If you go back to his Nets days, you'd find that a lot of what he excelled at, at least when they were at their best, involved the Princeton offense and getting out on the break.
There's no reason, given time, that this motion offense couldn't give him a lot of the same backdoor cuts and duck-ins in the half court with Tim playing at the high post. And the defensive rebounding is there to ignite the break, if they'd just emphasize it and have Tony and others realize that advancing the ball via the pass results in a better break most of the time; get that outlet to the wing, asap.
Plays where RJ uses Tim to rub his man off and receive the pass for a shot behind the screen, he's actually pretty good at. Hitting him in stride off a curl going to the basket is also something they should be looking to do more of; one of his biggest assets is his ability to get to the line, but you negate that ability to a large degree when you're playing half court basketball with Tony and Tim, rightly, dominating the ball.
By the time RJ gets the ball from Tony, the paints already been penetrated and the defense is sagging in the paint. You throw the attention that Duncan receives into the equation, and RJ's looking at a wall of defenders in the way of his penetration.
The offense has been made to run the way it does because of Tony's unique skill set. If you've got Tony and Tim living in the paint, seems to reason that the natural compliments would be floor-spacers.
A lineup like: Hill, Bogans, Jefferson, Bonner, and Duncan could probably feature RJ successfully a little more.
It doesn't have to be that exact lineup necessarily, but I like the spacing you get in both the back and front court and the potential interior passing from Tim and RJ; I've seen some promising glimpses from the two.
My two-cents..
To be fair, Blair will probably have one of the easier times fitting in because unlike the 'spot up shooters' he does not require the ball to be passed to him at all. He is the kind of player that will hustle his way into impacting a game. This is something we have needed for some time. On defense he used to look a little more lost then he does now, but offensively a guy like that will nearly always slot in and impact right away.
Somewhere between 50 and 82.
this team has the potential to have around six guys averaging double figures (TP, TD, Manu, RJ, McDyess, Hill, and Blair and maybe even Mason depending if he's hot that night).
they need to have movement w/o the ball. too many times TP or TD have the ball and everyone else watches. hopefully over time this will happen.
I'm honestly not seeing a problem. It will take time, period, and Manu/Tony jumping in and out of the lineup has made things harder.
Great post
I still think RJ should start but he must be on the court when TP or TD are resting
As all might have eluted or have hinted at the for mentioned point that RJ seemd to just be standing around alot out there when he is on the floor.. Some has to do with his actions but also teammates need to look for him. i have watched games this season and it appears to TP doesnt even look his way, and Rj is wide open.. We all now Tp is no the greatest passer but come on it is his job to get them all involved in the game..
Times when i see RJ get the ball he is not in position and has to force the issue..
Chemistry is part of the problem but players on court & coaching staff need to get it together.. You can see on his facial expressions that he is fustrated and wants to help... Only time will tell.
Didn't we say this a game or two ago?
Tim and Tony and both trying to get RJ involved pretty much every game, but RJ is the one that needs to step it up. TP and Tim shouldn't have to change their whole game just to get RJ involved.
He's going to have to stop being passive and find some aggression.
Pretty good take. I actually thought that RJ could beat his man off the dribble. I didn't know his ball handing wasn't very good. I don't know why the Spurs traded for him if they were not going to use any of his strengths. We got him because he is overpaid, but still, wtf is the point of having him if he's going to stand around and do nothing. He's got to take some of it on himself and just turn up his aggression.
I agree that he needs to start and playing with the second unit with Manu and Hill might do wonders for his game.
At the beginning of the season there was talk that the Spurs would run more. I know we have a high scoring offense, but I don't get the sense we are fast breaking very much at all or by any design. With Blair getting rebounds on the second unit, and with Hill applying defensive pressure on ball handlers, it seems to be a recipe for a fast breaking lineup, which RJ could thrive in assuming someone could run the break and get him the ball. Maybe Manu or Mason in that lineup?
Blair, Bonner, RJ, Manu, and Hill could be an intriguing lineup.
Basically, I would go back to the tapes if I was in the coaching staff and see who he was playing with when he had his highest scoring games. Obviously, that was when key players were missing which made him more of the focus, but maybe there was some chemistry with the lineups he was a part of? Just an idea. Even if he won't ever be the focus for a whole game, perhaps he could become the focal point of the offense for stretches of games.
The coaching staff often tries to make players into what they're not. Pop had the reins on Manu and Tony in the beginning of their careers and then eventually realized he was holding them back. We've tried to mold various players into some version of Bowen or Horry. Yes, RJ should play better defense but trying to make him into Bruce Bowen by standing in the corner and expecting him to shut down Kobe is sort of a silly approach.
I don't how the roatation has been for the last few games but I always thought RJ could still start but he can play extended minutes from the start of the game. So when Duncan and Tony go out he can play with the bench then he goes to the bench when Duncan and Tony come back.
At the end of the games he will play with Duncan and Tony since he has a knack for drawing fouls.
IDK hopefully Pop is working it out as we speak.
they need to post him, and do what milwaukee did. he was great in the mil. play him as the 2 option scorer when hes on the floor, left wing, half way up. down to duncan(bogut)to draw the double, and he can spot up, slash, or pull up. very effective on the left wing alongside a big.
The personnel is there for the Spurs to run more and utilize RJ's open-court ability, but it takes a commitment and emphasis from the coaching staff to get it done.
Plenty of players and teams say they'd like to run and they intend to do so, but you've got to walk the walk. The coaches have to accept some turnovers and mistakes, and the players have to be willing and in shape; it's a different type of cardio and mindset.
