Pressing Lineup

[Niastri]

I was looking through the stats of the team, and found myself focused on the idea of pressing, and our best lineup for turning over the other team. The lineup is primarily focused on steals, but also the ability to recover and block or challenge shots after the press is beaten is critical is well. After that, the ability to turn a steak into offense is critical for creating momentum and wearing down the other team.

Here is our best lineup by steals per 40 minutes... I used only conference play stats except for Westry, who didn't play against the SEC because of injury last season. Other possibly relevant stats also included.

Mounir Hima: 2.1 steals, 3.9 blocks (8.8 fouls)
Maliq Brown: 1.7 steals, 1.1 blocks
Chance Westry: 3.0 steals, 4.2 assists, .8 blocks
Quadir Copeland: 1.6 steals, .8 blocks, 2.4 assists
Judah Mintz: 2.0 steals, 5.4 assists, .1 blocks

This lineup will be very difficult to operate against, with long active arms and bodies getting defections of the dribble, pass and shot alike.

Williams and Starling were surprisingly low on both steals and blocks, and McLeod had exactly 1 steal in 189 conference minutes last season. Bell's reputation as mostly a shooter is supported by his low effective pressing stats.

Honorable mention goes to Justin Taylor, with 1.5 assists, 1.3 steals and .5 blocks per 40 in conference play.

Since pressing might be bad for Mintz's foul status, it seems like maybe a lineup of Hima, Brown, Westry, Taylor and Copeland might be an opportunity to get the starters a rest, increase the tempo of the game and get some easy offense off forced turnovers. The game play would need to be ragged and fast, because there would be a lot of non-shooters on the court at once. Could be a very fun few minutes every half.

It also, interestingly enough, means a starting lineup with Bell could give Red an A Team B Team setup, where the starters play a more traditional half court game for 25 minutes and the B Team comes in for 15 minutes or so for 15 minutes of hell... That said, I think Westry is the starter, and Bell does have untapped length and athleticism that could be effective on Team B.

 

[sufandu]

I'm not sure steal and block stats tell the whole story about a guy's ability be effective in the press. I don't think JG3 would be great at pressing even though he averaged nearly 2 steals per 40 min every year but last year. The defensive systems the transfers came from may have also negatively impacted their numbers. I think we could see some good pressing line ups from guys that don't necessarily get a lot of steals. Forced bad shots that we rebound and get run outs on have the same effect.

 

[OrangeDW]

I’ve tried to forget last year as much as possible, but I recall Brown and Copeland both being good in the press.

Cuffe seems like he’d be good at it, as does Westry.

Those 4 with Hima protecting the rim in the back would probably wreak some havoc in the 1-2-1-1 trunk monkey.

 

[Buddah69]

Hope we play like UNLV and Arkansas played in early 90’s 40 min of hell lfgo big orange

 

[Niastri]

I’ve tried to forget last year as much as possible, but I recall Brown and Copeland both being good in the press.

Cuffe seems like he’d be good at it, as does Westry.

Those 4 with Hima protecting the rim in the back would probably wreak some havoc in the 1-2-1-1 trunk monkey.

The eye test matched the statistics in this case... Brown and Copeland definitely needed to be on the pressing team. The funny thing is Syracuse led the ACC in blocks last year with about 5/game, yet the per 40 of this lineup would have a lot more blocks 6.7, even with Mintz getting only a couple all year.

 

[walsh2012]

a lineup with Brown as the 5 and Benny as the 4 could make for an electric press

 

[Niastri]

a lineup with Brown as the 5 and Benny as the 4 could make for an electric press

I thought so too, but statistically, Williams doesn't get many steals or blocks... Sometimes it isn't just about athletic ability and length. Williams makes some incredible blocks, but not many of them.

Hima is way better as a bet to backstop the press, and he gets more steals too!