re: When do we start putting the blame on Monty Williams?

quote:

---

 The halftime break offered the Lakers an opportunity to gather themselves and reinforce their specific goals for the game. Among those goals was the victimization of the hapless Hornets; not all that many of New Orleans’ players are confident ball-handlers or passers, making the entire team very vulnerable to swarms of pressure from unexpected directions. Bryant (who logged three steals for the evening, and thrived in transition en route to 29 points) was particularly effective in attacking Hornets players from their blind side, sometimes streaking all the way across the court in his attempts to swipe the ball away. Against most opponents, that kind of gamble would result in the Lakers getting burned with a quick pass-out and an open shot. But on this occasion, players like Austin Rivers and Roger Mason Jr. — who were already pressured by their own defenders — struggled to identify Bryant’s gambit before it was too late.Ultimately, it was the ripple effects of that heavy pressure that doomed the Hornets’ offense. New Orleans’ turnover numbers (12 TOs overall, which on a per-possession basis is actually better than their season average) weren’t at all damning, but their play progression was regularly derailed by the Lakers flocking as a team toward the ball. On a given possession, a Metta World Peace tip, the ensuing bobble, and Dwight Howard hedge later, and the shot clock had already begun to close in on the Hornets from behind — forcing them into rushed execution and difficult attempts. New Orleans handled that pressure well in spots, but simply failed to do so consistently against an opponent committed to disrupting their passes and dribbles with active hands.

---

quote:

---

New Orleans has been surprisingly decent on offense this year, and their scoring output on a per-possession basis registered as the 13th best mark in the league coming into this game. But their personnel only allows for a fairly simple approach, particularly with Anthony Davis and Eric Gordon out of the lineup. Hornets head coach Monty Williams has his team running their pet play actions well, but executing simple sets reliably shouldn’t soon be confused with resilient offense. At the moment, the Hornets’ arsenal is dependable — it just isn’t particularly adaptable. Such is inevitable when the entire machine hinges on Greivis Vasquez, who put together a solid 16 points, nine assists, and five rebounds but can’t well carry the creative load of an entire team when the Lakers are coming at him in waves.

---