You know me relatively well from PD, and you’d probably consider me a defender of O’Brien. I like Obie fine, but I don’t consider him a great coach. However, I consider the general view of many who have consistently attacked O’Brien to be completely misguided. To (over)simplify, the broad accusal is that he focuses way too much on offense, and pays only lip service to defense. It seems relatively obvious to me that the opposite is true.

I can’t find the article, but Peck posted the content on PD a couple of years ago: (http://www.pacersdigest.com/showpost.php?p=633897&postcount=1), but this quote from JO seems absolutely dead on:
“He tells us the offensive end is ours, the defensive end is his,” O’Neal said. “We have to play the way he wants us to play [defensively].”

It has been my opinion for some time that O’Brien is over-engineering the defense, trying to cover all of the deficiencies of our inside players, while almost neglecting the offensive end. He gives general direction, urging more motion and taking good shots, but I don’t think he has done anywhere near enough to make sure players understand exactly what that means. There is too much left to the discretion of the players without making sure that discretion is fully developed.

So, I think if you asked O’Brien if he wanted his players to look to go to the basket first, he would probably say, “Of course,” and look at you like you were stupid. Then if you asked the players, they would probably give you some equivocating answer about just getting “good shots.”

This is all exacerbated by the make up of the team and the situation they’re facing. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that the directive for both Bird and O’Brien is to make the playoffs…now. Therefore, each injury and each loss puts more pressure on the two of them. Obie had four big security blankets last season: Granger, Jack, Murphy, and Foster. One of them is gone, and the other three have struggled mightily.

The biggest culprit in some of the offensive dysfunction, IMO, is Danny. He stands around too much, and he settles too much. A lot of it is probably the heel, but let’s not forget that these were issues he’s had earlier in his career. However, there’s really nowhere else to go. There are simply no other options. Dahntay is overperforming, but he (like T.J.) dominates the ball too much. Roy is too indecisive in the post, and we don’t have anybody who can consistently feed the post. Troy is really a safety valve, not a primary offensive option. Brandon Rush spends way too much time in the fetal position on offense. I can imagine that Obie’s eying Dunleavy like a starving man eyes a ham sandwich. So, O’Brien is stuck hoping Danny gets back to being Danny.

All offenses, regardless of design, rely on its players ability to make shots. It’s arguable whether O’Brien’s is more reliant on that by design or not, but the simple fact is that it effectively is now. When the players’ only instruction is to take “good shots,” then the all the defense has to do is show the players the “good shots” the defense wants it to take. The defense packs it in, guards against drives, digs on the post, and gives unchallenged shots 15 feet and out. With the exception of Danny (and possibly Mike), there is no one on this team that opposing defenses won’t be perfectly happy to give that shot. Viewed individually, any single shot the Pacers get is a decent-to-good shot. However, when these account for more than half of your shots over the course of the game, it becomes the death of a thousand cuts.

What I think O’Brien should be doing is simplifying the defense and just telling the guys to keep their guy in front of them. Simplify the pick and roll d to have the big try to force the dribbler away, just to break up the timing of it. Tell the players, particularly the guards, to crash the defensive glass. We are getting killed on the defensive glass, which is second in importance, defensively, only to Opp eFG%.

Then he needs to really focus on the offense. He needs to drill the players until they understand how they are being manipulated. He needs to help design ways to get more shots at the rim. Additionally, he needs to get them more comfortable with each other. He needs to stop mixing and matching, and start giving the players some consistency. He should try and get groups to play together as units. He’s going to have to make some hard choices, and he’s going to have to stick with them. I’d pretty much lock in on a 10-man rotation, and the guys who’d be watching ..for now…would be Price, McBob, Head, Diener, and, regrettably, Solo. Hibbert and Foster would always be Center. Murph and Buckaroo would always be the 4. You could probably mix and match the wings some. Watson and Ford would only play 1.

Granted, this gets screwed up by the injuries and the minutes limitations, but I think that there is definitely a lack of familiarity that is causing some problems offensively.

I think if you can get the offense to settle down, and stop being so futile, then the defense will have a much better chance to solidify.

Don’t know if that answers your question, or gives you anything to think about, and sorry I rambled, but that’s kind of where my head’s at right now.

I don’t see the post-game down here in Georgia, so maybe I missed it, but I didn’t hear anyone say we need to take it to the basket more, and quit settling, or immediately choosing, the long jump shot.

They should say that. They should do that. But I don’t hear any comments that tell me they’re even thinking about it. Would that thought be against some JOB philosophy? Do we have to make the 3s drop first, then we can attack the basket? But not until then?