We all know how good the Boston Celtics are on defense, the best in the league to be sure. Their defense is so good that at times we undervalue their offense. The dribble drive offense was all the rage last year, but the Celtics have moved beyond it (though they still use some drive and kick principles). They rely a lot more on ball screens and a rotating 2-man PNR. Against the Pacers last night, I took some offensive sequences from the OT session,
Rotating PNR:
In some ways, it is very similar to what Kansas ran most of last year with a little mix of flex screens. They usually start out in a 1-2-2 set. The left corner vacates along the baseline to the opposite corner, to eventually set a baseline screen for O3. O4 (Garnett) comes to set a screen for O1 (Rondo). O1 uses the screen to either get to the rim. O3 doesn't cross until he sees what O1 is doing,
If O1 cannot get to the rim, he dribbles out to wing, then he reverses the ball back to Garnett on the pop out. If Garnett is open, he can shoot the jumper (which he does a lot). O5 drops down and sets a downscreen for O2. O2 comes up to receive the pass from O4.
O2 can shoot it if open (as Ray Allen does in one of the sequences). Otherwise, O5 (Perkins) rolls to the basket and O2 finds him on the basket cut. 
The last video sequence showed basically 2 PNRs in succession resulting in a Ray Allen 3-pointer as the Pacers get caught going underneath the screen.
Summary:
I think this offense better compliments the Celtics players than the dribble drive motion offense. Pierce is a great midrange shooter as is Garnett. Ray Allen is great coming off screens. Rondo is quick but he usually needs a screen to beat his defender. Their very efficient offense combined with their league-best defense means that they will be nearly unbeatable again this year. With the Lakers playing as well as they are, we are poised for a Lakers v Celtics Part II in June.
For more skill development info from a Celtics Assistant Coach, check outKevin Eastman's DVD on his 6 Keys to Skill Development. Be sure to check out the X's and O's of Basketball Forum to discuss this and more of your favorite basketball topics.
From Friday night, college basketball action between Arizona and Texas A&M. Arizona led the entire night but the Aggies just kept scratching and clawing their way back. It was a thrilling finish highlighted by a missed Arizona free throw and a 3-pointer by Texas A&M to steal the win. Here are the last couple of sequences,
No pictures, just some thoughts. Closing out games is one of hardest things to get across, mostly because it's instinctual. But certainly experience does factor in. Making free-throws, and especially the front-end of a 1-and-1 is crucial. It's just that simple, make your free-throws and you'll win more games. I remember a team I helped coach one year we had terrible free-throw shooting as a team, something like 50%, we lost several close games. Contrast that with another team I helped coach that had great free-throw shooting, 70%+, we won several games just by making those big free-throws at the end of games.
On the 3-point shot, that's a tough one. Arizona is up by 2 so of course, your priority is to protect the basket first. The shot they gave up was to Nathan Walkup who isn't a starter. So on the one hand you say, well what are the odds that a guy off the bench who's only taken 1 other shot all game and barely played will knock down the game-winning 3-pointer, especially when all they need is 2 points to tie. But on the other hand, how does your defense lose a guy on the perimeter and allow him to take an uncontested shot? Obviously it was a defensive breakdown and probably 9 out of 10 times, Walkup doesn't make the shot but when it is that 1 time, you get burned. If you are Aggies head coach Mark Turgeon, it's that kind of situation where as a coach, if Walkup misses you give him the look like "why d'you take that shot? We only needed a 2-pointer, run the play!!" When he makes it, you just look up to the sky and say "Thank you."
Summary:
As a coach after close wins or losses like this, I often go over each sequence over and over and think of better ways to go. On wins, I often reflect on how sometimes you just need a little luck, or good thing we ran that play or switched defenses. On losses, it's usually why didn't we run this, or substitute so-and-so, or called timeout, etc... It can drive you crazy, but it's also what's so great about the game.
