What exactly IS ours?

I was expecting a loss today, but a tight loss in which SMU took the air out of the ball and kept us from getting out in the break. I didn't expect a 20 point embarassment in which SMU essentially ran better than we did, defended better than we did and rebounded better than we did.

So what is this team supposed to do, exactly? We've got 4 seniors guards, so do we rely on them for the scoring and spread the floor? We've got two great low-post threats, so do we ply inside-out?

Do we press? Do we not press?

Do we run a deep rotation and use our athleticism?

Do we run a tight rotation full of seniors and beat teams straight up and down?

Is this Joe Jackson's team or isn't it?

Because after 21 games, I can't f__king tell. Are we just a Scott Drew "Durpity Dee, get out thar' and dee up!" team where we just roll with the punches and get beat by every decent gameplan that comes along? Because if we're going to be that, we can just hire Scott Drew and be done with it. At least he finds an elite 8 every once in a while like a blind squirrel finds a nut.

The only constant with this team so far is, more often than not, we play to the OTHER team's style, and we're constantly "course adjusting".

Thanks, I'll hang up and listen.

(02-01-2014 06:15 PM)MemphisCanes Wrote:  Do we press? Do we not press?

This is supposed to be a super-fast "give them hell" pressing team, but it seems like when this team presses it's an easy 2 the other way.

We have certain players that hang their heads when things start going bad. Shaq looked like he quit today. That tends to happen a lot with bigs when they don't touch the ball enough early. The coach has got to hold players accountable. I've said this in several threads and I'll say it again. He shoulda took Shaq out early in the second half.

(02-01-2014 06:18 PM)Memp400Kng Wrote:  

(02-01-2014 06:15 PM)MemphisCanes Wrote:  Do we press? Do we not press?

This is supposed to be a super-fast "give them hell" pressing team, but it seems like when this team presses it's an easy 2 the other way.

I think that changed early in the season when coach decided to go 7 maybe 8 deep. We can't be a super-fast "give them hell" pressing team without depth. IMO, we should actually slow the game down and push when opportunity arises. We need to consistently play through our talented bigs and not get away from them. Slow the game down and we may do well in the tournament.

(02-01-2014 06:24 PM)tiger1016 Wrote:  

(02-01-2014 06:18 PM)Memp400Kng Wrote:  

(02-01-2014 06:15 PM)MemphisCanes Wrote:  Do we press? Do we not press?

This is supposed to be a super-fast "give them hell" pressing team, but it seems like when this team presses it's an easy 2 the other way.

I think that changed early in the season when coach decided to go 7 maybe 8 deep. We can't be a super-fast "give them hell" pressing team without depth. IMO, we should actually slow the game down and push when opportunity arises. We need to consistently play through our talented bigs and not get away from them. Slow the game down and we may do well in the tournament.

We don't really have an offensive set or strategy to play a slow game. Creating points off turnovers with our speed is our pseudo identity. That focus also tends to get our guys out of position on defense which leads to easy buckets.

I was at the game and thought after that run under the 10 minute mark of the first half was the beginning of a blowout in our favor. I was wrong of course. But the biggest thing you noticed between the two teams was that smu had set plays and made adjustments to attack.

While we may not play 4 guards a ton, playing 4 guards for whatever time pastner does usually leads to a momentum shift in the other direction. Brown/smu tore it up by attacking to the rim.

Not sure what to think about Shaq. He was having to battle extremely hard down low to get position. Guards may not have liked him not having position early enough in the sequence so they go away from him. If I'm Shaq and getting my ass beat around and don't get a look when I finally do get position, I'd be frustrated and eventually give up too. We just down run an offense that creates opportunities. The high low with Shaq at the free throw line is the easiest opportunity to get him the ball but he's only a threat to pass from there. Take away that passing line and he's not much of a factor. He can hit that shot but that's not something we would want to depend on for consistent scoring.

I agree with tiger 1016. Only run on steals. Our press totally sucks....our guards are not tall enough to trap much....Nichols has to play for us and he is best in half court....after today, if I was Josh, a lot of asses would be reamed and some on the bench.... if King and Iverson to not get better next year looks not so rosy.

