How to defend the pick and roll against the Clippers...

We all saw the sloppy sloppy play, seeming lack of effort and caring, etc. That's obviously got to change.

But let's explore defending the pick and roll. This was a huge problem last night in the second half. And is the one reason I have hope even if/when CP3 comes back... because it's the same play that the Rockets will either learn/adjust to defend well, or will die by, CP3, or otherwise.

Reggie pointed out in the first half that the Rockets were going under on a lot of the pick and rolls. This seemed to work. I know the NBA is littered with great 3 point shooters today, but going under is something I wish more teams would do.

Why? Well, for some reason, in the second half, the Rockets were no longer going under, but were instead having the guard chase around the screen. When you have even a half decent creator, this becomes a problem. The guard now either has a free lane to penetrate, or the Rockets big hedges, but a good big man picker will roll effectively and get the pass and create similar havoc. In both scenarios the defense starts scrambling. Scrambling leads to WIDE OPEN shots for an effective offense that knows how to swing the ball.

I'm looking at either a semi-open shot, where the guard is trying to go under a screen, the offensive player decides to shoot, but the defender big man is at least in the vicinity and can get a hand up. Or a scramble play that will expose even good defenses, get you scrambling, and allow the offense to get an even better shot... AND be well positioned for offensive rebounds, result in foul calls, etc.

Add to the fact that a guy like JJ actually prefers to hit threes and shoot shots generally after making a quick cut, be it a cut around a screen, a one or two dribble pull-up, etc. His preferred method is coming around those screens with the guard trailing.

- Did anyone else notice the change?
- Why did they change? I know they started hitting shots in the 3rd, but it didn't seem like the PnR strategy was the same and the Clips shot making forced the change. It seemed as if they truly changed strategy coming out of the half?
- How would you defend the PnR?

 

Yeah, well they went over the second half, without Chris Paul, and gave up 71 points.

Going over doesn't work, either.

 

^ all valid comments...

But still the point remains. The Rockets seemed to go under in the first half, and over in the second. One game and two halves of sample size isn't exactly conclusive, but should be noticed.

I'd rather defend it going under and see what happens. Which they did, to only change???

I'd say the same thing for the Rockets opponents. If I'm guarding Harden, he is most dangerous off those PnRs. he penetrates, finds the open man, hits Smith on rolls, etc. He's not Steph Curry or Korver back there...

There's tons of ways to play the PnR:
http://www.sbnation.com/2014/4/18/5601402/nba-pick-and-roll-defense-playoffs-2014

Seems like what the Rockets were doing in the 2nd half last night was the worst. They went over. The big didn't show much. They didn't "blitz" the ballhandler forcing them to go back, etc.

Instead they allowed easy guard penetration which led to wide open shots and our defenders scrambling and on the wrong offensive players, out of rebound position, etc.

 

yeah, there's lot of different ways to show, blitz, trap, etc.... so I really could have expanded the poll.

I don't think the trap works great anymore either though. This is primarily because today's power forwards, especially on the good teams, are better shooters and creators themselves. The trap is a double team. Assuming the ballhandler can get the ball to the open big, you are in the same compromised defensive position.

I don't know about you, but I love it when they try to trap James on the PnR. He's typically so great at that pocket pass, it creates tons of opportunities. Similarly, Blake is really good, and even more so now, at being a creator.

Perhaps the hard trap would have worked last night, since you are then talking about JJ, Crawford and Barnes being forced to make above average pocket passes.

But my initial question still remains. Why where they going under in the first half to success but changed in the second?

If I had to pick a style I liked btw, it would be for the defender to "jump" the pick a bit, force the ballhandler to either go back, or go wide around, and allow the guard defender to both go under, AND get back in front in time to prevent an easier three look. I think they were doing this to some success in the first half.

The best defense is the one that contests all shots. Double teams are great and required when you truly have a superstar going off, no matter how much he is being contested. And I don't think Blake was the most comfortable being doubled when posting. But even then he found open man, and off the PnR he wasn't just not being doubled, he was generally open, and in a perfect shoot, dribble, drive three point stance type position. It didn't work. This is the going over with the big man show hard option.