Tyler Hansbrough: The Pacers Solution at Power Forward

June 25, 2009
The night I’d been waiting for most of the season had arrived. We would finally see what significant move the Pacers would make to alter the franchise’s future. I DVR’d the draft and had my fiancee fast forward to the point where David Stern announced the Pacers pick when I got home from work. I wanted a complete surprise for the announcement. I didn’t want to wait in suspense as the players I liked were pick ahead of us (Jennings and Terrence Williams).

I hit play, and after a few minutes of semi-shock I accepted that we’d picked Tyler. I was unhappy about the pick, but then something strange happened. My opinion of Tyler changed drastically over the next six months as I became more familiar with his game.
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My goal here is to identify a few things about Tyler’s game and pinpoint/confirm what my instincts are telling me. I think he’s the solution at power forward, which is quite a long way from how I felt about him one year ago. It’s a bold statement to make, especially here, but there are too many things that I like about his game. He has weaknesses, but I don’t value them like others here do and I think he can overcome most of them.

Please note that this is not a discussion about his health issues. This thread is solely based on his ability to play basketball, and while I’m extremely concerned about his health, I’m hoping the speculation is ignored for purposes of basketball discussion.

I hope to update this thread periodically as I find more material to work with. What I have is limited, but like listening to a new album, I can always go back and find things I hadn’t noticed before. Also, I’ll point out a few things that I’ve noticed in games that may not relate to Tyler, just to keep it fresh and to envoke thoughts about the Pacers and basketball in general.
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When I watch a basketball player, the main thing I pay attention to is how that player impacts or influences the game. I believe this is more important than stats, though stats will back up what is seen a majority of the time.

There are a lot of factors that go into a player’s impact on any given game. Some times these factors are based on talent, other times it’s on skill, and other times it’s based on other factors such as leadership, tempo, mentality, focus, IQ, etc..

In general I think there are some players that rarely have negative impacts on a game because their immense impact in one area can overshadow other weaknesses. For example, Dwight Howard’s ability to keep opponents out of the paint almost automatically makes his impact positive, even on a night where he’s 2-11 with 4 turnovers. On the other hand, I think there are some players that can rarely have a positive impact despite their immense impact in one area. For example, Kevin Martin’s inconsistency lack of resistance on defense almost automatically wipe out any great offensive night.

I’m almost hesitant to say what I’m about to say because the idea of it is generally overrated and misused, but I think Tyler’s main impact is what’s normally considered “intangibles”. A lot of players have them, even on the Pacers. I always think of Derrick McKey, because he brought so much to a game, and then you’d look at the stat sheet and wonder where all of his production went. A lot of the things he did aren’t seen on a general stat sheet, so unless you were watching him play it’s hard to fully understand why a guy with his stats is regarded as one of the most important Pacers of all time by Donnie Walsh.

With Tyler, his biggest intangible is his combination of relentlessness, mental toughness, and physicality. Throughout the years we’ve seen a lot of “intangibles” guys with qualities similar to Tyler. There are guys that have made a hell of a career out of it. But what Tyler does with it goes above and beyond any player I’ve ever seen. When Jeff Foster comes out and says Tyler plays at a level he hasn’t seen, it makes you think. Think about that for a minute…Jeff Foster, one of the most energetic, hardest working warriors the Pacers have ever had, is amazed at Tyler’s intensity level.

But what does this mean? Why is it important? How can it be of value?
I think it has more value now than at any other time in the past 20 years. Power forwards are getting smaller, trimmer, and more averse to contact. Tyler has the ability to knock most players out of their comfort zone with his physicality. He will relentlessly fight to keep players from getting good position. He will wear them down until they give up and stop trying. At this point, Tyler has won the battle.

This is important because it’s much more difficult for a player to find rhythm when they are unable to get comfortable. Also, the amount of energy expended by playing against someone that is stronger/more physical can make a player fatigue very quickly. Anyone here that’s ever had to guard someone that is 25 or more pounds stronger can attest to how much of a physical battle it can be. In addition, Tyler is one of those people that appears to be stronger than his size. He has a natural strength that makes him even more physically imposing. Antonio Davis was also like this, despite his very thin frame.

This is an extremely valuable trait. As teams become more familiar with his play, the league will reach a point where a lot of players will dread playing him. In other words, we will have won a battle before a game has begun.

