[Video Playbook] Scouting Game 2 Adjustments

Per some popular demand request, and my own interests, heres a lot of footage I did of the adjustments in Game 2. Hope it gives you a reprieve from MVP and Westbrook threads,

----------- Summary Of Adjustments followed by Posts with Video and Illustrations ---------

In Game 1, it was noted by MDA that Donovan never sent help defense, so "We'll take the Paint Points," and we destroyed them by 31 points versus Switches, Fighting over picks, and Sagging Bigs. It was a statement game for Harden's ability to destroys defenses that don't send help off the shooters.

The stats show they didn't leave the shooters, too

• We only shot 33 threes (vs our 40+ average)
• We only made 10
• We are 4-11 when making 10 or less 3s.
• So that was quite a statement game to when by 31, with only 10 3s.

Summary of Game 2 Adjustments

1. Donovan started trapping Harden on the first play
2. OKC sent help with a Nail Defender
3. OKC sent help off corner shooters

Summary of MDA's Counters

• We rarely ran the Capela/Harden PnR by itself
• We used 3-Man PnR (sending a shooter to pick with Capela)
• We used 41-High PnR (with the PF, camping Capela/Nene at the rim)
• We used the so-called "Spain" PnR (a version of a 3-Man PnR)
• We dabbled in 5-Out Motion and MDA's "Thru" series plays. whereby Harden goes off-ball, cuting thru and around picks to get ball back to attack with a roller
• When we did use a standard High PnR, it was often from fast transition or secondary action where the D isn't organized.

Bottomline Assessment

1. In the first Q, we ran many different plays. I believe we looked messy, because MDA was studying the defense with many different looks.
2. Most of Lou's damage was done in our standard bench package of plays ... not many PnRs
3. By the 3rd Q, we went heavy 41-High, and the 4th Q we finished them with the 3-Man PnR
4. You would think that OKC sending much more help would have resulted in more 3s than game one. We actually shot less. Only 29 attempts. That is the 2nd fewest attempts all year. fwiw: we also won the game with fewest attempts.
5. Harden definitely wants to go downhill in this series, so far.
6. I believe this is the defense we will see the rest of the series. And expect we will use the open shooters more.

 

EDIT: @ClutchCityReturns suggests turning on looping when you watch some of the vids. Here's how:

Sorry, each post is limited to number of images, so I have to spread them out.

OKC's Trapping Defense to Open the Game

1. OKC Opens with a Trapping Defense on High PnR with Help. Looked like the just learned it the first time.
2. 2nd Play we run a 4-Man PnR. Yes, three pickers. lulz. Just to screw with them, I suppose. I've never seen this play before, and they never ran it again in the game.
3. Attacking the Nail Defender with a 41-PnR (4=PF, and 1=PG)
4. 41-PnR with trap but no help. Either they forgot, or they really wanted Ryno to have another wide open look. I don't think they ran a trap again. Partly because we didn't really let them.

Play 1: High PnR versus Trapping Defense

 

Play 1: Rewatch Play 1 to see Westbrook screw up rotations to go for rebound

Notice both Adams and Gibson pointing to Harden like "Who's got Harden?"

Spoiler: Westbrook going for rebounds vs rotating

Rewatch and watch Westbrook the whole way.

Play 2: Second Play of Game 2, MDA goes to Three pickers for Harden.


Just to see if they could still trap it, get them thinking?? I've never seen this play before, and they never ran it, again.
Just throwing this in here, because I think MDA is screwing with them.

 

Play 3: 41-High PnR

This is a quick-hit, 41 PnR, which doesn't give them time to decide to trap or not or have rotation help ready. I thought Harden passed up a layup here.




Play 4: 41-High PnR with Help at the Nail






Play 5: 41-High PnR Trapping with No Help

They trap again, but send no help. I guess they wanted Ryno to shoot that wide open 3, or someone missed a rotation.

 

41-High PnR, Houston normal formation

• The 41 PnR with the PF and Harden is a common adjustment to sagging Bigs combined with Help Defense
• We put Capela/Nene in the low post to occupy the opponent Big, then use the shooter to pick and pop and taking a man with him.
• Then the play is Harden going downhill with the opponent Big having to worry about Capela/Nene standing at the rim.

Compilation of Harden running six, 41-Highs in a row in the 3rd Q

• This was the same time WB couldn't miss from midrange.
• Watch how Adams hesitates to leave Capela even when Anderson is driving

 

3-Man PnR ("Spain PnR")

Again, MDA shows a different play very early, to see how the help defense handles it.

• This PnR backscreens for Capela/Nene followed by a Pop.
• Instead of Beverley staying in the corner letting his man help off him, this play just brings the defender right into the middle of it, then you Pop away from him, as he hesitates to help on your backscreen.
• Note also, Nene can downpick for the popper, too.
• You can find many examples of this at Youtube searching for "NBA Spain PnR"

 

Thru Double Drag with Flex Option

Again, MDA shows a different play very early, to see how the help defense handles it. Illustrations with video at the end.

 

3-Man PnR -- Ryan Anderson (or Ariza)







3-Man PnR -- EGo (the two game-winning threes are this play)

Takes Harden's initial man out of the play while creating a Pop option.

 

3-Man PnR Compilation (6 Plays)

 

The Remainder are Miscellaneous plays of note

Very High PnR, in 7 Seconds or Less (note the Shot Clock)






We Dabbled in our 5-out motion

Here we do it out of a Timeout, and the ensuing out of bounds play on EGo's first miss.



More Fun versus Big Sagging in the Lane

 

thx, I'm going to put this suggestion in my OP. I can't set the Looping for you, right? It's something to user has to do?

 

icymi: Here are videos of Game 1 showing how we destroyed Sagging Bigs when they didn't send help defense off of the shooters

also. I had the wrong video in the post above explaining the 3-Man PnR with Ryno. Fixed now.