GameThread (1400+ comments)
Blog Buddy: Orlando Pinstriped Post
Dwight Howard broke Wilt Chamberlain's near-50-year-old record for most free throw attempts in a game yesterday, going 21-for-39 en route to 43 points and 21 rebounds. The game was actually close until the waning moments, a one-possession ballgame throughout the entire fourth quarter until Von Wafer hit a three from the right corner on a rotation ball movement, Hedo Turkoglu's 9th assist, with 36.9 seconds remaining, which doubled the Magic's lead from 112-109 to 115-109.
Lost in the history-making night would be Monta Ellis's ensuing inbound turnover that without the benefit of replay and watching from press row, appeared to be almost directly passed to Hedo. This lead to Dominic McGuire having no choice to foul Hedo, and Hedo draining the last two points. With the deficit at an impossible 7 points and the buzzer approaching, Monta would attempt a tired-looking trey that the Nate Robinson tracked down, and Brandon Rush closed it out with badly missed trey himself.
And so ended with a thud, the night when the term "Hack-A-Howard" would probably earn its own Wikipedia page.
Let's get some of the team performances out of the way first...
All in all, while the Hack-A-Shaq strategy -- okay, okay Hack-A-Howard, whatever -- ultimately ended with a loss, it almost worked. If you just looked at the boxscore, you'd be very impressed by the Warriors side of things. If you weren't at The Oracle watching this game, you would've assumed it was boring.
The Warriors came out great, but squandered a 13-point lead towards a halftime lead of 57-53. From there until Wafer's pivotal trey, the biggest lead was 4, and that was the Warriors leading 82-78 with 49.6 to go in the 3rd.
So was it all that bad? What would have happened if Hack-A-Howard was not employed? Here are some reflections...
With that, let's take a look at some fascinating things I found on the Hack-A-Shaq wikipedia:
Alright, somebody go update that Wikipedia now.
0 recs | 32 comments
There are certain spots in a game where you can employ the strategy
But seriously? Fouling with 8 seconds left in the 1st quarter? And doing it throughout the game to destroy any rhythm or flow?
doubleteapot - January 13, 2012
Fouling then actually makes sense...
To take away a Magic possession through free throws, then getting the ball back to take the last shot.
jebinitay - January 13, 2012
Second time I am questioning Mark Jackson as coach. First time was when his lack of play calling was questioned.
I think Jackson has a workable play calling system with his assistant Mike Malone. However, I can’t go with his intentional fouling of Dwight 39 times.
callahan - January 13, 2012
Are there any promising D-league centers?
LuvDubs - January 13, 2012
Probably not, or at least not one who isn’t there because he’s been sent down by a club that retains his contract. The D-league tends to be a guard’s league. The short supply of tall people tends to make it so that NBA teams hold on to all the marginally coordinated guys tall enough to man the center position. While not impossible, it’s real rare to find a big worth anything there. You’ve got much better odds finding a guard.
jae - January 13, 2012
for one not going into the penalty 3-4 minutes into each quarter
and as long as the game is close i’m not going to waste fouls. Dwight had a field day against Lee and Udoh. I would wish Beans and Tyler didnt hack as much and got more burn respectively. He would not have had it as easy making those hooks shots on either versus Udoh and Lee..
and then when he finally goes to trapping(which is never smart against the magic unless you are the bulls or heat) the team gets lost on rotations and gets torched on the 3 point line
but the Warriors need that lottery pick so this may be the best way for the season to go. keep games close and only get a few upsets but fall on the proper side of the law of averages based on how depleted the roster is
starbury_to_s-jaxci2000 - January 13, 2012
Were not bad enough to keep the pick
Most nights against the other lottery teams Monta or Curry could take over and win it by themselves.
dubzfan - January 13, 2012
Were not bad enough to keep the pick
that’s the beauty of this beast one don’t have to be bad to play bad it just takes a commitment to want to improve the team.
Skeptic con Urquell - January 13, 2012
Do people still think Biedrins is a viable option?
Not amnestying him. Mistake
Not trading him for 2 expirings (and a prospect in Hill)? MISTAKE
He needs to go.
FYI- before someone says 8 rebounds, 4 or 5 (head count) were off missed free throws with no pressure. Wow…
tafkasam - January 13, 2012
My Thoughts about the strategy
I think that if they had used the Hack-a-Howard differently the dubs may have won the game.
1) Don’t hack howard when just walking up the court just to force the free throws. I think it would have been more effective to force Howard to attempt a shot and hack him then, at least that way he would have been exerting more energy thoughout the game.
