My Take on Woody's Problem

[curtmcgirt]

BK and Woody are fundamentally at odds on the use of players. Both have a commitment to defence as the number one priority but I really think they are coming at it from two different perspectives.

BK drafted/signed "skill sets".

Woody is playing "positions"

Here's a simple exercise if you have the time. Open up a spreadsheet and list the Hawks Players down the side. Across the top list out the basic basketball skill sets. I used Ball Handling, Rebounding, Shooting, Post Ability, Defence, Driving, Speed, and Shot Blocking. Then rate the players how ever you see fit.

Ideally you want your players with the highest ratings playing at one time. According to my chart you would start:

T. Lue. JJ, Smoove, Chillz and Marv.

Some other things of note from my chart:

Zaza, Medvenko, and Esteban were at the bottom of the list. I tihnk Este is due to lack of playing time to give a great representation of his skills.

Solo is in the top 10 beating out Speedy and Salim. Royal and Speedy tied in my system as well.

But back to my original point. I do think BK is doing something that makes sense. If you cant get Shaq, try to duplicate his skill set. BK knows that basketball is as much a game of positioning and skill as size.

I dont think Woody is on the same program. Woody wants to play the traditional 1-5.

This is why I belive everyone thinks Woody's substitutions are so bad. Sure he replaces a Center with a Center, but do they share the same abilities? If they dont you have a weakness on the floor.

If BK is going to insist on maintaning this draft and signing philosophy he needs to find a coach to embrace it as well.

Also a disclaimer. My ratings were based on the Hawks players as compared to each other, not against any other NBA players.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Interesting.

I personally think people make way too much of a big deal of Woody's substitution patterns. You can maybe beef about who should be starting, and who should be on the bench. But a lot of his substitution patters in the beginning of games, are pre-set . . . just like any other coach in the league.

Each coach has its guys that they want to take in and out of a game at certain points. It's pretty much a given that, when this team was only missing Marvin, that Woody would first insert Lue for Claxton, then Chill for either Shelden or Smoove, depending which one was in foul trouble.

I've even seen people on here complain about Woody taking out some of the starters toward the end of quarters. For those of us who know basketball, that type of move is obviously to protect your key guys from picking up that cheap foul at the end of quarters. Almost every team does this.

The Hawks problem with their bench, is that we seem to either give up parts of leads, or have leads extend by a few points, when we take guys like JJ or Smoove out of the game toward the end of a quarter, when they have 2 fouls on them. But it is more important to keep your key guys in the game for most of the 2nd half, than it is to play them major minutes in the first. Once again, EVERY TEAM IN THE LEAGUE does these type of substitutions. But it was the mistakes that our bench was making, that were causing problems.

Now that we're short-handed somewhat, these problems really come to a head. Woody is either forced to

(a) keep his main guys in the game hand and hope they don't get the cheap foul . . or

(b) trust guys like Salim, Ivey, and Freije ( before he was dealt ), to at least maintain where we are on the scoreboard.

If we had our full compliment of players, those guys wouldn't have that burden placed on them, if not in the game at all.

[Diesel]

I think you are correct in terms of the BK Philosophy. I know BK doesn't care about positions.

However, I'm not so sure about Woody.

I will say that the way he played Ivey those complimentary 10 minutes all season last year kinda fits that profile.

My problem with Woody is that regardless of what you have on the floor, you have to realize the one thing that your team has in common... Weather it's a good rebounding team, or a good shooting team or a good passing team or a good ball handling team... as a coach you're supposed to know your team's strength. My opinion is that our strength is our speed and versatility.. I know we don't have a TJ Ford.

But when you get beyond Zaza at Center, just about every position we have is a speedy guy. Smith and Chillz should be running on the wings and finishing. I would even play Shelden at the 5 on some occassions because he's strong enough to play Center in a running offense. Speedy and JJ can get up and down.

I would look to make one trade. I would trade Salim for another quick ball handler. Maybe a Salim for Anthony Roberson.

[curtmcgirt]

I understand standard substitution patterns at the end of quarters and to give your stars some rest, but Woody does that incorrectly if you take and honest look at our players skills.

Take the Center position. We go: Zaza, Lo, Solomon in theory. But those are three completely different players. Zaza plays like a back up 4 because he has no idea what post defense is, but can score 20 if so inclined. Lo at this point has become an enforcer but an offensive liability. Solo has raw ability at both ends but no experience.

And I think its okay that they all have different skills and abilities. But when you sub in these players you need to make up for their diffeciencies with other complimentary players.

Solo should be out there with JJ and TLue, veterans that can help guide him.

Zaza should be in the bench rotation, coming into spell starters and get points off the bench. Z wont lose a game but he can help win it. Zaza, Childress and Speedy could be the perfect trio to run the oppositions back ups out of the building.

Lo should get spot Isaiah duty. Come out give his fouls and let the other teams players know not to come in the paint. Ideally with Batista. But with these players you have to either have the game in hand and try to limit the easy shot. Or put them out there on a night when we are shooting well and JJ, TLue and Marvin or Smoove are shooting lights out. Putting Lo in when we are down is insane because he brings nothing offensivly to the table.

That is where I think Woody goes wrong. He subs in players for their position with out regard to how it affects the other players on the court.

[DJlaysitup]

Quote:

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I understand standard substitution patterns at the end of quarters and to give your stars some rest, but Woody does that incorrectly if you take and honest look at our players skills.

Take the Center position. We go: Zaza, Lo, Solomon in theory. But those are three completely different players. Zaza plays like a back up 4 because he has no idea what post defense is, but can score 20 if so inclined. Lo at this point has become an enforcer but an offensive liability. Solo has raw ability at both ends but no experience....

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Well I agree to a point - but really Woody is in a tough spot with these 3 guys at center. None of them are really top-of-the-line centers. If I were Woody I would respond "Son...you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear" (or even three sow's ears).

[Swatguy]

Correct, Woody needs to play to the strength of his players. Substitutions also are a consideration of the opponent, ala match ups. Offensivly, we need more motion, more precise passing, back cuts/picks and the like. Other teams feast as they attack the boards on both ends. We dont. Example, when Zaza gets the ball from tweenty feet he shoots a jumper or passes. When Zaza gets the ball from 14-15 feet he drives to the rim. Usually no one follows him for a rebound, tip or position to reciev a pass. Guys just sit and watch as Zaza stumbles to a turnover or other teams rebound without resistence.

[xhawk]

Actually this is one the more thoughtful set of posts that I have read--each one contains pretty good analysis.

Whatever skill set or players we put on the floor, we still need them all pursuing a common goal. In other words, we need an offensive and defensive identity for those players. On offense, do we run, spread the floor, screen off the ball, etc? On defense, do we switch everything, play zone, double team and scramble, etc. To many times I have seen something work with one group of players only to see it abandoned later on. Without identity, it looks like we lack intensity, focus and consistency. As Phoenix, Seatle and teams like them have shown, identity is more important than personnel.

As a final point, the Hornet seem to stay competitive and even win without Chris Paul, because every player knows what the team is trying to accomplish on the floor. This is what we lack.