Post-PHX slump: Is it the players, coaching, or random regression? (Blame Mazz)

[GreenlyGreeny]

It’s a question many are asking after back-to-back losses against Orlando. After Phoenix, they went to Golden State and were schooled again primarily because JB reverted back to the Mamba mentality rather than playing team ball in union with the rest of the crew. You know, the same Memba mentality that ended up in us losing the Finals 4-2. The team has clearly been demoralized since that nonsense, and who would not when you know you’re best in the league when everyone plays team ball, but a .500 team when one of your best players always wants to revert to Mamba mode when the spotlight of national TV is on him?

Everyone can keep trying to tell JB to stop it, or we can just get it over with and trade JB while he’s at an all-time high in value in return for someone elite who will play team ball and embrace being the number two guy to JT instead of insisting on trying to be the Mamba man only for us to end up looking like a .500 team whenever he does.

It may be time to call Minnesota, Indiana, Brooklyn and others to see if JB for KAT, or JB for Haliburton, or JB for Durant, is a possibility.

[Csfan1984]

On offense teams are more physical with them and not allowing clean off ball action.

On defense they are blowing reads and not on a string.

They need to also hit their open looks. They are in a shooting slump to go with above problems.

[hpantazo]

The ball movement and pace stopped. That's what happened. Shooting percentages dropped because we're walking the ball up and getting into our offense later, and not moving the ball anymore. We're also not moving without the ball like we used to. Now, why are we not pushing the pace and moving the ball and cutting without the ball? Who knows. Did the Warriors find something defensively that other teams are now exploiting and we didn't adjust? Did players just get worn out from the pace of the season and the road trip? Something else?

[Roy H.]

It's hard to blame this on JB.  The entire team quit hitting its shots. 

I didn't like this quote from Mazzulla, though: 

“I like the shots that we got,” he explained. “You don’t adjust your approach.”

That seems to be Mazz's philosophy for everything.  It's starting to look like a George Constanza approach.  Mazz doesn't call time outs.  He doesn't believe in adjusting in-game.  He doesn't get the team fired up in timeouts.  He's not great at calling plays out of timeouts.  He mostly just stares straight ahead and chews gum.  What actual coaching does he believe in?

Good coaches, and teams, do in fact adjust their approach when things aren't working. 

[SparzWizard]

It's hard to blame this on JB.  The entire team quit hitting its shots. 

I didn't like this quote from Mazzulla, though: 

“I like the shots that we got,” he explained. “You don’t adjust your approach.”

That seems to be Mazz's philosophy for everything.  It's starting to look like a George Constanza approach.  Mazz doesn't call time outs.  He doesn't believe in adjusting in-game.  What actual coaching does he believe in?

Good coaches, and teams, do in fact adjust their approach when things aren't working.

How disturbing if that's his approach. Sounds like lazy coaching to me. He holds the coaching position, he should do his job.

[Moranis]

More like regression to the mean.  Boston doesn't have the best offense in history and isn't one of the greatest teams in the sports history.  They were bound to come back down some.  They also didn't have Tatum today, which obviously also makes a difference (though lost to Orlando with him the game before, so it isn't just him not being there).

[Atzar]

Past tired of this crusade you have against Brown.  It’s all nonsense.

[SCeltic34]

A good question followed by another tired and weak rationale for trading JB.  Yes JB has had some bad games.  The ball is sometimes sticking and he's turning the ball over too frequently.  But you win in the playoffs with elite wing players, and JB is just that.  Our slump is not on any one player - the whole team isn't playing well.  JKJB.   Your trade ideas are garbage by the way.

Multiple reasons for our struggles as others have alluded to.  IMO lots of bad coaching - bad rotations, lack of adjustments.  Obviously cold shooting and the ball movement isn't there.  Not that it's a good excuse, but we also have to remember we've missed a key player in pretty much every game we've lost - Horford for many of them, Tatum today.  Also trying to work Rob back into the mix.  Hopefully we'll get back on track when we're whole.

[hpantazo]

It's hard to blame this on JB.  The entire team quit hitting its shots. 

I didn't like this quote from Mazzulla, though: 

“I like the shots that we got,” he explained. “You don’t adjust your approach.”

That seems to be Mazz's philosophy for everything.  It's starting to look like a George Constanza approach.  Mazz doesn't call time outs.  He doesn't believe in adjusting in-game.  He doesn't get the team fired up in timeouts.  He's not great at calling plays out of timeouts.  He mostly just stares straight ahead and chews gum.  What actual coaching does he believe in?

