1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

Fire Bzdelik (and MDA) - Small Ball Video Analysis

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Kim, May 14, 2019.

  1. Kim

    Kim Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 1999
    Messages:
    8,972
    Likes Received:
    3,664
    I don't think enough attention is being paid to the strategic shift for game 6 that imo was a huge factor in the Warriors winning that game. I don't know if it's on MDA or Bzdelik or both, but it's like they had a collective brain fart during planning and decided instead of making things harder for GS to score, they should make it easier.

    The Warriors play what many call the beautiful game: it's basically off-ball cutting, passes from the post, and off-ball screens for layups and open jumpers. The Rocket, imo, found the best defense in stopping the beautiful game - switching and communicating. For some reason, last year Capela did a much job of perimeter 1-on-1 defense. This year, he has been attacked relentlessly in the half-court. Be it with Durant, Curry, or Klay going at him, Capela has failed in this situation at a high rate. For example:


    I don't blame Capela for not trying. This year, he mostly can't stay in front of Durant, Curry, and Klay for more than 1 second, and that creates massive problems for the defense. Game after game this series, the Warriors attacked Capela using ball screens in the half-court because it was a highly efficient way of scoring.

    So, Bzkelik (or MDA) adjusted and found a defensive lineup that worked better on GS: replacing Capela with Rivers or Shumpert (and hopefully House in the future if he improves). Here's MDA explaining it after game 4.

    summary takeaway: we defend better small because their offense draws our bigs (Capela) away from the hoop so it's harder for the bigs to defensive rebound against the Warriors offensive scheme when they're attacked

    And so playing small, you get a beautiful defense to try to stop the beautiful game:


    When executed properly, every on-ball and off-ball screen is met with a switch that doesn't allow the offensive player a clear line of attack to the basket. The Warriors are forced to end up attacking 1-on-1 and taking well defended shots. Now, this defense, even when executed perfectly, doesn't work well against every team, especially teams with good post-up games from their bigs. But the Warriors aren't that team. They post Draymond with his back to the basket mainly to pass to cutters. Looney is not a great post-up option.

    But when Durant went down, either Bzdelik or MDA decided (incorrectly imo) that here's our chance to change the defense so that we can get more minutes for our bigs. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. I mean, I get it. You don't want Capela iso'd on the perimeter by Durant or Curry or even Klay. But the solution SHOULD NOT be changing your entire defensive scheme to a traditional PnR defensive option (trapping and rotating). The Rockets took one handicap (Capela) tried to correct it by using a system that the rest of the players aren't very good at, and a system that the Warriors excel at exploiting.

    Example 1 of Game 6 Warriors attacking Capela and the Trap screen defense:


    Example 2 of Game 6 Warriors attacking Capela and the Trap screen defense:


    I've logged 19 half-court Capela attacking possessions against this defensive that resulted in an offensive efficiency rating of 160!!!!

    By the end of the game, the Warriors didn't involve Looney in their screen game and decided to put the ball in the hands of Curry and Klay for crunch-time shots. Give credit to the Rockets for playing good defense in crunch time, because the defense was there. Curry and Klay just made tough shots. But this game was lost imo, by the game plan that happening for 3.5 quarters that failed terribly.

    After game 4 Steve Kerr preached "patience and poise" meaning that the Warriors were settling too early for tough shots. The flip side of that coin is that the Rockets small ball lineup defended so well that it forced the Warriors into having to be patient in order to find better shots. Is it hard to execute defensively? Absolutely. Is it the most effective way of making the Warriors think and work and fail more often in relation to other defensive schemes? Yes!

    For some damn reason, Bzdelik and MDA thought that instead of making the Warriors think and be patient, the Rockets will just make it easy for them offensively in game 6, and give open shots to Iggy, Jerebko, Livingston, Looney and everyone else because KD was hurt. It was a calculated gamble to make the game more predictable defensively just because they were trying to protect Capela and have him on the court. So freakin dumb. You either sit Capela mostly out and go small and play your heart out until to pass out (which was the downside).

    Or you pre-switch. This is what the Warriors did to hide their defensively flawed players all the time. And the Rockets only did it once:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t13IlI87t3A

    Remember, you can't always stop the Warriors no matter what defense you play. But that shouldn't mean to take the other extreme and make it easy for their decisions. Instead of doubling down on their best defensive philosophy after the Durant injury, the Rockets saw it as an opportunity to change and allow their bigs to play more minutes and hopefully win the game in the end. In the end, the Warriors made tough shots against good defensive execution of the trap and rotate scheme, but that was too little, too late for the Rockets. You have to build a cushion. You have to make the Warriors work all game long and then in the end, you can withstand their tough shot-making ability. It was a risk, it failed, and Bzdelik and MDA should suffer the consequences imo. Besides, Kerr and his staff took the Rockets defensive style and improved it with the pre-switching. Give the Warriors credit for making the right adjustments defensively and making it harder for the Rockets to score with their plan A of attack. The Rockets did not do the same back to them.
     
