Ex-Coach Luke Walton Discussion

Terrible rotations tonight...especially that 4th quarter lineup to begin...brewer and blue? WHY?

Luke has cost us a few games this year with his mind boggling rotations. Randle did get minutes tonight but I still think he needs MORE. Kuzma playing 40 mpg is going to bite us in the a** soon.

 

Weird rotations by Luke but some of that is understandable. If you are the 3rd youngest team in the league, your conditioning isn't where its at. #WelcomeToTheNBA Zo is a trooper, but you can tell he was gassed, and with that stat line, rightfully so. Add to that the travel for this road trip and playing 3 games in 4 nights, its going to take a toll on our rookies. Till our youngsters get into better condition (Zo and BI primarily...not so much Kuz), its going to be some funky rotations.

There were a few things that cost us the game more than Luke's rotations. First BI was a no-show...even half of a BI showing would have won us this game. Then there were the turnovers (many of them due to laziness and carelessness), where we gave up 21 to their 11. But the most damning was probably the free throws. We shot 37 to their 26 and we missed 15 of them. Seeing how we lost by 8, that's the ballgame right there.

 

It's not like Zo isn't in good condition. Like you said, rightfully so gassed at times with how hard and fast and always working he plays the game.

 

We got guys like Kuz, Josh Jackson and even Zo saying that playing against grown men is far different than playing against college players. Zo's in good condition, but he's not in NBA condition. I'm pretty sure he would say the same. He's admitted that he needs to get stronger because he knows the NBA season is a grind with all the games and travel...not to mention playing against grown a** men. He was gassed in today's game, but he's been gassed in many other (non tripdub) games as well. That being said, he just turned 20 and I have no doubt that with the proper tutelage he's going to get there. But as a scrawny adolescent rookie, he needs way more gym time to get into NBA condition.

As far as Luke goes...we went from defensive bottom feeders last season, to...

6th in Defensive Rating
2nd in Defensive Rebounds (big ups to Zo here)
3rd in Blocks

The reason Luke has a short leash with some guys/units is that we're...
27th in Turnovers
28th in points given up off turnovers at 21 points per game (ie poor transition defense)
28th in points given up in the paint at 50 points per game (ie poor rotations in not helping the helper off dribble penetration or the double team not coming fast enough off opposing post ups)

We clean that s*** up and we probably chalk up a few more wins.

 

How could he? Clarkson and everyone froze him out in front of Blue's home crowd. Never threw him one steenking pass that he might have got a shot off from. Pissed me off.

 

Luke is going to be a really good coach when he gets to his second team. Everyone learns somewhere.



Yeah, I'm not so sure he's our Jerry Sloan or Greg Popovich 25+ year type coach, but who knows, maybe he grows into the role.

 

Outstanding coaching job by Luke. In spite of almost nobody having it going, his hodge podge lineups pulled us through.

 

Post game, Embiid question, Luke blames help defense being too slow. And then he spit shined Embiid.

 

never saw any help d at all

 

Say it with me coach...double team! They shot 7-32 from the land of 3. Till they start knocking them down, why no double? Got some 'splain'n to do Luke.

 

And if we’re not going to help, why not at least keep putting one of your two 7 foot guys on Embiid when it was clear Randle couldn’t slow him down at all.

 

Sometimes Luke's decision making makes me want to go kick a seal. How can you and your squad of assistants not see something so basic that we can.

 

Just getting back to LB after the game. 1st thought. G-dammit Luke. WTF was that leaving Randle on Embiid??? We got no pick this year dumb a** and I'm not doing this again but you seem to be .....