Adams: Lack of offense a recurring theme in UT tournament losses

[VOL720]

Lack of offense a recurring theme in UT tournament losses

 

[germantown902]

Comment

Thanks

 

[Volfan2012]

Lack of offense is why we lose most of our games. Look what our record would be if we scored 70 points per game. That is why in the future we need players that can score and shoot the basketball.

 

[VOL720]

Lack of offense is why we lose most of our games. Look what our record would be if we scored 70 points per game. That is why in the future we need players that can score and shoot the basketball.

I agree, but sometimes even the hottest shooters may go cold. That's when coaching and a strategy offensively must take place that can get you easy baskets. For example, even though ND is an excellent shooting team, their Princeton Offense causes them to get a lot of good looks from backdoor cuts, movement, spacing and sometimes isolation of certain players. I agree that talented players are key also, but that talent has to be taught and trained.

 

[Coach Jumper]

Lack of offense a recurring theme in UT tournament losses

+++++++

In the article Adams writes:

..."UT's offensive system never has functioned as smoothly or efficiently as Connecticut's, but the formula — defense, rebounding and a great offensive talent — worked spectacularly for a long time.

What changed?

Answer: UT stopped signing the best players.

Never mind that these Lady Vols (19-13) have lost most more games than any other team in school history. Their defense has been more than adequate.

Imagine if Tennessee could have complemented that defense with someone as talented as UConn's Breanna Stewart, a 6-foot-4 player who can post up or score from the perimeter.

She wouldn't just add offense. She would boost her teammates' offense.

Tennessee probably thought it had added a much needed offensive catalyst when it signed North Carolina transfer Diamond DeShields, a former national freshman of the year. She leads the team in scoring, though she hasn't been as productive as billed.

But as inconsistent as DeShields was during much of the regular season as both a scorer and ball-handler, she's playing her best basketball at the right time.

In the past four games, she has averaged 20 points per game on 45.3 percent shooting and has committed just eight turnovers. If she plays similarly in the NCAA tournament, UT might last more than one weekend.

++++++++

John is finally realizing it ain't about the recruits that are here now,,,it's about future recruits and the future recruiter.... HW's performance with what she was given as an initial foundation/team...how they are handled should influence if she should get more.............
Remember Jesus and the "parable of the talents"... Well, I would consider that Holly has buried her "talents" too. Jesus took the talents form the one who didn't properly invest them and gave them to one who did managed what they had properly.

++++++++++

 

[mlindsay]

Lack of offense is why we lose most of our games. Look what our record would be if we scored 70 points per game. That is why in the future we need players that can score and shoot the basketball.

We have those but because they don't play defense to her (Holly) standards they can't see the floor. Just imagine how much better we would be if Dunbar was able to more than 6 to 8 minutes a game. If Middleton was told to shoot the ball and stop trying to get to the basket. If Diamond was allowed to truly play like Diamond plays and we didn't have this get the ball in the post or sit game plan.

 

[FlyFishnVol]

Sorry, but anything JA writes give me all the reason in the world to think differently, it is easy to look at stat sheets and write a column, the Ladies have had injury issues all year, the post has been abysmal, I think DeShield's transfer might have something to do with the chemistry of the team.........JMO.

 

[VOL720]

+++++++

In the article Adams writes:

..."UT's offensive system never has functioned as smoothly or efficiently as Connecticut's, but the formula — defense, rebounding and a great offensive talent — worked spectacularly for a long time.

What changed?

Answer: UT stopped signing the best players.

Never mind that these Lady Vols (19-13) have lost most more games than any other team in school history. Their defense has been more than adequate.

Imagine if Tennessee could have complemented that defense with someone as talented as UConn's Breanna Stewart, a 6-foot-4 player who can post up or score from the perimeter.

She wouldn't just add offense. She would boost her teammates' offense.

Tennessee probably thought it had added a much needed offensive catalyst when it signed North Carolina transfer Diamond DeShields, a former national freshman of the year. She leads the team in scoring, though she hasn't been as productive as billed.

But as inconsistent as DeShields was during much of the regular season as both a scorer and ball-handler, she's playing her best basketball at the right time.

In the past four games, she has averaged 20 points per game on 45.3 percent shooting and has committed just eight turnovers. If she plays similarly in the NCAA tournament, UT might last more than one weekend.

