I'll never understand why he didn't implement his "Havoc" defense there.
People have talked about this even before Shaka Smart was a thing, but you can't play real full-court press defenses with top-flight talent. To play full-court press like Havoc you have to have players that will commit 100% of their energy to defense, be happy with scoring by committee, be willing to play fewer minutes so you can run multiple lines out there and go 100% all the time. Only underdog players on underdog teams will really be willing to do that shyt full time. You have to have a chip on your shoulder, or know you can't win any other way, or be really fukking humble, or it won't work.
I don't think its true that it's impossible to play the press against talent. If you had the right talent you could do it. Imagine if a team put together Lonzo Ball, Dejounte Murray, and Matisse Thybulle, then paired them with a couple mobile bigs (like LeBron/Bosh in the Miami days or Durant/Draymond on GSW). That team could press the fukk out of NBA talent and make their lives hell. Hell, even Philly's current squad might be able to do it, especially if they hadn't given up Jimmy. But they'd wear themselves out physically, have to platoon a lot, the best players wouldn't be getting featured as much in the halfcourt offense, they'd have to go 100% all game every game, injuries might increase....it's just hard to see NBA talent being willing to do that for multiple seasons.
For a realistic shot at something crazy, if the Pelicans can put together a late run and make the playoffs, it might be the perfect time to put in a press. Remember how Holiday was bulldogging Dame in the 1st round a couple years ago and they kept sending a second player to trap? That was halfway there already. Right now the Pelicans can't guard inside in the halfcourt....so fukk the halfcourt. Have Holiday and Ball blanket whoever is catching the inbounds pass, put Ingram and his long-ass arms out there at midcourt to rush the inbounder if the ballhandler gets in trouble or rush back if they try to clear deep, and then Zion can be back to outposition and outjump anyone if they try to bomb it. They really have great personnel and a great underdog situation to try it for at least one upset series.
Garrido out the picture, we are starting to get some black players.