Good coaches, and teams, do in fact adjust their approach when things aren't working.

It's particularly concerning when you consider that the shots we're getting are not all that good and the players have adjusted their approach by no longer pushing the ball up the floor fast and no longer moving the ball.

[Moranis]

It's hard to blame this on JB.  The entire team quit hitting its shots. 

I didn't like this quote from Mazzulla, though: 

“I like the shots that we got,” he explained. “You don’t adjust your approach.”

That seems to be Mazz's philosophy for everything.  It's starting to look like a George Constanza approach.  Mazz doesn't call time outs.  He doesn't believe in adjusting in-game.  He doesn't get the team fired up in timeouts.  He's not great at calling plays out of timeouts.  He mostly just stares straight ahead and chews gum.  What actual coaching does he believe in?

Good coaches, and teams, do in fact adjust their approach when things aren't working.

It's particularly concerning when you consider that the shots we're getting are not all that good and the players have adjusted their approach by no longer pushing the ball up the floor fast and no longer moving the ball.

I really hope he only means in game and not overall in a game when you best and most important player isn't the game.  If they didn't adjust to account for Tatum not being there that is a much larger problem then not making a minor in game adjustment here and there.

[slamtheking]

It’s a question many are asking after back-to-back losses against Orlando. After Phoenix, they went to Golden State and were schooled again primarily because JB reverted back to the Mamba mentality rather than playing team ball in union with the rest of the crew. You know, the same Memba mentality that ended up in us losing the Finals 4-2. The team has clearly been demoralized since that nonsense, and who would not when you know you’re best in the league when everyone plays team ball, but a .500 team when one of your best players always wants to revert to Mamba mode when the spotlight of national TV is on him?

Everyone can keep trying to tell JB to stop it, or we can just get it over with and trade JB while he’s at an all-time high in value in return for someone elite who will play team ball and embrace being the number two guy to JT instead of insisting on trying to be the Mamba man only for us to end up looking like a .500 team whenever he does.

It may be time to call Minnesota, Indiana, Brooklyn and others to see if JB for KAT, or JB for Haliburton, or JB for Durant, is a possibility.

what weak and pathetic argument.  This is on the whole team and coaches, not just on Jaylen.  not by a long shot.

[ozgod]

The simple answer is we have been missing shots and it's affected our defense. Players have been ball watching and previously the ball was going in then the other team would have to inbound it, now they are leaking out and scoring on us in transition.

[mobilija]

The ball movement and pace stopped. That's what happened. Shooting percentages dropped because we're walking the ball up and getting into our offense later, and not moving the ball anymore. We're also not moving without the ball like we used to. Now, why are we not pushing the pace and moving the ball and cutting without the ball? Who knows. Did the Warriors find something defensively that other teams are now exploiting and we didn't adjust? Did players just get worn out from the pace of the season and the road trip? Something else?

Ya, it actually started creeping in before the road trip. The first two wins on the road trip were very hero ball like, more iso. The heroes just hit their shots.

[gouki88]

Past tired of this crusade you have against Brown.  It’s all nonsense.

As soon as I saw the author, I knew the content would just be some roundabout way to post about trading Brown outside of his dedicated trade thread. Boring

[blink]

It's hard to blame this on JB.  The entire team quit hitting its shots. 

I didn't like this quote from Mazzulla, though: 

“I like the shots that we got,” he explained. “You don’t adjust your approach.”

That seems to be Mazz's philosophy for everything.  It's starting to look like a George Constanza approach.  Mazz doesn't call time outs.  He doesn't believe in adjusting in-game.  He doesn't get the team fired up in timeouts.  He's not great at calling plays out of timeouts.  He mostly just stares straight ahead and chews gum.  What actual coaching does he believe in?

Good coaches, and teams, do in fact adjust their approach when things aren't working.

This is exactly what I was complaining about today in the game thread.  Literally all of those things are what good coaches DO!  Get a timeout to slow a big run, make an adjustment on defense to get the other team out of sync on offense.  Call a few go to plays when we can't seem to share the ball.  A good coach helps the team by making adjustments in game so they can succeed.  It feels like Mazz doesn't seem to think that is his role.  Maybe I am just too old school, but that is a coach's role as far as I am concerned.  Otherwise, why even have a coach?  Just to run practice?  These type of statements that we here from Mazz make me a bit worried.