– Nets could be more dynamic on offense under Lionel Hollins (from Mike Mazzeo, ESPNNewYork):
” Since becoming a Net in February 2011, Williams has shown flashes of being the player he was in Utah. But injuries, confidence issues and systems unfit for his style of play have prevented that from happening on a consistent basis.
So how will this new system change all that?
To figure that out, we enlisted the help of a former NBA scout. While the Nets have yet to play a preseason game, the scout has a thorough knowledge of X’s and O’s and watched Hollins coach in Memphis and Sloan coach in Utah.
This is an analysis on what could happen based on what has happened before.”
Read it here: http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/brooklyn-nets/post/_/id/20682/nets-could-be-more-dynamic-on-offense-under-lionel-hollins
– The Right Kind of Mistakes: Passing TOs & Offensive Efficiency (from Dan Clayton, saltcityhoops.com):
” How much does Quin Snyder want to play with the pass? He’d rather see passing mistakes than mistake-free isolation plays.
“Sometimes trying to make those passes doesn’t always give you the results you want right away,” the Jazz head coach said to SCH’s Andy Larsen, referring to a sloppy day of passing in practice. “(But) I like the unselfishness. I’d rather have us trying to make the right play and needing to get better at it than taking the other road and playing more as individuals.”
Read it here: http://saltcityhoops.com/the-right-kind-of-mistakes-passing-tos-offensive-efficiency/
– Jazz losses may stack up, but hopelessness won’t (from Gordon Monson, sltrib.com):
” The Jazz kind of blew it a season ago. They had a leftover coach, a Jerry Sloan disciple, who a lot of people liked on a personal level in the last year of his deal who wasn’t on the same page as management. He was trying to save his job while the higher-ups were attempting to build for the future.
It was a contradiction.
That’s why guys like Richard Jefferson and Marvin Williams got as much time as they did, at the expense of younger players.
Those days are gone.”
Read it here: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/jazz/58504918-87/jazz-season-losses-players.html.csp
– Bruno Caboclo finding his fit with Toronto Raptors (from Josh Rubin, the star.com):
” Caboclo had his Raptors debut Tuesday night in 15 minutes of pre-season action against the Sacramento Kings. While he wasn’t a huge factor in Toronto’s 113-106 road loss, he still showed flashes of why the team took him 20th overall in this past summer’s NBA draft. Caboclo scored six points, nailing his first two three-point attempts. (He also took a nasty tumble after going up for a rebound.)
In halting but already-improved English, a smiling Caboclo said Thursday that he enjoyed his first taste of action, and that he wasn’t overwhelmed.
“It’s different, but I feel OK. It’s normal,” said Caboclo.”
Read it here: http://www.thestar.com/sports/raptors/2014/10/09/bruno_caboclo_finding_his_fit_with_toronto_raptors.html
From TSN.ca: http://www.tsn.ca/this-season-will-be-about-learning-for-raptors-rookie-caboclo-1.103246
And from Stephen Brotherston at Pro BBall Report: http://probballreport.com/raptors-bruno-caboclo-is-not-2-years-away-from-2-years-away/
– Raptors want Jonas Valanciunas to become best defender in the league (from Eric Koreen, Nationalpost.com):
“One of the big focuses for us to advance in the playoffs is that he’s got to be the best rim protector — block shots, [legal] vertical [jumps] and being able to get over to that weak side early on any [dribble] penetration,” said Bill Bayno, the Raptors assistant coach who has worked extensively with Valanciunas. “At times he was great at it last year. … But we want it every night, 82 games.”
By “best,” one assumes that Bayno meant he wants Valanciunas to be the best help defender he can be.
“Best in the league,” Bayno clarifies. “We want him to be No. 1 in the NBA.”
– Fredette is off to a strong start in the preseason (from Darrell Williams, theadvocate.com):
” Guard Jimmer Fredette came to the New Orleans Pelicans with a lot to prove.
A good outside shooter, it’s sometimes difficult for him to get his shot off against defenders. And playing defense hasn’t exactly been his forte. On a team loaded with guards, his chances of making the Pelicans certainly was not a lock.
But after three preseason games, Fredette is staking his claim by what he does best. Having shown great range during a stellar college career at BYU, Fredette has shot 56.0 percent (14-of-25), including 53.8 percent (7-of-13) on 3-point attempts.
“There is not a lot of guaranteed things in this league,” Fredette said after Thursday morning’s practice. “You just need to go out there and work for your spot, especially as a free agent coming in. You have to work as hard as you can and make a name for yourself right away, try to establish yourself and what you’re going to do.””
Read it here: http://theadvocate.com/sports/pelicans/10486058-148/pelicans-jimmer-fredette-is-off
And from Nakia Hogan, nola.com: http://www.nola.com/pelicans/index.ssf/2014/10/jimmer_fredettes_defense_will.html
– Backup role nothing new for Heat’s Shannon Brown (from Shandel Richardson, sun-sentinel.com):
” Shannon Brown is no stranger to the role.
