Rsponses to things mentioned this thread ....re: the defensive effort on Bosh ...unfair to blame any one player for him going off, when the responsibility lies in a team effort to stop any offensive interior player. The blame simply goes to an interior defense that isn't ready for primetime. Way too often a player's defense is judged by how the player opposite him scores ...especially the interior players.
Most noteworthy is that in this defense, it is based on off the ball player's anticipation and reaction ..and we aren't close to having this aspect down ....but surprised that nobody mentioned how much BETTER we did play defense within the team concept tonight.
This WAS CLEARLY our best defensive effort of the season ...no other game have we been even remotely successful as we were tonight.
Most noteworthy players as far as 'getting it' defensively were Larry Hughes #1 ....he had an excellent game on both ends ...the more I see him the better I like his game. He does the quiet things that winning teams need certain players to do. Unlike Lebron ...on defense his head is always on a swivel ...never gets locked in and lost ..has a keen sense for the entire floor and where the intent of the offensive play is centered... if all our players had his defensive sense we's be in great shape.
Z actually DOES have an excelent idea of where to be and what to do ..he's just physically limited. BUT, when this team "gets it" defensively I truly believe he WILL work fine in this defense. It's just gonna take time to get these guys all on the same page.
Very confused about this boards negativity towards Eric Snow ...he's a valuable commodity on this team ...plays solid, if not spectacular defense ...and reads things very well both offensively and defensively. He doesn't force himself on the game, but plays his role within the system. With certain player mixes he fits extemely well on this team, and if you notice ...
Mike Brown IS finding which combinations he works best with ...as with Damon Jones. He's made some subtle changes in his rotation that center on keeping certain players with Snow. I like how he's slowly tweaking the rotation to use the right combinations with certain players with more limitations like Z, Snow, and Jones.
I think Alan Henderson will end up having a more extended role on this team ...he's of definite value, especially early on in giving the younger players a 'how to' clinic on how this defense should be played. It would actually be of benefit to find a game where you could sit Drew Gooden and start Alan Henderson in his place and tell Gooden to just study Alan Henderson on defense.
As a coach I do this at times for guys that just don't 'get it' with verbal communications from coaches. But, Gooden..thoughimproved and trying ...still gets lost in similar manners to how Lebron does. Gets involved with his one on one assignment and doesn't yet notice the subtle things a guy like Larry Hughes does ...because Larry Hughes is always so alert ...and like I said prior ...always has his head on a swivel knowing where every man is at all times.
...Drew and Lebron have very little natural defensive instinct at this point in their development ....but would be very wise to step back and study the Larry Hughes's and Alan Henderson's on this team and learn from them ...they could take their games to an entirely different level if they would at some point 'get it' ...but I'm not overly optimistic that it's going to happen that quickly ...but it can sometimes ..sometimes a mental logjam can be broken with a player and they can all the sudden awaken ..I've seen it happen.
Anyway ,.,. from a defensive standpoint we had much better play tonight ..something to build on. We'll really be tested by Seattle ..they can turn an unorganized defense like ours inside out ...it could be an ugly learning experience coming up ...but one that is needed.
We're gonna take some needed lumps from good offensive teams b4 we gradually start to build our defensive capabilities ...but, as fans you have to be patient and realize that team defense is a process
....30 some games in we'll have an identity with our defense ...maybe not great at that point, but far far better than where we are at now. Team defense ...especially with this defense we have on this team ...only gets better through repitition ...and with this repitition comes recognition from the players ..and then it all flows from there ...but, it doesn't happen in one game 5 games or ten games ....it's a gradual building process. Be patient.
But, trust me ...as limited as certain players are dfensively ...notably Z ...with this defense he will be just fine once the others around him know their assignments ...I've always felt from a knowledge standpoint Z has always gotten it ...but his game suffers most when the players around him that he relies on for support don't know THEIR assignments.
Z won't be a defensive liability once this team rounds into form ...trust me on this.