BuzzerBeater Forums

I'm gonna go and change Zeus approval vote for this loss.

It's unlucky that PTB didn't work for us this time, hopefully we can be on the other side of a 1 point game very soon against a better ranked team!

Last edited by Lemonshine at 11/10/2014 2:37:48 PM

Getting beaten on a buzzerbeater after such an amazing fight back in the last quarter was sickening. One of those days, we failed to shut down their inside. That's all I can see.

There big men were just a bit too much to handle. The 7m dmi C looked very neat and just outclassed us but a performance you can take positives from as well as improvements for the next game.

Last edited by js8 at 11/10/2014 4:34:42 PM

Why didn't you predict an inside offense, just a case of feeling you had enough in the bank? Or worried that Poland and Lithuania had made that call and he was due to switch it up?

I would have thought they have to be pretty wedded to inside tactics against the better teams with that roster, just mixing it up at home against a lower ranked team occasionally to try to keep people honest. Hindsight being a wonderful thing obviously....

Why didn't you predict an inside offense, just a case of feeling you had enough in the bank? Or worried that Poland and Lithuania had made that call and he was due to switch it up?

I'm sure you're aware its not going to be as simple as saying its this reason or that reason. Its a little more complex than saying one specific reason.
Without saying too much about my personal opinion on when to use gdp, in case other nations are looking, I prefer to use gdp when I'm the underdog. Its a risk that can cost you a game you would otherwise win when you get it wrong. This is looking like it might be a mistake.
Both things you said are correct. I did believe, particularly after the week before, that we had enough in the bank. And I did feel there was a possibility he'd change tactics, perhaps to II. I think this looks like a mistake too.

I would have thought they have to be pretty wedded to inside tactics against the better teams with that roster, just mixing it up at home against a lower ranked team occasionally to try to keep people honest.

Fair comments, except that all the games are neutral, there's no home team.

I think the biggest factor is I felt we had much better depth, and given the substitution patterns normally favour us, because it keeps the fitness of our players higher than the opposition, I felt this depth would enable us to dominate the second half. I still felt we had a chance even at half time. This was half correct as we had a really strong third quarter. I'd have expected it to continue into the fourth, but it didn't.

I have a feeling that in a game that's influenced by the random nature of statistics, if you ran the game 10 times, we'd win the next nine, some of them quite comfortably. We haven't been dominated quite as badly as that second quarter by anyone, even the bigger nations we've played. Its almost unexplainable. But yes, gdp would have won it for us.

Thanks. I hope you realise I'm not asking the question to try to make a point or second guess you (the point I have made unwittingly with the home/away comment is that I don't usually pay much attention to national team games...), rather that I feel you did an really good job last season and are always open to discuss the games in detail, so I will probably learn something.

My perspective would always be that it's either the right decision to use gdp or the wrong decision. That decision is obviously complex and subjective and it's usually the wrong decision once you conclude that in most cases you're basically guessing, but if you only ever use it when you're an underdog, then you are more open to being upset and won't reap the full reward from that part of the game when you're not the favourite if (as I suspect) other GM's are less reticent to use gdp.

I take your point on statistical variance though, I formed my views on the value of gdp from reviewing what in the grand scheme of things is a relatively small sample of games. I could be miles out with my assessment of how impactful correct predictions are and how hurtful incorrect ones are...

The only slight concern I have was the use of PTB, which needs a balanced advantage to be most effective. Here, it looks like we just forgo the bonus of a motion or run 'n' gun attack. We shouldn't have lost this game, but sometimes the ball bounces the wrong way.

Thanks. I hope you realise I'm not asking the question to try to make a point or second guess you

I read it as if you were just asking the question rather than saying I was wrong. I think its a reasonable topic for discussion and I don't really feel I'm unfallible. As you know lol.

The only slight concern I have was the use of PTB, which needs a balanced advantage to be most effective.

I take it you mean Armenia's imbalance rather than our offence. Certainly I think that's a very good point.

GEORGIA ON EVERYONE'S MIND
We returned to winning ways tonight against Georgia. They put up a strong fight, especially their inside men who gave us a lot of trouble, but with the help of some manipulation of the lineup, and some strong individual performances from key men we were able to do enough to won fairly comfortably in the end.

The first half was very tight, in fact Georgia started both quarters strongly, but we finished them better than they did. It seemed that might indicate we'd be dominant in the second half, and without achieving complete dominance, we were on top for most of it, and the 41 points in the fourth quarter gave us a scoreline that I think fairly reflected the difference between the teams.

The manipulation of the lineup I mentioned earlier was to make sure Innes started at PF, and that he played most of the minutes there. It didn't quite work perfectly, I wanted Marshall to play most of the game at SF, but Innes at PF in a motion offence was always going to be a plus for us and it worked well.

Innes, and in a bit of a surprise, Palit top scored. Not because Palit isn't a good player, its just I value him as a passer rather than as a shooter. But he was on fire tonight. Sharpling showed he still has it with 4 assists and Innes led rebounding with 13.

On now to Estonia. They lost to Armenia today, so they have the same record as us. This makes it a very important game for both of us. Armenia are now in a good position too. They've played the top four teams and won twice, and should really win the remaining three. That leaves a possibility of a group of teams on 5-2 relying on PD to qualify.

Its looking difficult right now, but far from impossible, so I hope no one has lost faith yet. Its not over.

Solid performance today mate - enjoyed watching it