Coaches are always talking about defense. Its understandable, at crunch time everyone wants to sop the opponent and the team with the best defense typically wins. Unless they don't.
The sad truth is that most teams struggle to score against teams with great defenses. This is what killed the Celtics and Bulls. The Bulls in particular couldn't score near the end of the game and the Heat have more offensive super stars than anyone else.
What is not generally admitted is that many teams lose their composure when facing a tough defense. IMHO some of the time they spend on defense would be well spent learning how to run an offense against a lock down style defense.
What is needed is an approach that recognizes what is being done. A lock down offense (actually anti-lockdown) has several characteristics.
1. KEEP THE BALL MOVING WITH CRISP PASSING AND PLAYER MOVEMENT: Too often players panic and make stupid passes, lazy passes, or get caught holding the ball. It is hard to keep pressure up for a long time, yet too many teams lose their composure.
2. AVOID QUICK SHOTS: if you have 4 minutes and a 20 point lead, it is very difficult for an opponent to have more than 10 possessions unless the offense gives away the ball. Slow shooting is often a mistake against averaged defense. Against great defense, minizing pssessions matter. It is obvious that "attacking the basket" really helps as does attacking the boards. The offense has to show at least as much energy as the defense.
3. SET SCREENS FOR SHOOTERS: Too many shooters get caught taking bad shots because nothing open. Double screens and other set ups. Force the defense to fight through a lot screens for four of five minutes and they will lose intensity.
4. DEVELOP A DIFFERENT SET OF PLAYS FOR CRUNCH TIME: Lock down defense relies in part with knowing wtat the opponent is going to do. So do something else. D'Antoni used to have a great collection of plays to run after time outs, but never seemed able to integrate into their regular plays at crunch time.
5. PUT TOGETHER A KIND OF PENALTY KILLER UNIT FOR CRUCH TIME THAT PLAYS GREAT DEFENSE, AVOID TURNOVERS, AND HIT THEIR FREE THROWS. They need to know that it is not "business as usual".
If we look at the number of collapses in the playoffs, it is obvious that not enough is done to build crunch time offenses. It is not feasible to play this style the whole game. But unless a team learns to adjust to crunch time, they are vulnerable.
The sad truth is that most teams struggle to score against teams with great defenses. This is what killed the Celtics and Bulls. The Bulls in particular couldn't score near the end of the game and the Heat have more offensive super stars than anyone else.
What is not generally admitted is that many teams lose their composure when facing a tough defense. IMHO some of the time they spend on defense would be well spent learning how to run an offense against a lock down style defense.
What is needed is an approach that recognizes what is being done. A lock down offense (actually anti-lockdown) has several characteristics.
1. KEEP THE BALL MOVING WITH CRISP PASSING AND PLAYER MOVEMENT: Too often players panic and make stupid passes, lazy passes, or get caught holding the ball. It is hard to keep pressure up for a long time, yet too many teams lose their composure.
2. AVOID QUICK SHOTS: if you have 4 minutes and a 20 point lead, it is very difficult for an opponent to have more than 10 possessions unless the offense gives away the ball. Slow shooting is often a mistake against averaged defense. Against great defense, minizing pssessions matter. It is obvious that "attacking the basket" really helps as does attacking the boards. The offense has to show at least as much energy as the defense.
3. SET SCREENS FOR SHOOTERS: Too many shooters get caught taking bad shots because nothing open. Double screens and other set ups. Force the defense to fight through a lot screens for four of five minutes and they will lose intensity.
4. DEVELOP A DIFFERENT SET OF PLAYS FOR CRUNCH TIME: Lock down defense relies in part with knowing wtat the opponent is going to do. So do something else. D'Antoni used to have a great collection of plays to run after time outs, but never seemed able to integrate into their regular plays at crunch time.
5. PUT TOGETHER A KIND OF PENALTY KILLER UNIT FOR CRUCH TIME THAT PLAYS GREAT DEFENSE, AVOID TURNOVERS, AND HIT THEIR FREE THROWS. They need to know that it is not "business as usual".
If we look at the number of collapses in the playoffs, it is obvious that not enough is done to build crunch time offenses. It is not feasible to play this style the whole game. But unless a team learns to adjust to crunch time, they are vulnerable.
