My Thoughts after watching a few embarassing games

[chillzatl]

1. Our coaching stinks: We have looked poorly prepared against almost every team we've played this season. The teams that we have came out with a clear cut gameplan, excuted it and succeeded. At some point even that broke down and we were unable to find a way to get it done. At this point in the season we should be seeing the signs of players learning a system. We have yet to see that.

2. Most of our starters are LAZY. JT, Reef and Big Dog are LAZY a** PLAYERS. Ira and Theo are the only starters we have that seem to care about hustling and taking care of the ball. My grandmother could make more assertive passes than the ones this team makes. Simply lazy, careless basketball.

3. This team may say they want the playoffs. But I've yet to see them play like a team that wants the playoffs. Stinger said it best. Being a playoff team means you have to bring it EVERY NIGHT. There are no off nights. Every team is gunning for you and they do not take you lightly. We are getting that now. Last year we got some wins because teams took us lightly. That isn't happening this year (yet, wait till we drop 5 under .500 for that). Teams come out wanting to knock us down because we could be / are competition.

4. This team has lost a LOT of the confidence it had two weeks ago. Beatings by Boston, Orlando and now New Jersey has sapped the life out of them. Some players may say otherwise, but you can see it in their body language. They get stripped and the only response you get is slumped shoulders?? THat's a loss of confidence

Personally, I think it starts and ends with coaching. We have the stats to be a winning team, clearly. We SHOULD be a winning team. Our problem is turnovers. We would have 3-4 more wins right now if it wasn't for turnovers. I also blame this on coaching. The coach is doing NOTHING about the situation. Giving the ball to Darvin Ham in the post adn letting him "go to work" is a joke. It's happened way too many times. We've all seen that you can't give the ball to Big Dog and stand around waiting, he can't deliver consistantly like that. Yet we see it constantly.

That leads us to one of several possibilities. 1. The players aren't listening to the coach and they aren't being punished for it.

2. The coach is calling these plays and is oblivious of the likely outcome.

3. They do listen to the coach, they are doing what they are told. But they are being taught a system of ball that will not win games.

It's frustrating to say the least. But I don't feel this is a knee jerk reaction. We've seen this team get shelled too many times in the last two weeks.

[swolehawk2]

I think Kenny Smith summed it up best when he said we have no identity...it is hard to be consistent..when you don't do one thing and stick to it...

Are we a post team with Shareef....are we a motion team running Dog of screens...should JT look for his shot more in transition? Are we an up and down team...what the [censored] are we...should we Iso more..who knows...

I think the laziness is actually indecisiveness...last night when Hendu was battling against three Nets by his lonesome...we had 4 players at mid court thinking should I get back or help rebound...they did neither and the Nets got a layup...obviously the players have to play with more passion...but coaching has a lot to do with this.

This team has no clue of how it is going to win when it takes the floor....they let the defense dictate to them what they are going to do....it is plain and simple we need a veteran coach to run this club...nobody can tell me that these players can't win.

[Iman]

Yup, we definitely are NOT improving. That first Boston loss seemed to be the turning point to me. We had that game then a little tough defense and we completely shut down. After losing that game you knew we would be in trouble the next and at home we looked worse, Boston had us figured out.

I hope we are just in a little slump. I think it's to be expected that it takes some time for a team to come together and figure out how to win together. A little good coaching and we should turn this thing around. However that may be the problem, Lon just doesnt know how to run a good pro offensive system? I guess we'll see because I doubt we make a coaching change unless we really fall apart.

The biggest disappointments to me so far are:

1. Turnovers-I had no idea that Big Dog was such a bad ball handler. But some of the problem is us trying to use him as a point forward and he thinks he can but he actually is horrible at creating.

2. Darvin Ham and Email suck. I dont mind keeping them around but I just dont wanna see much of them. JT has to have some help so I'd like to see Maloney first, Email almost never. I guess we're bringing Ham in to play power forward but in my book I'd rather see more of McCaskill and slide Hendu over to power forward. Maybe when Nazr gets back that'll cut out Ham's minutes.

[BlackHawkDown]

This is ridiculous. Chillzat I used to think a lot of your post but I disagree with a lot of what you said.

"Most of our starters are LAZY. JT, Reef and Big Dog are LAZY a** PLAYERS. "

Do you have any idea the level that these indivduals are playing at JT weighs a buck 70 yet takes it to the hole every night and takes more punishment than you know. You think he doesn't feel it when he gets slammed to the floor. Yet people defend a 6'9" 250lbs pud like CC who gets hurt when he does the same thing. Reef just looks like he is being lazy. He is constantly battling in the post, defending larger players. I remeber in High Scholl when I played against him, he wasn't better because he was more talented he worked harder than any other player. One of the Vancover staff favorite comments on him was that he was such a hard worker. Big Dog got to where he is by luck I guess.

not directed towrd chillzat:

As for coaching I guess I was just a big racist this summer when I said Karl and Kruger were poor coaches.

WHERE IS NBA ALL STAR DAN DICKUA?

WHY HASN'T MATT MALONEY BROUGHT BALANCE?

STOP CRYING WHINE LATER.. Is this what you guys do every time the team loses go on the internet and whine about how the team has to be dismantled

[Guest]

BHD if these guys wasn't heartless they would

actually play defense.Shareef has never played

any defense...Good offensive players and guys

like Juwan Howard abuse Shareef on a regular

basis.

You can say whatever you want about Reef in

high school.Remember,that was before he started

picking up 12 million a year.Money changes people.

If JT wasn't lazy he would actually get around screens

and shut his man down....But he doesn't do that.

"Big Dog got to where he is by luck I guess."

Well we got him for a often hurt Toni Kukoc....Shows

BD's value around the league doesn't it?

[JTFan31]

Wait a second now I think JT is a pretty good job defending his man as of late. For example last night his defensive task was to shut down Lucious Harris, he limited Harris to 4 pts and 1-8 shooting and we all know ever since Harris been starting he has been dead on.

Lucious Harris starting:

17 vs Clippers & 23 vs Sonics

I think JT did a da-mn good job against Lucious.

[Guest]

Everybody has off games.JT simply doesn't get

around screens.Some of it is not his fault because

he is just a small guy...but some of it is being

lazy.C'mon,the guy isn't a saint=)

[Blunt91]

Please BlackHawk Down quit with your silly assesments on Crawford. First of all, he isn't 250 he is 235 and he didn't tear his ACL being knocked down to the floor. Kruger needs to quite babying him and let him get more minutes, I think he would helped the second unit because of his shooting and slashing game. Ham is more of a power player, doesn't finish alot of his shots around the basket.

[BlackHawkDown]

Lets see JT is a potential all - star and he is either called lazy or weak. Hawksqauwkers attack him every day. Yet a sissyballing Scrub like CC is defended. What is the world coming to.

[Guest]

JT is a potential allstar????That's a opinion.CC actually

slipped on a wet spot while driving to the basket.I knew

he was done for the year as soon as it happend...Seen

The ole ACL tear several times.