Shooting

[Secho99]

Pitt was 12 for 32 on 2s (38%) and 14 for 22 on 3s (64%). That's not something you see often.

Speaking of shooting, NU is now 326th in the country in 2-pt % (43.2) but 2nd(!) in 2-pt % allowed (37.6). Part of that is the 'Cats are blocking 17.6% of opponents' 2-pt shots, which is 6th-best in the country.

Anyway, it goes without saying that NU is pretty bad on offense and if the other team shoots 64% from 3 on 22 attempts it's going to be a loss.

 

[ballerog711]

You prepare a team, but they have to be able to execute when the lights come in.

The shooting guard is 2 for 14 against better teams. Other guards are not much better. Have to get the shooting g gun out and not just shoot stationary, but off the dribble and off screens. Clearly the players on this team are not doing that.

Hopefully Strauss is a gym rat and come jn prepared next year.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

The team just isn’t good offensively. NU will need to win ugly low scoring games. It the opponent is hot from the 3 point area, it’s over early. If NU can’t be respectable from the 3 line, we are in trouble too. It wasn’t Big Matt’s best game. I didn’t understand the need to double that rotund center Pitt had. I know he is their alleged best player, but he wasn’t really even looking to do anything.

On the positive side, Martinelli was active and hit the offensive glass. The way we take wild threes there should be opportunity for some offensive rebounds.

 

[CatJones]

Our defensive adjustment at half time was not to make an adjustment, possibly because it was felt Pitt's high three point percentage in the first half would not be maintained. It didn't work out.

 

[Smokejumper]

Feels like our wings and guards were consistently doubling in the paint (ineffectively) and leaving the remaining defender hopelessly trying to cover wide open shooters. Gotta get better disrupting passing lanes and putting pressure on the ball in the paint or putting bodies (aka MN) in the middle to defend the rim. Sadly Pitt showed that ball movement will shred what was formerly perceived as strong defense.

Maybe we were a step slow this night - hopefully. And maybe it was the empty gym that took the hustle and enthusiasm out of our players. But its also entirely possible that its too easy to scout our defense and conclude that certain players lose discipline, and others never had it.

And i really don’t know what to say about our abysmal shooting. Our offensive philosophy drives me crazy. Cold night shooting, and too often i saw lots of standing around on around the perimeter, and nobody home to rebound as everyone transitioned to defense…. Just felt soft, haphazard and not particularly aggressive.

Here is hoping that the Pitt game was an outlier because i was pleasantly surprised we played a 1 pt game against a top 15 Auburn team earlier.

 

[ballerog711]

When NU has the ball on offense others teams are going to pack the paint because we cannot shoot effectively.

Boo is a smaller guard so he is not going to do a straight line drive, most of the time there are extra dribbles needed and I am not sure he has clear vision of the passing lanes.

When the ball is swung side to side. There is no threat of our big hitting a shot from the top of the key.

I think we should run offense through Brooks has the size and smarts.

Defensively, always have one guy taking the play off and not rotating as he should. Against better teams need all 5 working together.

Marinelli gives them something off the bench. Hopefully, he gets in more. That was one good thing from the other night. Roper needs bubble wrap as a Christmas gift. He can be wrapped up between games to stop getting hurt.. He would help out a lot.

 

[GatoLouco]

teams are going to pack the paint because we cannot shoot effectively.

That's a very odd statement. Care to explain?

 

[ballerog711]

You do not have to go out and cover NU shooters. They are not making shots consistently. Someone will go find a stat to prove me wrong.

Makes it hard for Chase to drive to the basket or for MN to get easy looks.

Just my opinion

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

You do not have to go out and cover NU shooters. They are not making shots consistently. Someone will go find a stat to prove me wrong.

Makes it hard for Chase to drive to the basket or for MN to get easy looks.

Just my opinion

On the other hand, we don't make an effort to get the ball inside (via entry passes to guys who post up) so there's no reason to pack the paint.

I see it this way... Opponents guard our three point shooters and don't have to defend the post, but if Audige or Buie or Barnhizer drives the lane, they double immediately because

a) the guards are primarily looking to shoot
b) our outside shooting is not good
c) we don't necessarily find the open man anyhow
d) our perimeter guys are standing where they were before, so they're easy to defend.

 

[GatoLouco]

You do not have to go out and cover NU shooters. They are not making shots consistently. Someone will go find a stat to prove me wrong.

Makes it hard for Chase to drive to the basket or for MN to get easy looks.

Just my opinion

So your opinion is that if a team does not shoot well you give them more time and space to shoot? Sounds generous, giving sub par shooters the chance to be elite shooters. Applied to NU it's even odder considering our close to zero inside game.

In other words, that's an opposing coach thinking "yeah, those guys don't shoot well. So let me give them more time to set their feet and be balanced. While are at it, let's have less nagging hands in their faces. They won't shoot any better, will they?".

Added: Also odd to ask for a stat to prove you wrong, when there is no stat provided to prove you right

 

[CappyNU]

Isn't this basically the Pack Line defense?

 

[GatoLouco]

Isn't this basically the Pack Line defense?

My understanding is that, in very broad terms, the pack line defense is a man to man without denying the immediate pass.

The idea, in a PLD is:
-Deny penetration
-Deny being beat on cuts
-Improve help position

I am sure there are others. But it does not imply whatsoever to slack on shooters. It is actually built on the idea that it's a more "patient" approach to defense: make less mistakes, be less tired, so you can always be in the face of the player with the ball and contest a higher percentage of shots.

There are many other variations that coaches use, like not deny the pass to a specific player to avoid some other player to touch the ball as often. Or not deny the pass to the sidelines, but deny others to not let the ball switch sides.

I've heard other terminologies for the same thing, like sagging or floating man to man defense.

 

[ballerog711]

The assumption is everyone that gets extra is going to make the shot. Attempting to close can throw off a shot.

There are a variety of ways to play defense. All have merits and issues, it's what you team can handle and who the opponent is.

I'm just saying if it were me, I'd let NU shoot and keep them out of the paint.

I am a big celtics fan. Opponents love when Marcus Smart is open and shoots 3. He might have a great game once in a while, but the norm is he doesn.t from distance.