2) He may have missed more free throws had he been tired from playing for shots, whereas he pretty much got into a rhythm going to the line every possession.
3) The use of different players to Hack-a-Howard. Instead of getting the starters into foul trouble, they could have put in Tyler/McGuire/Wright(Chris) for the couple minutes. If they were planning on fouling anyways, might as well give the fouls to players who would not need minutes late in the game.
4) FInal opinion is that, I feel if the defender could try to force Howard to shoot with his left or go to his left, he may not have been as effective. He took one shot last night (that I noticed) with his left hand and it was ATROCIOUS
fl8shgord0n - January 13, 2012
sorry, I'm not calling him "Dre" unless he asks me to
you musta missed the interview. He asked everyone to call him dre some time ago.
Skeptic con Urquell - January 13, 2012
but that was to retire the "Goose" nickname
which I’ve always thought was dumb anyways…since everyone knows he looked way more like iceman with the spiky hair
Duby Dub Dubs - January 13, 2012
It went too far...
…took us out of rhythm just as much as them. We were up by 11, playing well… why kill the flow? I don’t like the tactic in general from a sportsmanship perspective, but I understand it can be effective.
Monta was great last night except for a few brain farts…. Lee was good overall, too. Udoh is simply not a center. Howard pushed him around like he was playing against a child. If we don’t have Beans or Kwame, Lee can actually be at least a little effective…I think he’s a better defender against C’s than PF’s in general.
warriorsablaze - January 13, 2012
I would've used this kind of defense...
(Just wanted to post this randomly, because I was thinking about it and laughing).
Naticus - January 13, 2012
Is there something on youtube for this play? I would like to see it as it happened.
qin - January 13, 2012
+1 (and rec'd)
I too would like a youtube link, so I can watch it over and over again
Duby Dub Dubs - January 13, 2012
Who wouldn’t?
Naticus - January 13, 2012
FASCINATING GAME!
If you had told me we had a chance to win at the end of the fourth without having Kwame or Curry or Wright, I would have said GO WARRIORS! Great job!
I respect Mark Jackson’s approach so far. His strategy was not pretty but it takes guts to empty the hack-a-shaq so often and so early and given the way the rest of the Magic team was playing – it may have worked.
If we had won, everyone would be calling it a great coaching move.
As ugly as it was, it was fascinating to watch it play out.
The ugliness was balanced by Monta’s grace and elite offensive performance – WOW! He was amazing. For those hoping to trade him, a performance like that on TNT certainly raised his stock. Lee played well too – just wish he could finish at the rim more on some of those point blank shots.
Also, I thought the announcer, Steve Kerr, should have been warrior wonder. Love the way he was talking up our team’s potential, coach jackson, our great fan base and the new ownership. He was clearly trying to help us get some bigger name free agents.
Sad we lost, but pleased with the effort.
Togna Balogna - January 13, 2012
Steve Kerr?
Haha, Wonder if baumer world still has old steve curr?
Skeptic con Urquell - January 13, 2012
For those hoping to trade him, a performance like that on TNT certainly raised his stock
I doubt any TNT viewers are planning on buying a combo guard?
Skeptic con Urquell - January 13, 2012
I dunno
DWade was apparently watching (he defended Shaq’s clutch free throw shooting…auto.mat.ic)
Duby Dub Dubs - January 13, 2012
Hedo's 20 hurt us more then DH12's 40+
Im fine with DH12 having to beat us from the line, not fine with them bombing 3’s
dubzfan - January 13, 2012
I think last night demonstrated the folly of a default "hack" strategy.
I think you can use that sort of thing to pick up a couple of easy possessions, but using it consistently blunts its power.
But, really, I have to say that it’s not why we lost.
We lost because one Biedrins got into foul trouble we didn’t have anyone who could slow down Howard, and that basically made our whole defense come apart. In the 4th quarter there were some possessions where their outside shooters jacked it up without going inside, and each time they did I said to myself, “Thank you for being too stupid to realize we’re trying to cover Howard with Udoh and Lee.”
But as strange as it sounds, 20 minutes of Kwame would probably have made the difference last night. (How many times has that been said in the history of the NBA?!?).
Monta was pretty damn good. Lee was very good until he was asked to cover Howard. Klay continues to find his range (although I suspect we’ll see the dumb mental mistake turnovers for most of the rest of the year).
Really, we lost the game last night because we ran out of players to defend Howard with. But that’s not really a function of the hack-a-Dwight because Biedrins got his fouls mostly in the course of normal defense. The problem is that we only had one active player who could really defend Dwight one-on-one competently.
