West round 1: Oregon @ Santa Barbara

 
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 6:23 pm    Post subject: West round 1: Oregon @ Santa Barbara

The beautiful campus of UCSB is the site of the first round western conference playoff matchup between the Santa Barbabra Gauchos and the Oregon Reign. Oregon coach rdog and his squad could be thrown by the blue skies and sunshine.

Gaucho head coach Jeffs has the call on game rules. New school (zones, no handchecks) or old school (handchecks, no zones). Starters must be announced at least 24 hours before tipoff. Each starter must play the first 8 minutes of the game.

The winner plays the victor of Bemidji @ Las Vegas.


Last edited by Sky on Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:33 pm; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 5:13 pm    Post subject:

The Gauchos have decided to play this game with New School (Zone, no handchecking) rules.
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I feel like I just watched someone TRULY give 100%. Not the BS I'm-gonna-give-a-110%-just-like-everyone-else-says platitudes, but someone that went until he just....broke. - GT
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 10:25 am    Post subject:

Statboxes:
Oregon
http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/5334/oregonvk2.jpg

Santa Barbara
http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/1619/sbzj4.jpg

Injury Risks:
ORE Walton (17) 31 healthy
ORE Short (18) 58 healthy
ORE Williams (14) 70 healthy
SB Howard (23) 85 healthy

The number in parentheses is when injury hits. In Walton's case if the random number is 17 or less he's out. The number shown after that is the random number drawn. It does not reflect percentage of health. If a player is listed as healthy he's 100%.
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:15 pm    Post subject:

Oregon Reign Starters

PG: Gus Williams
SG: David Thompson
SF: Bernard King
PF: Karl Malone
C: Bill Walton
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:39 pm    Post subject:

Santa Barbara Gauchos:

PG: Jerry West
SG: John Havlicek
SF: James Worthy
PF: Spencer Haywood
C: Elmore Smith
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I feel like I just watched someone TRULY give 100%. Not the BS I'm-gonna-give-a-110%-just-like-everyone-else-says platitudes, but someone that went until he just....broke. - GT
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 2:01 pm    Post subject:

I'd pay to see Worthy vs. King both in their primes.
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 23, 2008 11:48 am    Post subject:

Oregon

INTRODUCTION - Scouting Report
Santa Barbara has built a team after my own heart, old school guys with HOF credentials. I do think that Oregon matches up with them very well in a couple of situations as some of their players are playing out of position. While I love Logo and Hondo, this is an older Logo with an out-of-position Hondo at the two.

Oregon will force tempo in this game, thus the starting of Gus Williams. I like the matchup of an 28 year old Wizard vs. a 33 year old Logo. With Walton throwing outlet passes and Thompson and King flying down the court on the wings and Malone trailing, I’m going to really push the pace.

1. MINUTES

10-Man Rotation
1. Gus Williams – 28 Minutes
2. David Thompson – 34 Minutes
3. Bernard King – 34 Minutes
4. Karl Malone – 40 Minutes
5. Bill Walton – 38 Minutes
6. Mo Cheeks – 16 Minutes
7. Paul Westphal – 20 Minutes
8. Purvis Short – 10 Minutes
9. Kurt Rambis – 8 Minutes
10. Caldwell Jones – 12 Minutes

As Needed:
11 – Dell Curry – Three Point Sharpshooter
12 – Jerome Williams – Energy Guy, Frontcourt D-Stopper

Inactive: Mike Bibby, Jerome Kersey, Wayman Tisdale

2. SETS
Percentages you expect for sets or units

Offense:
Triangle - 10%
3-2 Motion - 25%
Pick & Roll – 25%
Isolation – 15%
Open court transition 25%

Defense:
Man up – Helpside w/ Funnel to MIddle - 80%
Ball Hawk - 10%
Half court trap w/ tempo change lineup - 10%

