Everything Dwane Casey

[S.R.]

Oldskoolcool made a post earlier this year that stuck with me. Name one example of a lower usage guy evolving to take usage from the go to guy, other than the higher usage guy being traded away, or injured, or getting really old. There isn't one. I guess it's just not how it works in the nba. The only way jv becomes big dog all star scorer is if derozan or lowry leave. Or lowry gets old (4 years)

I would think because generally the team would make room for the usage of both guys. Seems like you're basically talking about two premier offensive players both in their primes, right? No need to drop the usage of the 28 year old by 10 points just because the 24 year old is also getting good. You use them both.

That said, Westbrook definitely ate into Durant's usage a bit (nothing too dramatic). Look at them from 09-10 to 10-11 seasons. And vice versa - Westbrook had insane usage while Durant was injured last season, and was absolutely awesome. Durant comes back and Westbrook's usage goes back down.

But overall if you have two or even three high-level offensive players, you can get all of them a healthy and sustainable amount of usage pretty easily.

[Axel]

Go through the last couple pages. There's a lot of complaining about a 56 win team that went to the ECF.

Always room for improvement.

[LJ2]

Oh I agree. He has all the tools to be All-NBA, just needs the opportunity and touches. Doubtful he gets that with Casey and Demar.

I think its doubtful he gets that in today's NBA. Even Frank Vogel, one of the the few remaining traditional coaches was quoted as saying they went small in Indiana this season and wants to do the same in Orlando. Seemingly everyone is trying to get better at small ball.

[DanH]

I think its doubtful he gets that in today's NBA. Even Frank Vogel, one of the the few remaining traditional coaches was quoted as saying they went small in Indiana this season and wants to do the same in Orlando. Seemingly everyone is trying to get better at small ball.

Which is odd, because Vogel just got a lesson in the dangers of a real big man playing against small lineups. Indy wins that series hands down if not for JV ravaging them inside.

[Gambino]

When everyone's focusing on small ball, why don't we try to do something different that counteracts that. Punishing teams inside. Whether that's driving the basketball, pick and roll or posting up a legit bigman. When teams go small they give up rim protection and size inside. Instead of copying that and hoisting up 3s, we should take advantage of it.

[Axel]

I think its doubtful he gets that in today's NBA. Even Frank Vogel, one of the the few remaining traditional coaches was quoted as saying they went small in Indiana this season and wants to do the same in Orlando. Seemingly everyone is trying to get better at small ball.

Pacers moved away from small ball as the season went on; the personnel fit made more sense. They didn't really have a big capable of much offence.

Orlando has Vucevic, who will still get a lot of touches. They may go smaller at the PF spot next to him (Aaron Gordon might start there), but they will still have a high usage big there.

Small ball doesn't mean that you can't/don't have a high usage big. Raps could play small ball with Carroll at PF and still have JV feast inside. It's really a 4 out system and those heavily feature the big. Pistons with Drummond being an example. So I don't agree with your assessment at all.

[LJ2]

Which is odd, because Vogel just got a lesson in the dangers of a real big man playing against small lineups. Indy wins that series hands down if not for JV ravaging them inside.

Not odd at all. Indiana didn't even belong in the playoffs and are hardly a complete team. Nobody builds their team to beat the second seed. Everyone is chasing GS and CLE and are building rosters to beat those guys.

[Gambino]

Not odd at all. Indiana didn't even belong in the playoffs and are hardly a complete team. Nobody builds their team to beat the second seed. Everyone is chasing GS and CLE and are building rosters to beat those guys.

Indiana most definitely belonged in the playoffs. They were probably the 5th best team in the east, and they have the best player this side of LeBron in the conference.

[LJ2]

When everyone's focusing on small ball, why don't we try to do something different that counteracts that. Punishing teams inside. Whether that's driving the basketball, pick and roll or posting up a legit bigman. When teams go small they give up rim protection and size inside. Instead of copying that and hoisting up 3s, we should take advantage of it.