Some people are going to say last night demonstrated that “Udoh isn’t a center” but honestly there are very few centers who are capable of doing that. Dwight and Bynum, really. (Pau doesn’t exploit a physical advantage in the same way).
Ronaldinho - January 13, 2012
this is what I just logged in to come say
I really hope Mark Jackson gets it too. I still think Lee and Udoh should be our starting froncourt
Duby Dub Dubs - January 13, 2012
beans has been playing well though
bigkino217 - January 13, 2012
fixed
he has definitely bounced back this year, unfortunately, he is still pretty bad at some important aspects of basketball…he’s a worthy backup C…hell, I guess that’s the problem with our team though – we have guys who are all b-listers
Duby Dub Dubs - January 13, 2012
I know it's popular to rate how well plays are playing by how many points they score per game ...
… but Biedrins, this year:
1) An elite-level rebounder.
2) An elite-level shot-blocker
3) A solid post defender
4) Elite at finishing the baskets guys set him up for.
Now, granted, he’s only been playing 15 minutes a game. (Although some of that low total makes no sense, such as when he’s started the game well but never got back in in the second half). His conditioning appears to need work.
For everybody who’s talking about Udoh as a defensive specialist, and what value he might have as that, Biedrins, right now, is actually that guy. He’s not bringing anything to the table offensively (although he’s not hurting you the way Udoh hurts you) but he’s doing a hell of a lot on defense.
This was obvious, last night. Biedrins was doing a fine job against the best low post player in the game when asked to do something almost no-one is asked to do: defend Howard without help.
Yes there’s room for improvement. But if Biedrins can perform like he’s been performing and bring his minutes up to 20, 25MPG he becomes a player that would have a place on something like 85% of the teams in the league. (Not LAL, Orl, or Chicago.)
Ronaldinho - January 13, 2012
You have to realize that part of Biedrins success is DUE to the limited minutes. When he’s on the floor, he’s almost always fresh, meaning no lazy or tired defense.
He’s also not really that much better offensively. He’s still afraid to shoot it a lot of the time, and he’s yet to make a free throw (only attempted 3, which is terrible).
I will give you the he’s been better defensively than Udoh. He’s actually been very very good on that end. In all reality, Udoh has not been very good at all, offensively or defensively. He’s got a couple important blocks or steals on that end, but he’s still getting bullied in the post, and it was all the more evident against Orlando.
All that said, as Biedrins stamina improves (hopefully one of the key focuses of practice), I’m hoping to see him getting starter’s minutes, because all signs are pointing to him being a better player than he was the two previous seasons. I’ve been pleasantly surprised.
Brownie13 - January 14, 2012
i disagree
beans has been playing well period
bigkino217 - January 13, 2012
Also worth stressing:
Biedrins may not be much on the offensive end right now, but last night he was really really good defensively.
Yes, he fouled out. He was defending the best post player in the NBA without help for most of the night. But he was playing good positional defense, blocking shots, and generally being highly disruptive while grabbing a ton of boards.
If that’s who Biedrins is for the rest of his career, he’s overpaid, but we’re very glad we didn’t amnesty him. He’s a player with real value if he plays like that.
Ronaldinho - January 13, 2012
the foul tactic was simply not part of a winning strategy
Orl depends heavily on three point shooting for its scoring, so in itself the foul tactic could only go so far if Orl could move the ball to open shooters, which it obviously did. In this kind of game, Turkogulu’s passing is arguably more valuable than his shooting. There were actually more possible negative outcomes than positive to relying on the tactic, especially when the team was able to build a lead without it ; Jackson violated one of the basic tenets, do not change a winning game. Giving the opponent free throws also negates your own open court offense ; with the need to play Robinson extended minutes, is that a wise choice ? Once Biedrins was disqualified, fouling Howard not only failed to neutralize the Orl offense, it inevitably sacrificed one of the main scorers, Lee.
Jackson seemed to confuse keeping the score close with giving his team its best opportunity, or perhaps he was exercising a rookie coach’s prerogative of attempting an extreme tactic to display his coaching chops. Defacing a game and losing anyway might not be the best means to attract attention to one’s coaching.
the.monk - January 14, 2012
Defacing a game and losing anyway might not be the best means to attract attention to one’s coaching.
Maybe he just wanted to get more air time and this seemed like an attention grabber? TV guys don’t think like rational folks they have their own perceptions of reality.
Skeptic con Urquell - January 14, 2012
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