3. OFFENSE
Game Plan

1. Run, Run, Run! With Wizard running the point, we are going to push the pace at every position. Oregon out-athletes at every position except the three. Havlicek very simply can’t stay with Thompson. Look for transition baskets right into Skywalker isolation. When Worthy or West look to help, hit the open man for the jumper. Santa Barbara can’t leave Bernard open too much, he’s too potent

2.Establish Triangle Post play in order to take advantage of Malone and Thompson on the pick and roll. Walton takes ball at midpost and either looks for open cutters Williams and King or back up to Thompson for two-man game if Malone sets a pick or isolation on Hondo. This helps to pull Elmore away from the hoop, his only real strength being shot blocking. Also allows King to be spot up shooter if Big Game leaves to help on Hondo

3. Look to post Malone against Heywood by pulling Walton up to high post. That pulls Elmore away from the basket, both allowing Malone room to operate. Karl’s got 50 pounds on Spencer and should be able to just pound him. If Elmore comes over to guard Malone, look to Walton cutting. Big Red can put up the offensive numbers if he needs to.

4. If SB tries to go zone to offset the mismatches, look to bring in Cheeks and Westphal to provide the outside shooting to break the zone. With three players with three point range in the game along with a high-low post game featuring Malone and Walton, SB can’t afford to go zone for long.

If/Then:

If uptempo succeeds, keep pressing the issue when subs come in. Cheeks can also press with Westphal and Short, even though it’ll be more of a controlled break. If it’s not working, look to slow down and focus taking advantage of the mismatches with isolation.

If Triangle Post succeeds, keep pounding it in with Walton and Malone until subs are needed. Rambis and Caldwell will come in but never at the same time. When Caldwell is in, either Malone stays at the 4 or Walton shifts over for Twin Towers. When Rambis is in, the same is true.

If isolating Malone in the post succeeds, they are going to need to double to get the ball out of Malone or Walton’s hands. They are going to have to double from up high, leaving King, Westphal or Thompson open for either spot up jumpers or drives to the hole.

Diagrams/Videos

Triangle Post
http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/4184/ore1me4.jpg

3-2 Motion
http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/4841/ore2sz9.jpg
http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/6794/ore3sd1.jpg
http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/1830/ore4tq2.jpg


4. DEFENSE
Game Plan

1. Look to force the ball out of the playmakers hands, either West or Worthy. Try to shade any penetration to the middle where Walton and Malone (two first team all-D members) will eat them up.

2. On any two man game, jump the screen and go above to string out the ball handler. Gus and Mo (1st team all league defense) should have the combination of strength to fight through and quickness to jump the screen and not allow the ballhandlers, primarily West to pick and roll the team to death.

3. While not a great man-on-man defender, Bernard King could man up when he had to. With Big Game, I’m going to have Bernard sag off, daring him to shoot the outside shot. Worthy on the drive scares me a lot more than from outside.


If/Then:

1. If we are unable to force the ball out of either White or Nash’s hands, don’t allow penetration to lead for open setups of Hondo and the 3 position. Thompson needs to stick on Hondo and make sure that he doesn’t get free. SB might try to isolate Hondo and post up Thompson on the block. This clogs the middle and takes them out of their offensive flow. If West becomes too much for Gus, 1st team all-D Mo Cheeks can stay with him. Our backcourt will switch up top to make sure the ball hawking pressure stays

2. If able to jump the screen, Santa Barbara’s biggest advantage in playmaking is neutralized and they’ll have to look to Haywood and Smith to play roles with which they are unaccustomed. Use the athleticism in the frontcourt to keep working them and keep them tired on the floor. When Caldwell Jones comes in the game, we really don’t lose much on the defensive end. If penetration looks to be a problem, bring in a fresh Caldwell to spot Walton.

3. If Worthy is successful at hitting the outside shot consistently, look to bring in Jerome Williams to shake things up on the defensive end. While I think sagging off will neutralize Worthy’s strengths, Williams can come in, throw his body around and create some havoc.



