Why is the small lineup so good at ball denial & deflections?

CAPELA IS BIG STUPID AND SLOW

 

Focus and effort...

Guys are hustlin on D more than earlier in the year... plain simple focus and effort...
Idk if its bc they know they dont have the safety net of CC behind them and they dont want to get embarrassed...
or if more motion and ball movement on offense is getting guys more engaged and carrying over to the defensive end...

but guys are swarming, getting hands up and filling the passing lanes... good general defensive effort - which hasnt consistently been there...

...imo..

 

part of it is doubling and trapping the ball (especially in the paint), and another part is probably just extra effort to make up for no rim protector. sorry about not providing stats OP requested. i don't do that shiit

 

Small people have better movement and, due to the nature of their position, probably work on perimeter defense and switching, so their lateral movement and footwork is better.

Big people have to guard the post - usually, they're probably ready for the opposing player who penetrates from the top of the key, so their movement doesn't have to be as quick. They're probably also more or less content with letting the opposing big man catch the ball since it usually doesn't resort to that big man making decisions to score on you (unless it's like KAT, Embiid, Jokic, etc)

 

Our best disruptors are our smaller players.

Covington is our most talented disruptor but Harden, Tucker, Thabo and even Westbrook have quick hands and great sense of anticipation to create steals and deflections.

Our bigs (Capela, Tyson, Harty) are the least talented disruptors.

Defensive disruption is a talent just like shooting, passing and dribbling.

Jonah Bolden is a very talented disruptor. So are Harkless and MKG.

 

Actually we dont have curry and Thompson type 3 points accuracy shooter. As Harden is not in form and keep missing, we dont have an Andrew bogut or Green type center. They have KD for sf, it is difficult to compare

 

I remember when Yao played Pringle's small Phoenix lineup, we were killed and brutalized most of the time. We were trying to force feed Yao when he was crowded. So I think the smaller lineup makes the feeding to a big more difficult. But once a pin down happened, the small is helpless. I think it's a bit gimmicky because the opponent can counter with their best smalls to attack and mix it up with pin downs from good post positions. We will be constantly in a scramble mode - not a recipe for good defense. If opponent force feed to big like what we did with Yao, that will play into our defensive strength, but I am almost certain that will not happen in a 7 game series.

 

u can find answers in below posts, crystal clear
http://bbs.clutchfans.net/index.php?threads/analyzing-our-last-3-games.303633/
http://bbs.clutchfans.net/index.php?threads/analyzing-our-last-3-games-part-2.303728/#post-12845783

 

I agree with what other posters said above and also feel that the smaller lineup often causes opposing players normal offense to become disrupted. So they make passes or take lines that are not their usual way of playing. And once their usual offense has been disrupted, they are more prone to make mistakes with the ball. At the very least, it often causes indecision or hesitation which gives our smaller lineup a second or two of extra time to react.

 

@Deuce has dubbed this "skillball" along with "smallball"

I believe the coaches are hammering this skillball/disruption/ball-control message, and made it a challenge/priority to fockass (as @kjayp points out).

A gang of 5 perimeter defenders with fockass hound the passing lanes, and stay in front of offensive players better than traditional bigs, switch-faster, etc. They are more coordinated on their feet, and faster, than traditional bigs.

Here's how the Skill of Perimeter players plays out in Last 8 games, since the Utah win with first small-ball 48 minutes:

• Rockets have an 18.1 Opponent TOV% ... Tops in League
• Rockets lead league in Steals
• Rockets have an 11.2 TOV% ... which would be #1 over the season, by a good margin
• Rockets average 5 more shots on goal than oppenent, despite rebounding issue
  
  
• Rockets #1 in fewest opponent points off our TOs per 100
• Rockets #2 in most points off Opp TOs per 100
  
  
• But once opponent shoots, we're 4th worst in eFG%
• Also, giving up 2nd most 2nd Chance Points per 100

Bottomline: The key component of smallball/skillball is winning turnover battle bigly, so we can still get more shots on goal. This is such an obvious advantage to me, that I'm willing to bet the coaches have made this a priority; hence the fockass we're seeing.​

 

that's exactly what it is If you play that way with a big you will dominate

 

Rockets still need 2 more long athletic disruptors who can hit 3ball.

6'8 Moe Harkless 7'2 wingspan
6'10 Jonah Bolden 7'3 wingspan

Also need 1 more scorer for when EGo injured or just cannot score jack.

6'3 Tyler Johnson or 6'3 Dion Waiters.

Finally a PnR/dunker to play 5 spot when Russ sits (B2B) or if injured.

6'8 Bismack Biyombo 7'7 wingspan 40" max vert (28 yrs) or 6'9 Ekpe Udoh 7'5 wingspan 33" max vert (32 years) or 6'11 Justin Patton 7'3 wingspan 31" max vert (22 yrs).

Or a high upside project like 4th overall pick Dragan Bender - 7'0 7'2 wingspan (22 yrs).

Bender has center size but guard skills and fluidity.

 

6'11 Justin Patton is also very good disruptor, especially for a true 5, gets his hands on lots of steals and deflections in addition to blocks.

His game very similar to Bobby Portis, can shoot the 3 plus passing. Except Patton is the better defender.

 

Nah this aint it at all. None of that is true.

 

Any chance this will see a dip? Or is the eFG% so high because we are selling out to defend the paint instead of the three point line?

 

Low Center of Gravity.

 

I think there’s a few reasons.

Smaller players on the court at all times so quicker as a whole

Taking more chances

More hustle because they know that’s the only way they can successfully defend now.

Less thinking because they don’t have to worry about not switching when Capela is guarding the pnr. They can all switch everything with no thought.

 

it is quicker

 

Why are cornerbacks in the NFL usually one of the smallest guys on the field.