SU's "Precision" Defense

[kuethstheman]

I've been watching this lousy defense all year and I think I finally have begun to appreciate the precision with which JJ and Lampkin play defense:

1. When somebody sets up to pick JJ, JJ positions himself precisely so that he will hit the pick man in the middle of his body. If JJ is back a step (such that he could easily go under the pick) he takes a step forward. If he's close to his man (such that he could try to squeeze through the pick). He steps back just enough to crash into the pick's chest.

2. When Lampkin's man is setting a pick, Lampkin positions himself precisely half-way between his man and the basket. Offering no help to the man being picked and not guarding anyone.

3. On the rare occasions that Lampkin decides to maybe help on someone else's man, he positions himself precisely one step too far away from the man to be able to influence what the man does. If the guy moves toward him, Lampkin backs up just enough to stay one step too far away. Unless Lampkin's man happens to be where Lampkin positions himself, he's not guarding anyone in this scenario either.

4. The coaching staff has apparently done precisely nothing to remedy this. Perhaps there are reasons they haven't (e.g. they think Lampkin's too slow to try to help, or they're afraid he'll pick up too many fouls), but if Lampkin isn't capable of defending the pick-and-roll, he shouldn't be in there. I don't care how many of his missed layups he manages to rebound so he gets his double-double.

I haven't posted these observations until now, hoping that by the time I got around to it, these things would have been remedied. No such luck.

Today, I believe that the only reason we survived the first two overtimes is that Red kept putting Petar in to guard the inbounds man on the press. When Petar was in, and SU fell back into the half court D, Petar did what everyone else seems to know you're supposed to do, and the defense of the pick-and-roll was effective.

I really think that if we fixed the pick-and-roll defense, we'd find that this team isn't as naturally bad (nor lazy) on D as they seem. I think that almost all the breakdowns start with that. I also think that if guys being picked had any help at all slowing down their man, they'd be a lot less likely to go under picks. As it is, if they try to go over a pick, their man has a completely undefended path to the basket, or a wide-open jumper. At least going under a pick gives them a chance to stay in the play.

I should give Lampkin a little credit for his on-ball D. He did a nice job today when his man got the ball down low. But obviously, there's more to defense than guarding your man.

 

[grepal]

I've been watching this lousy defense all year and I think I finally have begun to appreciate the precision with which JJ and Lampkin play defense:

1. When somebody sets up to pick JJ, JJ positions himself precisely so that he will hit the pick man in the middle of his body. If JJ is back a step (such that he could easily go under the pick) he takes a step forward. If he's close to his man (such that he could try to squeeze through the pick). He steps back just enough to crash into the pick's chest.

2. When Lampkin's man is setting a pick, Lampkin positions himself precisely half-way between his man and the basket. Offering no help to the man being picked and not guarding anyone.

3. On the rare occasions that Lampkin decides to maybe help on someone else's man, he positions himself precisely one step too far away from the man to be able to influence what the man does. If the guy moves toward him, Lampkin backs up just enough to stay one step too far away. Unless Lampkin's man happens to be where Lampkin positions himself, he's not guarding anyone in this scenario either.

4. The coaching staff has apparently done precisely nothing to remedy this. Perhaps there are reasons they haven't (e.g. they think Lampkin's too slow to try to help, or they're afraid he'll pick up too many fouls), but if Lampkin isn't capable of defending the pick-and-roll, he shouldn't be in there. I don't care how many of his missed layups he manages to rebound so he gets his double-double.

I haven't posted these observations until now, hoping that by the time I got around to it, these things would have been remedied. No such luck.

Today, I believe that the only reason we survived the first two overtimes is that Red kept putting Petar in to guard the inbounds man on the press. When Petar was in, and SU fell back into the half court D, Petar did what everyone else seems to know you're supposed to do, and the defense of the pick-and-roll was effective.

I really think that if we fixed the pick-and-roll defense, we'd find that this team isn't as naturally bad (nor lazy) on D as they seem. I think that almost all the breakdowns start with that. I also think that if guys being picked had any help at all slowing down their man, they'd be a lot less likely to go under picks. As it is, if they try to go over a pick, their man has a completely undefended path to the basket, or a wide-open jumper. At least going under a pick gives them a chance to stay in the play.

I should give Lampkin a little credit for his on-ball D. He did a nice job today when his man got the ball down low. But obviously, there's more to defense than guarding your man.

My best guess is that Red has stressed to both players they are too important the offense, JJ and rebounding, Lampkin, Jr. to risk foul trouble. Lampkin challenging quicker players is a good recipe for foul trouble and we need him to board. Our team is flawed. Our players, except Donnie, who will miss virtually the whole year, are not NBA talent.