Interesting article on the pack line defense and the ascent of Virginia.
http://grantland.com/the-triangle/virginia-defense-pack-line-dick-tony-bennett/
http://grantland.com/the-triangle/virginia-defense-pack-line-dick-tony-bennett/
Grantland on Virginia, Tony Bennett, and the "Pack Line"
- Thread starter Joneslab
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I've noticed teams trying to exploit the mid-range shot against Kentucky the last three games.
Makes a lot of sense. You'll see a power dribble and then a quick pull-up--allows those guys to not have to contend with our size waiting at the rim.
It worked for Ole Miss. Otherwise there've been a lot of clanks.
It's a tough shot. It's a shot that not a lot of guys work on. And if you're playing defense you force it out of rhythm.
Most teams can live with being beaten in that area. The only thing about Virginia is that they play very much like Calipari's teams have until this year: they don't take the ball away. If you aren't blocking a lot of shots (which they don't) then it's risky, especially when you're playing from behind.
Makes a lot of sense. You'll see a power dribble and then a quick pull-up--allows those guys to not have to contend with our size waiting at the rim.
It worked for Ole Miss. Otherwise there've been a lot of clanks.
It's a tough shot. It's a shot that not a lot of guys work on. And if you're playing defense you force it out of rhythm.
Most teams can live with being beaten in that area. The only thing about Virginia is that they play very much like Calipari's teams have until this year: they don't take the ball away. If you aren't blocking a lot of shots (which they don't) then it's risky, especially when you're playing from behind.
I think Virginia is going to have a hard time against teams that have superior athleticism or star power. That defense is very much a team defense, and if one player gets beat, the team gets beat. That's why I feel like Duke beats them. I'm not entirely sure their defense will thrive against a player like Jahlil Okafor where they'll need 2 players to collapse on him when he gets the ball. They don't have a sufficient post player to stop him alone, so that's what they'll have to do. Duke will see a lot of open shots when they play. I believe Virginia's biggest break will be that Justin Anderson will be defending Justise Winslow, so they shouldn't give up a lot of athleticism on the wing. The problem with that is Justise Winslow will be defending Justin Anderson. Winslow is Duke's best defender (easily, imo), and Anderson is UVA's biggest threat offensively, so this could really negate, which favors Duke in my opinion.
The biggest difference between UK and UVA is that Virginia's defense is entirely fundamental with nearly no athleticism in it. They don't block shots well, they don't take many chances, they would be hard pressed to beat anybody with superior athleticism on the hustle plays, which turns the tide in games.
UK's defense is much more natural. The length will always be there, the speed will always be there, the athleticism will always be there, the shots will always be contested, and the guard pressure will be turned up often. UK will man up on anybody, and only needs to worry about things like appropriate spacing, and keeping a shot-blocker (sometimes 2) in the lane at all times. Guard pressure should be intense for UK, because they're bigger, superior athletes to, really, anybody that they'll play.
UVA has to be much more precise and communicate much more on defense, otherwise their defense would get slashed, or they could get beat off the screen by a team who can hit those shots.
I don't think UVA has went against a team with a lights out player yet. I'm curious to see how that turns out. A team that has a star, along with superior athleticism would probably beat them. Two that immediately come to mind, who are on UVA's schedule would be Harrell and Lulzville, Okafor and dook. Of course, UVA will trip up as well against a nobody.
That's just my perception on them.
The biggest difference between UK and UVA is that Virginia's defense is entirely fundamental with nearly no athleticism in it. They don't block shots well, they don't take many chances, they would be hard pressed to beat anybody with superior athleticism on the hustle plays, which turns the tide in games.
UK's defense is much more natural. The length will always be there, the speed will always be there, the athleticism will always be there, the shots will always be contested, and the guard pressure will be turned up often. UK will man up on anybody, and only needs to worry about things like appropriate spacing, and keeping a shot-blocker (sometimes 2) in the lane at all times. Guard pressure should be intense for UK, because they're bigger, superior athletes to, really, anybody that they'll play.
UVA has to be much more precise and communicate much more on defense, otherwise their defense would get slashed, or they could get beat off the screen by a team who can hit those shots.
I don't think UVA has went against a team with a lights out player yet. I'm curious to see how that turns out. A team that has a star, along with superior athleticism would probably beat them. Two that immediately come to mind, who are on UVA's schedule would be Harrell and Lulzville, Okafor and dook. Of course, UVA will trip up as well against a nobody.
That's just my perception on them.
^ I don't know UVA's roster too well, but they're probably more athletic than most here give them credit for. No one's near as athletic as UK this year, but still. Justin Anderson, their small forward, is an elite athlete (also shooting like 55% from 3!). His NBA draft profile on ESPN is pretty descriptive: Long athletic forward, NBA body, Explosive leaper, Good but streaky shooter, Potentially elite defensive player, Good shot blocker for his position.
This is precisely why I have molded my game to be deadly from midrange. When I'm playing pickup, the rare time my body allows me to and doesn't fail five minutes in, that's where my buckets come from.
AKA "Dad Range."
Used to play with old guys--I thought they were old then; they're basically my age now--who could wear out the 15-footer. There's a guy we played with who I swear to God would tear everybody on the court up in pick-up games and who never ventured anywhere past the elbow.
Ive had it up to here with the UVA/Bennett talk..they like Arizona need to do something in the post season.
From what I can tell it's the same principle in that there are areas on the floor that only the man guarding the ball is allowed to leave.
For Tubby the line was straight and for the Bennetts its an arc.
"Ball line" defense, at least as I understood it, was based on the principal that all 5 defenders should always be as close or closer to the baseline than the ball is. In other words, if you draw a line through the ball, parallel to the baseline, the 5 defenders should all be behind this line. As the ball moves closer to the goal, the defenders all get closer together. Explains lots of open 3s on kickouts...
You are 100% correct in your assessment . It's these principles that make Ball Line D extremely hard to fast break on rebounds .