I mentioned earlier the need for the outlet pass and the advancement of the ball via the pass, but that's a crucial part of the equation. Watch someone like Kidd or Nash, to of the best over recent years, initiate the break. The heads up and that ball leaves their hand as soon as a target has been identified. Too often a player gets the ball, puts their head down and feels the need to dribble the ball 3/4's court until the obvious decision presents itself. You've just got to trust your teammate to make the right play.
This team is going to defensive rebound at an elite level, they've got more athleticism than they've had in years, they've got better personnel to force a decent amount of turnovers, and they've got one of the fastest point-guards in the league; the tools are there.
I'm not sure if it's just out of the question to be running a team with veterans at key spots hard at practice or not, but they could definitely use some practice/schooling on the proper running of a break. Their floor balance is just awkward at times.
I was agreeing with you completely.
I'm all for Pop calling more "circle 3 elbow" for a dribble-drive or post-up.
I'm also all for TP pulling up on the break and actually looking for RJ running the wing for an alley-oop.
I'm all for Pop calling "Power" and seeing RJ curling off a nice baseline backscreen, catching a feed from Tim and hitting an easy jumper.
I'm also up for RJ driving baseline when he's run off the corner-3, drawing a crowd and then feeding Timmy crashing down the lane for the flush.
These should all become staples as options in the Spurs offense.
Solid D bustin' out the proper terminology and all..
As long as they get him on the move heading towards the basket more and look for the quick-hitters (outlets, lobs, backdoors, duck-ins, dive-cuts, etc.) they'll be moving in the right direction.
The key for me with RJ: movement.
I agree with this as well. Good points.
To follow up on some of your points, Pop probably doesn't have the temperament to embrace the mistakes that would come with this approach. But as it is, I don't think the team as a whole has a unified approach to begin with. The team has a Gemini quality of sorts between the first and second unit, with the first unit being more traditional by "running" the offense through Tim and Tony. The second unit has the potential for episodic outbreaks for spectacular plays as we saw with Blair and his rebounds and blocks. There is an interesting level of chaos already imbedded in the second unit. Perhaps its best to leave well enough alone as our second unit is helping us quite well, but I think the capacity for them to get some quick points to regain points or improve our lead is there. As others have stated, our second unit might be the difference in a lot of close games for us. Even if we just run the break occasionally to get RJ in the open court so he can draw fouls and get to the free throw line, then I think we're moving in the right direction. I still feel that Manu would be needed to help direct traffic and make the appropriate pass, but as you said, focusing on the outlet pass is key as well, and perhaps Blair can be trusted to move the ball quickly after getting the rebound.
This would take practice and a commitment by the coaches, but considering how many more teams fast break this year, it's inevitable we'll get pulled into a fast-paced game at some point and for some stretches. Might as well know how to run the break. That's just fundamentals.
Play like Rip Hamilton/Reggie Miller imo.
I like the 'episodic outbreaks' take; if for no other reason than the mental picture.
This team truly has a legit X-factor quality in their bench and not the manufactured one it's been in the past with Manu; Manu's probably the biggest X-factor in the league when he's right, but his presence on the bench was one of necessity and not luxury.
With Hill, Blair, and Hairston, should he ever get the opportunity, they've now got genuine energy and athleticism coming off the bench as a luxury. Instead of worrying about balancing your first and second unit and massaging minutes to make sure one or two of the Big 3 were always complimenting their dependent role-players, you now see a team that can attack in waves. They're not looking to hold down the fort or maintain the status quo, there looking to inject life, enthusiasm, and tempo in an effort to extend the lead.
It's a luxury that past years haven't afforded.
I think what we're looking for is a tweak, not an overhaul; the train's probably left the track as it pertains to this season.
And that's the point.
If it's a possession, a three-minute stretch or quarter, there's progress to be made and ground to be gained. You're not going to recondition a team to play a different way after this many years, but it's perfectly reasonable to accommodate the gifts of a big-time acquisition like RJ; making him conform to a half-court style that's more conducive to the spot-up three is a wasted investment.
Manu will always be a helpful addition to the equation; health permitting, of course. He's the Spurs' most gifted passer and his three-point shot has to be honored. There's no reason that he and RJ shouldn't thrive given the time to build their chemistry.
Blair definitely has an Unseld quality about him and the potential to outlet the ball in a similar fashion. I think he's opened the eyes of some to be a pretty deft passer, as well.
They'll get their opportunity to show if they can be the chameleons of yesteryear, and I'll be looking forward to those Suns-type match-ups; it's easy to forget just how much turnover there's been on this roster and I'm interested in seeing how this team adapts to styles and adverse situations with significantly less championship mettle on the roster.
Nothing that more time won't solve.. RJ says he's something like 30% along the learning curve if I understood his latest interview correctly.. so he's still not playing "relaxed".. they'll work things out .
It is a great post.
I agree. It's simple: Jefferson should play the first 5 minutes, then exit when Ginobili enters. He should sit roughly 5 minutes, then (when Parker is out, which usually happens about 8 minutes in and when Duncan is out, which usually happens about 9-10 minutes in) re-enter and along with Ginobili be featured in the offense through the remainder of the 1st quarter and the start of the 2nd quarter. Then, when Parker and Duncan return (they're usually both back in between 3-5 minutes into the 2nd quarter), Jefferson can come back out for a quick blow, then re-enter in the last 5 minutes of the half. Basically, in this rotation he'd play 10 minutes with Duncan and Parker and another 6-8 without them, so you get that perfect balance of playing with them and getting more comfortable and playing without them and getting a play ran for him more frequently.
Sounds like a pretty good rotation.
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