Sunday, July 21, 2024

Basketball: What Are Some "No Help" Rules?

Coaches teach "help and recover" defense or "Cover 1.5" with emphasis on "the ball scores." For some players, that fails or disadvantages defense. When? 

Think of situations where help hurts. 

Double teams resulting in short roll passing to corner threes or corner cuts. 


Help off corner three. This occurs in many situations including help on the high ball screen or off short roll passing. 

Help for strong post defenders. Too much help creates numerical edges away from the post. 

Doubling the elite passer leading to lobs (the Celtics largely removed lobs and corner threes for Dallas by not doubling Doncic and Irving). 

Strong drivers can 'draw 2' at any time leaving someone open. Teams decide which poison to take. Old suggestions:

PROBLEM: How can we allow fewer points? Obviously this will vary by team. 
  • Turn the ball over less (turnovers bleed into points)
  • Contain the ball better (decrease the need for help)
  • Defend the three better (do not help off corner threes)
  • Stop committing bad fouls. ("Show your hands.")
  • Revisit transition defense. ("What are we doing?" Review assignments.)
Lagniappe. Mismatch hunting, moving rim protection away, and opportunistic passing explain why the Celtics got Banner 18. 


Lagniappe 2. Underutilized options on screens: 
  • Rejecting the screen
  • Slipping the screen 
  • Ghosting the screen
Lagniappe 3. Choosing greatness? 
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