I don't want to start another debate on what Buzz should have done with our last offensive play in the Nova game but Homer did bring up the play and here is his response as best as I can remember as it was very detailed.
Refs were close to calling 5 seconds on McNeal.
McNeal started 5-7 seconds too early.
Buzz thought about calling a timeout at that point in time but didnt for a couple of reasons that are all kind of intertwined:
- Not much time on shot clock
- he wanted the ball in his best players hands, McNeal and he didn't want to risk not being able to get it in his hands
- Also had his best player at setting the high screen in Hayward on the play and didn't know if he would be able to get that again
- His best out of bounds guy is Matthews so he would not have been a second option to get the ball
McNeal had an open lane and took it.
McNeal thought he had Nova beat for a bucket.
Buzz acknowledge the toss the ball up strategy at the end of the shot clock. He said with that strategy the ball would be tossed high on the last second and the ball would hit the back iron for a high rebound that would take another second off the clock but he also said that Nova has a lot of great scorers and he would rather be up 3 where Nova could only tie instead of win it with a shot.
Sounds like if we are put into a last play situation that McNeal would get the ball again as he is our best player. I think I got most of what he said without altering his explaination too much.
A few comments:
1) there was 9-10 seconds on the shot clock when he SHOT the ball
2) he better rethink that McNeal has to have the ball thing, because everyone knows he getting it and is going to shoot. Look at Nova's players on that replay. They all knew he was going to shoot before he even started his drive, and then they all converged. JB was wide open before he got near the basket (no pass), and the other three were wide open on the perimeter by the time he did get to the basket (no pass). We are going to lose quickly again if we get put in same circumstances if that is Buzz's approach, unless JM starts sharing the ball.
3) If Mathews is the best out of bounds guy, then why is Acker always the one throwing the in-bounds pass?
personally, i do not have much problem at all with the last play very similar to the last play gainst So. Fla the ball just did not go in. now somone can argue that it was 3-4-5 seconds too early but that is arm chair quarterbacking at your best he had a lane and you need to take it. if he backs off and does not get it again people are bitching about the contested long ball that is the result.
I have no problem with the last play...i have a huge problem with the second to last possesion the stupid jerel pull up 25 footer off the dribble with 15 seconds on the shot clock zero passes into the possession, unfortunately I think i know the answer... that being that is the evil jerel thinking he can bury the dagger as his coach pulls his hair out. jerel being jerel 4 years of not getting 1 oz smarter.
Quote from: MR.HAYWARD on March 17, 2009, 11:38:54 AM
I have no problem with the last play...i have a huge problem with the second to last possesion the stupid jerel pull up 25 footer off the dribble with 15 seconds on the shot clock zero passes into the possession, unfortunately I think i know the answer... that being that is the evil jerel thinking he can bury the dagger as his coach pulls his hair out. jerel being jerel 4 years of not getting 1 oz smarter.
Our coach? Buzz? Hair?
Its not similar to SF. Against SF we were down by 1...against Nova we were up by 1.
Big difference between trying to get the lead/win the game and trying to protect a lead and not lose the game.
Buzz acknowledged that Jerel went too early. Thats all you are going to get from him.