Tempo

by Foofighting101 on Nov 30, 2009 10:26 AM PST

For the last few years we've been hearing Nate say that he wants his team to run more. He tells them to all the time. Fans act like pushing the tempo is just a choice, and we get frustrated when Portland chooses not to do it.

The truth is, however, that fastbreaking successfully is not just a choice, but a carefully thought out game plan. The Suns aren't just told to "push the tempo" any more than the Lakers are told to just "run the triangle." Offensive schemes are complex and require hours of practice and implementation to be consistently successful.

Bobby Knight's famous motion offense seems simple enough--pass and screen away, move without the ball, etc. But hours and hours of practice are needed before a team can really implement an offense like that with any kind of success. It would be weird if Bobby Knight would have spent every practice teaching the motion offense, but then randomly expected his team to run the triangle.

That's pretty much what Nate has done for the last three years. The team is a half court team, they thrive on slowing the game down, running sets, and getting shots in the last 5 seconds of the shot clock. Nate telling the team, or fans telling the team, that they should just "push the tempo" is like telling a team that they should just "do something totally different from what you've been working on." Teams that fastbreak well are those who have worked on it meticulously. It's an entire offensive philosophy and strategy. It looks like they are just running and freewheeling, but it is all very calculated.

If you really want to push the tempo, you've got to do more than just say so. You've got to start teaching it, not just preaching it.

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08-09 Blazers crossing half court line in 4 seconds

I remember for the last 8 or so games last year when Nate put an emphasis on everyone crossing the half court line in 4 seconds. He emphasized good shot selection and everyone getting into position early in the shot clock. If the shot was available early in the clock he gave the green light to shoot. We had incredible success during that stretch with some of the largest blowouts of the season. We were out hustling our opponents and using our athletic players to our advantage. We weren’t necessarily playing at GSW or PHX pace, but we felt like a team with an average pace, and the results dont lie. Garbage time traditionally came midway through the 3rd.

Cloudy is Sergio. Makes other people look good, can’t score himself. -Cablinasian

by Philthyanimal on Nov 30, 2009 10:39 AM PST reply actions

I remember the same thing

but now Roy, Miller, Blake, whoever, takes almost the full 8 seconds to cross the mid court line, and the Blazers are regularly setting up their offense with 15-16 seconds on the shot clock. And what is even worse, in the 4th qtr of games where the Blazers have the lead, they are more concerned with milking the clock then running a good offensive set. Roy is constantly holding the ball just across mid court until the shot clock hits 10 seconds or less before starting the offense. Now that Outlaw is unable to play, this is the most annoying thing about watching Blazer games. Nothing makes me scream at my TV more during the games.

Ben II Blazersedge.com || New to Blazers' Edge?

by usmcr3049 on Nov 30, 2009 10:51 AM PST up reply actions

Isn't Roy one of the major barriers to this?

Have you EVER seen Brandon Roy run up court, especially if he’s dribbling the ball?

by meru on Nov 30, 2009 11:08 AM PST reply actions

You've got to have a superstar who wants to run

We don’t.

Blazer Fan

by leeroyjenkins on Nov 30, 2009 1:16 PM PST reply actions

Aldridge could become that guy

Disclaimer: everything I know about basketball I learned on Blazersedge.

by pualo on Nov 30, 2009 4:29 PM PST up reply actions

Isn't Nate's system a slow, methodical one?

One could even call it plodding. We don’t usually get up a shot with more than 10 on the shot clock. That’s why we rank so high in offensive efficiency per possession or whatever voodoo witchcraft system the eggheads are using this week.

Nate’s being a tad hypocritical here. He wants the guys to run, but take their time and get a good shot?

These are my principles. If you don't like them, I have others. -Groucho Marx

by RDreamer on Nov 30, 2009 1:18 PM PST reply actions