The reason that the NBA plays a more isolation/matchup type of game is that at that level there are much fewer inefficiencies in defenses that can be exploited by running certain plays. NBA players aren't going to consistently be beaten by motion offenses with lots of screens off the ball because those offenses are designed to take advantage of poor individual and team defensive fundamentals (i.e. not knowing how to deal with screens or how to position oneself on defense). In the NBA these things aren't issues for defenders. The NBA is an efficient market with respect to defensive fundamentals. You can't consistently gain abnormal returns (i.e. score more points than your opponents) by relying on offenses that are built around taking advantage of inefficiencies in defensive fundamentals.
The reason then that the NBA features more isolations and finding mismatches is because those are the areas in which there are inefficiencies. Those are the areas in which the offense consistently has advantages. Players like Kobe and Lebron can often score regardless of perfect defensive fundamentals and positioning.
This is not to say that every play should just be a complete clearout for a respective team's best player, but rather that the NBA game might have a 60/40 isolation-to-motion ratio whereas college has a 40/60.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Post Smarter Not Harder
I think playing smarter as opposed to playing harder is underrated in basketball.
For example, watch almost any high school or college post player try to gain position in the post.
Watch how much energy he expends.
Watch him inevitably labor back on defense exhausted, once again disappointed after a guard couldn't get the ball to him and instead decided to do his best Allen Iverson impression with predictably mixed results.
Now watch how many times he does this.
Does he continue to expend incredible amounts of energy trying to get position or does he eventually tire out and just stand there (or get taken out cause he's tired)?
It doesn't have to be this way.
There is a better way to get position in the post. It's called timing and footwork. In other words, posting smarter.
For example, watch almost any high school or college post player try to gain position in the post.
Watch how much energy he expends.
Watch him inevitably labor back on defense exhausted, once again disappointed after a guard couldn't get the ball to him and instead decided to do his best Allen Iverson impression with predictably mixed results.
Now watch how many times he does this.
Does he continue to expend incredible amounts of energy trying to get position or does he eventually tire out and just stand there (or get taken out cause he's tired)?
It doesn't have to be this way.
There is a better way to get position in the post. It's called timing and footwork. In other words, posting smarter.
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