The press "unit" should include 2 or more long bench players. Wilson, Iverson or King. Crawford should never be in during the press.

“Our Identity”…hmmmm. That’s a tough one right there.

- On offense we are almost totally reliant on perimeter shots falling. This is a very streaky shooting team and every game is a roll of the dice.

- On defense we just aren’t good at all and I don’t see it changing much this late in the season.

I really like this team but with all of their talent they are unpredictable from game to game. I haven’t seen them impose their will consistently all season. Their identity should be the slogan in my sig (when visible).

”ALWAYS EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED”

As I've been saying all season, the key is for CJP to decide what he wants this team to be, but he has not done that yet. The time is now.

Sloppy play; little thought used when passing; bad ball handling; motors running on low; poor shooting. I noticed that each time we scored we were slow to get back on defense and many times SMU took advantage of it. The place was rocking and sold out; I've never seen is so full. They've spent a lot of money on the upgrade and it shows. Brown looks really old these days. Every year, their band knows only two songs and they drive me crazy.

(02-01-2014 06:22 PM)Brother Bluto Wrote:  We have certain players that hang their heads when things start going bad. Shaq looked like he quit today. That tends to happen a lot with bigs when they don't touch the ball enough early. The coach has got to hold players accountable. I've said this in several threads and I'll say it again. He shoulda took Shaq out early in the second half.

That is the most intelligent post I've ever seen you make on here and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with you. Keep up the good work.

(02-02-2014 01:48 AM)TigerJJ Wrote:  

(02-01-2014 06:22 PM)Brother Bluto Wrote:  We have certain players that hang their heads when things start going bad. Shaq looked like he quit today. That tends to happen a lot with bigs when they don't touch the ball enough early. The coach has got to hold players accountable. I've said this in several threads and I'll say it again. He shoulda took Shaq out early in the second half.

That is the most intelligent post I've ever seen you make on here and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with you. Keep up the good work.

Normally I regret posters using the quote feature, but in this case it was well done. Bluto is right on both counts. When you are battling for position and guards jack up bad outside shots, your energy level sinks. But you still have to keep fighting, and the coach has to make his guards get you the ball, at least some of the time.

(02-01-2014 06:15 PM)MemphisCanes Wrote:  What exactly IS ours?

I was expecting a loss today, but a tight loss in which SMU took the air out of the ball and kept us from getting out in the break. I didn't expect a 20 point embarassment in which SMU essentially ran better than we did, defended better than we did and rebounded better than we did.

So what is this team supposed to do, exactly? We've got 4 seniors guards, so do we rely on them for the scoring and spread the floor? We've got two great low-post threats, so do we ply inside-out?

Do we press? Do we not press?

Do we run a deep rotation and use our athleticism?

Do we run a tight rotation full of seniors and beat teams straight up and down?

Is this Joe Jackson's team or isn't it?

Because after 21 games, I can't f__king tell. Are we just a Scott Drew "Durpity Dee, get out thar' and dee up!" team where we just roll with the punches and get beat by every decent gameplan that comes along? Because if we're going to be that, we can just hire Scott Drew and be done with it. At least he finds an elite 8 every once in a while like a blind squirrel finds a nut.

The only constant with this team so far is, more often than not, we play to the OTHER team's style, and we're constantly "course adjusting".

Thanks, I'll hang up and listen.

Very fair.

(02-02-2014 10:04 AM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(02-02-2014 01:48 AM)TigerJJ Wrote:  

(02-01-2014 06:22 PM)Brother Bluto Wrote:  We have certain players that hang their heads when things start going bad. Shaq looked like he quit today. That tends to happen a lot with bigs when they don't touch the ball enough early. The coach has got to hold players accountable. I've said this in several threads and I'll say it again. He shoulda took Shaq out early in the second half.

That is the most intelligent post I've ever seen you make on here and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with you. Keep up the good work.

Normally I regret posters using the quote feature, but in this case it was well done. Bluto is right on both counts. When you are battling for position and guards jack up bad outside shots, your energy level sinks. But you still have to keep fighting, and the coach has to make his guards get you the ball, at least some of the time.