If you're looking for more buzzer beating plays for your season coming up, take a look at Jay Wright's brand new DVD on Late Game Sets. Coach Wright is the head coach at Villanova. To discuss this and many more of your favorite basketball topics, head over to the X's and O's of Basketball Forum to talk with other coaches from around the world.
In between some great college football games, I went through some recorded stuff including the big win by UNC over Michigan St. earlier in the week. We all know that UNC is great on the fast break, but you only get that fast break if you force turnovers on defense. The Tar Heels are tough defensively and against a solid Spartans team, they still managed to force 21 turnovers.
Traditional thinking is that in order to force turnovers, you have play some kind of full court press or at a minimum a hard M2M pressure defense. I'm not saying that they don't do those things, the Heels do play great M2M pressure, ball denial, and they pressed on occasion, but what generated all those turnovers was just tough interior defense. They pick their spots and seize on opportunities. Here were a few great sequences I caught from the first half,
Ball in the Paint, 5 in the Paint:
As the ball is entered into the paint, the all 5 Heels collapse on the ball. Now, they took advantage of 2 things, a mediocre-shooting MSU squad and quickness on defense. The Heels can do this because on the kick out, they have the speed to close out and get a hand up on shooters. Your team may not have that quickness, but at the lower levels, its rare to meet an opposing team that is automatic from 3-point land. I'd much rather take my chances giving up some perimeter shots if I can stop the ball in the paint everytime,
Bad Shots Lead to Fast Breaks:
I think it's mostly common knowledge among coaches that bad shots do lead to easy fast breaks. But I just want to emphasize that the problem is exacerbated if your players vacate the top of the key to rebound. We all want offensive rebounding, but not against a team that runs the break as well as UNC, and not when your responsibility is to be the safety,
Summary:
Obviously all coaches would like their games to turn into layup drills on offense. What makes UNC so good is that they pick their spots and they don't take any big gambles. They wait for the opposing team to make a mistake, then they finish the play. You know your defense is really good when your team can force turnovers against bad teams and good teams alike.
Learn to master the Carolina M2M defense by checking out Roy Williams' DVD on The Carolina Defensive Numbering System & Drills. Be sure to check out the X's and O's of Basketball Forum to discuss this and more of your favorite basketball topics.
Preston Laird is Living the Dream with the Memphis Tigers
Posted by bruchu Labels: Motivation and LeadershipFeel good story heading into the weekend. This is freshman guard Preston Laird who is living out his dream as a walk-on with his hometown school and team, the Memphis Tigers. From the interview, you can see why Coach John Calipari decided to take in this "Rudy" of sorts. This is a young man with the right attitude, realistic goals, and with a good head on his shoulders. He even wants to be a coach someday :)
Went through some recorded games earlier today and the Utah Jazz game against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night in Sacramento caught my eye. I knew the Jazz lost last night without Carlos Boozer and when I looked them up, the Jazz are still 12-8 with players injured. In this game against the Kings, Boozer was out and so was Kirilenko, Deron Williams is also not 100%.
I wrote last year about the Jazz's motion styled offense last season. With so many injuries to key offensive players, it looks like Coach Sloan has gone to a flex continuity while those guys are not on the floor. Take a look at a few sequences I took from the second half,
There are many versions of the flex offense, and this would be one of them. It's not true motion because in true motion, there is no set pattern, just spots on the floor and principles.
Flex Continuity:
They usually start out in a 1-4 low or mid-post look. O1 is up top and the opposite post comes up to receive the pass. O5 sets the flex baseline screen for O3 who cuts to the basket. O4 can find O3 if open,
O3 cuts all the way through and sets another baseline flex screen for O2. Meanwhile, O1 sets a downscreen for O5 who cuts up to the top of the key to receive the pass from O4. O5 can shoot the ball if open, or find O2 who has cut off the flex screen,
Finally, O4 goes down to set a downscreen for O3. O3 comes off the screen and can come up all the way to the 3-point line, or curl for the midrange. Meanwhile, O2 sets another baseline flex screen this time for O1,
If the ball goes to the corner at any point, they will run cross-block screens. Here O3 can either go all the way to the weak side corner to fill, or as Korver does in the clip, come back to the corner while O2 dribbles up to the wing. O2 finds Korver in the ball-side corner for the wide open 3-pointer,
Also, remember the sequence when Okur puts the ball on the floor and drives to the basket. Each player always has the option to shoot or drive to the basket, spacing is key as usual.