5. CLOSING
Final five minutes lineup.

1. Gus Williams
2. David Thompson
3. Bernard King
4. Karl Malone
5. Bill Walton

Final five minutes emphasize execution. Oregon as currently constructed are one of the most intelligent and athletic teams in the ATL. An MVP in Karl Malone. 3 HOFers. Offensively, we’ll make every late game possession count using Two man game with Thompson or King and Malone and Triangle Post when applicable. If their frontcourt is tired, pound with the Triangle Post. If Hondo is having a tough time staying with Skywalker, run two man game or isolation though King and let Bernard rip their hearts out. Hit the boards hard on every shot, tire them out. Push transition when it is there but under control

On Defense, keep putting the pressure on the playmakers and force the offense through Worthy hitting jumpers. Keep the defensive pressure on by being flawless on offense.

6. IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
If everything else doesn’t work, I’m going to work the offense through Walton. Bill has a huge mobility advantage over Elmore. If I can make Elmore move, either through pulling Walton out or being more aggressive on the offensive end, Elmore will tire and not be as effective on defense. Remember, this is a young MVP type Bill Walton, not the decrepit fossil of the Celtics years. Walton, if need be, can run circles around Elmore, hurting him on the defensive end.


7. CRYSTAL BALL
I think that Santa Barbara is going to attack Bernard with Worthy. However, by sagging off and letting James shoot the 18 foot jumper, it neutralizes his strength. I also feel that Santa Barbara knows its strength is in the backcourt with West and Hondo. The problem he has with Hondo is that he is woefully out of position and Thompson can stay on him and make him completely ineffective. If SB tries to make West the playmaker, I’ll bring in 1st team all-D Cheeks to at least slow him down.

8. WHY WE WIN
We win because this team has superior talent and athleticism and a gameplan that fits their talent. We match up very well with Santa Barbara because of their players playing out of position and the potency of our offense While I completely respect the team that Jeff has put together, I believe the combination of meshing talents, the number of ways that we can attack, and the star power of our frontcourt is too much to handle.


Last edited by Sky on Sat Aug 23, 2008 12:25 pm; edited 2 times in total
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 23, 2008 11:54 am    Post subject:

Santa Barbara

INTRO:

Despite winning their division, the Gauchos are matched up against a very talented Oregon squad. Bill Walton and Karl Malone are definitely a superior frontcourt to Haywood and Smith. What compounds this problem is that, while they are both capable post scorers, they are equally capable passers out of double teams. To counter this, the Gauchos plan to front and trap in the post, and pack the paint in order to close off passing lanes and stop Malone/Walton from being able to hit cutters. If they do pass out of a double team, it’ll be to an outside shooter.

Bernard King and David Thompson are two very explosive scorers. King perfected that the quick turnaround jumper and Thompson was one of the league’s first real high fly acts. Gus Williams was one of the first great scoring point guards (though he was more of a combo guard), and in this season he finally began to share the ball with his teammates. However, as great as all of that sounds, the Guachos believe a way that they can counter all that, and expose Oregon’s glaring weaknesses.

Rotations:

PG: Jerry West (35), Freddie Brown (13)
SG: John Havlicek (38), Vernon Maxwell (8), Freddie Brown (2)
SF: James Worthy (33), Josh Howard (15)
PF: Spencer Haywood (35), James Worthy (3), A.C. Green (10)
C: Elmore Smith (35), Tom Burleson (13)

Offense:

The Gauchos’ offense will feed from their pesky defense. We want to run, and we feel that we can run anyone and everyone out of the building if all goes according to plan. The first, second, and third option on offense is to rebound, outlet, and run the break to get Early Offense (EO). Before we even delve into the halfcourt sets, there are three phases of EO:

1) Early Push: While we would prefer to get EO off of a turnover, we will also push the tempo off of made baskets. On actual fast breaks, we will make sure to keep proper floor balance (one player in the middle, one or two on the wings, and two always trailing behind to ensure that the opposing team doesn’t get their own fast break off of a made basket). With James Worthy and John Havlicek on the wings and Jerry West in the middle, there simply won’t be any stopping of the break.