++++++++

John is finally realizing it ain't about the recruits that are here now,,,it's about future recruits and the future recruiter.... HW's performance with what she was given as an initial foundation/team...how they are handled should influence if she should get more.............
Remember Jesus and the "parable of the talents"... Well, I would consider that Holly has buried her "talents" too. Jesus took the talents form the one who didn't properly invest them and gave them to one who did managed what they had properly.

++++++++++

Lol! You went from a coach to a Pastor. I get your point. Some will say this is just another chance to bash Holly, but in reality it shows how important offense is to be a successful program along with defense and rebounding.

 

[Coach Jumper]

Lol! You went from a coach to a Pastor. I get your point. Some will say this is just another chance to bash Holly, but in reality it shows how important offense is to be a successful program along with defense and rebounding.

+++++++++++

Amen. . . Most AAU orgs are run out of church's... it helps to have good religious learning for such cases. . . besides, though the "good book" is forever old, it is still relevant most of the time.... Especially in sports. God is a baseball fan... the first words of the Bible are "In the big inning", right?

 

[Coach Jumper]

We have those but because they don't play defense to her (Holly) standards they can't see the floor. Just imagine how much better we would be if Dunbar was able to more than 6 to 8 minutes a game. If Middleton was told to shoot the ball and stop trying to get to the basket. If Diamond was allowed to truly play like Diamond plays and we didn't have this get the ball in the post or sit game plan.

+++++++++++++

Misuse of the "talents"

 

[madtownvol]

Hmm, it seems that Adams ran up against a deadline and had no ideas.

Or let me put it this way, for any team, that is not undefeated, it is a truism to say that their record could have been better if they had scored more points. Yes, John that is how games are determined; the team that scores the most points generally wins. As for the explanation--UT stopped signing the best players--on paper it is hard to say that signing Russell or DeShields or Cooper are not cases of signing the best players (it is not clear of Adams means the BEST player--an outcome which can only be known until later in someone's career-- or top recruits which can be known at the time signings are made).

But at this point, everything that can be said about this team has been said; every possible explanation and/or excuse for the substandard season has been made. All that matters now, is whether the LVs can make a good showing in the tournament and at least make it back to the Sweet 16.

The actual question is why couldn't the LVs score more points with the players they have or conversely, make good on their identity as a defensive oriented team and get stops in critical game changing moments.

 

[Coach Jumper]

Hmm, it seems that Adams ran up against a deadline and had no ideas.

...As the for explanation--UT stopped signing the best players--on paper it is hard to say that signing Russell or DeShields or Cooper are not cases of signing the best players...The actual question is why couldn't the Lvs score more points with the players they have or conversely, make good on their identity as defensive oriented team and get stops in critical game changing moments.

++++++++++++++

You can have the best players and still lose. Look at the Brooklyn Nets. Full of talented players, yet they don't win as they should.

One word, mtv... "Holly" ; And I ain't talking about Holiday shrubbery.

 

[DR2]

Agree that it's not a big piece of insight, but it is true that since the last NC, the Vols have only once scored more than 62 points in their Tourney exiting game, that being in 2013 with 78 points against Louisville in the game after the Cards' toppling of Baylor. The other times it's been 55, 62, 59, 58, 62, 48. In the majority of the other Tourney games they've been in the 70s. But generally the S16 and E8 opponents have better defense, so not sure what the point really is. UConn scored 53 points in the 2010 NC game and 63 in the 2015 game, so you can win games with mainly just defense.

 

[TNnative]

+++++++

In the article Adams writes:

..."UT's offensive system never has functioned as smoothly or efficiently as Connecticut's, but the formula — defense, rebounding and a great offensive talent — worked spectacularly for a long time.

What changed?

Answer: UT stopped signing the best players.

Never mind that these Lady Vols (19-13) have lost most more games than any other team in school history. Their defense has been more than adequate.

Imagine if Tennessee could have complemented that defense with someone as talented as UConn's Breanna Stewart, a 6-foot-4 player who can post up or score from the perimeter.

She wouldn't just add offense. She would boost her teammates' offense.