Summary:
I think sometimes people think "oh, that offense is so simple, it couldn't possibly work at this level." Simple is often times better. I think more teams should use some form of a continuity or motion especially if you have a bunch of players that are more or less equal in talent. It forces you to move the ball and for players to move around. It does create great shot opportunities. The only downside being you can't always control who it is that ends up with the shot.
If you run the flex and are looking for a few quick hitters to control who gets to shoot, then take a look at Leon Rice's DVD on Quick Hitters for Flex Offense. Leon Rice is an assistant coach with Gonzaga University who run the flex offense. Be sure to check out the X's and O's of Basketball Forum to discuss this and more of your favorite basketball topics.
First off, I just want to say my condolences go out to Coach Sam Mitchell who was fired yesterday as the Toronto Raptors head coach. It's always regrettable when a coach loses his job because it's like being told you are no longer the father to your children (like but obviously not the same).
But major congratulations to Jay Triano becoming the first Canadian to ever be a head coach in the NBA. This is a major accomplishment and as a fellow Canadian, it makes me very proud to be Canadian. As a Canadian, and a basketball coach, you always wonder that maybe its unrealistic to think that you can make it to the big-time. But there is hope after all. I've always been a Raptors fan, but all the more reason for Go Raptors Go!!!
Watched the Pittsburgh Panthers against cross town school Duquesne in college basketball action tonight. It was kind of a sluggish game, but I think that is the style of play that Coach Jamie Dixon wants. They don't want to get into a track meet like Duquesne wants, they want to run their 4-out 1-in motion offense and play tough defense. Control the tempo and you play the game your way, not your opponent's way.
The Dukes played mostly a M2M defense in the halfcourt which allowed me to capture a bunch of clips of Pitt's 4-out 1-in motion offense. It's very simple, your basic pass and pick away, pass cut and fill, but I think what you really notice is their patience and emphasis on spacing which ultimately gives them good open looks at the basket. Take a look,
Mesh Option:
There really isn't any set continuity in true motion. There are 5 positions on the floor and the idea is to fill each position. There are options out of the motion which you can run. In the clips, you'll notice the Panthers run what I'm calling the mesh option at least 2 times. It's basically a cross baseline between the 2 top players. They start out in their 4-out 1-in. O1 passes to the wing then goes to pick away for O3. O4 shuffles to fill as does O3,
The ball gets reversed and O2 goes down to the baseline past O5,
Now things get interesting. There are 2 options here. The first option is to pass back to the same wing for a 3-pointer, drive, or post-entry into O5,
Option 2, is O2 who cuts all the way to the corner. O4 passes to O1 who passes to O2 in the corner for the 3-pointer, drive or post-entry,
Also notice that each time the player receives a pass, they immediately square up into triple-threat. Because of their spacing, they always have the option to drive to the basket, especially if the defense is playing too close.
Summary:
You can't not admire their patience and discipline. That is the key, because as the ball gets reversed over and over, you'll notice the defense gets complacent. They either get tired, or simply don't believe their check is a threat to score so they let their guard down. If you don't think that works, just try this. Have 5 guys on defense, 5 on offense. Tell the offense they are to only run motion and they never shoot the ball. Set a timer and watch to see when the first defender lets his guard down. I bet it comes before 20 seconds.
If you want to implement Pitt's 4-out 1-in motion offense, then you should check out Jamie Dixon's DVD on his Attacking 4-out 1-in Motion Offense. Be sure to check out the X's and O's of Basketball Forum to discuss this and more of your favorite basketball topics.
