Crunch time - The last five minutes
We've been discussing who comes through in the clutch when it matters, so I took some time to analyze the last five minutes of the games we've played so far which is 7 games up to Norfolk St. The last five minutes we've been close then were outscored when it mattered.
Ill St tied 50-50 lost 68-63 outscored by IllSt 18-13(-5)
Guilford up 67-61 won 77-68 we outscored Guilford 10-7(+3)
Pitt down 55-50 lost 59-51 outscored by Pitt 4-1(-3)
Coastal up 58-46 won 65-53 tied 7-7 over last five minutes(0)
DelSt up 63-58 won 67-63 outscored 5-4 by DelSt(-1)
SoMiss down 63-55 lost 80-66 outscored 17-11 by SoMiss(-6)
Norfolk St tied 58-58 lost 74-69 outscored 16-11 by NS(-5)
Here are the stats during the last 5 minutes by the players who generally take our shots.
Sims
FT - 7-9 78%, 2pt 3-10 30%, 3pt 0-4, 13 rebs, 7 fouls, 4 TO's
Okauru
FT 5-5 100%, 2pt 0-4, 3pt 1-4 25%, 4 rebs, 3 fouls, 3 TO's
Fornes
FT 0-0, 2pt 0-3, 3pt 2-9 22%, 3 reb, 2 fouls 1 TO
Phillips
FT 4-4, 2pt 0-1, 3pt 0-0, 3 reb, 2 fouls, 0 TO
White
FT 4-7 57%, 2pt 2-6 33%, 3 pt 0-3, 10 reb, 3 fouls, 0 TO
Baker
FT 1-4 25%, 2pt 4-6 67%, 3pt 1-2 50%, 5 reb, 2 fouls, 1 TO
Harvey
FT 0-0, 2pt, 0-1, 3pt 2-3 67%, 1 reb, 1 foul, 0 TO
If you look at the numbers a few things are obvious.
1. Fornes needs to be on the bench
2. Phillips has only taken a total of ONE shot in 35 minutes of play during crunch time. That has got to change.
3. Not much to go on since he hasn't played much, but Harvey is 2-3 from three when it matters.
4. Sims is money from the FT line, but he is 3-14 from the field during crunch time. Cost benefit says he is costing more in missed shots than we gain in FT's. However, he has been stellar on the boards. Sounds odd, but he might be better posting up and trying to draw fouls in the paint rather than shooting 3's and jumpers
5. Baker is bringing the typical big man problem at the end of games. Consistent scoring and rebounding but horrendous from the line.
6. Okauru is much like Sims, money at the FT line but 1-8 from the field.
Here's what might be a solution at the end of games.
Thomas, Phillips, Harvey, Sims, White/Baker
We have got to get Phillips involved in scoring instead of passing at the end of games and really the entire game. He's a good finisher in the paint, getting better from three and good at the FT line. Let Thomas handle the ball, get to the paint and distribute. Harvey can score from all over, and let Sims and White/Baker grab rebounds and try to get some putbacks off offensive rebounds or maybe draw fouls to get to the FT line.
What we are doing isn't working, and we need to shake things up. I really liked Phillips and Thomas together, and adding Harvey into that mix in the 1-3 spots gives us some potent offense from our guards. Thomas is an assist machine and we need that badly. He has 8 assists in only 42 minutes of PT while Phillips has 14 assists in 172 minutes and Okauru 22 assists in 200 minutes. That may explain why Siddle tried Sims at PG but that isn't the solution.
(This post was last modified: 12-04-2021 02:04 PM by 82hawk.)
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