    #1 Kim, May 14, 2019
    Last edited: May 14, 2019
    bmelo, Blurr#7, Roxfreak724 and 18 others like this.
  2. treyk3

    treyk3 Member

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2008
    Messages:
    8,716
    Likes Received:
    16,052
    We don't have to fire Bzedelik. His contract was for this season only. I don't see him returning next year.
     
    jboslett, varughese.arun and hakeem94 like this.
  3. s3ts

    s3ts Member

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2007
    Messages:
    3,109
    Likes Received:
    2,847
    I really think Bzdelik had nothing to do with this. Bzdelik alone can be a head coach and do a better job on the defensive end than MDA.

    Putting Capela into the game, I'd imagine, is a decision by MDA. And that's a knock against him, so is not taking him out once you knew he was playing bad, or using Nene/Faried. Is it worth firing him over? Maybe, but not sure. You can't put together a consistent team when guys are in and out of the group, and Morey takes so long to put the squad together.

    But how can you NOT blame Capela for playing bad? There should be an easy consensus, Capela was absolutely bad on the court.

    If you want to protect him by saying he's had better series, games, fine. But he was bad this series, and we can't just ignore that.
     
  4. JayZ750

    JayZ750 Contributing Member

    Joined:
    May 16, 2000
    Messages:
    25,260
    Likes Received:
    12,960
    Great analysis.

    Too little time on the pre-switch, which the Warriors did to perfection.

    Like the Bucks/Jazz guard Harden on the side defense, the pre-switch defense is just another simple option a good defensive team can gameplan for against our simplistic offense, and they can do it even better because MDA did jack-squat to even prepare for it. They never put in ANY sets or wrinkles of any kind.

    But defensively you're spot on. The use of Clint. Beyond that, how about any thoughts of trapping?
     
    LorneMalvo likes this.
  5. Kim

    Kim Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 1999
    Messages:
    8,972
    Likes Received:
    3,664
    I agree that he was terrible, but to me, it's on MDA and Bzdelik 100% that if they see that Capela cannot execute defensively, either take him out or change the scheme to something better. Instead, in an effort to keep Capela on the floor, they chose to change the scheme to something worse.
     
  6. Kim

    Kim Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 1999
    Messages:
    8,972
    Likes Received:
    3,664
    The Warriors excel against a trap defense imo. Sometimes yes, sometimes they can be turnover happy, but that's as much of the Warriors shooting themselves in the foot as it is the defense. They've had so much experience over the years with Draymond/Iggy/anyone being a 4-on-3 playmaker against the trapping of Durant or Curry.

    When I watched the film, again and again, I saw open shot after open shot for Iggy and every role player (layups and threes). It was a quick play, and an easy play, and yes, sometimes it missed. But positive outcomes vs the trap and rotate defense were much more common in that game than anything else. It was failing and it was obvious. The Rockets should have changed in the second quarter, but they didn't adjust in-game. It's a coaching failure.
     
  7. cheke64

    cheke64 Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2009
    Messages:
    23,517
    Likes Received:
    14,909
    Putting Harden on Looney that alone seeks immediate termination.
     
  8. JayZ750

    JayZ750 Contributing Member

    Joined:
    May 16, 2000
    Messages:
    25,260
    Likes Received:
    12,960
    Yes, the Rockets were already over-committing to Steph and Klay incredibly. They made the role players beat them, and the role players did... AND Steph and Klay did.

    But wrt to throwing in a trap. You have to mix up defense occasionally. It's the same problem the Rockets have on offense ironically. Everything they do is so predictable. When its same, same, same, same, same, it's easier for the other team.

    Don't trap all game, but throw a trap in occasionally. Work on some pre-switching, etc.

    Everything the Rockets do, offensively and defensively, is DUMBED DOWN to the extreme. Purposefully. Don't let anyone but 2 guys make decisions on offense and make sure everyone else is in their exact spots. Don't run a lot of actual plays and on those you do, make them very simple wing actions just to set up the ISO dumbed down offense. On defense, just switch everything - because, you know, running a defense with more fighting through and rotations, and mixing up schemes, etc. requires too much thought.

    There is obviously merit in that. I get it. Heck, it works during the regular season. It doesn't work in the playoffs.
     
    hakeem94 likes this.
  9. s3ts

    s3ts Member

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2007
    Messages:
    3,109
    Likes Received:
    2,847
    Again, Bzdelik probably had nothing to do w/ this. The kind of guy he is, from what I've seen, he wouldn't let other teams score that much without an adjustment.

    What I'm telling you is, in my head, as MDA, I'm putting Capela in to fight against Green, Jerebko, Looney. I like my chances that Capela comes out of that w/ more rebounds and lob dunks than those two combined.

    Yes, I will agree MDA needs to either change his philosophy or eventually get fired if he can't. But ignoring Capela's lack of effort, be it due to fatigue or viruses, is a mistake. With the opposition doubling to shut down Harden, CP, EG, Capela was the man to step up.

    Realistically speaking, I do think trading Capela is harder, so I'll agree that adjusting the coach or firing him is an easier, better move right now. But I'll continue to etch this in stone how terrible Capela was.
     
