Posted by franco12:
Posted by BlueSeats:
Really I think just because our guys DON'T execute well in the low box, OR on the perimeter, it's assumed they'd be better off in an up-tempo game, (because there's nowhere else to go...) But if my memory serves me correctly we actually began the season at a quicker tempo, but unfortunately with that style we led the league in turnovers, were losing constantly, and guys like Frye and Malik were telling Brown he should slow it down to get higher percentage executions.
When running didn't work we slowed it down. When slowing it down didn't work fans wanted us to run. In either instance it's about execution, and that's something we never did well.
I think we led the league in turnovers because somewhere this season Larry Brown set a record for most starting line ups - and although I will grant you we have some dumb players that don't understand the game, if LB had, like every other coach in the league, picked and played with a set line up and rotation, I would hazzard to bet money that turnovers would have gone down. I'm not saying we would have won more games.
I for one don't dispute that there were certain things that larry could have done for the sake of continuity, and even for a few more wins, I just think they pale in comparison to guys like Curry, Mo and James being very out of shape and starting out injured; Antonio Davis not wanting to be here and having the worst +/- stats in the league; Q starting out with a bad back, a bad ankle, a murdered brother and his worst season ever; Marbury dragging his feet against the system all season; Crawford going numb in Marbury's absence; the owner needing to quell a mutiny; etc, etc.
My real point was that we tried up-tempo, we tried down-tempo, the execution was never there. I think the lineups business is over played. Most of them were minor tweaks. for the most part when Marbury, Q, AD, and curry were healthy and available they started. In a normal, stable, healthy season I believe our rotation would have been/become Marbury, Q, Woods, AD, Curry. But for better or worse we had a lot of injuries and roster turnover that allowed the kids to get some starts and also required Francis and Jalen to get some looks. Then the loss of AD required Looks at Frye, Taylor and Malik.
But Rick Carlisle and the Pacers used 30 something lineups without them crumbling. The Suns keep winning regardless of who goes down or gets suspended... at a certain point the players just gotta go out there and execute.
It's times like these I need to remind us that we only won 33 the year before, including a 2-15 January, with more continuity to the roster and better rebounders and defenders.
There are things I accepted from LB this year that I don't want or expect him to repeat, but at the same time we have to hold the players accountable for their play on the court. There was only one stretch of the season where we were competitive and I simply don't find it a coincidence that it occurred when our "best player" was playing like it mattered. I also don't consider it a coincidence that we got a small boost when the owner told the team nobody in management was getting fired. And then again when our new "best player" (Crawford) stepped up his game.
Sustained effort would have gone a long way. A lot farther than a consistent lineup, IMO.