Tennessee probably thought it had added a much needed offensive catalyst when it signed North Carolina transfer Diamond DeShields, a former national freshman of the year. She leads the team in scoring, though she hasn't been as productive as billed.

But as inconsistent as DeShields was during much of the regular season as both a scorer and ball-handler, she's playing her best basketball at the right time.

In the past four games, she has averaged 20 points per game on 45.3 percent shooting and has committed just eight turnovers. If she plays similarly in the NCAA tournament, UT might last more than one weekend.

++++++++

John is finally realizing it ain't about the recruits that are here now,,,it's about future recruits and the future recruiter.... HW's performance with what she was given as an initial foundation/team...how they are handled should influence if she should get more.............
Remember Jesus and the "parable of the talents"... Well, I would consider that Holly has buried her "talents" too. Jesus took the talents form the one who didn't properly invest them and gave them to one who did managed what they had properly.

++++++++++

If you are gonna mention Jesus Christ and John Adams in the same post, I am going to be offended in a religious sense.

For your next one try:

-Adolph Hitler & Mother Theresa
-Charlton Heston and Pauly Shore
-Led Zeppelin and Great White
-Dom Perignon and Goat Urine

 

[Volfan2012]

I agree, but sometimes even the hottest shooters may go cold. That's when coaching and a strategy offensively must take place that can get you easy baskets. For example, even though ND is an excellent shooting team, their Princeton Offense causes them to get a lot of good looks from backdoor cuts, movement, spacing and sometimes isolation of certain players. I agree that talented players are key also, but that talent has to be taught and trained.

Yes and we come up way short with the coaches we have. We never have a strategy and certainly our offense is being run by 10 year olds shooting at their driveway baskets.

 

[alexvol]

Hmm, it seems that Adams ran up against a deadline and had no ideas.

Or let me put it this way, for any team, that is not undefeated, it is a truism to say that their record could have been better if they had scored more points? Yes, John that is how games are determined; the team that scores the most points generally wins. As the for explanation--UT stopped signing the best players--on paper it is hard to say that signing Russell or DeShields or Cooper are not cases of signing the best players (it is not clear of Adams means the BEST player--an outcome which can only be known until later in someone's career-- or top recruits which can be known at the time signings are made.


But at this point, everything that can be said about this team has been said; every possible explanation and/or excuse for the substandard season has been made. All that matters now, is whether the LVs can make a good showing in the tournament and at least make it back to the Sweet 16.

The actual question is why couldn't the Lvs score more points with the players they have or conversely, make good on their identity as defensive oriented team and get stops in critical game changing moments.

Great synopsis .

 

[LA Vol]

The LVs run the Dribble, Dribble, Panic, Shoot and Miss Offense. It's just not very effective, as the recurring theme of losses has shown.

 

[Coach Jumper]

If you are gonna mention Jesus Christ and John Adams in the same post, I am going to be offended in a religious sense.

For your next one try:

-Adolph Hitler & Mother Theresa
-Charlton Heston and Pauly Shore
-Led Zeppelin and Great White
-Dom Perignon and Goat Urine

++++++++++++++++


If you think about it, Jesus and a guy named John have been a paring from the gitgo...I'm just saying

 

[Pat4life]

Welp. You can teach the best offense on earth, if there players are not confident it won't matter. Most coaches, seldom call a play with veterans, just go play basketball, outbounds, press break, yeah.

Offense comes down to one things, CONFIDENCE!

So much from learning how to fix the Lady Vols offense. wuteva?

Strategy, sets, plays...wuteva? People who never played the game idea of offense. ijs.

wuteva?

 

[Volfan2012]

Some good games today hopefully were one of the winners.

 

[feathersax]

Pretty sure that having John Adams & the term "offensive" in the same arena isn't inaccurate. :whistling:

 

[Coach Jumper]

Welp. You can teach the best offense on earth, if there players are not confident it won't matter. Most coaches, seldom call a play with veterans, just go play basketball, outbounds, press break, yeah.

Offense comes down to one things, CONFIDENCE!

So much from learning how to fix the Lady Vols offense. wuteva?

Strategy, sets, plays...wuteva? People who never played the game idea of offense. ijs.

wuteva?

++++++

I think people watch tv and here what a great "play" they ran, not realizing that by "play" they mean sequence of events.

