Why is Jerami Grant guarding small guards?

[blazerfan11]

That's the big complaint by Torey and Eric in their latest video.

- Grant is terrible at navigating screens.
- When the small guard gets by Grant we have smaller players protecting the hoop than if Grant himself were able to help. Grant is a good off-ball defender.
- When is Chauncey going to learn?
- Will we see Grant getting cooked by someone like De'angelo Russell tonight?

I think listening to these points is well worth it so I've created this separate post.
It seems that as much as the Blazers being "figured out" is leading to some tougher times, it's also a lack of awareness (how about the foul to give we had at the end of the Denver game?) and adjustments that Chauncey is having problems with.



This link should take to the beginning of the discussion at 3:05

 

[Hoopguru]

That's the big complaint by Torey and Eric in their latest video.

- Grant is terrible at navigating screens.
- When the small guard gets by Grant we have smaller players protecting the hoop than if Grant himself were able to help. Grant is a good off-ball defender.
- When is Chauncey going to learn?
- Will we see Grant getting cooked by someone like De'angelo Russell tonight?

I think listening to these points is well worth it so I've created this separate post.
It seems that as much as the Blazers being "figured out" is leading to some tougher times, it's also a lack of awareness (how about the foul to give we had at the end of the Denver game?) and adjustments that Chauncey is having problems with.



This link should take to the beginning of the discussion at 3:05

I recall Chauncey talking about Hart earlier this year, and how he liked to guard the opposing teams best player, seems he would guard back court players better than Grant? I know its probably because Grant is lengthy, but id rather use him off ball around he rim. The other reason I think Grants wants to guard point of attack is he can leak out on a defensive rebound for fast break.

 

[illmatic99]

Think it's just a placeholder til GPii returns.

 

[Tince]

Not giving the foul was 100% a strategic/execution mistake. I'm not sure if Billups was unaware or if the players didn't execute, but with the ball in the hands of Jokic or Murray, you have to take a foul under 5-6 seconds.

Grant isn't an ideal on-ball defender in those situations, but outside of Payton, I'm not sure who on the roster is ideal. What Grant does provide is the ability to switch on to a big for a little bit if there is a 1-5 PnR. Dame/Ant/Hart do not provide that option.

Billups is inexperienced coach with a realatively undersized roster, so this comes with the territory.

 

[riverman]

Because Jerami Grant can guard small guards. He just had a brain fart at a crucial time but there's a lot of switching....it's like asking why Nic Batum would guard Chris Paul....I disagree with the criticism of Chauncey over this...I blame the roster other than Dame for dropping that game at the end...it was a collective loss ..Grant could have created a turnover or blocked Murray's shot and none of this would be an issue....we should have fouled before the shot and taken the OT or a win with a missed FT...Dame answered this whole question post game...pretty simple in my view...turnovers at the end of the game and second chance pts killed us....they had 22 second chance pts and we had 9....most pissed off post game I've ever seen Chauncey...and that's a good thing in my view.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

That's the big complaint by Torey and Eric in their latest video.

- Grant is terrible at navigating screens.
- When the small guard gets by Grant we have smaller players protecting the hoop than if Grant himself were able to help. Grant is a good off-ball defender.
- When is Chauncey going to learn?
- Will we see Grant getting cooked by someone like De'angelo Russell tonight?

I think listening to these points is well worth it so I've created this separate post.
It seems that as much as the Blazers being "figured out" is leading to some tougher times, it's also a lack of awareness (how about the foul to give we had at the end of the Denver game?) and adjustments that Chauncey is having problems with.



This link should take to the beginning of the discussion at 3:05

Grant was a better option at that point because Hart is nursing a bad ankle.
If Hart could move laterally he would have been guarding Murray.
As it is Grant was still in position and Murray had to make a great shot.
Sometimes there are issues with players we simply don’t know about sitting in our lazy boys critiquing the coach.

 

[TBpup]

... because Dame can't, Ant can't, and Payton hasn't played yet.

 

[HoopsFanAZ]

... because Dame can't, Ant can't, and Payton hasn't played yet.

Murray can get his shot off, anyway, but Grant didn’t stick to him. Not enough. Hart’s ankle right now can only gut out so much. GP will be fun to see … soon … I hope.

 

[HailBlazers]

Save us GPII

 

[BonesJones]

Not giving the foul was 100% a strategic/execution mistake. I'm not sure if Billups was unaware or if the players didn't execute, but with the ball in the hands of Jokic or Murray, you have to take a foul under 5-6 seconds.

