it’s been going on for years now. there’s no curing it because it’s very obviously purposefully by design or from a lack thereof.
if any of you played middle school basketball, let alone high school or college, you know that inevitably your team’s practice (after drills and/or scrimmaging) ended up slowing down to show how basic rotations work on defense, whether zone or man.
your coach stopped the ball and said, “if the ball goes in the post” this perimeter player will dig, this post player will close the opposite passing lane. this guy guarding the post will play off this shoulder (or that) and force the post player to go this way or that way and everyone else will rotate accordingly…” etc.
so we don’t see this extremely basic approach play out with cal’s teams, unless he has groups of elite defenders on the same team (like having mkg and davis for instance). we’ll have 2-3 guys chase the ball, 2-3 guys go for a block, 2-3 guys be lost with regularity.
this is not an all effort thing either. in fact our guys are now at least fighting over screens, and getting slightly better at closing out on shooters (ok, i’m being nice). point is, this is basic coaching. it’s like a shortstop not backing up a 3rd baseman going for a stab in the hole. it’s elementary. our guys don’t stay home, and when they do rotate, other players don’t pick up for rotator. meaning 1 screen and 1-2 passes gets you an open shot or layup. we go after the ball like it’s gold, only to see a simple reversal or offensive rebound render the whole defensive possession fruitless.
tonight, when the ball went to the post (any of the forwards for the zags) with thiero on them, you didn’t just assume they’d score. in fact you knew they’d probably miss. problem is you knew they’d be all alone on the opposite side of the rim for an easy put back. why? sure we were out toughed many of those instance, or were just beat by a good move, and even had some unlucky bounces. most of the time, however, there was just no one there. why?
this is not just something a decent coach would allow possession after possession, game after game, year after year. it’s simple fundamentals. you can’t just say switch everything and hope for the best. our guys are no even putting themselves in position to help. it’s one thing to get beat at the point of attack, it’s quite another to have a player run himself out of the play entirely. this is an ever occurring fundamental failure, and it seems no one can get cal to change it.
if you’re going to get beat off the dribble because you’re not quick, fine. that’s usually assumed and when the game of rotation starts. but if you’re not going to help defend, box out, know when to stay at home or when to hedge, your man-to-man is weak and you’re probably using up energy with no better results than what a 2-3 zone would allow. we hurt our chances to win with this style of man-to-man defense. we don’t really have a help defense, just the hope that we may get a block or a steal by taking an unnecessary risk.
if any of you played middle school basketball, let alone high school or college, you know that inevitably your team’s practice (after drills and/or scrimmaging) ended up slowing down to show how basic rotations work on defense, whether zone or man.
your coach stopped the ball and said, “if the ball goes in the post” this perimeter player will dig, this post player will close the opposite passing lane. this guy guarding the post will play off this shoulder (or that) and force the post player to go this way or that way and everyone else will rotate accordingly…” etc.
so we don’t see this extremely basic approach play out with cal’s teams, unless he has groups of elite defenders on the same team (like having mkg and davis for instance). we’ll have 2-3 guys chase the ball, 2-3 guys go for a block, 2-3 guys be lost with regularity.
this is not an all effort thing either. in fact our guys are now at least fighting over screens, and getting slightly better at closing out on shooters (ok, i’m being nice). point is, this is basic coaching. it’s like a shortstop not backing up a 3rd baseman going for a stab in the hole. it’s elementary. our guys don’t stay home, and when they do rotate, other players don’t pick up for rotator. meaning 1 screen and 1-2 passes gets you an open shot or layup. we go after the ball like it’s gold, only to see a simple reversal or offensive rebound render the whole defensive possession fruitless.
tonight, when the ball went to the post (any of the forwards for the zags) with thiero on them, you didn’t just assume they’d score. in fact you knew they’d probably miss. problem is you knew they’d be all alone on the opposite side of the rim for an easy put back. why? sure we were out toughed many of those instance, or were just beat by a good move, and even had some unlucky bounces. most of the time, however, there was just no one there. why?
this is not just something a decent coach would allow possession after possession, game after game, year after year. it’s simple fundamentals. you can’t just say switch everything and hope for the best. our guys are no even putting themselves in position to help. it’s one thing to get beat at the point of attack, it’s quite another to have a player run himself out of the play entirely. this is an ever occurring fundamental failure, and it seems no one can get cal to change it.
if you’re going to get beat off the dribble because you’re not quick, fine. that’s usually assumed and when the game of rotation starts. but if you’re not going to help defend, box out, know when to stay at home or when to hedge, your man-to-man is weak and you’re probably using up energy with no better results than what a 2-3 zone would allow. we hurt our chances to win with this style of man-to-man defense. we don’t really have a help defense, just the hope that we may get a block or a steal by taking an unnecessary risk.
