SmellinRoses said:
Coleman is a ball hog period - and he's not a good shooter. He isn't even remotely looking to pass to any open man his wild driving creates.
Was good to see Lee play well.
Just my opinion, but I don't think Coleman is a ball hog. He has an uncanny ability to finish at the rim, but that depends first of all on him generating great speed. He is also a pretty good passer who sometimes creates baskets with assists. I think he has a one-track mind, in that when he gets the ball, he quickly makes a decision to pass or shoot, and 80-90% of the time, he decides to drive and shoot or to shoot a perimeter shot. When he decides to pass, it will usually be an assist. The problem is that once he decides, his mind locks in on that plan, and he is almost unable to change his mind on the fly. If he decides to drive, he immediately begins to accelerate tremendously, and he can not stop until he puts up a shot. He can not even slow down and veer off to the side and bring the ball back out, or pass it back out.
The best guards, when they drive, are able to think on the fly as the play develops. Jason Kidd could do all of that, often changing his mind at the last second, on what he would do, shoot, pass, or dribble away from the defenders and restart the offense. A player like Justin Cobbs or Ty Wallace were good guards, but not great, and could change their minds during a drive, but usually made their decision to shoot or pass much earlier in the drive than Kidd would do, and they more often chose to take the shot. Kidd's last second decisions were usually to not take the shot if it was not a good look, and make the pass. If neither option was good, he would not give up the ball like Coleman does, but he would make another decision to back off an restart the offense in hopes of getting a better shot for himself or a teammate. While speed is Coleman's great asset, it is also his problem, because once he gets up to speed, he is going so fast, he no longer can change his mind not to take the shot, if it is a bad look, or if a teammate is more wide open. Kidd, Cobbs, and Wallace all played slower (by different degrees) than Coleman on the drive.
SFCityBear