Grant isn't an ideal on-ball defender in those situations, but outside of Payton, I'm not sure who on the roster is ideal. What Grant does provide is the ability to switch on to a big for a little bit if there is a 1-5 PnR. Dame/Ant/Hart do not provide that option.

Billups is inexperienced coach with a realatively undersized roster, so this comes with the territory.

If no one is ideal, then why don't we play Grant in an ideal way, which would be a role where he can play more team defense and help around the rim, and less against the types of players that exploit his biggest weakness (screen navigation)?

 

[BonesJones]

... because Dame can't, Ant can't, and Payton hasn't played yet.

So a guard getting beat on the perimeter with Grant helping in the paint is the same thing as Grant getting beat and a guard helping?

 

[Tince]

If no one is ideal, then why don't we play Grant in an ideal way, which would be a role where he can play more team defense and help around the rim, and less against the types of players that exploit his biggest weakness (screen navigation)?

I'm not against that strategy, at all!

 

[Fairly-Hard]

I'm not against that strategy, at all!

As soon as Hart can actually run and move laterally or they have another decent defender i totally agree also.
Problem right now is Hart is hurt. Watch him run down the court tonight. His ankle is taped so tight he is literally running flat footed.
Yes getting Gary Payton actually playing might help this as well. At this point the Blazers have not had many games where either Dame, Keon, Hart and Payton have been available. So for now Grant might be the best option.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I don't think Grant should be covering guards throughout the game. They are too quick for him. However, I kind of get the reasoning in that circumstance. The last thing you want to do is foul the shooter up by 2. The rules favor the 3-point shooters so much these days that it is hard to get close to them for fear of being in their space when they land. So I can see where his length might have gone into Chancey's thought process.

Would GP2 made a difference? Would he have been aggressive to the point where he might have fouled him? I am anxious to find out.

 

[riverman]

So a guard getting beat on the perimeter with Grant helping in the paint is the same thing as Grant getting beat and a guard helping?

I find it senseless to compare a blown coverage to a system....it was a blown coverage. Grant knows that although he hit the big shot that got us back in the game, he's still getting kicked for his mistake here. It was a mistake period. There were several down the stretch, mainly allowing second chance pts. They had 22 second chance pts, we had 9...that's where we lost this game.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

I find it senseless to compare a blown coverage to a system....it was a blown coverage. Grant knows that although he hit the big shot that got us back in the game, he's still getting kicked for his mistake here. It was a mistake period. There were several down the stretch, mainly allowing second chance pts. They had 22 second chance pts, we had 9...that's where we lost this game.

It's not even just Grant getting kicked here. The you tube guru's have deemed this Billups's fault and don't seem to want to address player availability.

 

[illmatic99]

i also think it's because chauncey realizes how poor of a rebounder grant is, while also knowing Hart is a monster on the boards.

While having Grant on the perimeter is not ideal, it is preferable to having him battle PFs on the glass

 

[Fairly-Hard]

i also think it's because chauncey realizes how poor of a rebounder grant is, while also knowing Hart is a monster on the boards.

Great point.

 

[illmatic99]

Great point.

and to add, we openly switch most pick and roll actions as is, so it's not a that big of a deal that grant starts out on the guard.

my only gripe is that chauncey is so rigid with this. almost stottsian in a way.

switch it up sometimes. like Dame can guard d'angelo russell. no need to hide him on a guy 6 inches taller than him.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

and to add, we openly switch most pick and roll actions as is, so it's not a that big of a deal that grant starts out on the guard.

my only gripe is that chauncey is so rigid with this. almost stottsian in a way.

switch it up sometimes. like Dame can guard d'angelo russell. no need to hide him on a guy 6 inches taller than him.

Again I think it has to do with availability of the players he has. It may very well change a bit when all are available and healthy.

 

[Tince]

As soon as Hart can actually run and move laterally or they have another decent defender i totally agree also.
Problem right now is Hart is hurt. Watch him run down the court tonight. His ankle is taped so tight he is literally running flat footed.
Yes getting Gary Payton actually playing might help this as well. At this point the Blazers have not had many games where either Dame, Keon, Hart and Payton have been available. So for now Grant might be the best option.

All very solid points!

 

[HailBlazers]

The you tube guru's have deemed this Billups's fault and don't seem to want to address player availability.

Not a solid point considering Bones has been saying this all season.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

Not a solid point considering Bones has been saying this all season.

Okay how much of the season thus far have the Blazers been without Dame, Gary Payton, Keon Johnson, and have had Hart nursing a bad ankle?
Would you say 50%? Is it 69-70%?
At what time does this become a valid point?
Also now that they have Lillard back healthy and Ant and Hart seems to be recovering and Keon is back what has the record been?
Again when and exactly what is the percentage that makes this a valid point?

