Basketball: Bridging Belief and Truth: Defensive Delay Game

Seek knowledge not validation. President Reagan told a joke about optimism, the little boy excited to find a pile of horse manure in his yard on Christmas. He grabs a shovel and starts digging furiously. "I know there's a pony in there somewhere." Open our minds looking for knowledge. 

Knowledge is an overlapping subset of personal beliefs and truth. Biases, lies, statistics, and sample size color our beliefs. In our first league game this season (8th grade girls), we shot 1 for 9 on three-point shots. I doubt that's an outlier, based on watching practice. 

The conventional wisdom has become the Rise of Analytics. 

The Houston Rockets embraced the New Wisdom sooner than most other teams and found players to execute it. 

Game 7 shot chart, May 28, 2018. "Houston, we've got a problem." The Rockets shoot 7 for 44 from three and the Warriors go 16 for 39. 

Houston led by 11 at half, but during a 33-15 third quarter, the Rockets goose-egged the three-point line (shot chart above). 

Successful teams figure it out. Many games are decided close and late. Build offensive and defensive (comeback) delay games, especially without shot clocks. 

If we trail by 'X' points at 'Y' time, can we rally? What desperate measures come into play? 

When, who, and how are paramount. Implement at the 'right time' with the 'right people' with the 'right strategy.' 

When? I have no data on this, just opinion. I read (somewhere), that desperation comes when a deficit is twice the minutes remaining. In what universe? If we average 40 points a game (youth) and trail by eight with four minutes left, we're beyond desperate. Everyone decides for themselves. The Texas A&M video shows what's possible. Dean Smith's Carolina Tarheels (below) overcame an eight point deficit with seventeen seconds remaining, tied and defeated Duke in overtime. 



Who? Do you have a comeback/pressure team? Do you practice comeback situations? And if so, is your "comeback team" practicing against the quality opposition they will face? 

What is our comeback strategy? Do we play full-court man or zone? Do we trap or play full-denial?  If we trap, do we only trap on the dribble? What are our switching rules? When (and whom) do we foul for profit? 

I've asked not answered the questions and we lack the practice time to address the delay game in even a fragmentary way. As the season progresses, we'll adjust "special situations" practice to include offensive and defensive delay, working to bridge the gap between belief and truth. With help, the players ultimately figure it out or not.