I don't think there's a way to sugarcoat last night. Awful gameplay, awful execution, zero adjustments.. It's one thing to get bounced on a buzzer beater in March, but to lose by 18 to a double digit seed? This sadly taints the season and rightly affects how we view things, the same way 2019's postseason made us all forget about our middling conference run. Jabaris and Walkers don't grow on trees. Bruce should rightly regret his lack of adjustments over the last month. Lot more could be said, but zooming out, several things are abundantly clear:
- Bruce isn't interested in calling a Timeout to settle the guys down and readjust the boys.
- Bruce isn't interested in disciplining guys for selfish play or bad shot selection, in fact he seems to encourage it.
- Bruce isn't interested is running an efficient half-court offense.
- Bruce isn't interested in making an offensive philosophy change at any point in the season, or really his career.
What is he interested in? Defensive intensity, transition offense, quick shots, LOTTA 3s, player freedom, absolute confidence, etc. Pros and Cons. But if that's the case you need:
1) A smart and steady PG who can run an offense and be a true impact player. A coach on the floor more importantly who can be the "timeout."
2) A bevy of shooters at all positions, but particularly the wing and guard positions who also have to be smart and steady.
We don't have that, in fact we don't have anything close to that and we haven't since Jared and Bryce and Malik and Chuma. The roster we have doesn't fit what Bruce wants to do and honestly it seems like a hodgepodge of random guys who really don't work well together. Part of that is the recruiting limitations and the G-League misses, sure, but part of that is Bruce seems to value passion and intensity more than fit and talent.
If you're not willing to discipline your guards, you can't sign guys like KD and WG. If you're going to let anyone and everyone shoot -- at will -- you can't have your 3 juniors return with inconsistent and broken shots. If you're reliant on a roster of guys who "get" how to play together, who can coach themselves, when and when not to shoot and pass and all that jazz, you can't overhaul it every year with 5-7 new players. Maturity takes time; the same guys need lots and lots of reps.
What the issue? IMO Bruce's roster doesn't fit who he is as a coach. He's a damn good coach, but like any coach, he's stubborn as hell. And if you're not going to adjust your game, you better go out and find a PG1 and a bunch of smart shooters to fit your game.. I love Jaylin Williams, but with his broke shot and timid play, he's the wrong guy for Bruce's system. I love WG, but he's not smart or mature enough -- on his own and without coaching direction -- for Bruce's freedom-giving system. Same with KD. I hope we sign some elite bigs, but we just had two AA in our front court. We need shooters and we need guards and we need a roster that fits what Bruce wants to do. Big offseason.
- Bruce isn't interested in calling a Timeout to settle the guys down and readjust the boys.
- Bruce isn't interested in disciplining guys for selfish play or bad shot selection, in fact he seems to encourage it.
- Bruce isn't interested is running an efficient half-court offense.
- Bruce isn't interested in making an offensive philosophy change at any point in the season, or really his career.
What is he interested in? Defensive intensity, transition offense, quick shots, LOTTA 3s, player freedom, absolute confidence, etc. Pros and Cons. But if that's the case you need:
1) A smart and steady PG who can run an offense and be a true impact player. A coach on the floor more importantly who can be the "timeout."
2) A bevy of shooters at all positions, but particularly the wing and guard positions who also have to be smart and steady.
We don't have that, in fact we don't have anything close to that and we haven't since Jared and Bryce and Malik and Chuma. The roster we have doesn't fit what Bruce wants to do and honestly it seems like a hodgepodge of random guys who really don't work well together. Part of that is the recruiting limitations and the G-League misses, sure, but part of that is Bruce seems to value passion and intensity more than fit and talent.
If you're not willing to discipline your guards, you can't sign guys like KD and WG. If you're going to let anyone and everyone shoot -- at will -- you can't have your 3 juniors return with inconsistent and broken shots. If you're reliant on a roster of guys who "get" how to play together, who can coach themselves, when and when not to shoot and pass and all that jazz, you can't overhaul it every year with 5-7 new players. Maturity takes time; the same guys need lots and lots of reps.
What the issue? IMO Bruce's roster doesn't fit who he is as a coach. He's a damn good coach, but like any coach, he's stubborn as hell. And if you're not going to adjust your game, you better go out and find a PG1 and a bunch of smart shooters to fit your game.. I love Jaylin Williams, but with his broke shot and timid play, he's the wrong guy for Bruce's system. I love WG, but he's not smart or mature enough -- on his own and without coaching direction -- for Bruce's freedom-giving system. Same with KD. I hope we sign some elite bigs, but we just had two AA in our front court. We need shooters and we need guards and we need a roster that fits what Bruce wants to do. Big offseason.
