Slingin' Sammy "Super Soaker" Merrill

[Meatwad]

As for drawing up a play, he is out there to punish the defense if they leave him open. Broken 3 plays is why he is out there.

This is where you lose me. I have no doubt you're more familiar with this group than me. I probably catch 1/3 of the games just due to time zone differences. But to me, this strategy ain't gonna work. Magic were sticking to him like glue while he was out there, and will continue to.

If the expectation is for him to sit in the corner or find an opening around the perimeter on a broken play, that just isn't good enough. If it's Mitchell, Merill, and 3 other dudes not named Garland, I don't think they'll ever come off him. So why not put him in a position to be open?

Maybe I'm out of touch with modern ball, but in the playoffs, I'm drawing up a play or three once a game for one of my best pure shooters.

And again, if the strategy you say is how it's gonna play out.. you might as well just have Okoro or Levert out there for those extra 4 minutes. Let them stand in the corner, and know they can provide you better D on the other end.

But you're right, let's see how it goes. JBB & staff are gonna do their thing no matter what.

 

[BigZ94]

I can't stop thinking about the use of Merrill in Game 1. There has to be a change coming here.

What do we know?

4 minutes
0-2 from the field (both 3s)
Magic honed in on him when Cavs had the ball. Some fear there. Don't let this dude get open.
The Cavs clearly told him: If you touch the ball, shoot the ball. Shooters gotta shoot. It didn't work out in his two attempts.
The Magic attacked him when they had the ball. Find the man he guards, or, switch until you get him. Then go at him.

What can JBB & staff change?

1. Take him off the floor completely. He is a defensive liability, he's too young, he's too soft.

I think this approach would be a shame. He's the one sharp shooter we have without Wade. To just write him off as a bad fit for the series would be a waste.

2. Give him more minutes. 10-15. Draw up plays specifically designed for him ala Cavs Korver.

IMO, This is the way.

On offense, he can stretch the floor like no one else. He provides a little danger. If he gets hot, the floor is going to open for everyone else. Spacing is king. I think you have to let a young player find himself. He needs to land. We can't just expect him to jack up 3's in a bailout situation on a blown play. There's opportunity here to draw up screens, put him in motion all over the floor. Let him be rip hamilton running circles until he gets to his spot and hit him. And when a dude gets 15 minutes, he can miss a shot or 3. Then he can hit the fourth. And the fifth. Let him at least try to find his touch.

On the defensive side of the ball, we gotta help him out. Orlando isn't going to shoot you off the floor, so if he gets in a bad spot, help him. Switch every screen. Help him on D so he can help you on O.

Either way, him getting 4 minutes is just flat out dumb. Both the Cavs and Merrill get nothing out of 4 farty minutes. Let him cook a little, or take him off the floor entirely.

I say let the kid play. If by Game 4 the results aren't there, OK, sit him down for the series.

What do you guys think?

I havnt seen any evidence the past two seasons that point to our coaching staff being able to draw a play for anybody that doesn’t involve a high pick n roll or Garland/Mitchel/Levert iso

 

[macbdog]

JB doesn't know how to use Merrill and never will

Well sort of, he was putting him out there with Mitchell and Donovan was finding him. That's the best I think we can do.

 

[Lee]

This is where you lose me. I have no doubt you're more familiar with this group than me. I probably catch 1/3 of the games just due to time zone differences. But to me, this strategy ain't gonna work. Magic were sticking to him like glue while he was out there, and will continue to.

If the expectation is for him to sit in the corner or find an opening around the perimeter on a broken play, that just isn't good enough. If it's Mitchell, Merill, and 3 other dudes not named Garland, I don't think they'll ever come off him. So why not put him in a position to be open?

Maybe I'm out of touch with modern ball, but in the playoffs, I'm drawing up a play or three once a game for one of my best pure shooters.

And again, if the strategy you say is how it's gonna play out.. you might as well just have Okoro or Levert out there for those extra 4 minutes. Let them stand in the corner, and know they can provide you better D on the other end.

But you're right, let's see how it goes. JBB & staff are gonna do their thing no matter what.

The beautiful thing about Merrill is his off ball movement, which is why he works with Mitchell so well who has on ball movement and finds him.

They run plays designed to get Merrill open OR a roll top the basket. They were sticking to Merrill like glue, so they drove the ball instead. Just because Merrill isnt getting t he ball doesnt mean he didnt open things up...another reason Mitchell works best with him.

Merrill got off 2 shots, one blocked, one was open. If he hits either of the shots, it blows open the Magic Defense and Merrill's poor defense is less important.

But Merrill isnt just standing in the corner, and Okoro needs 3 or 4 times the space to get off a shot and take a shot vs Merrill, it just totally different. And Orlando last game was sticking to Merrill, lets get him in their with Allen and Mitchell and watch Allen roll off of an open Merrill and the ball rotate through Mitchell. Totally different look, and hopefully Sam gets some baskets. But if not, sub him out and go with a better defender.

Depth is also important to give different looks. You might see some of Morris this game, although I was shocked at how well Niang was doing on defense, max effort, but Okoro, Niang, Tristan and Morris all have the go fuck yourself attitude and I wouldnt mind getting under their skins by throwing our assholes out there, lol

 

[Meatwad]

They didn't bother.

 

[Beanie4Heisman]

They didn't bother.

Entirely predictable, this would have been the moment to do so too with Suggs hobbled.

I will say though, that the Magic's lead guards Anthony, Suggs, Harris & Fultz cannot shoot a lick themselves besides Gary but can defend pretty damn stoutly when Cavs don't move off ball.

But this gets back to the core of my displeasure of watching this team try to score all season when facing respectable defenses is that our offense is so often High P&R at the top of the key and no off ball mvmt. JBB's mic'd up clips tonight were only requesting we "get a shot on goal!" This is one of those: the bar for expectations is literally on the floor.

Without Mitchell to bail the Cavaliers HC's shortcomings we are entirely lost on offense most nights out ever since Darius broke his jaw.

This team has too much talent and depth to not run some sort of congruent system to reliably generate good looks that go well beyond P&R.

We've seen in the past how exemplary our big to big passing can be at its peak. They can do the same with mid posting bigs to kickouts on flare and double screens on the wings as well, but we very rarely do so. Instead we settle for possessions of pounding the rock until 6-8 seconds left and the ball never gets below the FT line as Brad Daugherty so often astutely points out when he's on our broadcast crew.