LEB Gold: Alley Hoop Canarias

After 10 games, Canarias is the leader of the league, scoring 94 points per game, and once again showing a fun to watch basketball, with high pace and quick shots.

They’ve done the same for years under coach Alejandro Martínez and maybe this is their moment to take a step forward and reach the ACB.

They’ve been running this offensive set for all this years. It’s a reminder that a good execution can beat the scoutings year after year. Also, it’s a good way to show Canarias’ style. Players like Jakim Donaldson, Nayal Koshwal or Rod Flemmings have enjoyed it.

Starting with both bigs placed near the three point line, the pointguard sends a lob pass and the power forward goes backdoor to get the ball and (most of the times) dunk.

There is a curious detail that shows a non verbal comunication between the passer and the big, maybe you have noticed... in some of this clips, the pointguard changes the ball between his legs before giving the pass. I think this is the signal for the big to look for that option...

Take a look. Showtime.

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LEB Gold: Full Court Pressure

This is a “full court press league” as most of its teams play that kind of defense quite often, or at least are ready to use it if they need to. I mean, you need to work this defense either you like it or not, because during the season you’ll face it a lot of times.

Let’s take a look at the first games of the season to get a sight of some of these full court defenses. In the video we will find:

Man to man, defenders in full denial position, right in front of their man, with their back to the ball. It’s interesting to see how they switch (keeping their denial position anyway) when the attackers decide to screen for each other or just to switch sides.

Man to man, defenders on three quarters denial position.

Man to man, defenders behind their man’s back.

Also let’s notice sometimes there is a defender at the top of the defense, taking care of the inbounder:

Inbounder’s defender double teams agains the first receiver when he gets the ball. As we can see in one of the clips, this is far less risky when a big guy inbounds the ball, as it’s not a big deal if the inbounder manages to receive the ball again and starts dribbling. Actually this may be one of the defense’s goals.

Inbounder’s defender denying first pass (he can be watching the ball or with his back towards it) double teaming against the first receiver (before he gets the ball)

Run and jump pressure (switching when needed, trapping when there is an option to)

Take a look at the video:

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LEB Gold: Burgos - Stop Antelo!

One more week of LEB Gold.

Today I want to show you how one of the league’s best teams, Burgos, managed to stop one of the league’s stars, Jose Angel Antelo, a power forward whose skills allow him to post up, to play facing the basket and to hit the three. Antelo is also terrific shooting coming off drible. He is averaging 17 points and 8 rebounds with an astounding 50% in 3 point shots.

Here you can take a look at his stats

Burgos’ defense was great. They allowed Antelo only one uncontested shot all along the game. And from their 1 on 1 defense to their ball screen defense, everything worked fine to let him in 3 points (1/6 FG) and 4 rebounds.

As we see in the video, Burgos decided to defend ball screens in two different ways: “switch” and “push”. And by doing this, they never allowed him an advantage rolling or popping (he’s a killer playing pick and pop)

Burgos’ 1 on 1 defense was intense and focused. Always close to him. No helps. Always on hand raised to contest his shots. He rather prefered to pass the ball than play himself a couple of times in clear situations.

Other times he wasn’t allowed to get the ball.

So, great individual and team defense. Sometimes it may seem that’s easy, but I tell you it is not. Burgos made it look easy. Hats off!

LEB Gold: Double Diagonal Screens - Ball Inside

There are some “go to” inside players in LEB Gold. The teams work hard to find them in mid – low post but sometimes is not easy to put the ball inside. Some teams are using these double diagonal screens to free their bigs. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t, but it’s a good option anyway.

As we see there are two small players setting the screens, so the defense can’t switch easily or there would be a miss match. If the timing is good and the screens are hard enough, they’ll give the big man a small advantage, maybe half a second, to get the position and the inside pass. From that point on, he must go to work.

In the first clip we see J. T. Durley (former Wichitta State player) from León. He’s made a great impact in the first three games of the LEB league, averaging 20 points per game with an astounding 75’9% in 2pt shots, 60% in 3pt shots and 77’8 in FT.

In the second clip, as there is no pass inside when the big man (Kevin Langford, yes, Keith Langford’s brother) comes off the screens, Navarra’s players keep running the play, and they end up playing a ball screen to score in the last seconds of the shot clock.

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LEB Gold: Post Player's Game

The Spanish second division (LEB Gold) is a really competitive league. Some of the best Spanish basketball projects as well as veteran players make it an amazing and strong competition. One of the latter is Darryl Middleton, who at age 45 still can show the way to the league’s younger players (that’s to say, to any other player)

What I bring today are some basic but important concepts to play as a center.

- When you are in the weak side’s low post, you shouldn’t stay in the same imaginary line as your teammate when he gets the ball. One step closer to baseline would be fine in order to be able to move properly when he plays his one on one. Helps are quite more complicated, and you will find good passing and rebounding options moving when the ball moves.

- When a teammate drives to the basket, move to create space for him. Your defender will probably try to help and stop the penetration, giving you the time to receive and have an easy shot.

- Against aggresive defenders who try to play defense in front in low – mid post, use your body to roll over them, and with a self screen, get the position to receive a pass from high post.

- After setting an off ball screen, go against your defender, to get a good position to receive. Most of the times, the screener defender will relax, and you’ll be able to place him behind your back and make it easy to get the ball.

Middleton knows well all these concepts, and his love for the game brings him again to the league, so we can keep enjoying his performances.

Thank you!

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LEB Gold: Spacing

Spanish second division, LEB Gold, has just started. From now on, I’ll show you some details of this interesting league.

To begin with, a topic I’m really interested in, spacing.

Alex Navajas, from Breogan, scored 5 out of 5 threes in the league’s first thriller (Breogan 87-Menorca 86 in the overtime) And he did it by making a great use of the space.

As we see in the video, he picks and pops, he creates space when the ball handler goes hard to the rim, he pops when his teammate curls... Many different ways to punish helps and and to achieve an astounding 5/5...




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