I think Reggie Miller had a few traits that are different than Tyler’s but accomplished the same effect. Reggie would wear his opponents out by running them all over the court. This made their offensive games worse, which is basically another way of saying Reggie played defense by offense. Also, Reggie would win the pre game battle as players would dread playing against him.

I’ll be able to uncover some of these scenarios on video. I’ve seen it happen.

Tyler’s relentlessness can also be measured in other ways. Occasionally you’ll find him trailing the ball during an offensive set, always making himself available in case he’s needed for a bailout. He’s always in defensive stance and ready for you to attack him in the paint. This is what I think Dahntay was referring to when he said he felt comfortable “knowing that Tyler is back there”. It is mentally taxing to know that someone is always going to be there ready for you if you attempt to make a move.

Another thing about Tyler is that he understands how to play the game of basketball. He’s not going to hurt you with a lot of bad decisions. He finds a way to make almost all of his playing time effective, whether he’s setting a pick, directing traffic, getting in position for a rebound, or making his man chase him in transition. I can’t think of any fundamental aspects of his game that need a lot of refining.

While he has his strengths, he also has several weaknesses, but I don’t look at many of them without thinking they’re correctable. He’ll never be taller, so some opponents will be able to shoot over him. Again, I don’t value it the same as most people because I see Tyler pushing people out further than they want to be. Some matchups are difficult for him, but not very many. I also see one of his weaknesses as scouting. He has trouble with bigs that can retreat to the three point line and hit an open shot. I saw that as his biggest weakness this past season, but it’s not something that is uncorrectable. His biggest offensive problem is getting his shot blocked. Obviously he cannot grow, but he can learn to use his body more effectively to create space. His shooting percentages are low, but this is very typical of rookies and it also appears that he may have been affected by his balance. He probably shot around 54% in college, so he’ll no doubt improve on the 36% he shot last year.
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Now I will get into some things I’ve picked up during games. To start, I’ll use a few clips from his first NBA game vs. Washington on 11/6/09. Keep in mind that what you see is after very little practice time and lots of rust, which makes it that much more impressive to me.
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Washington Wizards 11/6

Q1

1:25-1:14
He starts off the half-court set by making himself available for a pick, then backs off as the set play begins. He then extends out, either leaving himself with a wide open shot, a chance to drive the lane, and/or a defensive three seconds call on Blatche. Please note that this happens because of Hansbrough’s recognition on the previous offensive series. Washington had just switched into a faux 2-3 zone, so Tyler knew his open spot would be near the arc. Also, pay close attention to how Tyler eyes the floor as he slides @1:23-1:22. This foreshadows the spot where Danny is going to dribble. Tyler finds a spot near the baseline to avoid clogging Danny’s driving lane. ([I]side note: a good offensive coach could have made a great adjustment based on what happens at this exact moment. Notice how all five defenders have their hips squared/eyes focused towards Danny. The left baseline becomes wide open as Solomon draws his defender out towards Danny on the pick. @ 1:22, Tyler has Blatche beat on a backdoor alley-oop, but unfortunately the opportunity was missed as we continued to execute the poorly designed play, which appears to be a Danny drive and kickout….yes, to sharpshooters Earl Watson and T.J. Ford. Also note that Earl Watson and Josh McRoberts made in-game adjustments towards the end of the season on this very scenario. Earl/Josh would wait for Josh’s defender to lose sight of Josh as the backdoor became open and then Josh would explode to the hoop.[/I]). As Danny spins to the middle of the floor, he finds himself in trouble. Tyler recognizes and puts himself in a position to bail Danny out.

1:14-1:09
He follows up this small sequence by trailing the ball as it hits the weakside. Most importantly, he does it in a way that accomplishes three things: 1) he moves in a way to avoid clogging the lane should the dribbler penetrate, 2) he makes himself available for a pick should Watson choose to go left, and 3) follows Watson to the basket for either a catch and finish or a chance at an offensive rebound.

In other words, he shows several ways to be effective without the ball on one possession. I cannot state how undervalued this is to team offense. This explains how an offense can be more effective when a below average (skills) offensive player like Josh McRoberts replaces a highly skilled offensive player like Troy Murphy, who is mostly uninvolved in the offensive set until the ball gets to him (addition by subtraction). More opportunities arise, the opposing defense works harder and exerts more energy, and the players become more invested in the game. Tyler, like Josh, has this ability to be effective without the ball.

