Im Still Ballin
05-17-2016, 01:04 AM
The recipe to beat OKC revolves around doing four things;
1. Neutralizing their biggest weapon #1: Stephen Curry
- Forcing Curry to become an inside the arc 2pt scorer... Relentless defense on the perimeter with a hand always up... Trapping hard to force his hand, make him become a passer which exposes his turnover prone flaw from overzealous passes/flashy passes... Fast rotating athletic defense that can cover the open man caused by hard traps on Curry... He's an all time great player, he'll get points on the board... Just have to make them well earned.
2. Neutralizing their biggest weapon #2: Transition Play (The Lethal 3pt On The Fastbreak)
- This is a matter of slowing down the tempo of the game. Starts on your offensive end. This is what Cleveland did last year, and what OKC did tonight... Using the shot clock... Being specific and attentive to attacking the offensive glass, and running back to defend
3. Taking Advantage of Draymond at Center: Bigmen
- This means taking advantage in a multitude of ways... On the offensive glass... Mismatch scoring opportunity... Mismatch through set play (Example: High PnR's)... Using mismatches NOT only for individual scoring, but TEAM scoring. This is what LeBron did so well in the finals. He's a great TEAM post up/Isolation player if that makes sense to you. Willing passer to the open man, good ball protection, able to read the defense, knowing what to do...
4. Make Curry Work on Defense:
- This isn't as important as the former points, but we all know what fatigue does to a shooter... Work him through physical screens, force him to play attentive defense, get him into foul trouble.. Make him sweat.. Make him earn those bench breaks
So how did OKC do it tonight?
1. They trapped him hard, and contained the rest with quality defensive rotation. He was turnover prone, throwing errant passes. He was still able to hit the scoreboard and punish from three... But those were well earned shots from tough defense. Curry didn't finish well... They did their best to make him a 2pt scorer..
2. In the first half they were playing to GSW's style, free flowing, transition heavy ball. This is what you MUST avoid. Their ability to hit transition threes is their deadliest weapon outside of Curry... Those big scoring swings/bursts almost ALWAYS involve the transition 3. In the second half, OKC brought down the tempo, and ran some more simpler sets that didn't risk turnovers potentially leading to transition opportunities. The much maligned OKC "Iso ball" play style, with KD and Westbrook taking turns, but more integrated with some PnR bigman action and safe ball movment. This ties in to the next point about taking advantage of the small ball
3. Kanter and Adams... Rebounding is very much an effort thing and the effort wasn't there in the 1st half. Billy Donovan stuck to his guns, and got his towers motivated. More intensity on the boards, integrated with a slower, more simplistic 90's style set plays (Single high Screen and rolls with bigs... Post ups... Mismatch targeting)... They fed the mismatch, got open shots, but also forced switches to get mismatches for KD and Westbrook... That mismatch drive and kick half court offense... Throw in the occasional post up for a Kanter or Adams.... The use of the bigman mismatch to not only score and get open shots, but create mismatches for their star players
4. Strategic Offensive Rebounding... The last part to slowing the pace and neutralizing their transition play. Knowing who crashes the offensive glass, and who runs back on defense to ensure no transition/outlet play. No point having 4 guys going for the offensive rebound.. Kanter and Adams were able to hit the glass at the right times, while everyone else got back on defense. Hard working, consistent bigs are vital. Simple fundamentals.
1. Neutralizing their biggest weapon #1: Stephen Curry
- Forcing Curry to become an inside the arc 2pt scorer... Relentless defense on the perimeter with a hand always up... Trapping hard to force his hand, make him become a passer which exposes his turnover prone flaw from overzealous passes/flashy passes... Fast rotating athletic defense that can cover the open man caused by hard traps on Curry... He's an all time great player, he'll get points on the board... Just have to make them well earned.
2. Neutralizing their biggest weapon #2: Transition Play (The Lethal 3pt On The Fastbreak)
- This is a matter of slowing down the tempo of the game. Starts on your offensive end. This is what Cleveland did last year, and what OKC did tonight... Using the shot clock... Being specific and attentive to attacking the offensive glass, and running back to defend
3. Taking Advantage of Draymond at Center: Bigmen
- This means taking advantage in a multitude of ways... On the offensive glass... Mismatch scoring opportunity... Mismatch through set play (Example: High PnR's)... Using mismatches NOT only for individual scoring, but TEAM scoring. This is what LeBron did so well in the finals. He's a great TEAM post up/Isolation player if that makes sense to you. Willing passer to the open man, good ball protection, able to read the defense, knowing what to do...
4. Make Curry Work on Defense:
- This isn't as important as the former points, but we all know what fatigue does to a shooter... Work him through physical screens, force him to play attentive defense, get him into foul trouble.. Make him sweat.. Make him earn those bench breaks
So how did OKC do it tonight?
1. They trapped him hard, and contained the rest with quality defensive rotation. He was turnover prone, throwing errant passes. He was still able to hit the scoreboard and punish from three... But those were well earned shots from tough defense. Curry didn't finish well... They did their best to make him a 2pt scorer..
2. In the first half they were playing to GSW's style, free flowing, transition heavy ball. This is what you MUST avoid. Their ability to hit transition threes is their deadliest weapon outside of Curry... Those big scoring swings/bursts almost ALWAYS involve the transition 3. In the second half, OKC brought down the tempo, and ran some more simpler sets that didn't risk turnovers potentially leading to transition opportunities. The much maligned OKC "Iso ball" play style, with KD and Westbrook taking turns, but more integrated with some PnR bigman action and safe ball movment. This ties in to the next point about taking advantage of the small ball
3. Kanter and Adams... Rebounding is very much an effort thing and the effort wasn't there in the 1st half. Billy Donovan stuck to his guns, and got his towers motivated. More intensity on the boards, integrated with a slower, more simplistic 90's style set plays (Single high Screen and rolls with bigs... Post ups... Mismatch targeting)... They fed the mismatch, got open shots, but also forced switches to get mismatches for KD and Westbrook... That mismatch drive and kick half court offense... Throw in the occasional post up for a Kanter or Adams.... The use of the bigman mismatch to not only score and get open shots, but create mismatches for their star players
4. Strategic Offensive Rebounding... The last part to slowing the pace and neutralizing their transition play. Knowing who crashes the offensive glass, and who runs back on defense to ensure no transition/outlet play. No point having 4 guys going for the offensive rebound.. Kanter and Adams were able to hit the glass at the right times, while everyone else got back on defense. Hard working, consistent bigs are vital. Simple fundamentals.