  10. hakeem94

    hakeem94 Member

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2016
    Messages:
    30,803
    Likes Received:
    41,420
    it worked, its just cant work against the refs..the refs stole game 1 and set the tone for the series...
    rocket did great they played 3-3 vs the best team ever
     
  11. Kim

    Kim Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 1999
    Messages:
    8,972
    Likes Received:
    3,664
    Offensively, Capela has a role (the dunker spot and offensive rebounding). Defensively, Capela is not fighting against Green, Jerebko, and Looney. The Warriors' offensive scheme is to force Capela to guard Curry/Durant/Klay and it hurt the Rockets badly. The Rockets didn't adjust to hide Capela or didn't take him out enough. Their adjustment just made their overall defense worse.
     
  12. Kim

    Kim Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 1999
    Messages:
    8,972
    Likes Received:
    3,664
    When executed properly, the switching defensive requires a lot of communication and focus . I don't think it's a lazy defense, though there is merit to mixing it up (as with the offense too). I'm just so disappointed that they went trap and rotate all game long and didn't realize how futile it was. The switch wasn't getting exploited nearly to the extent the trap and rotate was in that game.
     
  13. HP3

    HP3 Member

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2018
    Messages:
    22,867
    Likes Received:
    32,132
    The reason they tried to keep Capela on the floor was because were getting punished on the glass by them. That’s what they did. If we went small they got the offensive boards and if we had Clint in they dragged him out for ISOs or they put him in action. Ultimately it was defensive rebounding that killed all year and in this crucial game.
     
    dmoneybangbang likes this.
  14. dmoneybangbang

    Joined:
    May 5, 2012
    Messages:
    20,941
    Likes Received:
    12,825
    The Warriors are better than us and it shows. We search out Looney for a mismatch on offense and they do the same with Capela. I mean the GSW take away our deadly PNR because they can switch.

    We go small and the Warriors go “small” with (Iggy and Green).
     
  15. s3ts

    s3ts Member

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2007
    Messages:
    3,109
    Likes Received:
    2,847
    You miss my point. Capela did not do well offensively, which is the only thing he CAN do to keep up w/ GSW. And as a top-3 player on the roster, he should know how to do that, whether it's his spacing on the court, how he sets screens, fake screens, or pass out of the double.

    Our offense was good enough that if we can just get loose balls and rebound well, we can still beat the opposition. Well, w/ Capela sucking, not only was our offense not good enough, we weren't even getting the rebounds or loose balls.

    And yeah, like I said, for the 10th time, MDA sucked it up. That's not the point I'm making, that should be clear... I'm saying I expected Capela to do BETTER than the low bar that was set. He did NOT, and he deserves a lot of blame.

    Again, MDA made no adjustments, but again, Nene and Faried not being part of this rotation the entire season did not bode well for us. Part of that blame goes on Morey as well.
     
  16. dmoneybangbang

    Joined:
    May 5, 2012
    Messages:
    20,941
    Likes Received:
    12,825
    This. We can switch but we can’t rebound and the GSW can do both.
     
    HP3 likes this.
  17. SemisolidSnake

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2013
    Messages:
    4,921
    Likes Received:
    5,803
    Yeah, I'd agree the problem is small ball. Particularly, the miniscule ones in Capela's shorts.
     
    LorneMalvo likes this.
  18. JayZ750

    JayZ750 Contributing Member

    Joined:
    May 16, 2000
    Messages:
    25,260
    Likes Received:
    12,960
    All defenses to work require communication. The switching defenses is less complex than other defenses, that require more and more continuous and proper rotation.

    I haven't watched play by play in depth as you did. My recall is that to the extent they were trapping, it was more trapping off screen, or overplaying off a screen, or overplaying a weakside rotation, and that left role players wide open.

    I don't recall seeing a lot of Steph being aggressively trapped with the ball 4 feet behind the three point line - where I've seen him be flustered in the past, or Klay even more (see final 10 seconds of Game 5 for example).

    But maybe I'm wrong.
     
    Kim likes this.
  19. dadesokan

    dadesokan Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2005
    Messages:
    515
    Likes Received:
    31
    It’s amazing how the coaching staff could not see this being the issue and make adjustments. If Capela can’t get boards or blocks because his is high on top of the key guarding quicker guards due to this switching defense, then there was no way to beat GS, except our guards just really boxed out hard everytime the shots went up. Maybe Capela should have been running away like Curry whenever the pick came. But the rockets got burned almost everytime this switch happened and no adjustment was made. Mind boggling...
     
  20. HP3

    HP3 Member

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2018
    Messages:
    22,867
    Likes Received:
    32,132
    There was no other alternative and there is no other way to play defense against them besides switching
     

Share This Page

  • About ClutchFans

    Since 1996, ClutchFans has been loud and proud covering the Houston Rockets, helping set an industry standard for team fan sites. The forums have been a home for Houston sports fans as well as basketball fanatics around the globe.

  • Support ClutchFans!

    If you find that ClutchFans is a valuable resource for you, please consider becoming a Supporting Member. Supporting Members can upload photos and attachments directly to their posts, customize their user title and more. Gold Supporters see zero ads!


    Upgrade Now