 

[Fairly-Hard]

Not a solid point considering Bones has been saying this all season.

I get it. I really do.
The dude spends his life and has put in a huge amount of work to create the platform and come up with his opinions. They are becoming successful at something they are working hard at and we here should probably support them beings they are members. I truly get it.
This complaint about Billups I don’t agree with. On top of that it’s starting to sound eerily familiar to the takes that were thrown around about the last coach. How long before we hear “Fire Billups”. It’s his first real season coaching.
For now I will support the coach.

 

[blazerfan11]

I get it. I really do.
The dude spends his life and has put in a huge amount of work to create the platform and come up with his opinions. They are becoming successful at something they are working hard at and we here should probably support them beings they are members. I truly get it.
This complaint about Billups I don’t agree with. On top of that it’s starting to sound eerily familiar to the takes that were thrown around about the last coach. How long before we hear “Fire Billups”. It’s his first real season coaching.
For now I will support the coach.

A person can support Coach Billups and be critical of him at the same time. There's always someone who wants to fire the coach or tank the season or trade away Lillard, and they have nothing to do with someone pointing out an area of concern.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

A person can support Coach Billups and be critical of him at the same time. There's always someone who wants to fire the coach or tank the season or trade away Lillard, and they have nothing to do with someone pointing out an area of concern.

I get ya on that also.
On the flip side I can be critical of his take on this and support him as well.
I stated why i disagree with his take on that issue. I most certainly could be very wrong. I happen to think I'm not wrong because of the things i have stated.
Grant has been placed in that position to this point out of necessity IMO. Not because Billups thinks he is the best option. We all can clearly see he isn't.

 

[BonesJones]

I find it senseless to compare a blown coverage to a system....it was a blown coverage. Grant knows that although he hit the big shot that got us back in the game, he's still getting kicked for his mistake here. It was a mistake period. There were several down the stretch, mainly allowing second chance pts. They had 22 second chance pts, we had 9...that's where we lost this game.

Defense is all about minimizing scoring. Saying "no" to minimizing scoring because the initial coverage is blown when NBA teams have a bunch of defensive principals in place in case of dribble penetration seems silly to me.

 

[BonesJones]

I get it. I really do.
The dude spends his life and has put in a huge amount of work to create the platform and come up with his opinions. They are becoming successful at something they are working hard at and we here should probably support them beings they are members. I truly get it.
This complaint about Billups I don’t agree with. On top of that it’s starting to sound eerily familiar to the takes that were thrown around about the last coach. How long before we hear “Fire Billups”. It’s his first real season coaching.
For now I will support the coach.

Nobody's saying to Fire Billups. I like Billups. You're just making up a reason to criticize me. Liking a coach doesn't mean you have to act like he's perfect. I also came to this conclusion about Grant before the season even started because I put in the work to watch film and try to educate myself instead of having opinions for the sake of having opinions (which you seem to think is better).

 

[BonesJones]

I get ya on that also.
On the flip side I can be critical of his take on this and support him as well.
I stated why i disagree with his take on that issue. I most certainly could be very wrong. I happen to think I'm not wrong because of the things i have stated.
Grant has been placed in that position to this point out of necessity IMO. Not because Billups thinks he is the best option. We all can clearly see he isn't.

You can disagree and be supportive yes, but you're putting words in our mouths ("Fire Billups") without listening to the words that come out our mouths because you think we haven't addressed player availability. You're discrediting my opinion because of reasons unrelated to the opinion. If you wanna talk basketball, then let's talk basketball.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

If you wanna talk basketball, then let's talk basketball.

I was.

Grant was a better option at that point because Hart is nursing a bad ankle.
If Hart could move laterally he would have been guarding Murray.
As it is Grant was still in position and Murray had to make a great shot.
Sometimes there are issues with players we simply don’t know about sitting in our lazy boys critiquing the coach.

As soon as Hart can actually run and move laterally or they have another decent defender i totally agree also.
Problem right now is Hart is hurt. Watch him run down the court tonight. His ankle is taped so tight he is literally running flat footed.
Yes getting Gary Payton actually playing might help this as well. At this point the Blazers have not had many games where either Dame, Keon, Hart and Payton have been available. So for now Grant might be the best option.

It's not even just Grant getting kicked here. The you tube guru's have deemed this Billups's fault and don't seem to want to address player availability.

Again I think it has to do with availability of the players he has. It may very well change a bit when all are available and healthy.

The entire thread.