[Highlights] PnR versus OKC's sagging bigs with no help off shooters

Good post. I think in game one, OKC probably would have benefited from sending help off of our shooters. Apart from PatBev, none of our other shooters were getting it going.

I'd anticipate they make that adjustment tonight and force us to make three pointers to win. Hopefully we aren't running cold.

 

Really tough for them. If they help off, they open the opportunity for our shooters to get hot. If I were them I'd trap every PnR and force the second or third guy to beat you. Either that, or a harder hedge, allowing Roberson to recover onto Harden before he can get going downhill.

 

If I were them I'd take my chances giving us open threes and hoping that we are ice cold. It's a much better strategy than what they tried doing Sunday.

 

I don't think they used this in the regular season did they?

Which is weird that they would try now considering 3 of the regular season games were close.

 

Thanks for the post heyp.

Yep, they're definitely not helping off the other players. For one, the Thunder don't have the personnel to stop the 2 player game there. We all know it won't be that easy against the Spurs [if both get there], even if the Spurs employ the same strategy [which I don't think they will]. For two, well even though they're not the best defending it this way, even the best defending it this way are going to get beat a bit. It's classic PnR with a great offensive player and solid roll bigs, or 3 point shooting big. It's almost impossible to defend. For three, you see very little trapping. If Harden is running a PnR with Capela, the defense has to throw in the trap as a strategy. Turn Capela into a top of the free throw key playmaker. That's not what Capela or the Rockets want. [this wouldn't work quite as well with Nene, as he has a FT jumper and is a better passer].

It's likely just a big case of the Thunder just being overmatched. It seems the right strategy is to sag a bit, and then rotate, while mixing in some other defenses - eg. hard doubles, hard switches, etc. You got to add variety. But in all cases rotate. I suspect the Spurs will be rotating like crazy. That's the crux of their defense success over the years.

 

So this game we will have shooters open? hopefully we don't brick city from three

 

OKC has really poor one on one defenders besides Robertson and Westbrook (who isn't that great). As a result, they have to go with junk defenses. At least we have Pat and Ariza and OKC doesn't have much else with one on one offensive players.

 

Is there an example of this?

 

Well, tbf those three were close at the end, but we built big leads in all of them, even during the one that we ended up loosing.

As I see it, they had to change strategies once they'd spent 82 games focused on getting WB his triple-doubles. All of a sudden, the coaches and WB must game plan to win games, they don't quite know how to do that with their personel. It felt like they were in the preseason, getting to know each other.

Not just willing to take a jab at them -- actually, I am, but it doesn't make it less true, does it?

 

So in theory to combat the ICE defense, a sharp shooting Big like Ryno could be the pick-setter and pop a 3 with about 1 sec of daylight (which is plenty for him) before close-out correct?

 

Damn I love your post. Thanks breh! so pumped for this game.

 

Great post HeyP. I loved the way we attacked their defense. And because of Harden's ability to step back while the defense is adjusting, he was able to draw the big into guarding him ISO. As expected, that almost always resulted in a score, even when it was Adams.

 

Pick you're poison OKC. The analytics say guard the shooters because 3>2.

 

ICE doesn't seem like it would work with elite scoring/distributing guards surrounded by either other offensive players or solid shooters. [though I get it, there's not a ton of defenses that would work with that]

Like Houston. It doesn't make any sense. Without help, the big is useless / the weak part of the wall against Harden. With help, Harden makes the right pass.

Or against GSW. A sagging big is just a recipe for Steph to start bombing, and they pass and cut as good as any team I've ever seen.

It should work better against the Thunder. Russ isn't an efficient 3 point shooter, and you can help off their non-shooters.

It's not exactly surprising this method didn't work for OKC.

That's the reason why I suggested throwing in some hard doubles, especially when its Capela as the pick man. I don't think Harden can make the pass to a Capela under the rim out of hard double. He can certainly make the pass to Capela at the top of the key, though. That makes Capela a top of the key playmaker. Eg. a Draymond Green, or LMA/Gasol (for the Spurs), or Kevin Love, or whatever. But unfortunately for Capela, he's not that guy - I know as a Rockets fan I never want to see him with the ball outside 3-5 feet.

If I'm picking my poison as OKC, I'd want to at least add this in some.

 

Interesting observation HP. I'm a bit surprised they were not more aggressive defending the PnR. They have a lot of long, athletic players. I would think Adams is mobile enough to show on the ball handler, especially now in the playoffs where some contact may be allowed.