Monday, September 12, 2022

Breaking Down Defenses as Easy as A, B, C - Auerbach, Boeheim, Caesar

Players hear the term "breaking down the defense." What does that mean to them?

Basketball is a game of mistakes. Basketball is a game of separation. Basketball is a game of cutting and passing. 

Overview for players - spacing, player and ball movement, scoring moment. Translate ideas. 

  • "Draw 2" 
  • Pick-and-roll
  • Penetrate the defense.
  • Reverse the ball.
  • Use mismatches.
  • Get numbers. 
  • Play Inside-outside. 

"Draw 2." Most competent defenses design stopping key cogs of an opponents offense. They help and force the 'star' to choose another option.  

At high levels, the second option is still talented. At lower levels...

For the 'star', "win in space" and caution when "playing in traffic." 

Design actions to limit the chance for defenses to bring help. 


Duke elbow handoff series clears potential help. 

Pick-and-roll. In its many variations, the PnR forces defensive communication (variable at best at lower levels) and offers a variety of options for the offense. 

Two minutes of gold from Auerbach and Bird. Players should watch this again and again. 

Penetrate the defense. Penetrate with the dribble or the pass to set up many options. 

Reverse the ball. Ask players how they intend to reverse the ball. 


Expect them to explain they can use perimeter passing, skip passes, or do so through the post. "Movement kills defenses." 


Boeheim vs Boeheim, ball movement versus 2-3 zone

Use mismatches. Basketball is a game of:

  • Passing and cutting
  • Mistakes
  • Matchups
  • Possession and possessions
  • Applying and defeating pressure

Exploit favorable matchups or in the 'positionless basketball' era, use switching to our advantage. 

Get numbers. Numerical advantage occurs in many ways. Transition is the most obvious. Many of the above examples create small edges. 


Michigan State's Tom Izzo creates an inside mismatch against the 2-3 zone.


Play inside-outside. Feed the post and get rewarded by relocation. Nikola Jokic and LeBron James are two of the masters. 


As players, remember, VDE - vision, decision, execution. Julius Caesar wrote, "veni, vidi, vici." I came, I saw, I conquered.

Lagniappe. Continuing with the theme...Hammon Time. 


 

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