Need to play with more urgency

I agree 100%! I lone comment during the game last night was about not valuing posessions and at the 15-minute mark in the 2nd half, I think we had 8 TOs, all of which were not valuing the BB. I think Clayton had at least 2 of them and Samuels had 3. Forcing the ball into traffic, lazy passes, not passing out of double teams... I think you are right in that they think they are better than they really are.

 

The laziness exhibited by a couple of players is inexcusable

 

As Billy D. said, he looked for passion and heart in players because he couldn't put that in them. They had to have it.

From what I have seen the past two games, many players on this team do not have that, and consequently lack the will to win.

I seriously doubt things turn around this year.

 

What Billy D was talking about was not the will to win on the floor during the game but the will to put in the extra practice that nobody sees to make yourself a better player. He wanted gym rats that worked hard by themselves in the gym to make themselves better players. He wasn't talking about players that "want it" more during the game. They all want to win.

As an obvious example JWill wasn't born with those ball handing skills. He put in MASSIVE hours on his own to develop them. He didn't learn them at any team practice. He (here comes the pun) JWilled himself.

 

I think this team needs to play more deliberately (i.e. with intention and a greater degree of care, esp. for the ball).

 

I agree with the lazy turnovers. If we can cut those AND keep our insane rebound margin, we will have so many more possessions than our opponents and can afford poor shooting nights and still win, especially if we hit at least 70% of our free throws

 

Billy even said as much during his interview with Miller and Haslem. Said Miller was the embodiment of the king of gym rat he wanted, always in the gym and working on his game to get better

 

Yep. Jerry West was the poster child of gym rats. He got cut from tryouts for his freshman team in high school. He was devastated, but went to work, practicing alone for 4 hours every day before the next season. He never failed to start a game after that, and eventually became the NBA logo.

 

if it only it wasn't for Russell and those pesky Celtics

 

I have seen no laziness.

 

Right. There's a difference between playing lazy and making some lackadaisical plays in the game. I think the effort has been there and wouldn't call guys lazy. But they really need to improve their attention to detail, especially in eliminating lackadaisical passes (that some might construe as lazy).

 

I call them Careless passes, fwiw. it's a mental lapse.

 

Respectfully disagree, my comment was not only about passing, I have been watching off-ball habits. But, hey, I am no expert.