Are Lynch's fouls undercutting our second half defense?

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Otis

Otis

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He has to be close to setting the new standard for games fouled out in a season.

But the question is, do his fouls cause defensive breakdowns in the second half due to him either playing tentatively or just being out of the game. We have been giving up a ton of points in second halves and I feel not having the shot blocking threat is a big part of it.

Thoughts?
 

Have any of our big men taken a charge all season? It can't always be about the shot-block. Every once in a awhile don't let opposing bigs back you down on a string to the basket. If they dip a shoulder (like Bryant did) even a little bit, sometimes Lynch, Curry, Bakary, need to flop hard like everyone else does and they'll get a call. Not always, but at least guys like Bryant, Ward, Happ, etc. know they can't do it every time.
 

SelectionSunday said:
Have any of our big men taken a charge all season? It can't always be about the shot-block. Every once in a awhile don't let opposing bigs back you down on a string to the basket. If they dip a shoulder (like Bryant did) even a little bit, sometimes Lynch, Curry, Bakary, need to flop hard like everyone else does and they'll get a call. Not always, but at least guys like Bryant, Ward, Happ, etc. know they can't do it every time.
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expecting them to know how to draw a charge or flop is expecting to much when they can't stay on the floor.
 

Refs went from swallowing their whistles in the first half to phantom fouls in the second half. Last night was a horrible job of officiating. There was good reason for Richard to go full Clem on the officials.

Doing the Fosbery Flop may work in the early part of a game, but the rules favor the offense in the post.
 



So the question is "does having our starting center, who leads the league in blocks, on the bench in foul trouble hurt our team defense....?" Umm... yes.
 

Otis said:
But the question is, do his fouls cause defensive breakdowns in the second half due to him either playing tentatively or just being out of the game?
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I don't see him playing tenetivey too much. I thought his first half he held back on a few shot attempts earlish in the game trying not to get a foul. I think its a point of emphasis for Lynch to not get fouls early.

I think our bigger issue is we look, last night specifically, like we got tired as a team between the 14th-ish minute and the 5th-ish minute left in the 2nd half (On the defensive end especially our guards were a step slower during that stretch)
 

Our post defense is pretty bad. We have made a lot of average post players look like superstars. Its seems with our bigs that they are frequently in a position in which they have to try to block a shot to make a defensive play. I don't think its Lynch's fouls that cause defensive breakdowns, its the defensive breakdowns (and just bad post defense) that lead to the fouls. Right now, Konate and Curry are better post defensive players than Lynch. Lynch does very little to keep the opposing player from posting up in their favorite spot, he's slow beating them to the spot, and he does nothing to change up the post defense slightly to alter how the other player must change their offensive game. Sometimes you play behind them, sometimes on the side and on rare occasions you front them. Right now Lynch is a feet in concrete defend from behind player. I think Lynch has always been very comfortable defending from behind and then blocking shots, he had a lot of success at this against less developed players. This strategy is now a defensive problem for the team.
 

The problem is no one else played defense. When Lynch fouls out and he is the only one playing defense, then yeah slides happen.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
 



SelectionSunday said:
Have any of our big men taken a charge all season? It can't always be about the shot-block. Every once in a awhile don't let opposing bigs back you down on a string to the basket. If they dip a shoulder (like Bryant did) even a little bit, sometimes Lynch, Curry, Bakary, need to flop hard like everyone else does and they'll get a call. Not always, but at least guys like Bryant, Ward, Happ, etc. know they can't do it every time.
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We need Joey King to come on board as a GA, dude was the master, got his P.H.D at the Bobby Knight School of Flopping
 

Wouldn't hurt to throw a double at a big every once in a while. Bigs that catch in decent position against us no that they'll be able to take their time and operate 1 on 1
 

oleboy41 said:
Wouldn't hurt to throw a double at a big every once in a while. Bigs that catch in decent position against us no that they'll be able to take their time and operate 1 on 1
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We did it a lot last night.
 

oleboy41 said:
Wouldn't hurt to throw a double at a big every once in a while. Bigs that catch in decent position against us no that they'll be able to take their time and operate 1 on 1
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Odd timing for this comment seeing as Thomas Bryant was practically a non factor last night, and they did in fact double the post quite often last night
 



His fouls are killing us defensively. A defensive breakdown especially in rebounding always seems to occur when Konate and Curry play together. Unfortunately, it has become predictable that Reggie will end the first half with 1 or 2 fouls and still manage to foul out in the second half despite spending a lot of it on the bench. He obviously changes the game when he is aggressive but he needs to be smarter about picking up fouls in bunches.
 

Tim1406 said:
I don't see him playing tenetivey too much. I thought his first half he held back on a few shot attempts earlish in the game trying not to get a foul. I think its a point of emphasis for Lynch to not get fouls early.