Just my opinion, but I think small ball was created as an answer for those very few teams lucky enough to have a really good traditional bid. At it's core it, to me, seems like it takes advantage of slower big players and makes them a disadvantage.

[LJ2]

Pacers moved away from small ball as the season went on; the personnel fit made more sense. They didn't really have a big capable of much offence.

Orlando has Vucevic, who will still get a lot of touches. They may go smaller at the PF spot next to him (Aaron Gordon might start there), but they will still have a high usage big there.

Small ball doesn't mean that you can't/don't have a high usage big. Raps could play small ball with Carroll at PF and still have JV feast inside. It's really a 4 out system and those heavily feature the big. Pistons with Drummond being an example. So I don't agree with your assessment at all.

Not saying I have it all figured out, but I think of small ball not only as a composition of the 5 players on the floor but also largely to do with a philosophy of how to play. Pace for example I think has a lot to do with the equation. You can obviously push the pace much more when your guards/wings are dictating the tempo as opposed to your back to the basket big.

[Gambino]

Just my opinion, but I think small ball was created as an answer for those very few teams lucky enough to have a really good traditional bid. At it's core it, to me, seems like it takes advantage of slower big players and makes them a disadvantage.

It works the other way too if you're smart.

I dare Golden State to trot out that small-ball nonsense with Valanciunas on the court. (Provided we're actually using him next year).

Good luck defending a JV post up with a 6'7 Draymond Green or protecting the rim against a DD-JV pick and roll. If they couldn't guard Steven Adams, let's see how that goes.

[Axel]

Not saying I have it all figured out, but I think of small ball not only as a composition of the 5 players on the floor but also largely to do with a philosophy of how to play. Pace for example I think has a lot to do with the equation. You can obviously push the pace much more when your guards/wings are dictating the tempo as opposed to your back to the basket big.

You don't need to play as a back to the basket big to be high usage and that is quite irrelevant for small ball.

A big like JV can be used heavily in the PnR game and high post.

Pace is something that can be used to take advantage in conjunction with a big posts game if the big in question is a high motor guy. As defence adjusts to your big's post game, they may have to get bigger bodies in there to counter. That would open up transition opportunities for the big as a trailer as long as he can out run the opposing big. It also removes the opposing team's rim protection if you push the ball when it makes sense but run your offence through your big in half court sets.

You aren't going to find teams past college that push the ball all the time. To be successful you need to execute in the half court and take advantage of transition opportunities when they present themselves.

A team that runs a 4 out half court offence could feature small ball PF, push the tempo and still feature a high usage big. There are so many variations that can be used that small ball doesn't preclude any specific player type from being a high usage guy. It is a team identity and personnel decision that gets made by each coach. To blanket state that JV can't be a high usage player because of league trends or small ball is completely inaccurate.

[slaw]

Oldskoolcool made a post earlier this year that stuck with me. Name one example of a lower usage guy evolving to take usage from the go to guy, other than the higher usage guy being traded away, or injured, or getting really old. There isn't one. I guess it's just not how it works in the nba. The only way jv becomes big dog all star scorer is if derozan or lowry leave. Or lowry gets old (4 years)

Well, if you take away all the example where a high usage would be replaced, then, yeah, there are no examples of a low usage guy replacing a high usage guy. But that's pretty silly.

[Axel]

Small ball seems to have been created because the number of talented players who are near 7' tall is significantly less than the number of talented players 6'8" and under and that more players are learning to develop perimeter skills as growth spurts are unpredictable and it doesn't make sense for youth coaches to develop post skills for a player who might never grow.

[KeonClark]

Well, if you take away all the example where a high usage would be replaced, then, yeah, there are no examples of a low usage guy replacing a high usage guy. But that's pretty silly.

What is silly about it? You don't find it odd theres not one example of a player who passed the torch of alpha scorer to an improved teammate?