#SLOE - Season 7, Episode 1

[Xist2inspire]

I don't get why your defense is struggling with all the A defenders you have.

Oooooh, I think I know the answer to that problem!

If your offense isn't clicking right, or you've got mismatched pieces, or guys who just defend and not much else, your defense will struggle no matter how many "A" defenders you have. The failed squad with Battier, Artest, Bibby, Andre, Fortson, and Big Ben made that blatantly clear for me.

[Pelicans78]

Oooooh, I think I know the answer to that problem!

If your offense isn't clicking right, or you've got mismatched pieces, or guys who just defend and not much else, your defense will struggle no matter how many "A" defenders you have. The failed squad with Battier, Artest, Bibby, Andre, Fortson, and Big Ben made that blatantly clear for me.

My offense stinks yet my defense is really good. Sigh.....

[Conroy]

I felt like I was on a roll until that last sim. I've beaten the great teams, Hornets twice, blew out 76ers, split Bucks (his W I didn't have Shaq), beat the Lakers when they had TMac but just had a losing sim. Making me question my pace, I want Very Fast because I want my big 3 to all get a lot of shots and that's what I ran when at the end of last year when I was winning. But I guess if I went slow I would get up a better shot and increase FG% because my 3 scoring options are all shooting great from the field.

[BallSoHard]

Oooooh, I think I know the answer to that problem!

If your offense isn't clicking right, or you've got mismatched pieces, or guys who just defend and not much else, your defense will struggle no matter how many "A" defenders you have. The failed squad with Battier, Artest, Bibby, Andre, Fortson, and Big Ben made that blatantly clear for me.

My offense is running very smooth.

4th in FG%
5th 3 Point %
2nd in FT Attempts
Have a positive Rebounding Margin
Somehow have a positive Turnover Margin (by.01 lol)

It's def just defense and players.

[BallSoHard]

I felt like I was on a roll until that last sim. I've beaten the great teams, Hornets twice, blew out 76ers, split Bucks (his W I didn't have Shaq), beat the Lakers when they had TMac but just had a losing sim. Making me question my pace, I want Very Fast because I want my big 3 to all get a lot of shots and that's what I ran when at the end of last year when I was winning. But I guess if I went slow I would get up a better shot and increase FG% because my 3 scoring options are all shooting great from the field.

If you're going to mention this, i'm going to mention i beat you without T Mac, only fair

[Pelicans78]

I'm going back to fast pace. My offense has only been good with a fast pace. I did very fast in the playoffs last year and got to the WCFs. Also going inside focus now. I'm expecting to see injuries with it, but oh well, I got little choice.

[Conroy]

If you're going to mention this, i'm going to mention i beat you without T Mac, only fair

Yeah that's part of my whining about this SIM, and hey at least I was calling you a great team in the process. I feel like the schedule has been brutal but it has to be a testament to how many more good teams there are now.

[Pelicans78]

This didn't get any reaction in the Rockets thread so I'm gonna post it here to get ya'lls thoughts.

What do you guys think of these changes in the gameplan/depth chart?

1. Moved Manu back to the starting lineup. Also, instead of making Posey the backup SF and SG, I just made him the backup SG and gave Pietrus an opportunity at backup SF.

2. For the gameplan, I made adjustments to my offense. Increased the pace from normal to fast. Don't have alot of good handlers/passers on the floor so its important that my scoring options gets their shots off quickly. Right now, they're not with a normal pace and my shooting has been atrocious. McKie is not a natural PG so he's not gonna be able to setup my scorers. That's why going to a fast pace will get them better looks. It may increase turnovers, but if my shooting improves, who cares?

3. I changed my focus to inside. Main reasons are because my shooting from the arc has been atrocious and going with an inside focus makes it easier to set my scoring options. I can go with Jefferson as number one since he's an A- inside, then Melo number two since he's B+, and Manu number 3 since he's a B inside. Joe Smith and Pietrus are also B inside, but Manu is B+ from the perimeter and the other two are C so Manu has more versatility scoring. Hopefully Manu can get going as well with an inside focus. Jefferson is my best scorer if you look at points per minute. He's higher than Melo. So going with an inside focus will give him more chances to succeed. Melo can score in the paint as well since he's B+ which is second highest on the team.

4. Last thing was going from trapping normal to often. My defense has been good with blocks and steals and FG%, but I'm not rebounding well. Figure I will try to get more steals so I don't have to rebound as much. I'm keeping my press to sometimes since I'm ok with teams facing my halfcourt defense.

5. I would start Jefferson, but Smith's defense has been valuable and he's playing well overall outside of his shooting. Jefferson's defense is at C+ and I don't want that in the starting lineup. I already have Melo who's a B-. I figure I can surround Melo with two A defenders in Okafor and Smith and two A- defenders in Manu and McKie. Plus bringing Jefferson off the bench will take less pressure off of him defensively and let him focus on scoring.

Its time to start a run and this sim has to be it. I'm hoping these changes help so my team can stop underachieving a bit. What do you guys think?

[BallSoHard]

Yeah that's part of my whining about this SIM, and hey at least I was calling you a great team in the process. I feel like the schedule has been brutal but it has to be a testament to how many more good teams there are now.

I'm not sure about great until it happens. But i'm trying to figure out a strategy to keep my a winning team for 3 more sims.

[Conroy]

And 78, I'm sorry but I am starting to see a lot of similarities in Manu to Jones. His production isn't anywhere near as bad, but I can tell it's taken a hold of you (like Jones did me) and you just don't know what to do with him. Do you start him and try to get him shots to get him going? Do you try to let him run the bench and be the only scorer available, he's supposed to defend but seems to get torched.

[Pelicans78]

And 78, I'm sorry but I am starting to see a lot of similarities in Manu to Jones. His production isn't anywhere near as bad, but I can tell it's taken a hold of you (like Jones did me) and you just don't know what to do with him. Do you start him and try to get him shots to get him going? Do you try to let him run the bench and be the only scorer available, he's supposed to defend but seems to get torched.

I benched him last game making him the backup SF and SG while starting Posey and it didn't help. Posey's ratings are misleading. A- from outside and defensively and he's pretty bad too. Manu has similar ratings to his great season two years ago and he sucks more than last season when his ratings were worse. I'm starting him again changing my focus to inside while making him the 3rd option and see if it gets my offense going overall since most of the team sucks. Also going to a fast pace and trapping often now just to speed things up. Watch my defense get torched

[Trell]

Just listened to the podcast while working out. It's was great, and thanks for the compliments.