Thoughts concerning second half collapses and subsequent adjustments

[touchdownvikings]

So, starting with my usual acknowledgement that I am a much stronger analyst of football than basketball, my simple analysis of the Gophers second half woes follows. Once we get a substantial lead and the clock winds a bit in the second half, we have an understandable tendency to run the clock by running a deliberate offense. The problem is that we are an average-at-best jump shooting team. We can attack the rim, but that would require the Gophers to play aggressively - the opposite of what they are trying to do when they are running the clock. So we take jump shots. And we miss. And the opponent goes on a run, and the Gophers begin to panic. This is the basic formula for their problems. There are other issues, but this is the core of all issues in my estimation.

The good news is that, even in the event of a collapse, the games are close. This means that even small adjustments can change the outcome of the game. The main small adjustment we've made is that we've stopped running set plays for Murphy. In my view, he's made progress on post moves and shooting ability, but the problem is that he's made about half the necessary progress required for designed entry passes to him. So, it's progress, but incomplete - he'll be there by next year. At this point, he is best when he plays the same version of basketball that he played last year, only with one more year's experience, strength, and fierceness. This adjustment eliminates the blocked shot attempts and stolen balls, while giving the Gophers the obvious offensive benefits of his focus on rebounding and his all-around ability to generate points by dogged clean up action.

Anyone else see things this way?

 

[GoGophersUMN]

It seems like they start to run out the clock way too early. They wait way too long in their possession to start doing something productive, which often leaves them without enough time to get a quality shot.

What it seems like they should do is start running plays right away, but if they don't get a high percentage shot, just drop back and run another play.

But they don't pay me $1.5 million to coach. I'm sure the problem is much more complex.

 

[RatherBeGolfing]

What kills me is how lackadaisical the play gets. Yes, the offensive game plan at that time is concerning but we simply get lazy with the ball. We start to get too cute and start turning the ball over, leading to points for the other team in transition. That is on coaching to get that message home but eventually it becomes something that the players just have to understand. They can not treat possessions as meh when they're up by double digits just because they have a lead. You can also see who on this team is rattled when the other team goes on a run like that and who the mentally tough ones are.