2) Early Flow: When the break is either defended well or there isn’t a numbers advantage, the Gauchos will attempt to use the tempo to attack the defense before it is set. With four players on the team able to handle the ball and create for either themselves or their teammates, the Gauchos will not need to bring the ball out to the perimeter to reset their offense.

3) Continuity: Even if the set they initially run does not result in a score or even a shot attempt, the Gauchos plan to run an offense based primarily on movement and crisp passing to keep the defense on their heels and not allow them to get set very often, if at all. The Gauchos will try to avoid “resetting” their offense if at all possible, as this allows great defenses to get the right matchups and get set, which leads to fewer easy baskets.

Sets:

While zones are allowed in this game, Oregon would be foolish to rely on them, with SB being one of the best shooting teams in the ATL. If it comes to that, the Gauchos have no problem relying on Logo (41%), Brown (45%), J. Howard (43%), or Hondo (36%) hitting their shots.

Early Push/Fast Break (30%): See above. Run them off the court!

Power (30%): This offensive set is based on constant screening and constant motion. The offense begins with West having the ball up top and Worthy setting a screen for Havlicek under the basket. This is followed by both Smith and Haywood setting simultaneous back-screens for Worthy and Havlicek. At this point, there are several options:

LINK

1) Worthy has space on the wing. He receives the ball and goes to work. With the defense already being a step behind, James can either take the mid-range J or fake it and drive towards the basket for an easy look or dish.

2) Hondo, coming off of two screens, gets the ball and nails the midrange jumper. Similarly to Worthy, he has the opportunity to take Thompson off the dribble as he attempts to recover and contest the shot.

3) If Williams or Cheeks overplay the pass from West, anticipating the entry to either Worthy of Hondo, West can use his quickness and crafty dribbling to go directly to the hoop. With Malone and Walton still in the process of defending screens (and possibly showing to disrupt the offensive set), West has a clear lane to the hoop if he wants it, or an easy midrange shot if Walton stays at home. This facet of the offense prevents the defense from anticipating the pass, as there is always a counter.

LINK

4) If Oregon ever decides to switch on the 3 / 4 screen to prevent Worthy from getting the ball or to have Malone guard him in the post, West immediately throws the ball to Haywood, who uses his strength to get to his spot and nail the little turnaround jumper. If, for whatever reason, this doesn’t work, the Gauchos also have an option of resetting and allowing Worthy to ISO Malone or Jones (whoever switched on him), neither of whom have the quickness to stay with him on the perimeter.

LINK

5) Occasionally, Hondo and BGJ will only fake the cross and initial screen, then run back out to their respective wings. If the defense anticipates the screens, this serves the same purpose, perhaps even giving Worthy and Havlicek more space than they would have had if the set had run properly.

LINK

If the initial set does not work, the Gauchos don’t let the defense off the hook. The players continue to screen on the baseline for West, Hondo, and James, with one of the three having the ball at the top of the circle. With veteran players and good decision makers handling the ball, we are confident that the defense will make a mistake before we do. If that happens, it’s a layup or open midrange jumpshot immediately.

Two-man game with West and Haywood (10%): With the Gauchos having such a lethal perimeter attack, it’s easy to forget what a prolific scorer Spencer Haywood was in his day, being able to both finish inside and nail his midrange J. West, while acting more as a playmaker and not merely a go-to scorer, is still capable of attacking the offense from any spot on the floor. As such, I believe that they’ll be able to get good looks running the pick and roll against Malone and Williams. It’s already a given that Hondo will be in motion, keeping the defense honest if they attempt to help on either player.


ISO Worthy on the wing (20%): Big Game James is known for bringing his A-game when it matters most, and the playoffs are certainly the time for it. With the best scoring threat for the other team also being the player unlucky enough to have to guard him, we feel that getting James going (and potentially getting King into foul trouble) is a priority.

