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Originally Posted by anakin  From MLive: Jim O' Brien, former coach of the Philadelphia 76ers has a unique theory about why the Pistons perimeter stars are struggling on offense against the Cavs. This is an ESPN Insider blog, so I'm only going to quote one paragraph and sum the rest.May 28, ESPN.com: I reported in my blog some time back that Chris Webber made what I consider one of the most startling comments I have ever heard. Shortly after we traded for him when I coached Philadelphia I was discussing our playbook with him. One play had Kyle Korver coming from under the basket and our power forward (Webber) screening for him on the box and posting up for a low-post opportunity. Webber looked at me and very politely said, "Coach, I don't do the low-post thing anymore." His point was that at that stage of his career he was best utilized at the elbow with the ball in his hands. If everyone moved when he had the ball he would hit cutters if they were open for a layup or an open jumper. O' Brien goes on to say that Flip Saunders knows Webber still has skills down in the low post despite his resistance to play down low in the recent past, so he's trying to force him to play there with mixed results. The problem is this eliminates post up opportunities for Detroit's talented perimeter players because Webber is clogging up the lane. It always hinders Webber's most important skill, ball movement, because that skill is maximized on the elbow, where Webber is most comfortable. If you have ESPN Insider I high recommend reading the entire blog entry. I'm not making the decision that O'Brien is right, but it's excellent analysis from a former head coach, especially considering he coached Webber for a short time in Philly. |
At that time, indeed, Webber had no post up game. But that has changed, as Webber is a lot further removed from that surgery. From what I can see, going inside is Webber's strength these days, and what can help us win the most. Operating from the elbow results in him attempting too many short jumpers, something we just don't need right now.
05-29-2007, 06:47 PM
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