some wins. They are thinking long term not short. That may frustrate you cause you say "ITS THERE ITS THERE ITS THERE" all day long. They know that, but they also know if they just rely on that, they'll slack on the Princeton and that will only hinder them in the future. So that's all there is to it.
And our problems are more so on the defensive end and allowing 2nd chance opportunities than anywhere else currently. Offensive fluidity be darned we'd still win these games if we prevented all the 2nd chance shots.
Edited by Majesty, November 04, 2012 - 04:40 AM.
