1) Basketball is a game of cutting and passing.
2) Movement kills defenses.
3) Basketball is about creating separation.
Moe was a two-time All-American at UNC and then played overseas and in the ABA, a three time All-Star.
He had a solid coaching career, best known for his time in Denver.
He believed in 'freelance' offense and the transition game. His system was "move the basketball" and "run where it's uncomfortable." Most coaches don't want to implement it...there are no plays. Many players aren't comfortable because it requires too much passing.
Moe explains his offense.
The "simplest" explanation comes from an NBA 2K post.
Ira Winderman wrote (1992) "By design, Moe seeks sharp cuts away from the ball, with a 1-second limit on holding the ball. More often than not, one of the three top scorers will wind up taking the shot. About the only set part of the offense is that after a guard initiates a play, he must cut away from the ball and then swing around to be available for a pass."
This set of coaching notes (via Bob McKillop) discusses freelance offense.
Key points:
1) Attack space
2) Wings run to the corners in transition
3) First big runs to the rim in transition
4) Finish cuts to three-point line (to clear space)
The notes include two drills (one is a bit reminiscent of a Knight drill)
If you watch some of the video, you will see mid-range open shots dominate. This would drive the NBA (Nothing But Analytics) crowd wild. Denver was consistently a top four offense during the Moe tenure.
Full-time freelance isn't coming back to the NBA, but it has value as a teaching tool (even if you use it to drill players to get open without allowing shooting).
