Irony of our late game issues

[cowboysooner]

Usually, a problem continues because people/coaches just don't analysis or figure out the issue, so they never get to the root of the problem. Ironically, Moser has correctly diagnosed and discussed our late game issues: We can't get stops in the last five minutes. However, ironically and notwithstanding hitting the issue, he refuses to address it.

Of his five starters, only Milos and Hill are the best defenders on the team at their respective positions. Oweh is a better defender than Noland (by a mile), Bijan is a better defender than Grant (by a mile) and Sam is a way better defender than Tanner, but notwithstanding this fact, he puts his best offensive team and worst defensive team on the floor most of the time in the last five minutes and the result should be and is what it has been.

Moser is a defensive minded coach, but plainly favors offensive players over defensive players for playing time. He just tries to coach up the better offensive players into acceptable defensive players.

I have always seen Moser as a Kelvin Sampson type coach. Pretty similar in my opinion. However, Kelvin knew what he was and knew how he wanted to play, and I would bet a good sum he would be playing a different lineup than Moser with the same roster.

I like Moser, just like I liked Kelvin, and this post is not meant by me to disparage Moser. In the end, if he can get his lesser defenders to play better defense, then maybe we can win our share of these close games.

BTW, I think Noland, Grant and Tanner are playing hard and doing the best they can on defense, they just aren't as good as their backups on that end of the court.

 

[WichitaSooner]

Usually, a problem continues because people/coaches just don't analysis or figure out the issue, so they never get to the root of the problem. Ironically, Moser has correctly diagnosed and discussed our late game issues: We can't get stops in the last five minutes. However, ironically and notwithstanding hitting the issue, he refuses to address it.

Of his five starters, only Milos and Hill are the best defenders on the team at their respective positions. Oweh is a better defender than Noland (by a mile), Bijan is a better defender than Grant (by a mile) and Sam is a way better defender than Tanner, but notwithstanding this fact, he puts his best offensive team and worst defensive team on the floor most of the time in the last five minutes and the result should be and is what it has been.

Moser is a defensive minded coach, but plainly favors offensive players over defensive players for playing time. He just tries to coach up the better offensive players into acceptable defensive players.

I have always seen Moser as a Kelvin Sampson type coach. Pretty similar in my opinion. However, Kelvin knew what he was and knew how he wanted to play, and I would bet a good sum he would be playing a different lineup than Moser with the same roster.

I like Moser, just like I liked Kelvin, and this post is not meant by me to disparage Moser. In the end, if he can get his lesser defenders to play better defense, then maybe we can win our share of these close games.

BTW, I think Noland, Grant and Tanner are playing hard and doing the best they can on defense, they just aren't as good as their backups on that end of the court.

The problem late in games has been at both ends of the floor. But there is still an easy solution. With timeouts and dead balls, it isn't all that tough to substitute and go offense/defense. I think you may get some pushback on whether Bijan should be on the floor defensively, but I agree with your general point that you need to get your best lineup on both ends of the floor out there at crunch time.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

Usually, a problem continues because people/coaches just don't analysis or figure out the issue, so they never get to the root of the problem. Ironically, Moser has correctly diagnosed and discussed our late game issues: We can't get stops in the last five minutes. However, ironically and notwithstanding hitting the issue, he refuses to address it.

Of his five starters, only Milos and Hill are the best defenders on the team at their respective positions. Oweh is a better defender than Noland (by a mile), Bijan is a better defender than Grant (by a mile) and Sam is a way better defender than Tanner, but notwithstanding this fact, he puts his best offensive team and worst defensive team on the floor most of the time in the last five minutes and the result should be and is what it has been.

Moser is a defensive minded coach, but plainly favors offensive players over defensive players for playing time. He just tries to coach up the better offensive players into acceptable defensive players.

I have always seen Moser as a Kelvin Sampson type coach. Pretty similar in my opinion. However, Kelvin knew what he was and knew how he wanted to play, and I would bet a good sum he would be playing a different lineup than Moser with the same roster.

I like Moser, just like I liked Kelvin, and this post is not meant by me to disparage Moser. In the end, if he can get his lesser defenders to play better defense, then maybe we can win our share of these close games.

BTW, I think Noland, Grant and Tanner are playing hard and doing the best they can on defense, they just aren't as good as their backups on that end of the court.

man I can't keep track of all the different takes.

You are criticizing moser for focusing on offense at the end of games?
Our offense is often criticized on this board late in games.
I can't imagine what this board would do if we went with a defensive lineup to close games lol

 

[SoonerBounce13]

Also, what is the irony in your post? Do you really think PM knows the problem but refuses to correct it? really?

And how do you know he has diagnosed the problem?

 

[cowboysooner]

I find it ironic that Moser has diagnosed the problem as being unable to get stops in the last five minutes but puts his worst defensive lineup on the court during this part of the game every time. Unfortunately he usually gets the same result.

