Half Time Adjustments

[Tugg Speedman]

Last week the favorite phrase used among critics was the team has a "low basketball IQ.  I started a thread about this.

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=24600.0

Conclusion: it is the posters that say we have a low BBall IQ who have the low BBall IQ.

Not to be deterred, the critics seemed to have dropped this line of criticism favoring bashing this team over "half-time adjustments.

4ever started a thread about this yesterday

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=24761.0

Ners blasted this line of crticism well when he wrote ... What freakin half time adjustments do you want when you are up 11 and just closed the first half on a 31-12 run?

So, for those that think we cannot make half-time adjustments, and the screaming on Rosiak's blog about this last night was deafening, what do you want Buzz to do when we are up at half-time?  Arbitrarily change things?

Or, do you want to make the case that Buzz's half-time adjustments, or lack of them, caused JFB and DJO to blow layups and FTs?  Is the new rule that anytime a player misses an easy play is to look for Buzz and scream "stupid?"

What will be the criticism next week?

[GGGG]

I think a more appropriate question isn't our inability to make halftime adjustments, but why it takes awhile for MU to adjust to the other team's halftime adjustments.

Buzz almost always comes out with a good game plan.  Where we falter generally is at the beginning of the second half.  My feeling is that other teams make changes...and it can take us awhile to recognize and react to these changes.  Now what I *don't* know is if this is because it takes Buzz a bit of time to figure things out, or is it because we are playing teams with more talent who simply put their talent in a better place to win.

And please...it isn't about heart, motivation, basketball IQ or any of those other cliches that people who don't know about basketball spew out here.

[Blackhat]

There is always going to be some criticism another84.   If you want to try to shout each criticism down more power...  

I don't think it's always black and white, either "Buzz is really good at this or really bad at that".    There are some things he excels at like teaching care for the ball on offense and things he struggles with.   We tend to overreact when we lose and win, that's part of being fans.

There is some validity to the team lacking a killer instinct and they have looked tentative or scared when holding a lead this year.   Hopefully Buzz can instill more of a cut throat attitude where they can play more loose and build on leads in the 2nd half.  

It would be nice if we would finish strong with a great 2nd half on the road but that is easier said then done.

The positive part is Buzz has them prepared to play well in the first half usually and should be credited for it.


P.S. go read the UCONN boards, you'd think Walker was a bum and UCONN was the worst team in the league.

[GGGG]

Stone, I think you are right about being scared at certain points of a game, but I honestly think this has a lot to do with inexperience at the point guard position.  Junior is in his first full year of playing and DB is playing out of position.  My guess is that we will get much better at this over the next two years as Junior progresses.

[Marquette84]

Last week the favorite phrase used among critics was the team has a "low basketball IQ.  I started a thread about this.

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=24600.0

Conclusion: it is the posters that say we have a low BBall IQ who have the low BBall IQ.

Not to be deterred, the critics seemed to have dropped this line of criticism favoring bashing this team over "half-time adjustments.

4ever started a thread about this yesterday

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=24761.0

Ners blasted this line of crticism well when he wrote ... What freakin half time adjustments do you want when you are up 11 and just closed the first half on a 31-12 run?

And Ners answered his own question:
One adjustment we've seen since UCONN went on the run..Buzz moved Jimmy Butler to defend Walker, and that has stemmed the tide...

This is eacctly the type of adjustment that was lacking in prior games this season.

So, for those that think we cannot make half-time adjustments, and the screaming on Rosiak's blog about this last night was deafening, what do you want Buzz to do when we are up at half-time?  Arbitrarily change things?

No.  I want Buzz to be able to react to the inevitable changes that the OTHER team is going to make when we're up at halftime.

I want Buzz to go into halftime with a double digit lead fully expecting that the other coach is going to make some change, and I want him to be ready for it, and I want him to get the players read for it. 

The criticisms on this board were not about our halftime adjustments--they were really more about how Buzz would react to the inevitable halftime (or 2nd half) adjustments that the other coaches made.

Earlier in the year, we'd have a halftime or 2nd half lead, the other team would make some adjustment, and that was it, we've blown a lead, then went on to lose.

Last night we saw us build a lead (as we've done in other games), seen the other team adjust (as we've seen in other games, but then saw Buzz counter (which we have not seen done as effectively in prior games).

I think what last night shows is that the previous criticisms were warranted.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Another...is constructive criticism a bad thing?

[Blackhat]

-I don't think it is so much adjustments straight out of half.   Against Louisville we came out and built our lead and then tensed up and couldn't hit a shot.....a lot of that is about confidence, partly why we don't fold as often at home.   We were also getting good shots against UCONN in the second half we just couldn't hit them to the extent you wonder if we got tense.   It wasn't like UCONN went 2-3 on us and we couldn't break it down.


And Sultan,
I agree, leadership is important whether Buzz sets the tone or the point guard.  Also the pg can help in shot selection, it's just frustrating to see us get up and then go extremely cold or fold on d when the other team scraps to get back in it.


 Maybe I'm overstating the emotional component and of course I'm not in the huddle or locker room.   But when we get up on the road we don't seem to be having fun or excited to put the dagger in the opponent.   It shows some in our late game free throws too.

These are just impressions they may be way off, but as someone who enjoys studying psychology, I feel it plays a part.

[BCHoopster]

How is this for a half time discussion, DJO we are going to set you up for a nice three point
shot so we can go up 14, makes sense.  Like it, then he throws up an airball, are you
serious?  So the question becomes, and we have seen it all year, they do not have a
killer instinct in them.  Jimmy during that run misses two free throws.  Give me a break.
If MU does what UConn did we would be up 18!  MU the start of the second half sucks, go
back and check how many points MU has scored in the first 4 minutes of the second half?
I bet it is horrible!

