Even if executed perfectly. That's a big IF. And when they can execute it to perfection, we will then come up with something else like CP snaking through the defense to cause Havoc. The problems we present is that we can mix it up and be not predictable (we need to do that), so they will forget how to execute it to perfection. This is a young team with quite a few - not so high IQ guys.
I mean that's just for the harden initiating action. This has nothing to do with 21 series action, harden off ball action, dribble hand offs etc...
I appreciate any videos on this defense. But that vid is just one series against that defense: 4out1. Keep in mind, we ran like 30 possessions against this. Focusing only our 4-Out-1 (and not even in it's entirety, I count 7 looks in 4Out1, see below) over a sequence of 4 consecutive minutes in the game is not really a full highlight of all the ways we beat it. This vid was really about what we did, after first setting them up with different looks in the 1st Q -- complete with 3s, Dunks and Layups. Compare this to NFL coaching. MDA gave them different looks in 1Q, to set up these 2Q defensive mistakes, later. First Q looks that Setup the OP Video plays 5-out Motion: Capela diving from weakside high-wing after giving 5-out Motion picks (dunk) 5-out Right-side clear-out: Capela diving from weakside elbow. (missed open Corner 3) Horns (Capela missed bunny) 4Out1 Early PJ pick and pop converted to DHO for Paul 4Out1 Early PJ PnPop for PJ drive and pass to Capela behind Gobert (bunny) -- (House did this later, too) 4Out1 Early PJ PnPop (rejected) for side-step 3 (good) Harden w/o ball gets 2 picks running to left-side, Shade (ICE) Defense cannot form...3ptr for Harden. 5-out Harden in middle, given left lane of Gobert with Capela taking right lane (layup) 5-out with middle Double Drag Harden with ball but attacking from far left with Double Drag Same as #4 but without Double drag The McHale-esque 1-Out, 4-Flat All of those require different help defense than in the 2Q looks in the Vid And keep in mind Utah attempted this defense even in transition before all help defense was set, with horrible consequences...like 5 times just in 1st half. Also, note the guy broke down the same 24 second clock as if it were two different Sefalosha plays. When Rubio chastises him, the ball goes out of bounds with 8 seconds left. The next "play" in the vid is a Baseline Out of Bounds Play. Yeah, collapse the lane then, as Harden's options shorten with every tick off that 8 seconds. All 4-Out, 1-In looks in this game Clear out right side with Capela in strong-In position (shown in vid) Clear out right side with Capela in weak-In Position (shown in vid) Harden down the middle with 1 Corner, 2 Wings (shown in vid) Harden down the middle with 2 Corners, 1 Wing and Capela on strong side (not shown) Harden down the middle with 2 Corners, 1 Wing and Capela on weak side (not shown) Harden in the middle getting PnPop screen with 2 Corners (PJ and House both did this, not shown) Harden from far left side, with defender remaining to his left, even from that far left (not shown) Suffice it to say, the vid is a series of just 4-5 minutes of play, with just part of just one of our packages. 3Q Looks After sluggish start, we showed 5-out again, with Capela diving from weakside wing. 4-Out (as in the OP video) 4-Out (angles not shown) Left-side into Double Drags Capela DHO
Yep, it's hard to for them hone in on "oh, let's rotate to the corner and Gobert protects the rim - all problem solved". Simply put, there are so many ways Clint/Faried can make themselves available to Harden and both of them are very good around the rim.
i don't know but last time i remember a defense entirely adjusting to give the opposite best player a "tough" look or a less efficient shot, is the defense used against Lebron in the Finals (vs Spurs??) when they let him shoot long 2's so that he does not drive to the rim. With that said, Harden must make his floaters and start shooting midrange, and of course his temmates have to make their shots.
If the Jazz listen to all of this over analysis they will start over-rotating and they're done if we make the extra pass.