With Walton being the only shotblocking threat, the 2-3-4 players will stay on the perimeter and allow James to get to work and use his size advantage. If anyone comes in to double, James can swing the ball, which leads to an open shot for our shooters or another open lane towards the basket. If James gets deep enough that Walton has to come and help, it’s an easy dish to Smith for the gimme-dunk (we reward our bigs for playing hard D and rebounding). With Burleson in the game, we try to bring Walton/Caldwell out of the paint all together, using the threat of his midrange shot, and give Worthy/West/Hondo even easier access to the rim.

Post West (10%): The consensus greatest point guard of all time had one distinct advantage – he was 6’9. He was able to post up his defenders (often forcing the 2s/3s of the other team to have to guard him), and was able to better run the offense out of the post, where he could either score or pass over the top. While Jerry West is not 6’9, he is a very tough cover in the post, and that’s exactly where we will go when Mo Cheeks comes into the game. While Cheeks was an All-D player, he rarely had to guard the post in his day, and was rarely matched up against a dynamic offensive threat like West. We believe that, while Jerry may not have a huge size advantage, even the slightest bit will allow him to take advantage of his smaller defender.

Situational (10%): With Brown in the game for West, Havlicek takes over ball-handling duties and runs the offense (Brown plays the 2 on O, but the 1 on D). This can be used in the Gaucho’s favor, since their fast and frenetic style of play may not allow Oregon to always switch back and have Thompson/Westphal/Curry switch back onto Hondo. In the event that this happens, Hondo uses his superior strength and size to back Gus/Mo down and shoot over them. If Oregon doubles or shades a man over, the Gauchos cut and allow Hondo (who became a fantastic passer in the late 60s/early 70s, netting 7.5apg in the season selected) to hit the open man.

DEFENSE:

The main goals on the defensive end are to slow down the dominant post players on Oregon. We believe that this is their biggest advantage (with the Gauchos having two All-NBA defenders in the backcourt, and actually having a bigger player matched up with King). While Karl Malone is only 1 inch taller than Haywood (who is the only defensive weakness on the starting squad), he has him by 25 pounds, most of which are muscle. In order to counter this, the Gauchos plan to pack their defenders in and pressure the ball. They feel that this will lead to Oregon having to take more outside shots (their weakness), and make more passing mistakes as the Gauchos force bad passes and roam the passing lanes.

As already stated, the Gaucho’s defense will feed directly into their offense. The Gauchos plan to run a variant of the SOS Pressure Defense. This defense is predicated on disrupting the offense through a series of cuts and very quick defensive rotations. Just as the Gauchos attempt to run their competitors ragged on the offensive end, they feel that their constant motion on D will confuse and frustrate the opposing team and lead to numerous turnovers.

Goals:

Disrupt offense: First and foremost, this is the key (as it is of any defense, really). If you can prevent the other team from running what they drew up in the locker room, you have already won half the battle.

Trap the post. The Gauchos will almost always trap the post against Walton and Malone, while keeping an eye on cutters Williams, Thompson, and King. The plan is to front the post against each player, and double team (trap) immediately with our 4/5 upon a lob pass. In such a scenario, Haywood/Smith double the post player, Worthy rotates the other team’s 4 (presumably on the other side of the box), while West denies the opposing PG and Hondo floats between the SG/SF on the perimeter, ready to close out on either one if/when they receive the ball (or cut). Smith/Haywood attempt to smother the post player, making an accurate pass as difficult as possible.

LINK

Trap King on the baseline – FORCE HIM TO PASS: Bernard King was a fantastic scorer. He was not a fantastic passer or playmaker for his teammates. The Gauchos are going to make him either become one overnight, or have a career high in turnovers. When King gets the ball on the wing and begins to dribble towards the baseline, whichever bigman is on the strong-side gets ready to trap him in the corner. Worthy tries to push King into that corner where either Haywood or Smith trap as shown here:

LINK

The remaining defenders rotate into a “triangle” type zone, where they protect the paint and force Oregon to beat them from outside. If Westphal or Curry are in the game, Hondo shades a little bit closer to them on the opposite side, in order to be able to recover and contest the shot if King makes a cross-court pass (which I should add has a high chance of being intercepted for an easy layup on the other end). If King passes out to Cheeks/Williams, West closes out on the opposing point, while Hondo closes out on the previously open 2-guard and denies the ball. No longer trapping, Smith returns to Walton and resumes his fronting defense.