[Tugg Speedman]

Another...is constructive criticism a bad thing?

Absolutely not.  If you want a good example of constructive criticism, see 84s comment above.  This, however, is not what most do.

Yes, I like Buzz and support him.  That said, I have no problem criticizing him.  What I have no tolerance for is the "primal screams" we get when they are in a bad patch during a game that are accompanied by incoherent comments about heart, motivation, basketball IQ or any other cliche that comes to mind.

[HoopsMalone]

What may have appeared to be an adjustment by UConn was in all likelihood their talent just performing better.  We won in OT because we had a very talented, but streaky, shooter make shots.

Buzz coached a great game.  The zone worked for a good part of the game.  But, Buzz didn't call "DJO start making shots" and UConn's coach didn't just say "OK guys, start making shots." 

Players making shots make a coach look or bad.  There is not always a genius play a coach can call.

[Lennys Tap]

Another...is constructive criticism a bad thing?

Calling our team "chokers" or "choking dogs" who "pee themselves" falls short of my definition of constructive criticism. To a lesser degree so do simplistic observations about halftime adjustments or basketball IQ.

Many of our posters just don't get that basketball at this level is a game of runs. Their observation of coaching in last night's game would be as follows: UCONN came in with a "better game plan" and jumped to an early 8 point lead. Marquette made brilliant adjustments while Blaney sat on his hands and MU went on a 31-12 run to finish the half up 11. Blaney, the dunce who sat and watched MU's first half run, came up with a brilliant halftime plan which resulted in a 26-7 UCONN run and an 8 point Huskie lead. During this run Buzz was clueless, but with 10 minutes left, he smartened up as Blaney inexplicably went brain dead and Marquette came back to force overtime. Buzz stayed smart in the overtime and Blaney stayed dumb and that resulted in Marquette winning going away.

The players? They came out "without energy", played sloppy (low bball IQ) and quickly fell behind by 8. UCONN lost their energy, choked away their 8 point lead and fell behind by 11. First 10 minutes of the second half - brilliant, energized play by UCONN while our guys totally gagged and we fall behind by 8. We stop choking and they start, we play with energy while they play stupid and the game goes to overtime. High basketball IQ and high energy carries us in the overtime over their low IQ and low energy.

There is some truth in this simplistic "analysis", but not much. Much more important are raw talent, matchups and the luck of the bounce - can anyone explain why some nights the rim looks like a bushel basket and other nights like a thimble? Or how that can change several times over the course of a 40 minute game? A team always looks "energized" when they're making shots and lethargic when they're not. As for basketball IQ, I'll concede that ours will leave something to be desired as long as the guy driving the bus is a two guard trying to play the point. Buycks is giving a big effort trying to play out of position and should be applauded, not trashed, for that.

I don't think anyone here minds true "constuctive criticism". I and others do mind name calling and mean spirited anger directed at our players or coaches. We all want MU to be perfect and the fact that they're anything but that can be frustrating. During the games I'm as crazy as anyone on this board - I do more than my fair share of yelling at Buzz, the team, the refs and the basketball gods. But when the game's over I remind myself of how much I love this team and of how well they represent my university before I post anything. It helps me put my frustrations in perspective.

[wildbill sb]

Damn you, sir, you make too much sense. Spoilsport, have you no sense of fun?

[Tugg Speedman]

Thanks Lenny, I wish I wrote it.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Lenny, I did write that and apologized for it, removed it.

[GGGG]

So the question becomes, and we have seen it all year, they do not have a
killer instinct in them.  

First, that isn't a question.

Second, this is exactly what I mean by a bad basketball cliche.

[Lennys Tap]

Lenny, I did write that and apologized for it, removed it.

Fair enough.

[karavotsos]

1.  It's self-serving to call the criticism 'constructive.'  Unless Buzz or one of the assistants is reading the board and taking notes on the criticism provided and it helps the team, the criticism is simply criticism.  Its not bad to criticize the team.  But its also not constructive.  Its simply criticism.  I'd say, 'that's a fact,' but I don't know if its really a fact.  It's more just proper use of words.

2.  I would say at this point in time the other team's half-time adjustments are easier to make.  Pack it in and cut down all passing lanes to zero.  Passing lanes go from small to non-existent.  Force us to make the outside shot.  Allow no transition.  If you get beat, foul.  We don't have a Niels Giffey coming off the bench to shoot 3's who didn't even play in the first game.  We don't have Kemba Walker coming off the ball screen.  Again, I would say MU is doing more with less.  It's in a different way in a tougher league than last year, but its still scrapping and doing whatever the heck you can to find a way to win.     

[ChicosBailBonds]

Krav

I think you miss the point.  Let's not call it constructive criticism, but simply criticism or whatever label you wish to use.  I was asking Another84 if it's ok.  Seems every day we have 3 or 4 threads started by him with some kind of analysis on why something isn't true that someone else said.

If Marquette84 had done this, he would be called Joanie.  If I or others did this, we would be asked if we were servicing the coach (ahem). 

[karavotsos]

I missed the backstory on the Real Househusbands of Bumblef--k County.  My bad.  I thought this was a basketball board.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I missed the backstory on the Real Househusbands of Bumblef--k County.  My bad.  I thought this was a basketball board.

Weird, you've commented on the plot lines of it every so often in the last year....please, don't deny yourself the credit you richly deserve.

[tower912]

Krav

I think you miss the point.  Let's not call it constructive criticism, but simply criticism or whatever label you wish to use.  I was asking Another84 if it's ok.  Seems every day we have 3 or 4 threads started by him with some kind of analysis on why something isn't true that someone else said.

If Marquette84 had done this, he would be called Joanie.  If I or others did this, we would be asked if we were servicing the coach (ahem).  

nm