Pacers Pregame: Vogel eschews offensive boards
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Assistant Editor
INDIANAPOLIS – Washington point guard John Wall is blazing fast in transition and loves to push the ball up the floor. At his side, he has willing and able running mates in Trevor Ariza, Marcin Gortat and Nene Hilario. Pacers coach Frank Vogel knows his big team is in for a challenge against an opponent that leads the Eastern Conference in fast-break points at 18.6 a game.
“It’s the John Wall show,” Vogel said. “All five of our guys have to have a sense of urgency loading up to him and getting matched up. He’s as good at finding people as he is getting to the rim in transition.”
Vogel said Wall’s knee injury, which cost him much of the 2012-13 season, was a big reason for Washington’s 29-53 record. He felt by April that the Wizards were playing at a playoff level. The Pacers went 3-1 against Washington, with all three wins coming when Wall was hurt. This season, the Wizards are 7-8 but playing without starting shooting guard Bradley Beal and potential rookie starter Otto Porter, who has yet to make his debut.
Vogel mentioned that Indiana’s players have to start sprinting back on the release of their own shots, which could limit offensive rebounding but help slow Washington’s running game. Vogel said he was more than willing to make that sacrifice because he wants Wall to see a “wall of white shirts.”
A couple other notes from the pregame:
* On a handful of occasions this season, Vogel has gone to a three-guard lineup with Lance Stephenson as the nominal small forward and either C.J. Watson or George Hill off the ball. He’s liked it. “It works well, when we can get away with it on the defensive end, because there’s more shooters, more playmakers, more shooting out there,” Vogel said.
Could Indiana use the three-guard combination to change the pace at times?
“It’s a good lineup for us, we just have to make sure we’re not hurt on the other end with size at the wing position,” Vogel said.
* The NBA fined Brooklyn coach Jason Kidd $50,000 for intentionally spilling a drink on the floor to delay the game with 8.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of a 99-94 loss to the Lakers on Wednesday. Vogel said he saw a few clips on television of other coaches across the world of sports pulling similar tricks to get an edge. But not old boss Rick Pitino.
“Rick Carlisle tripped a guy, didn’t he, when he was an assistant coach?” Vogel said. “The Steelers coach did something peculiar last night. Coach P, he was pretty straightforward.”
But did Kidd’s actions cross a line or were they defensible as a ploy devised in the heat of the competitive moment?
“I don’t really know,” Vogel said. “That’s for you guys (media) to decide. Probably a little of both.”