I agree p4L.... Plays drawn with movements and picks are just to teach movement when there is no movement. As long as you're players are running good routes and hitting open looks or cutters and taking good calculated shots, there is no need of a play....Offense should be roughly 30-30-40... 30% fastbreak, 30% HC sets and 40% create off the bring-down scenarios.

Good post P4L.... Or should I say wateva
;o)

 

[dillyo51]

Welp. You can teach the best offense on earth, if there players are not confident it won't matter. Most coaches, seldom call a play with veterans, just go play basketball, outbounds, press break, yeah.

Offense comes down to one things, CONFIDENCE!

So much from learning how to fix the Lady Vols offense. wuteva?

Strategy, sets, plays...wuteva? People who never played the game idea of offense. ijs.

wuteva?

The English language obviously is not your strong suit. But wuteva.

 

[armchair]

The notion that you don't really need set plays to have a good offense is nonsense. Yea, if you can score on a break, do it, wonderful. But otherwise your run plays--you pick and you move and you pass. And, yea, players can take a defender off the dribble and score, but when you are in the half court you are running plays, or sets. Notre Dame was built on running set plays and great picking and passing--same with UConn.

The Vols may have some talent issues--it is hard to know where talent ends and coaching begins--but we /certainly/ have some confidence/toughness issues. We just don't have any team/individual toughness and swagger anymore. We know where that starts, but individuals have to have it too. To me, this team seems afraid of failing rather than bent on tearing down the rim and winning, and as a result it plays tight, which leads to...failure. There are a lot of players who may not be hugely talented who can be productive--make shots--because they have confidence and the right mentality. Again, this is how McGraw built Notre Dame--her teams didn't have a lot of talent for a LONG time, but they were smart and productive and won. You need talent, you need players like DeShields who can create and score off the dribble--BUT they have to do so in a team context; there must be TEAM cohesion and chemistry. Look at Jewell Lloyd at Notre Dame: Great talent, great individual player, but part of some excellent teams--integrated her game with that of her teammates. That is precisely what we haven't had this year. Rarely are our players all on the same page; indeed, watching us on offense, half the time we look like a group that's on the floor together for the first or second time.

 

[Coach Jumper]

The notion that you don't really need set plays to have a good offense is nonsense. Yea, if you can score on a break, do it, wonderful. But otherwise your run plays--you pick and you move and you pass. And, yea, players can take a defender off the dribble and score, but when you are in the half court you are running plays, or sets. Notre Dame was built on running set plays and great picking and passing--same with UConn.

The Vols may have some talent issues--it is hard to know where talent ends and coaching begins--but we /certainly/ have some confidence/toughness issues. We just don't have any team/individual toughness and swagger anymore. We know where that starts, but individuals have to have it too. To me, this team seems afraid of failing rather than bent on tearing down the rim and winning, and as a result it plays tight, which leads to...failure. There are a lot of players who may not be hugely talented who can be productive--make shots--because they have confidence and the right mentality. Again, this is how McGraw built Notre Dame--her teams didn't have a lot of talent for a LONG time, but they were smart and productive and won. You need talent, you need players like DeShields who can create and score off the dribble--BUT they have to do so in a team context; there must be TEAM cohesion and chemistry. Look at Jewell Lloyd at Notre Dame: Great talent, great individual player, but part of some excellent teams--integrated her game with that of her teammates. That is precisely what we haven't had this year. Rarely are our players all on the same page; indeed, watching us on offense, half the time we look like a group that's on the floor together for the first or second time.

++++++++++++++

As I said in my post, 30% set plays


I run a high-post entry . . . The PG passes into the PF at the hi-post at the elbow. From the Point-Forward run offense, the hi-post can do many options from our set:
turn and drive, hit cutters, hit spotups, feed the low post or reverse pivot to a fadeaway.

The "plays" I think are useless are the "run this route and it culminates with X getting the ball at X"... Doing this type of play will get you killed by a good defensive coach. He/she will know within two runs of the play if the players have the ability to create from their play or if they complete the process each time... If they complete the process, all a def coach has to do is know where the end-result is and defend that only....

Geno runs a motion set with numerous options and his players have permission to fail. That is why they don't fail.

We agree, just a question of semantics.