1:09-0:57
Not much else happens in this sequence, but I did want to point out one more thing. @ 1:04, Randy Foye is in a position to drive to the rim as his defender (Earl Watson) is slow to make it back in transition. Tyler does a nice job of getting into defensive stance between his man and Foye, preventing Foye from the drive. This allows Watson to get back into the play and we get defensively set. Unfortunately this is all negated when Solomon Jones (as usual) gets out of position and allows Haywood to get an easy layup. It’s still nice to have a defender that can negate an easier drive to the basket (by Foye) by getting in defensive stance and good position.

Q2

3:18-3:13
Hansbrough gets beat off the dribble by Caron Butler. I show this because it shows that Tyler can’t regularly guard small forwards off the perimeter. The good news though is that I think he shows enough on this possession to prove he could do it on occasion with some small forwards and he should easily be able to guard all power forwards. Butler doesn’t beat him by a lot.

Q3

2:25-2:04
[I]Side note: @ 2:09 Hibbert gets a towel ripped out of his mouth by Lester Connor after showing enthusiasm and celebrating while our lead had grown to double digits. Hibbert’s demeanor changed for the remainder of the game and his enthusiasm disappeared. This is something I noticed immediately and kept my eye on for the remainder of the season. I had concern that Hibbert was not one of Connor’s favorites, but that didn’t seem to affect Hibbert’s impact in the game the Connor coached. It turned out to be a non-story.[/I]

1:29-1:13
Tyler prevents Arenas from dribbling further (Watson wanted to force him that direction). Tyler is tripped by Watson as he’s recovering to Blatche. Blatche rolls to the front of the rim as Randy Foye puts up the shot. Tyler recovers by sliding in front of Blatche for the rebound (honestly, this is just a poor play by Blatche…one of many reasons I wouldn’t want him on our team despite his good stats). In transition, Hansbrough finds an open spot near the elbow, gets the ball, and drives it further into the lane with a pump fake and draws the foul. Some people on this board complain about the move, which is one of Tyler’s staples, by saying he’s throwing up wild, out-of-control shots at the rim, but I think it’s very solid. He turns his body perpendicular to the basket/defender, leading with his off shoulder. Also, he puts his left arm up straight. These two things create the space needed for Hansbrough to get his shot off without getting it blocked or getting called for the offensive foul. His conversion rate is pretty good on this mini hook. It’s a NBA move that we’ll see this move quite regularly throughout his career.

1:07-1:01
Flip Saunders, a good offensive coach imo, has made a good adjustment here. Knowing that the Pacers are trying to force players into the middle of the floor, has Blatche set up to the right side of Arenas as they show pick and roll. Arenas drives to the paint, which is where Watson forces him, and he’s met by Hansbrough. Only problem is that this leaves Blatche wide open for an elbow jumper when Arenas makes the pass. This is a good adjustment by their coach to our strategy. This is something that Tyler has to recognize and adjust to as he plays more. Fundamentally he does the right thing, but this turns into a big problem when he’s guarding a good shooter. I can’t recall how many times this season his opponent wound up hitting a wide open three because of this occurring…I’d actually consider it his biggest defensive weakness at this point.

Also, in this play he slides a little too far into the paint and is out of position.

0:38-0:12
Hansbrough is guarding the much taller Andray Blatche. (side note: A.J. Price does an excellent job beating Blatche’s attempted screen at about 0:37..part of it was also Foye leaving too early and Blatche not getting into good stance). Tyler has no problem outmuscling Blatche, though both players are at the same weight. He fronts Blatche at one point, daring Foye to lob it into the paint. After Tyler refuses to give up position, Blatche catches the ball near the 3 point line, which is nowhere near the position that he wanted. This is something that happens with most NBA players that are outmuscled. They will stop fighting for their normal, comfortable spots on the floor. This is one unseen area where Tyler’s strength can have a positive effect for the duration of a game (for most NBA players, but not all). Blatche then makes a good ball fake and drives to the middle of the floor. Hansbrough is slighly beaten, but then recovers and subtly pushes Blatche away from the basket as he hits the middle of the floor. Notice how Tyler remains in good defensive stance; knees are bent, legs are wide, and arms are out. He also keeps his left arm up as Blatche makes a right-handed pass to Stevenson. At this point in the season the Pacers defensive philosophy was to force players into the paint, which is what Dahntay does at 0:28. Hansbrough is in position, waiting for Stevenson. He forces Stevenson into a difficult bounce pass by keeping his arms out. Price is able to dig in and deflect the pass, which becomes loose and is controlled by the Pacers. Tyler puts himself in a good position on the other end, A.J. shoots the 3, and Tyler sneaks in for the offensive rebound and putback. Unfortunately, this is where we see one of his weaknesses as he gets his shot swatted by Haywood and Stevenson. It’s not that Tyler doesn’t get off the ground quick; it’s that he doesn’t get much lift after he’s been bumped. This is the main contributor, along with his height, to why he gets a lot of shots blocked down low. This is a situation where Tyler needs to use his strength and width to clear more space, which we’ve seen him do on his mini-hook. Another option here is for Tyler to bring the ball back out. It isn’t preferred, but it beats a turnover should the opponent’s block stay in-bounds.