LINK

In the case of Williams and Thompson, we treat them like King if they ever dribble on the perimeter below FT-line extended, and give them plenty of space when they have the ball beyond the three point line. If they have career nights from three point range (none of them averaging more than 0.6 ATTEMPTS a game), we can live with that. The one thing we cannot live with is them beating us off the dribble and from the inside – we s imply can’t and won’t let that happen. If they beat us, it’ll be with abnormally good shooting.

Closing:

Closing is absolutely not an issue for the Gauchos. Jerry West and John Havlicek were perhaps the two clutchest players of their era. James Worthy wasn’t nicknamed “Big Game James” for no reason. When the game was on the line, these players got it done on both offense AND defense. Perhaps the two clutchest offensive/defensive plays in NBA history have been made by Logo and Hondo. On defense, the Gauchos will do what they have done all game long. On offense, they can isolate any one of their three perimeter playmakers, any one of which would be given the last shot on just about any team in the league. The best part is that, with so many clutch players, the opposing team can’t just overload on one and force someone else to beat them. This will likely allow them to ISO when and if the game is on the line, and I’ll take a West/Hondo/Worthy ISO for the game anyday.

Crystal Ball:

We have already gameplanned for what we expect. We expect Oregon to attempt to get Walton and Malone established on the inside and use their superior passing to hit cutters if we double. Thompson and Williams are two of the best in the game at that. However, as already stated, we will front and trap the post, not allowing Oregon to beat us there, and the remaining defenders (that aren’t trapping) will zone the interior to prevent easy cuts.

We also anticipate a good dose of ISO of King on Worthy, trying to both score and get one of our stars into foul trouble. Similarly, we will funnel King into the baseline corner and trap there, once again zoning the remaining players and forcing King to become a passer, which he has never been in his entire career (exemplified by his <1 A/TO ratio).

In Case of Emergency:

If Worthy gets in foul trouble guarding King, we bring in Josh Howard who is another big and strong SF who can bother King’s shot (unlike the smaller and athletically inferior players that he had an easy time shooting over). With Howard in the game, the Gauchos continue to run the same offense, except using Howard more as a shooter (43% from three) than an ISO target. As a result, Hondo will get more ISO opportunities with James taking a seat on the bench.

If Haywood gets into foul trouble and has to sit, the Gauchos come in with A.C. Green. Green, being a tad taller, may have an easier time guarding Malone. Regardless, the Gauchos continue to front and trap. On offense, Green assumes Haywood’s role and attempts to bring Malone out of the paint with his midrange threat, allowing the perimeter players to get to the basket. In order to account for the loss of Haywood’s 13rpg on the inside, the Gauchos tone down their break a tad (not completely) by sometimes having Worthy come into the paint and fight for rebounds instead of just leaking out on the break. Regardless, if James gets the board, his ball handling abilities allow him to take it coast-to-coast.

Summary:

Can Thompson be a team player? He is one of the best scorers in NBA history, but can he be “just another guy” on this team? When the Nuggets acquired McGinnis during Thompson’s prime, Thompson’s scoring immediately plummeted, as did every other stat across the board (including shooting percentages). With Bernard King and Gus Williams both being bigtime scorers on the wing and perimeter, and with Malone and Walton both great on the inside, can Thompson find a way to just be another guy? How will Walton, who was known for speaking his mind, react if there is any bickering about shots? With Thompson, King, Williams, Short, and Westphal all being perimeter (or midrange) players used to taking a lot of shots, how will they react when they get only a fraction? Will their percentages plummet? Will the wide open long-range jumpers but hotly contested interior attempts lead them to take “the easy way out?”

