Raptors Execute Many Little Things to Create Game-Winning Shot Down 1 vs. Orlando, Toronto ran an interesting SLOB to create a drive and kick situation. Lou Williams finally made a corner 3 because the team understood the details. First of all, the best time to shoot a three is when you don’t need one. The defense is more concerned about stopping penetration towards the rim than sticking to a shooter or running them off the ball. Greivis Vasquez inbounded the ball, Lou Williams started on the strong-side elbow opposite Patrick Patterson and DeMar DeRozan was on the weak-side wing. Kyle …
Fouling at the End of Games
The Lakers experienced an awkward play at the end of of Friday’s game against the Grizzlies. Memphis was up a single point with under twenty seconds remaining but Los Angeles elected not to foul immediately. Eventually, Kobe Bryant ran over and fouled Mike Conley. The Lakers eventually lost by three points. Some areas for improvement: L.A. did not seem to discuss who they would foul if this situation arose. Conley was the best free throw shooter on the court and it might have been possible to trap him in order to steal (hopefully) or force him to give up the …
Late Game Defensive Strategy
Great teams prepare for critical situations on the practice court and in the video room, discussing what will happen ahead of time and debriefing what actually occurs. It is easy to coach offensive plays and decisions but often less time is devoted to the defensive component. There are a number of ways to handle each situation so all players must have a sturdy grasp of what the team will do at this moment in time. Misunderstanding and miscommunication leads to mistakes. Below are a handful of late-game scenarios that result in stops because of solid play and sound strategy. No …
Running the Same Side Out Twice
Running the Same Side Out Twice: At the end of the game, running the same play or a similar play from the same look offers some advantages. During the first play, Al Horford sets a pindown screen for Kyle Korver and slips the screen, receiving a pass from Josh Smith and finishing with a dunk. Larry Drew tried to recapture lightning in a model and expose Dwight Howard – who was caught in no man’s land – by slipping another pindown for Korver, who is an excellent shooter in this sideline out of bounds play. The second time, Smith receives …
End of Game Situations
Coaches spend a great deal of time planning each possession in the last two minutes because these plays are closely scrutinized. Control that cannot be wielded throughout the game is certainly exerted as the clock winds down. “Clutch situations” define players and coaches and even though players perform at the levels consistent with their season-long statistics, they especially want to be known as someone who can succeed in these memorable moments. The free hand of basketball means that what a coach emphasizes when preparing for the last possession of a game will trickle down into the rest of the team’s …
Bad Defense, Again
As usual, the Air Canada Centre became a scene of disappointment as the Raptors wasted a double-digit fourth quarter lead and lost to the Jazz in triple overtime. Concerns remained the same: allowing an offensive rebound at a critical time (Utah’s game-tying possession in regulation), post-timeout execution (several times late in the game) and allowing dribble penetration too easily (forcing an unnecessary rotation and providing Paul Millsap with open looks • Millsap doesn’t always shoot corner threes, but when he does, he makes over half of them). At the end of the fourth quarter, Toronto appeared disorganized after Utah missed …
Decisions on Defense
LeBron James passes instead of taking a shot. Any time, especially Utah, would be content for someone else on Miami to take the game winning shot instead of James. The players with the ball in crunch time must read the defense, know the situation and make good decisions.
Wizards Throw One Away, Raptors Win!
Congratulations to the Raptors and their Association playoff berth. After Andrea Bargnani’s appendicitis, Jorge Garbajosa’s broken leg, and an underwhelming performance versus Kevin Durant’s next team, the Boston Celtics, Toronto regrouped and won the next two games, clinching a playoff berth. Many players shouldered the load and the team executed well under the pressure caused by the recent adversity. Michael Ruffin, on the other hand, did not execute well under pressure. On Friday, Washington was leading by three points with seconds remaining. After Ruffin intercepted a sixty-foot pass by Anthony Parker, he simply needed to dribble out the clock and …