Q4

11:52-9:56
Partially as a result of Tyler’s physicality earlier in the game, Blatche spends a good portion of this position further out on the floor than he wants to be. Blatche isn’t a very physical player, but typically he played a little closer to the paint this season than he does during this possession. Andray then does his best Richard Hamilton imitation, trying to get open on the perimeter. At this point he has been mentally beaten by Hansbrough. It’s a bit comical to see him try to beat Tyler off the dribble like a small guard. This goes nowhere, he eats up the clock, then passes it out and retreats to the three point line. Luckily Foye bails Washington out with a 3, but I consider this a pretty successful defensive possession, due mainly to Hansbrough’s defense. It looks like the play may have been for Blatche, but it was blown up by Tyler’s refusal to allow Blatche good position (and imo, a result of his work earlier in the game). Also, notice how Tyler stays in good stance during the entire possession. It’s more difficult to beat a guy that is always ready for your next move.

On the other end, Tyler knocks down a jumper at 11:16 off of a good penetration move by T.J.. This is one of the shots he normally made in college but really struggled with this season. I fully expect him to make this shot consistently, a la Udonis Haslem. This will be a key factor in raising his FG%

Back on defense, watch how Tyler prevents Stevenson from making a pass to Blatche @11:01. This is part of what tbird commonly refers to when he says defense starts before your man gets the ball. It’s a low risk, moderate reward play as Tyler knows Blatche isn’t going to make a move to the hoop. It allows Tyler to be more aggressive on the perimeter. It takes about an extra 3 seconds off of the shot clock, gets Washington out of rhythm, and they wind up taking a bad shot on the possession.

@10:35, you see Tyler wave to the bench that he needs out of the game. This is another small but important facet of one’s game. Ultimately it’s the coach’s job to recognize when his players need to come out, but it’s equally as important for the players to communicate with the coaches and let them know when they need to come out. As competitive as most players are, their pride prevents them from making the right move when they’re out of gas. We know how competitive Tyler is, so he gets extra props here.

I am truly convinced that he’s mentally beaten Blatche at this point and he knows it. As a result you see him get a little more aggressive and he starts to roam a little more. As the final play of his first game, you see him get a good helpside block on Mike James @9:56, though a foul is called on Price. Tyler doesn’t hunt for a lot of blocks, but if you see him doing it, it likely means that he’s beaten his opponent and is now roaming the floor for extra help.

Tyler is very good at recognizing and capitalizing on the mental warfare within a game. It doesn’t have near the impact as the example I’m about to give, but it’s the same thing that happens when Dwight Howard starts blocking shots and opponents stop driving the ball into the paint. It doesn’t show up on the stat sheet but it has a positive impact on the game. Dwight’s example is more noticeable, but Tyler’s impact is significant and underrated. As the game becomes less physical, Tyler has a greater chance of having this impact in each game with his physicality and toughness, especially as opponents around the league become more familiar with his game and have played against him. In fact, we’ve already heard grumblings about some teammates not wanting to practice against him and opponents complaining about the physical contact. At this point, Tyler’s already won before the game is even started. As Pacers fans this should remind us a lot of Reggie Miller. Reggie would get into opponents’ heads before tipoff because they knew they’d be chasing him around all night, as well as knowing they’d have to deal with his trash talking. They were already expending energy and losing focus.

As one of the least talented teams in the league, the Pacers need every advantage they can get, and this is where Tyler really helps us.
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More Tyler games to follow. Next up…Pacers vs. Golden State 11/11/09

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