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Around SBN: This Should Encourage Juan Mata

Wolves 11th in NBA for "at the rim" defense for December. Would be better if pace adjusted!

The data I'm reviewing is from Hoopdata.com 

Screen is http://hoopdata.com/oteamshotlocs.aspx

We will look at where wolves opponents score. 

The data will show how many baskets are made: 1) at the rim, 2) within 10 ft, 3) 10 to 15 ft, 4) 16 to 23 ft, 5) beyond the 3 point line

I've also shown data for just December, the month that Jefferson and Love played together most. There was improvement in "at the rim" defense. 

--------------------------------------------------------

This is the data for the FULL SEASON:

To summarize (all of the data shows baskets given up by the wolves):

1) at the rim we ranked 20th at 16.6, NBA median was 16.2

2) between rim and 10 feet we ranked 19th at 4.2, NBA median was 4.1

3) 10 to 15 feet we ranked 10th at 2.6, NBA median was 3.0

4) 16 to 23 feet we ranked 25th at 8.9, NBA median was 8.3

5) at 3 point line we ranked 30th or last at 7.8, NBA median was 6.3

So 3 pointers are killing us. 

Note: Love didn't play in Oct/Nov and has seen limited minutes in january. Jefferson was still very hampered by injury early in the season. We play at the 3rd highest pace in the NBA. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

DECEMBER data: 

I've analyzed "JUST" December from this web site to see differences. With both Jefferson and Love playing for a full month, Jefferson healthier, etc. 

Note: For rankings I've compared our december data to full year data for the NBA. 

1) at the rim we ranked 11th at 15.6, NBA median was 16.2  

[Note: we are 3rd in pace so we would RANK HIGHER IF PACE ADJUSTED] 

2) between rim and 10 feet we ranked 25th at  4.4, NBA median was 4.1

3) 10 to 15 feet we ranked 12th at 2.8, NBA median was 3.0

4) 16 to 23 feet we ranked 29th at 9.6, NBA median was 8.3

5) at 3 point line we ranked 30th at 7.2, NBA median was 6.3

* One other interesting observation. Most of the "big nights" for points at the rim, by wolves opponents, were made in transition. So for instance the worst night in December for baskets "at the rim" was against the Jazz, the first game. They had 24 baskets at the rim. But that was the night they ran the wolves off the floor. If you remember the Kings big "blowout", they did a similar thing scoring 20 basketts at the rim, most of them in transition. Most often when the wolves have a big problem with defense at the rim, most of the scoring is in transition, before the wolves interior defense is set up. 

Obviously that is not always the case as we saw against the Cav's last night. Most of the Cav's interior scoring was on good interior passing and cuts. But that type of play wasn't what hurt us when I looked game by game in December.  Most teams don't have the patience of the Cav's to make 2nd, 3rd and sometimes 4th passes to find an easy hoop at the rim.

Even last night the wolves initial rotations on penetration by the cav's were good. But secondary and tertiary rotations didn't happen. The wolves need much more practice on rotations all around. But based on the data, I'd start on the perimeter. 

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When I watch the wolves play D I just shake my head....

It literally looks like they aren’t trying (except for Brewer of course). I know they ARE trying, but it just looks like they aren’t. I don’t see the tenacity that I see in other teams. Good teams take pleasure in shutting you down, making you look foolish in some cases. We’re sitting back on our heals in a “try not to get beat” mentality instead of a face guard mentality. Frankly I put a lot of this on Rambis. Also I’m a little surprised since he was so tenacious himself, and also because we have Laimbeer as an assistant. You’d think with those 2 as coaches this team would except nothing less than in your face defense. Also of course we don’t have the personnel to do it anyways. I had high hopes for Flynn. I thought he’d be a ball hawk defender, but he’s not and probably never will be. Crafty players can get around him when they need/want to. I’d be happy if he was an ADEQUATE defender, but he’s not, he’s a liability. Maybe he’ll get there some day. So you take Brewer out of the equation (who always hustles on D), and you look at Flynn, Ellington, Gomes, Wilkins, etc., they just aren’t athletes who can put any sort of pressure on the perimeter. Your stats make complete sense.

by wolfen on Jan 28, 2010 1:41 PM CST reply actions  

Jonny Flynn

is a good place to start. Opponent PGs torch Jonny in terms of assists: http://www.82games.com/0910/09MIN1.HTM#bypos

My theory is that this is Jonny’s inexperience playing man-to-man D as well as our overall pick-and-roll defense. We get killed by high screen and roll. Partly this is because our bigs aren’t rangy and mobile, which would allow them to better jump out on screens and then recover, and partially it’s because Flynn doesn’t react appropriately, often not fighting over the top of the screen and getting lost in no man’s land as our big struggles to cut off the ensuing penetration. All of this leads to a 4-on-5 situation which puts our defense at the mercy of rotations, where again we don’t have the athletes or length to recover in most situations.

If Sessions was our starter Day 1 of this season, I think we would have won 12 or 13 ball games by now. It probably wouldn’t have been worth stunting Flynn’s trial-by-fire learning curve to pick up a few extra W’s, but there is no question he is one of the primary trouble spots for us on both ends of the court.

by Rascal Flatts on Jan 28, 2010 9:07 PM CST up reply actions  

We are giving Flynn minutes over Sessions because of DEVELOPMENT: what needs to be developed? PASSING and DEFENSE!

Rambis needs to tell Flynn, when he has the ball, 80% of the time he had better set up a teammate, if not he sits because he is not developing.

Rambis also has to give detailed instructions of things needing improvement on the defensive end. If its not done then flynn sits.

We are giving Flynn playing time, not because he is better than Sessions, but because we want Flynn to develop.

If Flynn is doing the right things to develop, then sit him!

by Kevin Love Jefferson on Jan 28, 2010 10:04 PM CST up reply actions  

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