There are threads that talk about pick n roll with Yao on the offensive end...but just fishing for some solutions on the other side of the court. JVG pointed out the obvious that his big guys are having trouble with the pick n roll game after game. Is there a way for Yao to not come out so far to guard it? Perhaps switching assignments with the PF or whoever is in the paint area as soon as the C he's guarding goes out to set a pick. I know no one does this, but I always wondered why it wouldn't work. It would play to Yao's strengths and improve one of the team's weaknesses. Perhaps you guys have better ideas for a solution. Also this doesn't have to be the only way to play it. You have to keep a team off balance, by changing it up...sorta like pitching...
I'd like to see more of these 'game action' rather than 'roster move' threads ('Trade him', 'Fire him') - as if we need to hear that every single day. Maybe a 'game action' forum for those who study the game and a 'roster move' forum for those who like to vent. The best way to learn how to defend against a pick and roll is to defend players who are really good at it, and you get good at it by playing it a lot. There is no play with more subtleties and options executed in a mere second or two - you need to practice this. The Rockets don't have that luxury because it's not their featured offense vs their in and out set, and neither did the triangle-run Lakers against the Pistons in 2004. That finals series wasn't even close, even with Phil Jackson, Kobe and Shaq. Why? One major reason other than 'distractions' (the easy excuse) is that the Pistons probably have the best pick and roll offense, and not coincidentally, also the best pick and roll defense in the NBA, and the Lakers aren't used to practicing against it. Which leads me to where I think who the best defensive NBA teams will be - those who learn to excel at playing multiple offenses and defenses. Kinda like Bill Belicheck's philosophy applied to the NBA - defense dictates offense rather than vice versa (and not waiting until halftime, but in real time), and defenses should be unpredictable. Every player should practice certain offenses well enough in order to excel against it, and it certainly doesn't seem like that's the case with the Rockets players. If players can't pick up on the mental nuances (Horace Grant had trouble picking up the triangle for years), then they should come in early and leave late until they do - if they want to truly help rather than hurt the team. Once you excel at (rather than just 'know') more than one offensive scheme, you can take advantage of teams that are more one-dimensional or weak against a certain offense. Which is probably why smart teams are implementing their pick and roll offenses against us, and saving their best pick and roll plays for late in the fourth quarter to finish us off (the benefit of unpredictability.) Rather than thinking that in the middle of the 4th quarter we're setting ourselves up to win, it seems we're just being set up by the other team to lose in the final minutes instead. We're not good enough to defend the best pick and roll plays during the game because we probably don't see those plays in practice... yet, I hope.
I admit my understanding of defensive schemes is limited - ie I am not an NBA coach. But, am I mistaken in thinking that Gundy's defensive schemes are almost unique to him? My memory seems to tell me that a lot of coaches with big centers park the center in the paint area and also perhaps the PF in some forms, and have either 3 or 4 small(er) guys run around and rotate. The big guys maintain paint position in order to block out, be in position to elbow, er block shots like Oakley and Deke, and rebound? Who else runs a 5 man scatter pattern of defensive rotations? Anyone play college level or higher ball who really understands some of these differences between various defensive philosophies?
nice responses... I would think it would be easier nowadays to park your C closer to the paint with illegal defenses out the door. The only thing to be cognizant about is staying in the paint for more than 3 seconds.
I'm not a b-ball genius either but it seems to me that the way to defend the pick and roll is to play zone D. As Yodels said with illegal D no longer a factor zone D's can make a big difference.
its just a matter of poor rotation...players still arent comfortable with when and where they are supposed to be...I like how the Rockets bigs jump out on the pick-and-roll instead of lay back, but when they do jump out, no one is covering for them...its just a matter of grasping the scheme...
I think if you gave Yao a shotgun, he might be able to keep a guard from going to the rack off a pick and roll.