Dayum I'm slipping. Please don't tell Stammers.

They don't have one and haven't had one in five years. These are his guys and his program. They are undeveloped ,undisiplined ,and lack any sign of being a great team. They are one of the poorest shooting teams in the country with four seniors . "Brick" Crawford is of no use on the floor and disappears way too much in tough games. Dixion is all about himself and does not play team ball . Jackson and Johnson have become good players but still make too many mistakes that take us out of games. It all comes back to coaching and the lack of teaching and development of talent. Pastner needs to learn to become and basketball coach and not just a good recruiter. Say what you want but he is not getting the job done.

(02-02-2014 11:33 AM)FUB Wrote:  They don't have one and haven't had one in five years. These are his guys and his program. They are undeveloped ,undisiplined ,and lack any sign of being a great team. They are one of the poorest shooting teams in the country with four seniors . "Brick" Crawford is of no use on the floor and disappears way too much in tough games. Dixion is all about himself and does not play team ball . Jackson and Johnson have become good players but still make too many mistakes that take us out of games. It all comes back to coaching and the lack of teaching and development of talent. Pastner needs to learn to become and basketball coach and not just a good recruiter. Say what you want but he is not getting the job done.

Since you have been watching a different team than me, there is no reason to continue reading your posts. My best.

(02-02-2014 11:36 AM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(02-02-2014 11:33 AM)FUB Wrote:  They don't have one and haven't had one in five years. These are his guys and his program. They are undeveloped ,undisiplined ,and lack any sign of being a great team. They are one of the poorest shooting teams in the country with four seniors . "Brick" Crawford is of no use on the floor and disappears way too much in tough games. Dixion is all about himself and does not play team ball . Jackson and Johnson have become good players but still make too many mistakes that take us out of games. It all comes back to coaching and the lack of teaching and development of talent. Pastner needs to learn to become and basketball coach and not just a good recruiter. Say what you want but he is not getting the job done.

Since you have been watching a different team than me, there is no reason to continue reading your posts. My best.

With all due respect to you sir as a fellow Tiger fan I just can not agree with you. I have no problems with the man as a person ,but we are not discussing his personal life. There is no good reason for us to look as inept as we do given the time ,money and support that is put behind this program. Coach Brown has had two years and has already passed us up.

(02-01-2014 08:36 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  As I've been saying all season, the key is for CJP to decide what he wants this team to be, but he has not done that yet. The time is now.

he already decided: ride the guards hard and hope they hit enough 3s and make enough plays to win us games.

Unfortunately, it was the wrong decision and he does not want to revisit it.

(02-02-2014 05:07 PM)jgardne Wrote:  

(02-01-2014 08:36 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  As I've been saying all season, the key is for CJP to decide what he wants this team to be, but he has not done that yet. The time is now.

he already decided: ride the guards hard and hope they hit enough 3s and make enough plays to win us games.

Unfortunately, it was the wrong decision and he does not want to revisit it.

Can't be true. He's said (not that I put much stock in his public statements) that we want to play inside out. I've SEEN us play inside-out, which accounts for the confusion and the thread. Which is it gonna be?

(02-02-2014 05:10 PM)MemphisCanes Wrote:  

(02-02-2014 05:07 PM)jgardne Wrote:  

(02-01-2014 08:36 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  As I've been saying all season, the key is for CJP to decide what he wants this team to be, but he has not done that yet. The time is now.

he already decided: ride the guards hard and hope they hit enough 3s and make enough plays to win us games.

Unfortunately, it was the wrong decision and he does not want to revisit it.

Can't be true. He's said (not that I put much stock in his public statements) that we want to play inside out. I've SEEN us play inside-out, which accounts for the confusion and the thread. Which is it gonna be?

if we really wanted to play inside-out, we'd never play 4 guards. Ever.

If we wanted to play inside-out, he'd bench the guards when they start refusing to enter it into the post players.

If we wanted to play inside out, we'd always have 2 of 3 of Shaq, Nichols, and Pellom in, and Nick King would be getting minutes at the 3 and not the 4.