KP's defender tries chasing over the screen the 1st time and then under the screen the 2nd time but is just not able to get to KP who gets a well timed pass and can get the quick release catch and shoot look.

This is an unstoppable play if executed right. KP is so tall and his release is so quick and high that no one should be able to distract or block the shot. Why they had gone away from this play i'm not sure but I was SO HAPPY to see it used regularly again. KP needs a few of these a game to get in rhythm and be more confident and efficient.

Knixkik wrote:

GoNyGoNyGo wrote:Why this play is not called for him 10 times a game, I have no idea! He needs to get closer to the basket to get his confidence back.

I don't understand it either. The guy can absolutely feast in the mid-range/high post area. His quick release combined with his ball handling and quickness should make him a nightmare in that area of the court. He needs to become Dirk, where he does most of his damage in this area, and shoots a few 3s when he's open. But we can't turn him into a Ryan Anderson, otherwise we are wasting his other-world skills in the high post.

Because Rose and Melo dominate the ball and call their own numbers first.

martin wrote:

Knixkik wrote:

GoNyGoNyGo wrote:Why this play is not called for him 10 times a game, I have no idea! He needs to get closer to the basket to get his confidence back.

I don't understand it either. The guy can absolutely feast in the mid-range/high post area. His quick release combined with his ball handling and quickness should make him a nightmare in that area of the court. He needs to become Dirk, where he does most of his damage in this area, and shoots a few 3s when he's open. But we can't turn him into a Ryan Anderson, otherwise we are wasting his other-world skills in the high post.

Because Rose and Melo dominate the ball and call their own numbers first.

That was brutally honest. It does create more freedom for the coach to call an actual PLAY for KP but still I don't know why it was almost totally abandoned for most of the season even when KP has been out there with Melo or Rose. Sometimes you just gotta call the play and let Rose and Melo be damned. But seriously that does seem to be a big source of the problem. I just hope we're going to see more of this type of look for KP. More plays that start closer to the basket. Also setting some damned screens so he can catch and shoot rather than always dealing with help defenders. KP can also fake and drive on a closing defender in this scenario.

Nalod wrote:If Melo has that ball and is not doubled, he is doing his thing. Kuz had the ball, not melo. That is why they running that play.
The key phrase is "Kuz has the ball......". Jennings is not doing this play nor is Rose. If they are single coverage they are attacking the basket.
THat play also has so many options as well, KP can head fake then go to the basket, if coverage drops he can kick it back to Kuz. If Kuz's man doubles on KP, Kuz can cut to the basket......ball movement, its fan-tastic.

If Melo is hot, he will never look at that pass. If melo is cold, he wants to shoot himself back to rhythm. Its what a high volume top 30 all time HOF bound scorer does.

Melo is a great scorer and HOF lock but top 30? No way. Not even close. He's never been top 3 in the league and one could argue if he is even a top 30 player value wise right now. He's more like top 100 all time.

Knixkik wrote:

martin wrote:

Knixkik wrote:

GoNyGoNyGo wrote:Why this play is not called for him 10 times a game, I have no idea! He needs to get closer to the basket to get his confidence back.

I don't understand it either. The guy can absolutely feast in the mid-range/high post area. His quick release combined with his ball handling and quickness should make him a nightmare in that area of the court. He needs to become Dirk, where he does most of his damage in this area, and shoots a few 3s when he's open. But we can't turn him into a Ryan Anderson, otherwise we are wasting his other-world skills in the high post.

Because Rose and Melo dominate the ball and call their own numbers first.

It's true. Melo clogs up the high post and Rose can only attack the basket or shoot from 15 ft so they need to keep the lanes clear. But i agree with OP, this play really represents what the offense should look like when KP becomes the focal point.

Is that Sasha getting in the other guy's grill for both picks? If so, funny that the has-been on the bunch has to show us how to set a pick

or is it Willy, which would be an awesome future?

yellowboy90 wrote:They have run that play but KP had been missing it lately along with being in foul trouble continually also hurts. On top of that he has been in and out of the lineup.

I'm not saying they never run it but the consistency of using that play several times a game has not been there. Neither has the execution of the play been right. A lot of it has to do with who is on the floor when they've run it. If the down screen isn't set hard enough then it's not as effective! That's been a larger part of the problem. Sasha sets it hard and really creates the space KP needs.

This is the variation of the Screen Play you may have seen that looks like the same play but it's slightly different and it matters a lot who is passing the ball to KP and who is setting the screen as well as the spacing on the play. It changes how and where Help can come and the screen is more effective when set deeper in the paint rather than out closer to where KP is going to catch and shoot the ball. So here are two examples of a similar plays from the Hawks game.

Notice how the Screen on Milsap was not set properly and he's right on KP's heels,Plus Jennings man, Schroder is able to come over and help whereas in the play I am talking about there is no help defender that is likely to come out to KP and leave the basket unprotected.

Still it's not the same play I highlighted to start this thread. I can tell you that they have not really been using this exact play a lot all season. He's had more possessions out away from the paint. I see this play as more of a bread and butter look for him to get wide open shots that are like layups for him. No defender banging him or help coming over to distract. That's why I'm pointing it out.

nyknickzingis wrote:

Nalod wrote:

nyknickzingis wrote:

Nalod wrote:If Melo has that ball and is not doubled, he is doing his thing. Kuz had the ball, not melo. That is why they running that play.
The key phrase is "Kuz has the ball......". Jennings is not doing this play nor is Rose. If they are single coverage they are attacking the basket.
THat play also has so many options as well, KP can head fake then go to the basket, if coverage drops he can kick it back to Kuz. If Kuz's man doubles on KP, Kuz can cut to the basket......ball movement, its fan-tastic.

If Melo is hot, he will never look at that pass. If melo is cold, he wants to shoot himself back to rhythm. Its what a high volume top 30 all time HOF bound scorer does.

Melo is a great scorer and HOF lock but top 30? No way. Not even close. He's never been top 3 in the league and one could argue if he is even a top 30 player value wise right now. He's more like top 100 all time.

Melo is 26th, about to replace Charles barkley.
http://www.espn.com/nba/history/leaders

Are you talking about purely ranking based on scoring points? Yes Melo is a top 30, all time. That is a fact. I thought we were talking about overall rankings. GOAT debates. Melo is not top 30 all time as a player. Not even close.

Scoring is one dimension of the HOFer and Melo is one of the greatest by this.
But there are so many more - defense, leadership, team play, winning accolades (which Melo has too but not in NBA).
There were scores of players in NBA history who were and are all around greats.
Melo is not one of them and he does not want to be.