These are all issues that can lead to the demise of the Reign. However, even if they find the discipline to avoid the long-ball and feed into the Gaucho fast break, all of their interior attempts will be so closely contested, that their above-average team shooting percentage is sure to plummet. Furthermore, the congestion on the inside will lead to clogged passing lanes and a great deal of steals, further fueling an already scary fast break.
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 4:28 pm    Post subject:

DB

Santa Barbara

Smart choice on the new school rules for D. With some effective post passers in Malone and Walton, the defense can zone the passing lanes more. Fronting the posts with defenders sagging to help trap on the lobs is a good strategy. It's not a true zone, more of a situational one. A traditional double team and old school rules could have been a disaster with the good passing from the post.

On the other end, Santa Barbara's perimeter shooting can bust zones. This game features some tremendous hoop IQ from the players. The coach puts this to good work by using his screeners under the hoop to set up open looks for his shooters or drives.

Worthy on iso should be able to get into the lane and finish, especially around Malone who can't shotblock. Oregon will try to sag off him, but

Oregon

Offensively, we see a lot of fastbreaking in this team, Malone filling the lanes as one of the best running PFs in the game. With Santa Barbara wanting to run, too, this game is speedy. With Santa Barbara fronting the posts, Oregon will be able to find some success with the high-low passing sequences between the big men.

The Game:

We start with a fast and furious first quarter. Both teams want to run and both look to push the tempo early. We see Malone filling the lanes for layups and Worthy finishing with speed. We're even after a high-scoring first quarter. The transition D starts to tighten up more and the playoffs really begin.

The pace slows down and the halfcourt offenses being to do battle. The fronting and weakside trap causes problems for Oregon at first. Meanwhile, the baseline screens are opening up good looks for the Santa Barbara shooter. Santa Barbara pulls out to a near double-digit lead at halftime.

In the second half, Oregon adjusts to the fronting D. We see a series of high-low passes from Malone to Walton and vice versa that starts to exploit the fronting scheme. AC Green off the bench, helps on a few possessions. However, on the other end, West, Havlicek and Worthy continue to throw daggers and get into the lane. Another shotblocker at the PF would have helped Oregon to contest better. The lead stays the same entering the fourth.

The benches trade punches, but they are both unable to make any ground. Santa Barbara continues to front the post and the lead gets cut in half as Walton scores on a few possessions. Late in the game, Oregon looks to run the pick and roll, their bread and butter with Malone. Malone becomes ineffective. He tightens up and chucks perimeter shots that lead to quick rebounds and counter attacks. Worthy scores a soaring breakaway dunk. Havlicek and West hit a series of big shots and the Gauchos pull away. No minor upset here, but a tightly contested game.

SB 1-0
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 4:34 pm    Post subject:

Sky

Oregon on offense:
Only fitting that Oregon, host of the Olympic Trials, wants to hold a track meet. Oregon wants to run, Santa Barbara wants to run, it’s Doug Moe Days in the ATL. Both have the athletes to do it, but Oregon has the edge inside to get the boards that spark effective transition.

Rdog also wants to run triangle with Walton as hub and spoke from the midpost, he has the passers to do it but the spacing will suffer from the complete lack of 3 shooting. Oregon talks up 3 shooters to beat a zone but rdog’s best sniper getting any minutes is Thompson at a frosty 33% from downtown. No one on this team took over one 3 attempt per game. Any part of Oregon’s game plan that calls for three shooting receives a brick as a lovely parting gift.

Santa Barbara on offense
The Gauchos want to run too. But Jeffs has Spencer Haywood at 4 playing Karl Malone. Ouch. Smart idea to run off made hoops. Santa Barbara can do damage there.

