Question: With all of the recent talk of the Haas-centric offense, do you think it is possible for an adjustment to be on getting good post touches compared to just any post touch? It seems like the offense could benefit from being picky when (deeper in a possession getting the ball and players moving) and where they enter it from and to (high post entries to the deeper in the post being optimal). Your thoughts?
Answer: Well, Haas was getting good enough position at Michigan State to score 25 points and damn near win the game for Purdue running the exact same offense it ran at Marquette, twice vs. Michigan, at Indiana when it wasn’t doubling, etc., but I do think the fact that all but two of his shots came from six feet or deeper might have been the difference between 12-of-22 and 16-of-22, but Michigan State had something to do with that, too.
I don’t buy the ‘rhythm’ thing for the guards and wings. These guys have been running the same offense all season long and winning with it. Haas got his 22 shots at Michigan State, but Carsen Edwards took 15, Vincent Edwards 11 and Dakota Mathias nine. That's more shots than all three of them average per game. Purdue’s highest-volume shooters got their volume. None of them made more than a third of their shots.
Regarding the position, that’s been Purdue’s aim all season long, to get Haas as close to the rim as possible, and they’ve mostly been successful with it — Rutgers being the rare exception against an opponent that didn’t run doubles at him as its primary strategy. At Michigan State, maybe not so much and it’s mind-boggling to see someone so massive and good take 22 shots without drawing a shooting foul other than the one continuation, but when you’re not going toward the rim when shooting, you’re less likely to draw whistles. When you’re playing at Michigan State or anywhere on the road, you’re even less likely.
But it’s pretty difficult to argue that when Purdue was facing a damn good defensive team at Michigan State, that it should have deviated from the formula that got it to where it was in the first place. That just doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Haas missed his last shot, after Gavin Schilling twice put two hands on him, which is supposed to be a foul. In that situation, it is very rarely going to be, but if something is supposed to be a foul, it's fair to suggest that it might have affected the shot. That’s not why Purdue lost. Purdue lost because Michigan State is really good, especially on their home floor, and a pro made a 73-foot contested three to win it. I’m not sure how such a loss to a No. 1-seed sort of team became a referendum on the usage of the guy who almost won that game.
But anyway, that wasn’t your question.
Yeah, Purdue will, and should, work to get Haas the best position possible. If that means working the ball around more until it can be achieved, or Haas posting, kicking and re-posting, they should explore that whenever possible and certainly are now. But you also want to make this as simple a deal as you can.
We'll see if this single-coverage stuff — the "blueprint," as it's being called — continues.
The way Haas has been stomping people the past few games and the not-so-hot way Purdue’s been shooting threes — and with Wisconsin having no chance at all if Ethan Happ gets in foul trouble — I wonder if maybe some double-teams don’t start coming again this week.
Answer: Well, Haas was getting good enough position at Michigan State to score 25 points and damn near win the game for Purdue running the exact same offense it ran at Marquette, twice vs. Michigan, at Indiana when it wasn’t doubling, etc., but I do think the fact that all but two of his shots came from six feet or deeper might have been the difference between 12-of-22 and 16-of-22, but Michigan State had something to do with that, too.
I don’t buy the ‘rhythm’ thing for the guards and wings. These guys have been running the same offense all season long and winning with it. Haas got his 22 shots at Michigan State, but Carsen Edwards took 15, Vincent Edwards 11 and Dakota Mathias nine. That's more shots than all three of them average per game. Purdue’s highest-volume shooters got their volume. None of them made more than a third of their shots.
Regarding the position, that’s been Purdue’s aim all season long, to get Haas as close to the rim as possible, and they’ve mostly been successful with it — Rutgers being the rare exception against an opponent that didn’t run doubles at him as its primary strategy. At Michigan State, maybe not so much and it’s mind-boggling to see someone so massive and good take 22 shots without drawing a shooting foul other than the one continuation, but when you’re not going toward the rim when shooting, you’re less likely to draw whistles. When you’re playing at Michigan State or anywhere on the road, you’re even less likely.
But it’s pretty difficult to argue that when Purdue was facing a damn good defensive team at Michigan State, that it should have deviated from the formula that got it to where it was in the first place. That just doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Haas missed his last shot, after Gavin Schilling twice put two hands on him, which is supposed to be a foul. In that situation, it is very rarely going to be, but if something is supposed to be a foul, it's fair to suggest that it might have affected the shot. That’s not why Purdue lost. Purdue lost because Michigan State is really good, especially on their home floor, and a pro made a 73-foot contested three to win it. I’m not sure how such a loss to a No. 1-seed sort of team became a referendum on the usage of the guy who almost won that game.
But anyway, that wasn’t your question.
Yeah, Purdue will, and should, work to get Haas the best position possible. If that means working the ball around more until it can be achieved, or Haas posting, kicking and re-posting, they should explore that whenever possible and certainly are now. But you also want to make this as simple a deal as you can.
We'll see if this single-coverage stuff — the "blueprint," as it's being called — continues.
The way Haas has been stomping people the past few games and the not-so-hot way Purdue’s been shooting threes — and with Wisconsin having no chance at all if Ethan Happ gets in foul trouble — I wonder if maybe some double-teams don’t start coming again this week.
