Spacing forces the defense into difficult choices. This year, the Raptors have greatly improved their outside shooting (36.8% in 2013-14, 12th in N.B.A., compared to 34.3% in 2012-13, 26th in N.B.A.). Spreading out the shooters, with all players engaged in the play, provides Greivis Vasquez with several options when he is double-teamed after a high screen (Dwane Casey substituted Steve Novak into the game for Chuck Hayes immediately before this play). The Grizzlies want to blitz the high rub as time runs down without conceding a high percentage look. Two outside defenders still attached to Novak and Kyle Lowry. At …
Brooklyn Nets Ball Movement
Brooklyn Nets Ball Movement: In the fourth quarter of a tied game, the Nets went with a small line-up against the Raptors. Andray Blatched played inside and four guards spaced the floor. Earlier in the position, Paul Pierce had driven into the middle of the court and kicked the ball out. As Deron Williams begins his drive, Pierce is in the way so he must exit cut to the wing so Williams can attack. Amir Johnson leaves Pierce to stop Williams. Brooklyn has the ball in the free throw circle with one player on the weak-side block and three shooters …
Screening Zones
Screening zones generates opportunities: Marshall Plumlee sets a possible flare screen on the top of Syracuse’s 2-3 zone. When Amile Jefferson sets a ball screen, the middle defender must step up to contest Rasheed’s Sulaimon’s drive. The wings are matched up with Duke’s outside shooters. As the shot goes up, Plumlee rolls to the hoop, in a seam between defenders and towards the likely area for a missed shot to land. He is able to time the rebound perfectly and dunks the putback before any defender is ready. If Sulaimon had turned the corner, Plumlee would have been ready to …
Poor Late Game Execution
The New York Knicks passed up one shot after another (for worse shots), failed to manage the clock and lost the game. They may have run a perfect drive and kick drill for a practice session but game situations demand that a team know what shot they want to take, what they can settle for and what they can’t do (jack threes and commit loose ball fouls). During many critical plays, the Knicks fail to get a great scoring chance (such as a Carmelo Anthony drive or post up or an open look). And sometimes, there’s a reason that they’re …
Skill Development Needed for Ball Movement
The Play Since the Rudy Gay trade, the Toronto Raptors have improved their offensive efficiency to 107 and – according to Zach Lowe – pass the ball thirty more times per game. In their most recent outing, a win versus the Indiana Pacers, Terrence Ross and DeMar DeRozan converted several quick hitters off BLOBs and pindown screens. There were several plays involving multiple ball reversals, secondary assists and more passes than dribbles. This High Ball Screen / Pin-down combination gashed the Pacers throughout the game.
Denver Nuggets Ball Movement Leads to Dunk
Denver Nuggets Ball Movement Leads to Dunk: Since the Miami Heat are known for aggressively trapping ball screens in order to force the action away from the basket, the Nuggets set multiple screens during the same play. On one occasion, J.J. Hickson slips the screen and rolls to the hoop. Ty Lawson passes the ball to Darrell Arthur, a reliable jump shooter from that spot, which causes a chain reaction of bad rotations. Miami is confused as to who will cover Arthur, Hickson and Randy Foye in the corner. LeBron James feels that he cannot leave Wilson Chandler, Ray Allen …
Coaching Points from the Georges St. Pierre-Hendricks Fight
Some preliminary thoughts about GSP’s narrow decision victory: It was reasonably apparent that GSP won the 3rd and the 5th rounds and Hendricks won the 2nd and the 4th. Previous N.S.A.C. decisions have shown that you have to beat the champion soundly to dethrone them by decision (for example, Henderson-Edgar II). First impression bias (like that first takedown GSP scored at the beginning of the fight) can make powerful impressions on some people. You have to try and win the fight/game/match/contest as clearly as possible. I don’t think that Hendricks’ corner should have told him that he was up 2-0 after the first …
Offensive Execution
The execution of these plays (the process) led to two different outcomes in Chicago’s 82-81 win over New York. The Bulls involved everyone in their set, although it was designed the entire time for Derrick Rose to take the shot. On the other hand, the Knicks don’t seem involved in helping to get Carmelo Anthony open or moving into a passing lane once he gets the ball. Chicago had more diverse and more effective options as their play unfolded. In the first play, Jimmy Butler uses an elevator screen from Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer to get open at the …
High Ball Screen into Flare Screen
Down a point, the Celtics draw up a play involving their big three with multiple options (iso for Pierce, high post jumper for Garnett and three-point shot for Allen). By keeping every player moving, Boston does not allow New York to pack the paint. Kevin Garnett frees Paul Pierce with a pindown. Ray Allen inbounds to Pierce and sets a Guard-to-Guard screen for the ball. Garnett then sets a flare screen to create an open shot for Allen. Rajon Rondo and Glen Davis space the floor along the baseline. Garnett whiffs on his screen on Toney Douglas but the defender …
Don’t Stop the Ball
Chris Bosh shot-fakes repeatedly instead of attacking the hoop or moving the ball. As the twenty-four second clock is about to expire, Bosh moves the ball to Joey Graham in the corner (who is hardly a threat to shoot from that area). Passing off this late in the shot clock is not a good decision and it puts teammates under a lot of pressure. It’s selfish because one is avoiding a turnover or missed shot and giving it to a teammate who must rush instead. However, this time, Graham takes the ball strong and finishes at the rim, and Raptors …
Kobe Bryant Career Shot Chart
Over Labour Day, I decided to look into how Kobe Bryant changed how he has worked over the years. Early in his career, he was not a great shooter but developed a mid-range game as he developed and received more touches. He has always been able to get to the paint and the line. Lately, his percentages have trailed off a bit and he has been shooting more from just inside the arc than closer to the paint. For someone who has taken almost five thousand three-point shots, Bryant has never been an above-average shooter from that area. The shot …
Tim Duncan Highlight Reel
Throughout the postseason, especially during the Western Conference Finals, Tim Duncan has demonstrated why he was worthy of First Team All-N.B.A. consideration. He has been a steady screener and a sound shooter (every big should master the jumper from the foul line area. Perhaps most surprisingly, Duncan seemed to redouble his efforts against the potent post due of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, outhustling his counterparts for rebounds and on rim runs and taking over games in overtime. The N.B.A. assembled a Duncan highlight reel proving that the sixteen year veteran still has game.
Protect the Rim
Not only did the outcome (a buzzer beater to win the game) suggest that Indiana should have defended Miami’s last shot differently but the process behind the Pacers defense was also flawed. Michael Jordan may have said that he would force LeBron James to the left (however, I think that he would have cut him off before the rim). The zone shooing percentage of the Heat players suggested that the Pacers should have used 7’ Roy Hibbert, helped from anyone but Ray Allen or double-teamed the ball to force LeBron to pull-up or pass. Indiana could not have been surprised …
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 …
Toronto Raptors Clutch Defense
We’ve seen this before. A hot shooter pulls up at the top of the key, given plenty of room, and drills the winning shot as time expires. The remaining defenders could have helped by closing the paint but they were standing still, out of the way and unable to help if they wanted to. During the preceding the team should have discussed how they would guard a game-winning shot attempt and prioritized who should stay on their check and who should help. I think the team should have focused on Kyrie Irving and Wayne Ellington and forced Dion Waiters and Shaun Livingston …
When Duke Doesn’t Rebound
Duke lost to North Carolina State 84-76 on Saturday, their first loss of the season. Although there were some injuries, the Blue Devils were too focused on the outside and not aggressive enough, as has been the case in many high profile losses. Many times, the Blue Devils were out of position and Richard Howell and C.J. Leslie pounded Duke inside and on the glass.