1st Quarter Woes

[billyshelby]

I think we might see a nice improvement in our first quarter woes mainly due to scheduling. This is simplistic since it doesn't take road games or matchups into account, but up until Boston the best efficiency defense we face is Atlanta at 12th.

Minnesota: 27th
Portland: 14th
LA Clippers: 20th
Portland: 14th
Memphis: 17th
Detroit: 26th
Atlanta: 12th
Memphis: 17th
Houston: 22nd
Knicks: 20th
Cleveland: 25th
Washington: 24th
NJ: 15th

Compare that to what we've faced since the Hornets on 11/24:

NO: 3rd
LA: 11th
LA Clippers: 20th
Milwaukee: 7th (tie w/ Indy)
Indiana: 7th
Dallas: 6th
Memphis: 17th
Miami: 2nd
Orlando: 5th
Dallas: 6th
GS: 27th
NO: 3rd
Milwaukee: 7th
Cleveland: 25th

Pretty rough stretch of top caliber defenses to be playing when guys are still trying to get comfortable in the offense. My hope is the less cohesive defenses will allow the starters to find a rhythm out there that will carry over later in the year. We'll see.

 

[VINYLONE]

Thanks for the information Billy. I hope it happens...

 

[Ben10]

Good informative post Billy. I hope your right and that is the case. This stretch of games could be big in getting the team completely together on the same page while hopefully putting a win streak together

 

[InGameStrategy]

That is good data mining, billy. I agree that it's a nice reprieve to play lower average defending teams. It'll give opportunity for several players--especially AJ, Bell, maybe AK, perhaps CJ, Okur (if he has two working ankles), possibly Elder Hayward & Evans (if he smells the court), and Fes (ditto) to figure some things out within the game.

There's no "improvement" though, unless the unnecessary first-quarter slumps stop happening.

To me, the clear solution has been to sub out any player who is guilty of ineffective defense or rebounding, either due to poor matchups or lack of effort or focus, even if it happens early in Q1, when the players should be most focused. (In the first quarter, you're more patient with poor shooting as long as they are hustling in other ways.) I don't buy the notion that more frequent substitutions disrupt chemistry if individual players are being less ineffective than they should be in the first place--and a higher standard should be imposed on the first 5 to 7 in the lineup anyway.

It has been rare when both AK and Bell have been "on", and CJ is often not put in until late in the first quarter or at the beginning of the second. Also, Jefferson has gotten free passes repeatedly on shoddy rebounding and interior defense. He's improved, but not to the point where he should be. If it makes a difference between making a sensible substitution and not, put in Elson. But don't stand for poor effort, and don't permit poor matchups to persist. This seems fundamental to the Sloan philosophy, yet he's not enforcing it.

 

[Inn Dawn]

Good informative post Billy, thanks for the information. That is good data mining. I hope it happens.

 

[BabyPeterzz]

This post is too rational, and makes too much sense.

Go **** yourself, and thank you.

 

[carolinajazz]

...our first quarter woes can be easily traced with accuracy to the trading of Brewer...who used to get 2 sometimes 3 alley oops in the first quarter every time out!