I think our bigger issue is we look, last night specifically, like we got tired as a team between the 14th-ish minute and the 5th-ish minute left in the 2nd half (On the defensive end especially our guards were a step slower during that stretch)
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They have two glaring depth weaknesses, they don't have a backup PG, and they don't have a backup wing player, the Fitzgerald injury hurts and McBray just hasn't developed.
 

jovs said:
They have two glaring depth weaknesses, they don't have a backup PG, and they don't have a backup wing player, the Fitzgerald injury hurts and McBray just hasn't developed.
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McBrayer will be just fine, just in a slump, still a little too skinny, but he's already come a long way there, another ten pounds of muscle and will really have something there next season, same Amir, another 10-15 lbs will help him take the next step to being the go to guy. Another 15 lbs will do Hurt and Curry a lot of good as well in the off season. After two ACL injuries anything out of Fitz will be a bonus next year
 

watertown 1987 guy n said:
Our post defense is pretty bad. We have made a lot of average post players look like superstars. Its seems with our bigs that they are frequently in a position in which they have to try to block a shot to make a defensive play. I don't think its Lynch's fouls that cause defensive breakdowns, its the defensive breakdowns (and just bad post defense) that lead to the fouls. Right now, Konate and Curry are better post defensive players than Lynch. Lynch does very little to keep the opposing player from posting up in their favorite spot, he's slow beating them to the spot, and he does nothing to change up the post defense slightly to alter how the other player must change their offensive game. Sometimes you play behind them, sometimes on the side and on rare occasions you front them. Right now Lynch is a feet in concrete defend from behind player. I think Lynch has always been very comfortable defending from behind and then blocking shots, he had a lot of success at this against less developed players. This strategy is now a defensive problem for the team.
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We rarely front the post, but rather stay behind the post without contesting the pass. The one time we saw it was with Curry's steal at the end of the game. I'm not sure why we play behind the post, other than our defenders having poor footwork.
 

I'm not a big supporter of consistently fronting the post. If done frequently it usually ends with a ball passed over the top or giving up an offensive rebound. However it can be used very effectively if post has the awareness of when their is weak side defensive help or a very quick cheat to force the offensive post player to adjust and then reestablishing defense in a better position. I just don't agree with the defend from behind without variation.
 

I think you have to mix it up as well. To front you need quick jumpers to ensure they don't pass over you and you can't front out too far without having help in back.
 

bemidjigopher said:
McBrayer will be just fine, just in a slump, still a little too skinny, but he's already come a long way there, another ten pounds of muscle and will really have something there next season, same Amir, another 10-15 lbs will help him take the next step to being the go to guy. Another 15 lbs will do Hurt and Curry a lot of good as well in the off season. After two ACL injuries anything out of Fitz will be a bonus next year
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You've convinced me! I'm going to add 10-15 lbs as part of my personal improvement program for this year. :cool:
 

goldenboy said:
So the question is "does having our starting center, who leads the league in blocks, on the bench in foul trouble hurt our team defense....?" Umm... yes.
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I vote yes as well. And Pitino mentioned Lynch leading the league in and one fouls - leading to the traditional 3 point play. If you're going to foul, please foul like you mean it.
And I'm sure this is just how it appears, but he could look slightly bummed about fouling out. Instead of, ok time to sit down again.
Hopefully, this is all part of getting back into live play after time of and injuries.

I'll also point out that he had only one field goal in the two games prior to this. And, during this rather abysmal Lynch period, Murphy has come back to life. Any connection?
 

MaroonGold1 said:
Odd timing for this comment seeing as Thomas Bryant was practically a non factor last night, and they did in fact double the post quite often last night
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Yea I was off on that one. Was thinking mostly about the last 4 mns or so when Bryant was operating 1 on 1 with Curry
 

Lynch has to stop picking up the ticky tack fouls. Some times he is a little to aggressive on the offensive boards, goes over the back on obvious plays he isn't going to get to the basketball. Lynch has been a fantastic post addition this season, hopefully he realizes they need him out there more often in the second half and he can start avoiding some of these over the back fouls that are one's where he isn't going to get to the ball and picks up a cheap foul.
 

Otis said:
I think you have to mix it up as well. To front you need quick jumpers to ensure they don't pass over you and you can't front out too far without having help in back.
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Curry might be the only post guy that can really front down low because Lynch, Murphy, and Konate don't really strike me as having great quickness. I think as Curry gets more experience they will let him be more aggressive on defense but he is still learning.
 

bemidjigopher said:
McBrayer will be just fine, just in a slump, still a little too skinny, but he's already come a long way there, another ten pounds of muscle and will really have something there next season, same Amir, another 10-15 lbs will help him take the next step to being the go to guy. Another 15 lbs will do Hurt and Curry a lot of good as well in the off season. After two ACL injuries anything out of Fitz will be a bonus next year
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Hurt just isn't ready for prime time and may never be, he looked decent in the non conference part of the schedule but once the B1G started it was like he was standing flat footed all the time, so much faster, hopefully he will/can adjust.
 

Lynch has 2-3 "what the bleep are you doing" fouls each game. Honestly I can live with some and-1s against you if you're aggressive. His first and second fouls last night were both of the non-aggressive, what the bleep variety. First one he basically just shoved someone on the perimeter, second one was over the back on a ball he was out-positioned for.
 

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