Far from it.
So forgive him if he confidently snaps back to a question asking if he’s ready to fill the position as backup to Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade.
Not a problem, says Brown. He’s done it before, and had success.
“If you look at my career, I got a chance to back up Kobe (Bryant),” Brown said Tuesday. “I just approach it every day as trying to get better. Dwyane is a great person to learn from, especially because he’s been here his whole career. He has three championships here. He knows what it takes to go out there and get the job done. I watch him and see how he does things.””
Read it here: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/fl-heat-main-1001-20140930-story.html
– Thunder: Pace and Tempo Key for Offense ( from Nick Gallo, nba.com/thunder):
“That’s something that is really important to how we play – pace and our tempo offensively and defensively,” Telfair said. “Those are the types of things that win games.”
Running up and down the floor just for the sake of racking up possessions and shots at the rim isn’t exactly the type of pace the Thunder is interested in generating. Instead, up-tempo basketball means putting the defense in uncomfortable positions because of execution and intelligence. Pitch-ahead passes along with well-timed and quick outlet passes can help the Thunder get across half-court early in the shot clock, leaving the team plenty of time to run multiple different sets. Those smart, early looks can also catch the defense sleeping and result in easy or uncontested looks at the rim.
“The first thing we’re taught is to set our defense,” Telfair said. “If we’re playing with a pace where we’re kicking the ball up and we’re always on the attack, it doesn’t matter which guy it is that we kick the ball up to. It just puts a lot of pressure on the defense to get back.””
Read it here: http://www.nba.com/thunder/trainingcamp_141009
– Footwork, balance, and a wide base are the keys to a consistent James Young (from Kevin O’Connor, celticsblog.com):
” According to (Coach Brad) Stevens, Young just needs to have a wider base on his jump shot, but he doesn’t want him to make too many drastic changes.
“When you’ve got a guy that’s that good of a shooter the worst thing you can do is get too mechanical,” coach Stevens explained. “You don’t want it him to become mechanical, he’s as fluid as fluid gets. So, the only thing that I’ve told James is have the right, appropriate wide base every time he catches it.”
– How Defensively Dominant Can Boston Celtics Backcourt Be? (from Michael Pina, Bleacher Report):
” The Boston Celtics head into the 2014-15 regular season drowning in deficiency: so much weakness, such low expectations. But one bright spot is their backcourt and, more specifically, how outright feared it could be on defense.
There are 2.5 major reasons why: Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart and Rajon Rondo. Despite being the best all-around basketball player (by far) of the three, Rondo resides as third in the pecking order here because his once-tenacious defensive tendencies have waned in recent years.
Because he’s a human being, and human beings tend to run out of energy, Rondo is also burdened with far more responsibility on offense than the other two and can’t engage the same way they can. Nonetheless, the Smart-Bradley duo is a horror show.
With Rondo sidelined due to a broken hand, Smart and Bradley were unleashed in Boston’s two preseason contests as the starting backcourt, hounding their assignments the entire length of the floor, transforming into their shadow’s shadow off the ball, contesting every single shot and making life a general nightmare.”
Read and view it here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2226310-how-defensively-dominant-can-boston-celtics-backcourt-be
– Can the Celtics play top-10 defense? (from Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston.com):
” Back in late August, Avery Bradley suggested that the Boston Celtics had potential to be a top-10 defense in the upcoming season. The notion was met with expected skepticism — or laughed off completely — by pundits who were quick to note the team’s defensive regression to close out the 2013-14 campaign.
Boston did little to address its need for a rim protector this offseason and, still in rebuilding mode, it seemed unlikely that these Celtics would be among the defensive elite.
But two games into the exhibition season, it’s worth revisiting Bradley’s proclamation.”
Read it here: http://espn.go.com/boston/nba/story/_/id/11672910/can-boston-celtics-top-10-defense
– Steve Blake brings a new unselfish style to Trail Blazers’ bench (from Joe Freeman, oregonian.com):
” “He’s one of those guys where you can put him with any team in the league and he’ll play well,” Aldridge said. “He’s a very unselfish guy. He moves the ball. He makes plays for everybody else. When you have a guy like that, it’s easy to play with him.”
“We won’t be comparing him to Mo all year, but Mo came in to score and he created offense,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “And that’s how he helped off the bench. Steve, I think, will be a very good defender. He’ll run the offense. He’ll get the ball where it’s supposed to be on offense. He’ll set up players. When he’s dribbling, they’re moving to open spots because they know he’s looking to find somebody. He’s not going to provide the scoring that Mo did, but I think he’ll provide other things.”
Read it here: http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2014/10/steve_blake_gives_trail_blazers_a_new_unselfish_st.html
– Despite size, Brand back to guard traditional centers (from Chris Vivlamore, myajc.com):
” The Hawks, despite a roster with six other big men, needed someone capable of guarding the more traditional centers in the league. So, despite interest from as many as six other teams, Brand re-signed with the Hawks in the offseason.
