Study video every day. These 'teaching clips' series seem popular with readers. Why did one team win and what errors can they clean up? Fifty years ago was an era of grainy black-and-white, "run that back again" film. "Run that back again" was usually the beginning of a nightmare. It wasn't personal; it was about earning to the right to win.
1. "Fake a pass to make a pass" and "the ball is gold." Pass fakes move defenders east and west and the entry pass sets up "inside-outside" action but results in a turnover. We heard "the ball is gold" a 1,000 times. Don't give away the gold.
2. A shot fake is "a shot not taken." A good action turns into a live ball turnover, resulting in high points/possession.
3. Find 'four ways to score'. Cecilia uses her length and post footwork to get to the line and made 11 of 12 free throws among 28 points last night. "Teams that can't shoot free throws last as long in the postseason as dogs that chase cars" said Tom Hellen. Remember getting free throws is one of Dean Oliver's 'four factors'.
4. "Find the threat." Gold might be trapped but isn't. That exposes the help side. The weak side guard gets caught high and that opens up a layup. "The help can never be beaten."
5. "Water the flowers." Black works the ball until they 'draw 2' and expose the post mismatch. Patience and passing gets an easy two.
6. DME... defensive mistakes and errors. If one's intent is to trap, then you have to stop penetration up the sideline. The breakdown occurs early on in the process, the failed trap.
7. Yogi Berra said, "you can observe a lot by just watching." Open.
8. Great players "win in space." Remember when your parent said, "don't play in the traffic." Success results from the sum of great possessions that generate quality chances.
9. "Little things make big things happen." - John Wooden Containing the ball starts solid team defense. Two players contain dribble penetration here...no small thing. Dave Smart says that great teams play "harder for longer."
10. Play the "what's next" game. BOB with an initial triangle/stack design. I'm guessing the blocks pop to the corners and the stack replaces them with a baseline overload on the blocks. There appears to be confusion on gold and it's a turnover.
11. Strong teams play with intent. Pressure defense isn't new. It's worth considering Phil Woolpert and USF in the 1950s. The 2-2-1 defense often causes confusion for those unfamiliar. Deny middle penetration, force and trap the sidelines, and look to intercept passes arced over the trap. Black plays it well despite relatively undersized guards. Here gold has to take a timeout to avoid a 10-second call.
12. "Protect the basket." Many BOBs get basket cutters especially by moving defenders as cutters 'flatten the corners'. In "Why the Best Are the Best," Kevin Eastwood explains how the Celtics allowed the Lakers 32 points on defensive mistakes in a Boston WIN. Defensive errors happen at every level.
13. Be detail oriented re: ball containment. Initially black contains the gold PG. But after the switch, the black defender has limited "bend" and the penetrator wins the "shoulders game."
