FanPost

Three Weeks to Training Camp - Preview (Part II)

In part one last week we took a look in depth at the players who will soon be headed to Sixers training camp, taking inventory on each players strengths and weaknesses, and projecting the key roster battles as camp progresses thru the preseason and toward opening day. In part II, we will take a step back and look at these key issues from the team perspective, and think a little bit about how Brett Brown may look to use his personnel to best advantage. Today, we look at the offense...

Offense

Many around the league think that this Sixers squad is doomed to repeat last seasons results, or even worse. Famously, some are predicting that this group, based on inexperience and lack of skilled players on offense, may challenge the all time record for futility, even to the point of wondering how they will win even a single game. This of course is just nonsense. One would think that James Anderson, Evan Turner, Thad Young, and Spencer Hawes were perennial all-pros, irreplaceable offensive juggernauts, rather than a group which one wonders if even one of will be starting for other NBA teams this upcoming season.

Shooting

James Anderson, last years starter at SG, shot 43% from the field and below the league average from 3. Jason Richardson career numbers are 44% from the floor, and a full 5% better from downtown. KJ McDaniels shot 45% from the field for his college career, and is a dynamic finisher inside. From 3, his numbers are similar to Anderson's, with a real opportunity to improve as he shifts from being a primary option in the ACC, to a wing shooter at the next level.

Evan Turner shot under 43% from the floor last season and under 29% from deep. He had a high usage rate while with the Sixers, yet was quite inefficient. After being traded, he struggled even worse, and never found a place in an Indiana rotation desperate for another scorer. Hollis Thomson last season shot 46% from the floor and over 40% from 3.

Thad Young had a solid season for the Sixers, shooting 45.4% from the field, but despite some improvement just 30.8% from deep. Nerlens Noel is a much bigger presence down low, and a spectacular finisher at the rim, so even though Thad did a good job in the paint - in his one season at Kentucky Nerlens shot 59% from the field.

Spencer Hawes shot nearly 40% from deep last year for the Sixers, trailing only Hollis Thomson in efficiency from behind the arc, and just over 45% from the field overall. This latter stat is not that great for an NBA big - Spence just wasn't very physical finishing at the rim. By contrast, Henry Sims last season shot just under 49% from the floor.

Without looking too much further, it should be evident that the Sixers shooting, rather than being worse than last year, may well be better at every position. And this is without any improvement in shooting from MCW or Tony Wroten, the other players who will see a ton of minutes, and each with a lot of opportunity to improve upon last years efforts, for each their first with extensive NBA minutes. And as primary ball handlers when on the floor, having better teammates will help them out as well, one would think.

Horns

Takiing this one step further, let's look at the new personnel in light of the NBA offensive set know as Horns. For those that are unfamiliar, this set typically features the PG up top above the three point line, with the PF and C at the two ends of the free throw line or a little bit extended setting screens, and the SG and SF in the corners. There are endless variations that teams run out of this offense - let's look at just a couple. With MCW with the ball at the top, Noel to his right and Sims at his left, and Richardson in the right corner and Thompson in the left corner, MCW drives to either side off the screen of his choice, or conversely, enters the ball to either of the screeners and then dives either strong side or weak side. These are the basic options for initiating the offense. Notice that already we have a better pair of shooters in the corners than at any time last season.

Option 1 - MCW uses the screen from Noel and drives the right hand side. If the screen is effective, MCW can take it all the way to the hoop. More likely, either the opposing PG goes under the screen, or the opposing big drops to cut off his penetration, or the wing guarding the near side shooter - Richardson - pinches in a little to cut him off. If the opposing PG goes underneath to cut him off, MCW can pull up for the shot, or drop the ball back to the screener, Noel, while Sims drops to set a down screen on the other side, and Thomspon cuts out from the corner off that screen to take the swing pass from Noel. In this case MCW then continues to set a down screen for Richardson, who pops up opposite Thompson, or reads it as a back screen and cuts instead to the hoop. If in the initial action it is the big that stays with MCW, Noel rolls straight to the rim covered by the opposing PG. If the other big drops off Sims cut that off, again, Sims sets the down or flex screen and Thomspon curls to receive the pass for a three, or to continue on a drive, and if the rotation comes, looks for Richardson opposite as the defense scrambles. Finally, if in the initial action the wing pinches in to cut off MCW, he simply slides the pass to Richardson in the near corner for the open three. Many more options can be looked at from this basic drive right action to MCWs shooting hand side.

Option 2 - in a smaller lineup with Noel at C and Thompson at PF, McDaniels at SF, and Wroten in at SG, again with Noel on the right, Thompson on the left in Sims spot as the other screener, and McDaniels in the right corner and Wroten in the left corner, MCW enters the pass into the post to Noel, then cuts strong side past the ball. Sometimes this simple cut will free MCW all the way to the rim, and Noel can pass over the top to the cutting MCW for the layup. Or MCW can flare and set a down screen on McDaniels man, who can pop out for an open look, or fake and dive to the rim for an alley oop pass from Noel. At the same time, Thompson can flare to set a down screen for Wroten who cuts up top for the pass from Noel, and from there he can drive, or if the action creates a little confusion pass back to the screener, Thompson, who has filled Wrotens spot in the corner, to take the three. Or in the initial action, Noel can drive opposite to the MCW cut and dribble to the left side across the paint, going all the way to the hole, or working a dribble hand off to Wroten as he comes out from the corner off the Thompson screen, etc....etc...

Again these are just a couple basic options off of a single common NBA set, but one which this years personnel are far better equipped to run than last years group. You can get more out of the better shooters in this set to spread the floor and keep the defense honest, and bigger, longer athletes to see over the top for passes, and to finish at the rim. The Thompson Noel pairing is ideal for running some high low options as well, and of course this team will be looking to run off their defense as often as possible. But I think this is enough to make my point for now - people who are worried about the offense this year don't understand how the new personnel fit better into typical NBA offensive sets than the old personnel - so we'll look at the defense in part III....

A user-created LB joint. The Liberty Ballers staff does not contribute to FanPosts.