If he can get his worst defensive lineup to get stops maybe then problem solved. But, to this point, we have usually been on the wrong end of the scores and mainly because we can not get stops.

BTW, I like Moser as a coach, and if he thinks he can get by defensively with his starting lineup in crunch time, it is fine with me. Like I said, my post was not to disparage Moser. I just find it odd that he harps after every game that we couldn't get stops at the end of the game, and yet plays his best offensive lineup and not his best defensive lineup every time.

Overall, I am happy with the progress and direction of the team and program. Just using this forum to highlight what I think the issue is with the end of game failures. And, yes I understand that regardless of the lineup used, these tight ball games can easily be lost due to any number of factors.

 

[steverocks35]

On what planet is Bijan Cortes a defensive substitution?

 

[WichitaSooner]

I find it ironic that Moser has diagnosed the problem as being unable to get stops in the last five minutes but puts his worst defensive lineup on the court during this part of the game every time. Unfortunately he usually gets the same result.

If he can get his worst defensive lineup to get stops maybe then problem solved. But, to this point, we have usually been on the wrong end of the scores and mainly because we can not get stops.

BTW, I like Moser as a coach, and if he thinks he can get by defensively with his starting lineup in crunch time, it is fine with me. Like I said, my post was not to disparage Moser. I just find it odd that he harps after every game that we couldn't get stops at the end of the game, and yet plays his best offensive lineup and not his best defensive lineup every time.

Overall, I am happy with the progress and direction of the team and program. Just using this forum to highlight what I think the issue is with the end of game failures. And, yes I understand that regardless of the lineup used, these tight ball games can easily be lost due to any number of factors.

I don't mean this to come across as snarky, and it isn't directed solely at you, because I have seen lots of posters say versions of this. I mean this question sincerely because I am legitimately curious, and because I would love to find something to grasp onto. But, outside of signing a few good high school players (who may or may not turn into difference makers, we will have to give that time to play out), what else makes you pleased with the progress and direction of the program? Are there other areas where we are better than we were one year ago? Two years ago? Five years ago? Ten years ago? The results sure aren't better, or even as good. So what am I missing? Again, this isn't snark or rhetorical. I am all ears if people can identify areas of progress other than saying "look how close we are, we could be in first place if only every critical play in every close game had ended differently."

 

[Swans]

On what planet is Bijan Cortes a defensive substitution?

He is a better defender than Sherfield. He’s also better on the dribble drive.

In Sampson’s system Grant wouldn’t be a point guard. Of course I believe he’d be a better shooter in Sampson’s system simply because he’d be coming off better screens. We’re really pretty crappy in our screen game.

 

[steverocks35]

He is a better defender than Sherfield. He’s also better on the dribble drive.

In Sampson’s system Grant wouldn’t be a point guard. Of course I believe he’d be a better shooter in Sampson’s system simply because he’d be coming off better screens. We’re really pretty crappy in our screen game.

I don't think this is true at all. Cortes is not a good defender and other teams attack him any time he's in the game.

 

[BoulderSooner]

Bijan is a better defender than Grant (by a mile) and Sam is a way better defender than Tanner,

neither of these things are remotely true . in fact the opposite is true

 

[BoulderSooner]

I don't think this is true at all. Cortes is not a good defender and other teams attack him any time he's in the game.

you are correct that is bijan's main weakness ....

i will say last sat was his best defensive game of his career ..

 

[BoulderSooner]

He is a better defender than Sherfield. He’s also better on the dribble drive.

In Sampson’s system Grant wouldn’t be a point guard. Of course I believe he’d be a better shooter in Sampson’s system simply because he’d be coming off better screens. We’re really pretty crappy in our screen game.

he has not been the point in our current system lately Los has

 

[SoonerBounce13]

he has not been the point in our current system lately Los has

Yep...I remember getting criticized early on in the season when saying my ideal lineup is Los at point and Shef as the 2

 

[opsooner]

I guess at least understanding the issue is progress. I was looking at recaps the other day. In conference we’ve only trailed once at halftime. We’ve had the lead longer than our opponents in all games except for ISU and OSU. The ISU game was weird because we caught up and got the lead and then trailed by a few points for the rest of the game. Of course, the OSU game was just a pathetic second half no matter how you look at it.

We’ve given up more points in the second half than first half in every game. The least difference is 5, the most is 24, and the average is 11.

Meanwhile, we have scored less in the second half in 2 games, been the same in one, and scored more in 4. For all of those games our average second half point total is less than 4 points more than our first half.

So, yes, we are not a second half team and our fourth quarters would be much worse.


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[BCSooners]

Bijan is a better defender than Sherfield, sadly. But Grant can make contested shots, which is all OU gets the last 8 minutes of every game. Moser is a really good defensive teacher, the defensive players on this team is way worse than their actual output. His offense makes me cringe.