re: Why FIRE Avery Johnson you ask..I'll gladly answer that.....

quote:

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What play would you have run?

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I'm not a coach but think it was necessary well before the post time out play to do something very different.

Say, quicker motion offense with more off the ball screens where our guards were catching pass with the defender not yet set.

Auburn's small, quicker guards were able to overplay the slow, high screen and it was already not working at all for 18 straight minutes in the second half.



This Alabama possession:

1. AU gives token backcourt and half court pressure so there's about 23 seconds on shot clock when Kira finally gets the offense set.

2. Avery calls for high screen. AU players overplay it forcing Kira to back out.

3. Kira works the ball to other side of court with now about 14 seconds on shot clock.

4. They then try the exact same screen on the other side of the floor with Petty, Riley etc. . . AU overplays it to completely shut it down again.

5. Now only 7 seconds on shot clock so player with ball then does one of the following:

A. try desperate last ditch drive that all AU defenders key on and block shot
B. Pass it to someone for desperation long guarded 3
C. Travel or Throw it away


actually describes about 22 of our 25 2nd half possessions (even the 2 or 3 where we go bailed out by a foul on the desperation drive or made a very tough layup).



So, if I were calling a play for the final couple of minutes having watched our previous 25 possessions, the one thing I would definitely not do is slow developing high screen with the other players clearing out and stationary.