Melo isolation efficiency is not even ranked in the top 15 isolations in the league!

All is not lost since we'll be getting Lin back and with a better plan from Woody we can make better use of the high % options the team has. I've said all year that the offense should not focus on Melo ISO 1st but rather run thru motion and ball movement plays and if that doesn't work then go to Melo in the post or ISO. Pushing the ball is important to give the team maximum time on the shot clock to work the offense. When Lin went down that went away.

muhaha wrote:

Solace wrote:Wow! What do you say to this... This confirms what some of us have been saying as to where our inefficiencies are.

Knicks ranked fifth in defensive efficiecy in NBA but they were 14th in win/loss. That right there tells you a lot about our inefficiecy in offense. 17th in offensive efficiency will not get you far into the playoffs. If only Woodson can figure out how to be more affective, we can become a force next year.

Here is what he needs to do:
- Set screens and utilize Tyson and Stat cut % (cut to the basket and lob or bounce).
- Set up plays and make Novak as one of the top options.
- Utilize Stat ability as PnR screener.
- Make plays for Melo as a PnR passer and Tyson & Stat on receiving end.
- Set up JR and Novak for open shots (screens or PG drive and dish)

Whatever Woodson does, just stay away from isolations!

If this doesn't clearly show that this team needs to be a ball movement, moving without the ball, pick and roll team than I don't know what does. Come on JLin! Usher in a new era.

the problem with MDA was never his offense...hes a genius on THAT end...i just hated the lack of defense

im a big fan of ball movement BUT also a fan of getting it to your star players...i dont think it should be a "democracy"...the key is getting the ball to star players after motion has been created...tyson shouldnt touch the ball unless its for a dunk...earlier in the yr (when MDA realized that TD wasnt a pg), the knix were running the ol' wisconsin swing play...(its hard to explain - google it) but it involved swinging the ball over the top and then finding a low post player on the diaganoal cut...fields and tyson feasted on this play...and this is how he got melo to iso...the problem is its 2 predictable and teams carved it up ...but thats a good example of having a motion offense that ENDS with the ball in your star player at the low blocks

callmened wrote:first of all - great find...a little hard to understand at first but its pretty cool

however, I'll play devils advocate for a second (which i love to do)...i must warn you that im a melo fan and hes my favorite player...while i realize hes not as elite as i THOUGHT, i think he gets his unfair share of the blame for the knick's problems...he is what he is...an isolation player who can score on anyone. pretty much one dimensional but hes still a great player..and OUR player (that knicks fans should embrace)

now for my point...the problem i have with stats and "outcomes" and charts like these are: it doesnt take into consideration the intangible aspects that cant be measured. for example, does that chart take into consideration: opponent foul trouble, double teaming melo in the iso to force him to pass (and then finding a wide open novak), free throw attempts, foul bonus against the other team..what are we to conclude from that graph? that we should have tyson cut more and novak shoot more?? (that requires a PG right?..one that we didnt have most of the yr)

im not sayin that isolating melo is the answer...but i can list at least 10 other problems with the knicks besides that....starting with STAT...lastly, in his defense one can "blame" woody for calling these iso plays since they had no PG and no other creator...keep in mind that this "offense" carried us thru april where he was named player of the month...and this same iso is responsible for LBJ singlehandedly destroying the celtics in game 6

There is no doubt Melo is our best offensive weapon. But Knicks can become so much better if he and the coaching staff can 'trim down' isolations. This graph only reaffirmed the fact Melo's isolation is the least efficient way for him to score. He is an underrated passer. He seldom dished out on drives, and it only reflected on his mistrust in his teammates. And when a major ball handler doesnt trust his teammates, they will only stand around and watch. A mixture of plays are fine.

Isolation is very detrimental to team ball if it becomes the main entree to our offensive meal!

Here is more on isolations by Elton Brand:

Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire might be the easy culprits for the Knicks’ woes so far this season, but to dig a little deeper, the biggest problem with New York might be the play calling.

According to ESPN.com’s True Hoop page, 15.8 of the Knicks’ offensive plays this year have been isolation sets, by far the most in the NBA. However, the Knicks are scoring on just two-third of the isolation plays and shoot just 30.3 percent when such a play call is made.

Needless to say, it’s not much of surprise which player is going to get the ball, either. The Knicks average 80.2 shots per game with Anthony and Stoudemire squeezing off 35 of those.

Meanwhile, the Sixers rarely run isolation plays, which is exactly the way they like it. According to Elton Brand, the more different players get to handle the ball, the better the team’s defense is…

Huh?

“When you iso a lot you don’t have that shared responsibility on defense. It’s kind of human nature – if you work hard to get a guy a layup, he’ll want to return the favor and play harder on defense,” Brand explained.

Brand, a two-time All-Star, was the focal point of the offense when he played for the Clippers and averaged up to 18 shots per game one season. Often, the offense filtered through him on the post, which Brand says didn’t look like too much fun for his teammates. Truth be told, he prefers the Sixers’ style of offense.

This season the Sixers had seven different players lead the team in scoring in the first 10 games.

“There is less standing around, you feel a part of the team, you feel the movement, you feel good,” Brand said. “If one guy is shooting all the shots, unless it’s ingrained in the team’s role, I think defensively it hurts.”

Another reason why isolation plays may have fallen out of favor around the league is because the defenses and scouting has improved. In fact, during last week’s game against Washington, Evan Turner said the Sixers were so familiar with the other team’s plays that they tried to beat their man to the spot when the play was called.

“Defenses have become so much more sophisticated. We think we’re at our best if the ball moves side to side because if the ball gets stuck on one side of the floor these NBA teams just load up,” coach Doug Collins said. “Unless you’re something spectacular, you’re going to take a contested jump shot or you’re going to be playing one on two or even one on three if they go boxes-and-elbows or something like that.”

Of course another reason for teams struggling with isolation plays could be the lockout. Brand wondered if some go-to players were slow to get their legs going with so maybe back-to-backs and quick turnarounds.

If one thing is for sure, says Collins, the defense around the league has been solid.

“I don’t know if the lockout had any effect on guys and conditioning. I know the defenses this year have been pretty consistent,” Collins said. “I think every night we play teams and the defenses are ahead of the offenses in a lot of ways and that might be because we can’t practice.”

http://www.csnphilly.com/blog/sixers-talk/post/Isolation-offense-vanishing-in-NBA?blockID=640462

gunsnewing wrote:Except that lin melo amare tyson & shump only played 7 games together under woodson and were 6-1. The rest of the games were played with a hobbled Davis, fields, jeffries and an erratic JR. And Novak who couldnt get a shot off against real defensive teams like miami, chicago & boston

Novak was completely healthy throughout and Woodson never called one play for him or instructed his players to set a screen for him. I am not willing to believe having healthy players will mean a change in approach from Woody. I just don't see it happening.