In the power set, Worthy and Hondo are set up on the wings with bigs inside after setting downscreens. Works for Havlicek, solid midrange shooter. For Worthy it leaves bigs inside and forces him to choose jumpers limiting his effectiveness there. Other plays are powerful. Ice for Big Game James against Bernard King. Carnage. Oregon’s plan to have King sink back opens the door for James to just back King down. Pick and roll with West and Haywood. Puts West’s jumper and Haywood’s speed to effective use. One fatal flaw in the game plan with those last two plays though.

Rumble Time:
In part this is a game of lost opportunities on both sides. On defense Santa Barbara runs the SOS to double the post, but it’s designed to trap deep post not mid, vulnerable to cutters as Elmore is slow in rotation to get to the cutter.

That leaves the door wide open for Oregon to finish at the hoop in the triangle post but inexplicably they cut with spot shooter supreme King and leave finisher deluxe Skywalker as a 2-man game kickout option above the ft line. A chance to blow the game wide open is lost. Gus Williams still finishes well, King gets a few, but neither dominates as Thompson would.

On offense Santa Barbara has the best midrange shooter ever in Jerry West, yet they run an offense where Worthy and Havlicek take nearly all the midrange shots as West passes or posts up. Only in the final two reads of the power set is a West midrange jumper even considered.

Given a choice of James and Hondo taking midrange shots or West, Oregon can quickly adjust so that Worthy and Havlicek keep shooting. The Gauchos have a huge mismatch with Worthy ice on Bernard King, yet it’s just 20% of their offense. West and Haywood p/r is 10%. Their best two plays, plays Oregon would have a lot of trouble stopping - just 30% of the O.

Both coaches had victory in their grasp and gave it away.

Both coaches also made shrewd moves. Santa Barbara hid Haywood well defensively, trapping Malone post with Elmore, anticipating Walton high post. Running off made hoops is a tactic Phoenix and Golden State have perfected in recent years and the Gauchos have the personnel to make it work. Running off defensive rebounds will be tougher, but the paint will be clogged, Malone will have two men on him and Walton will be high post. Santa Barbara will be able to run provided they can make outlets out of all that congestion inside.

Oregon didn’t use Thompson as a finisher in the triangle, but they did put him to great use in the 3-2 motion and pick and roll. New school rules prevent Havlicek from hand checking Thompson and Skywalker uses his speed to get by Hondo to finish or create. Thompson is an underrated passer at 4.5 apg. Malone outplays Haywood on both ends.

Santa Barbara does an effective job of denying the post, but West and Havlicek without hand checks and guarding faster players is a tough combination. The plan to trap King baseline never happens as Oregon always has him wing. The plan to use a triangle defense to stop Thompson at the hoop calls for two defensive sets on one play. Santa Barbara can’t double the mid post and run a triangle D at the same time. Whichever they concede, penetration or post, is where Oregon goes with the ball.

While Oregon can’t shoot from 3 they are money from 15 to 20 feet, Jeffs plan to deny dribble penetration and concede perimeter concedes the midrange jumpers that Thompson, King and Malone bury all day.
Both teams can run, though Oregon has more success running off defensive rebounds due to Malone vs. Haywood.

Oregon has more consistent success running and in half of their offense. Santa Barbara has more dominant plays with Worthy ice and West p/r but doesn’t run them nearly often enough. The Gauchos went away from what they do best and in the end that is the cause of their defeat. Oregon wins a close one.

Tied 1-1
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Sky
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 4:40 pm    Post subject:

Coaches vote: 5-1 Oregon.

The Reign win and advance to the second round to play Las Vegas. The Donaghys are the top seed, so the game is at Thomas and Mack with Coville calling the game rules.
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TIME
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Joined: 23 Sep 2003
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:34 pm    Post subject:

Who let the rdog out?

Congrats!
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Jeffs
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:52 pm    Post subject:

Grats rdog. Great match!
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Jeffs

I feel like I just watched someone TRULY give 100%. Not the BS I'm-gonna-give-a-110%-just-like-everyone-else-says platitudes, but someone that went until he just....broke. - GT
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coville
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:20 pm    Post subject:

It's on. It's on like donkey kong....
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