The Hawks have Al Horford back as their starting center after he missed most of last season with a torn right pectoral muscle. The team has five other big men similar in their ability to play away from the basket. Although Brand is listed at 6-foot-9 and 254 pounds, his years of experience help him bang in the post with much bigger opponents.
“With Al back, I’m sure my minutes will shrink,” Brand said. “It will be more situational, but I don’t mind that. The game has changed over the years. There are less of those plodding big men in the post. I’m here to guard those guys.”
Read it here: http://www.myajc.com/news/sports/despite-size-brand-back-to-guard-traditional-cente/nhfq9/
– Chris Vivlamore (AJC.com) asked Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer the other day for a tangible difference between his first two camps. Budenolzer’s response:
“The most tangible thing that people can see on the court is how they play,” Budenholzer said. “They are playing instinctively. The ball is moving. They are doing things. We want to create a way to play and then they make plans within that. Obviously, there is some structure and spacing is important but when they start doing things instinctively you know you are there. I can see that tangibly. I can feel that they are just playing instinctively. I think we got to that at some point during the season but we were definitely not there at this stage last year.”
– How the Milwaukee Bucks Can Become the NBA’s Most Intriguing Rebuild (from Grant Hughes, Bleacher report):
Read and view it here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2226120-how-the-milwaukee-bucks-can-become-the-nbas-most-intriguing-rebuild
– Steph Curry Q & A (from NBA.com/warriors):
Read it here: http://www.nba.com/warriors/news/media-day-qa-stephen-curry
– The Blake Griffin Post Up Problem (from Coach Nick, BBall Breakdown):
” Coach Nick breaks down Blake Griffin’s strange footwork in the post, and how it is effective in specific places and not so much in others.”
Read and view it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt-ykC6JQOM&feature=youtu.be&a
– Detroit Pistons find long-range threat can be effective even when errant (from David Mayo, mlive.com):
Read it here: http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/2014/10/detroit_pistons_find_long-rang.html
(BI note: The point in the headline applies as long as it isn’t Josh Smith firing away from beyond the arc. SVG seems to have a good plan for dealing with last year’s disaster in that respect.)
– Van Gundy forced to play lineup catch-up (from Dan Feldman, Detroit Free Press):
” Stan Van Gundy is making up for lost time.
It’s a shame that he must, but it’s also why he has a job.
Last season, the Pistons started Josh Smith, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond and gave that trio heavy minutes, even though the three bigs struggled to play together. The Pistons stunk because of it, though not enough to keep their top-eight-protected first-round pick. The strategy essentially cost Joe Dumars, Maurice Cheeks and John Loyer their jobs.
All the while, none of the three decision makers ensured that two of the three bigs played enough without the third — pairings that all worked.
Last season, the Pistons were outscored by 3.9 points per 100 possessions, according to nbawowy.com. However, when they played exactly two of their big three, they outscored their opponents. It didn’t even matter which two, just as long as it was two without the third.”
Read it here: http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2014/10/10/detroit-pistons-pistonpowered/17024945/
– Kobe, MJ, Pippen told Melo to Be Patient in Triangle (from The Hoop Doctors):
” …(I)f the Knicks’ first preseason bout against the Boston Celtics was any indication, they have a ways to go.
The ball kept moving, and everyone, including Anthony, made conscious effort to make the unselfish play. But they seldom made the right play. Sometimes they were passing too much. Most of the time, they were just out of sync. Once players caught passes, they didn’t seem to understand the off-ball movements of their teammates. Passes were to sent to places players weren’t. Players were visibly rattled and confused by the positioning of their teammates. It was, in all its 28-turnover glory, offensive chaos.
Things aren’t suddenly going to get better, either. And once they do, the Knicks have to worry about roster turnover. Signing new players this summer when they have cap space means they have to start the process all over again. It might be slightly easier since guys like Melo will have a year of triangle basketball under their belt, but the Knicks are due for an organic overhaul. Not to mention that one year in the triangle isn’t much.
So yes, Kobe, Pippen and MJ were right: Anthony needs to be patient.
Not just with his individual role inside the Knicks’ system, but with the results said system is supposed to generate over time.”
Read it here: http://bleacherreport.com/tb/df7JJ
(BI note: As Phil Jackson wrote in one of is books: “There’s no percentage in trying to push the river or speed up the harvest. The farmer who’s so eager to help his crops grow that he slips out at night and tugs on the shoots inevitably ends up going hungry.”)
– Stuckey Ready for Fresh Start, New Identity (from Mark Monteith, NBA.com):
” Seven seasons into his NBA career, Rodney Stuckey’s role and reputation remain murkier than ever.
Is he a starter or reserve?
A point guard or a shooting guard?
A good guy or a troublemaker?
The case could be made for any of the above, and in fact already has been in Detroit, where Stuckey contributed to – or perhaps merely survived – a most peculiar set of circumstances.”
Read it here: http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/stuckey-ready-fresh-start-new-identity
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