Just a couple weeks ago I was calling for his freaking head for not making adjustments, not using the bench and most importantly not winning games...now 15 games into the Nash-Amare-Shaq era, I feel like I have to give Mike and the team at least some credit.

Mike has adjusted very well on the fly. Looking at how we used Shaq early on in the process compared to now is like night and day.


Mike also seems to be using his timeouts better. If I recall, he called one when we were up seven the other night agasint the Warriors, normally he would have waitied until it was a one or two posession game. Also note the field goal percentage we have given up recently. No, teams don't come into US Airways Center and just start missing for no reason. We are starting to play good defense and it shows. And I kind of liked the zone defense with Shaq. He's big enough to take up a lot of space inside and if we force the other team to take longer jumpers which can lead to long rebounds and easier fast breaks. The downside is of course offensive rebounds, which were a problem even with Shaq in the game last night....but we're definitely getting there defensively.
 
Don Nelson talked about us running a traingle like offense. I think that one "triangle" play we use is feeding shaq in the post and then having the guy in the corner and the wing cut thru the lane. The baseline cut is the flex cut, and either guy can step out if his man overplays or goes to double. Its a nice read and react play, that can help ISO Shaq is everyone moves to the other side of the floor. Before Shaq got here we usually play the pick and roll and sometimes more of a circle motion offense using picks and reacting to what the defense gives them. With Shaq we are still running motion, but it is more like a triangle with the focus going into the post instead of out on the wing or top of the key and creating a strong side and weak side instead of being so spread out. It's ok Mike, you can say you're using the triangle, PJ doesn't own it XD


I also saw Amare try the quick baseline spin that Shaq made famous, except he lost the handle and the ball went out of bounds...I wonder tho, is Amare developing a back to the basket game now that Shaq is here, or has he had some back to the basket moves that Mike has been reluctant to go to until recently? We have never looked to post Amare and feed him the ball in the traditional sense and its probably hurt us a lot in the past. Mike said he didn't like throwing the ball in the post beacuse it slowed the game down too much and guys would tend to just stand around (something I can never understand about...), guess he's had a change of heart XDD


By his willingness to change, and to play the reserves more (GG, Skinner), Mike has won back a significant chunk of my trust. This seems to be a pattern - where he gets really stubborn and then eventually does what he should...unlike Frank Johnson.