FanPost

Final few minutes of Hornet loss - I blame Amare

I started with the intent of just re-watching the final few minutes to get some general ideas but ended up charting each posession. The results were interesting:

Amare really sucked. His screens on offense were soft and he didn't really set them and take the defender out of the play. He was too anxious to roll.

On D Amare sucked even more. On the Hornets pick and rolls he showed soft everytime so that led to open shots. He didn't trap and deny the pass and generally made things difficult for Marion or Hill trying to cover CP3.

B/c of this, the Suns put Hill and Marion on CP and TC so that they could defend better but Hornets then just went to side p/r with Amare on Mo Pete and Hill on CP. This didn't go well either resulting in a key 3pt play for Mo Pete and a wide open J that CP missed. Clearly, they were picking on Amare's D on the pick and rolls. Every time.

The Hornet's made 6 baskets in between 5:42 and :23 while the Suns made 4 and the Suns had 12 possessions to the Hornet's 8. Of the 6 the Hornets made two that were just amazing luck shots (Pargo and Paul). 2 were defensive lapses by the Suns. 1 was a layup off the CP3 steal. 1 was a solid 3 pt play that Mo Pete made b/c of Amare's poor p/r D which forced Coach D to have him guard a small guy on the wing.

Amare didn't get the ball b/c he didn't set good picks and the Hornets denied him the ball. The Suns did what they should and moved the ball well and found the open man.

The Hornets basically ran the same pick and rolls that Nash and Amare run but TC was MUCH better on his D and set better picks. It was a striking contrast. I hope Amare watches this film and learns something.

Suns 1st Possession (SP1) S103-H103. 5:42 left

Hornet's p/r D was solid. LB made great cut and Diaw a great pass. LB missed open layup. AS and SM great hussle rebound.

SP2: The Hornets D colapsed in the paint and Diaw was wide open for a 3. He missed.

Hornets 1st Possession (HP1) S103-H103.
Suns D solid. Pargo hits highly contented fade away Kobe-like contested J with time running out. Not much you can do there.

SP3 S103 - H105:

Suns moved ball well. Hornets deny AS pass. Diaw drives lane should have got called for a charge. Instead passes and ball ends up w/ Nash and he finds open Diaw for wide open layup.

HP2 S105 - H105:

AS on p/r D doesn't jump out hard and Marion recovers great to deny CP shot. CP to Pargo who runs high p/r w/ TC. Amare shows soft again and Pargo is able to hit wide open TC for dunk. LB didn't rotate to cutting Chandler but Amare did poor job on D by not cutting off the pass.

SP4 S105 - H107 3:57

Diaw great entry pass to AS deep in paint on early offense. TC fouls AS before shot.

SP5

Nash p/r with Diaw. H trap Nash hard. Nash to LB who doesn't pass to wide open Marion on baseline. LB back to Nash who chucked up last second 3. Missed. AS great offense board though - tip to Diaw.

SP 6

Diaw gets ball under basket on Amare tip. Diaw pumps Mo Pete jumps and falls hard over Diaw. Diaw stops playing to check on Mo Pete instead of making open dunk. Mo Pete foul on shot. Diaw hits two FT. Should have been 3 pt play.

HP 3 S107 - H107 3:23

Out of time out Suns change D assignments. LB is on CP and Marion is on TC. Before Marion was on CP and Amare was on TC. Amare on Mo Pete on the perimeter. CP and TC run high p/r. Marion and LB switch but then Marion leaves CP to switch back and CP is wide open for 3. Not sure if Marion or LB screwed that up. Marion was trying to switch back to LB who was on TC but LB wasn't on the same page. Yuck.

SP7 S107 - H110 2:58

Hornets trap Nash hard and deny Amare the ball. Suns move ball well and find LB for open drive for 2pts.

HP4 S109 - H110 2:45

LB on CP and Marion on TC. Switch p/r again so LB on TC. This time AS and LB switch so AS is on TC and LB is on MoPete. CP and TC run high p/r again and again Amare shows soft and Marion going over pick runs into Amare but still manages to stop CP but Nash rotates off Pargo. CP find Pargo for open 3 but Pargo misses. TC taps ball out. LB and AS were both there but misjudged the bounce which went long.

HP5

CP and TC high p/r again. Amare shows soft again! and Marion chases over top. CP drives lane and Nash rotates well to take charge and Amare recovers well but CP spins in air and makes great circus shot!

SP8 S109 - H112 1:58

CP forces Nash baseline towards TC and makes GREAT steal on Nash bounce pass aimed at Amare which would have been a dunk.

HP6

Pargo layup off CP steal. Marion almost blocked it.

SP9 S109 - H114 1:46

Nash and Amare high p/r. Amare's picks are soft. He doesn't hold them long enough. Nash makes great pass to cutting Marion on baseline for dunk. Peja left Marion to cover Amare rolling down the lane.

HP7 S111 - H114 1:31

Hill on CP. Marion on TC. CP runs side p/r w/ Mo Pete covered by Amare at the 3pt line. On screen Hill has to help Amare stop CP drive so Mo Pete open. Hill recovers well and forces tough contested runner at FT line. Goes in. Hill fouls though. 3 pt play.

SP10 S111 - H117 1:05

Nash / Amare high p/r. TC traps Nash hard and denies pass to Amare. Nash to Marion in lane passees to LB open on wing. CP flies out and LB drives past him (CP falls on quick move by LB) and LB has open jumper from 7 ft. TC fouls LB on arm but no call. Missed.

HP8 S111 - H117 :50

AS on Mo Pete again. CP again runs side p/r w/ Mo Pete. Suns don't switch but Hill goes under screen and CP has open J but missed. Marion boxes out well and gets rebound.

SP11 S111 - H117 :30

Amare sets another bad screen and TC and CP double Nash who heaves up desparate 3 against both TC and CP. Missed but Hornets tip ball out.

SP12 S111 - H117 :23

Out of TO play for LB to get 3. LB in bounds from under hoop to Nash. Amare sets soft pick on CP who is covering LB coming to the 3 pt line for pass from Nash. CP fights through Amare pick and gets to LB to contest shot. LB missed 3.

At this point the game was over so I didn't chart the rest.