Great analysis. You're right, this defensive scheme is not only possible for many mistakes, but probable. The bucks did what you pointed out, except they gave up corner 3s to tucker all night and he bricked them all for that game. Not to mention the swing passes to gordon that game, who also went 0-5. You have to really bet on our shooters missing literally every shot for this gameplan to work. If our shooters even shoot a respectable percentage, it will tempt even the bucks to rethink this strat.
Can't really flesh it out fully. Swinging it around to House probably gives other players time to rotate around as well.
Why can't the Rockets "counter" by putting House and/or EGO at the corner for the 3s instead? Tucker can just be else where at the elbox 3 or even top of the key 3.
I wonder if an inverted screen would work on plays where we want Harden to get to his strong hand. Basically the player will set a screen behind the defender and James can dribble backwards so that the defender has to fight through and is now in front of him. With the defender now in front of him and James has room to dance the screener can then pivot 90 degrees and set a normal screen. Im not sure I've ever seen a screen set for the ball handler on the perimeter with the intent to go backwards but it should work.
Exactly, and it really shows that the problem actually is if the players don't make their shots. I'm expecting though Harden to explode for 40 points next game, because sincerely, the referees were swallowing their whistles last game whenever he was murdered in his floaters.
Not sure if I’m following what you mean by backwards, but you can’t pick an ICE defender, with just one picker. That’s the whole role of him. If the ICE defender allows you to go the way he doesn’t want you to go, then he failed his role. A pick doesn’t change that, because ICE is originally a PnR Defense. ICE is designed for a pick. So any normal pick, the ICE defender aligns himself with it, but above it, so the two ppl are a wall. The dribbler is allowed to dribble forward into the Blue defender, but if he goes backwards, the ICE man is already above him, so he just steers him further up, and can backpedal to keep his shade wall position. Doen’t overthink it. There is a reason Harden doesn’t try to dribble back and over the defender. There are just way too many easier options, that don’t eat up the clock like that.
If this defense ever starts to work a bit, eg. Milwaukee.... I still don't understand why the don't just run the Harden/Capela PnR? Even if Rubio (or Bledso) is heavily shading Harden to the right, you can still have Capela set a pick on that dude, to the extent it forces Gobert to make a decision out at the 3 point line. The Rockets haven't done that, because they'd rather just say "ok, let James do his thing, no need for a pick"... which is fair, and it certainly worked last night. But again, if it ever stops working... for WHATEVER reason, just run the Harden/Center PnR. Harden vs. Gobert. Harden vs. Lopez. It won't always result in the Harden one on one vs the center... probably see a lot of doubles then, but it provides a different way to attack it.
What I mean is the screener would be all the way behind James' defender facing towards our basket allowing James to go backwards. The way they are playing it would be a tough way to ICE it since the defender essentially just stands there on his left hand side behind him.
What is he picking though, if he is above the play? He's not impeding the ability for the ICE man to move to the left and meet Harden again. And btw: if that picker isn't Capela, then a secondary PickNPop picker is drawing another defender, and your whole idea turns into a Switch, or Harden has two defenders to deal with. And we are already accomplishing that...see the OP video.
Utah plays ICE. You can see them do it against Paul...and that's what they did last year against the Harden/Capela PnR. Whenever you see Paul snake-dribble a Capela pick, that is ICE defense. ICE of PnR is the same defense. Gobert is the Blue Defender in drop position. He stays in the lane area. You're not pulling him out with a Capela pick. That was all demonstrated last year. So, this is just ICE of an ISO. Also, the vid only shows 3 looks of one package that we showed in that game. We have many different looks across about 3-4 packages, and within each package/series there is different positioning by Capela and the Shooters, requiring different reads of the help defenders. I listed a bunch above, that are from Game 1.
Ya Capela would be the screener in this scenario and preferably around the left arc. So if the defender goes his left to fight around the screen then James' read will likely be to go to his left after going backwards since he will have that free second where the defender is caught on the screen. If the defender goes right then James will have 1 dribble right hand then he's back in his left going left towards the rim. If the defender falls back then we have accomplished what the play was designed for, to the get the defense in front of Harden.
