Something I’ve been tossing about with TT6, and also discussed the other day at another great Hornets’ blog, At The Hive, is what I’ll call the Chaos Effect. I think it’s what makes the Hornets offense great, not just good. Normally, they are this San Antonio-type mold offense, who just methodically chunks points away like a banker counting his money. A jumper here, an alley-oop here, a three here, oops, you’re up by twelve! Sweet! But part of what makes them uber-effective is Chris Paul. No surprise, right? But there are two questions that this specifically begs: (1) specifically why, and (2) how does this translate to the second unit?
1. Specifically why (admittedly, only in part…)? Chris is at his most effective when he is swimming through the lane the offensive zone. I’m not sure what the right word is other than swimming. He’s so fluid cutting through defenders and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen someone do it like he does, his head on a swivel with 360 awareness, juking and jiving, and all at full speed. That’s what’s the craziest. CP doesn’t even slow down. He just tears through everyone. How can teams react, rotate, or defend when they don’t even know where he is? It’s pure chaos. And while teams are scrambling to cut him off, he dishes to the open shooter or someone streaking to the rim. 2 points. It’s this Chaos Effect that makes him unstoppable and can utterly confound defenses.
2. The Second Unit. Now for the tough question. What does the second unit do to replicate this kind of chaotic energy? So far in the regular season, they haven’t. Three point howitzers fired by Posey and Butler have been the key to our second unit. They misfired last game, though, and we lost. Mike James has seemed utterly unable to get the offense to run like it does with CP. Of course it’s because he’s not CP. But it’s also because he can’t create the Chaos Effect. But Julian Wright can. Remember the first few games of the preseason, when we started to think that MJ really was going to be a great back-up? He had Ju-Ju. With MJ able to drive or shoot, Butler and Posey on the wings, and Hilton underneath, it was Julian who was able to terrorize the opposing team’s defense with his chaotic style of play. Ju-Ju might spot up for three, he might take a midrange jumper, he might drive to the hole; or he might just pass it off to an open shooter; but moreso, he did it with freakish celerity and balance, and always seems keenly aware of his floor spacing. It’s chaotic. He’s frenetic energy. And I’m not even getting to his defense here. Julian was the one who created the Chaos Effect on the second unit, and he who made MJ look good. So for once, I’m not sure why Byron is so insistent on returning him to 110% conditioning. The man only needs to play 10-20 minutes. Let him go out there and go nuts on other teams.
I’d like to see it tonight. Please, Byron. I believe. In Chaos.
The people demand more JuJu! Seriously, unless he’s that out of game shape still, i don’t know why it would have hurt to have given him a little time on Wednesday. Considering no one else was giving the team that pop. Including half the starting lineup. They are not exempt from blame, oh you Mike James haters.
I like your theory. Makes a lot of sense, especially when I consider that, as a fan, I have trouble following CP and JuJu when they have the ball. I am always amazed at how close I am to the action, yet always liable to be just as “shook” as the defense.
My question to you is: do you think the secondary unit can keep up the chaos if Devin Brown moves to the helm? The more I see MJ run around like a crazy person (we’ll call him “true chaos” since he befuddles his teammates as well, and we’ll call Chris “controlled chaos”), I think to myself, “there’s no way Byron is going to keep using him in this role.” And that leaves DB.
Thoughts?
I trust Mike James. Seriously, you may ask? The guy who fumbles and bumbles on offense and doesn’t seem to be in sync with our system? The guy who has disappointed beyond this season?
Yes. Give the man a long stretch of 20 minutes and see what he’s capable of generating. Early losses with playoff-caliber teams mean nothing (my ‘06-07 Mavs were 0-4, then massacred with streaks of 12, 13, 8, 17, and 9), and I’d rather be certain a $6 mil investment is defunct rather than casting him away immediately. Find a core second unit, and let them play around. While he’s failed pretty much every expectation, I still hope there’s some to be salvaged.
Like Ryan (of 247 fame) said, 20 games. For some unbeknown reason, Coach Scott has not played James. Like at all. Even to last season. And Pargo played an entire solid Hornets season 2 years back. Non elite players need time to work into a system.
So before we cry ‘witch’, give him some breathing room on the leash. CP makes any comparable point look atrocious, so give James some chances.
I’m with you Mark.
Thanks, CP. I give you this great post and you do what I’m talking about a whole one time in Charlotte. Thanks for making me look like a moron.
Is there something we don’t know about Julian Wright, injury wise???
They close-upped on him on the bench and he looked sad. I looked sad, too. That was a despicable game.
But what about JuJu???
I’m hoping JuJu’s progressing well too. The last thing you want is a slow healer in this league.
Good news: we’re 2-0 against Western teams. Bad news, we’re 1-2 against Leastern teams. All games, win or lose, were ‘close’, but seriously… what the f