Real Quick: Big's Fundamentals Self-Pick

One of the secrets for the big players to excel in our sport is to use their body properly. Beyond size or strength (both help, of course) if they learn how to use the contact to their advantage they will be a defender's nightmare.

Let's see real quick how one of Europe's tallest centers use his body to create an easy pass from the outside. 

Boban Marjanovic from Belgrade Red Star, sets a baseline screen for his teammate and immediately goes against his own defender looking for the contact, not allowing him to get the proper defensive position and creating the space for the easy lob pass.

Staggered Screens Defense: Offense Reaction

Staggered screens are one of the most used situations in basketball. Well executed, they will create many options for the offense, specially when there is a good shooter to run them for.

There are different ways to play defense against staggered screens (and single off ball screens too) one of those is switching. We saw some months ago how F.C. Barcelona did it against Jaycee Carroll - Real Madrid.

Today I bring you another example, but we will focus in the offense's reaction. The game is Obradoiro - Manresa in the ACB league, and Manresa (in red) is switching against Obradoiro's shooter Alberto Corbacho.

Offense's reaction is great. This is, in my opinion, one of the best teams at reading the defense all over Europe. We will see a misdirection pass, a baseline screen to focus the defense on ball side, and another quick pass to the opposite side to get an easy bucket right under the rim.

Let's go step by step:

Staggered screens for Corbacho ("2")

"X4" and "X2" switch

Misdirection pass and baseline screen: "5" screens for "4", who is now being guarded by "X2"… "X4" and "X2" switch, which is the right thing to do, understanding that there will be a big mismatch on ball side if they don't switch ("4" vs "X2")

The offense keep working to use the mismatch, "5" seals "X2" and gets the position under the basket, they were looking for this situation, and they use the advantage.

Now let's take a look at the video:

Action - Reaction ; Off Ball Screens Defense

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction (Newton's Third Law of motion)

In my Final Four Preview post I wrote about the way Barcelona was going to play defense against one of Real Madrid more special players, JC Carroll.

Now, after two games in the Liga Endesa finals, I'll talk again on the topic, as I think both coaches have worked with their teams to anticipate the other.

If you remember, when guarding Carroll, FCB often switch when defending off ball screens. 

These are two basic situations the white team play for him, Barcelona's reaction and Real's counter.

Baseline off ball screens (smalls' cross)

Barcelona's switching action (X2 - X5 - X4)

Real's counter (feeding 5 who is guarded by X2) Nice reaction, looking for the big guy in a clear mismatch situation in low post. 

And Barça is using their low post rotation defense to adjust to that situation. Which Real try to punish with an extra pass.

The second situation is a diamond, with both teams following the same steps.

Barcelona's switching action (X2 - X4 - X5)

Real look for the mismatch...

Defensive rotation... Extra pass...

Let's take a look at the video:

We have two (or three) more games ahead... Both teams know each other, both teams are ready... And I can't wait for the next one...

Euroleague Final Four Preview: FCB Vs. Carroll

The big game is coming.

And there are some really good previews out there. So I want to focus in one of the situations that in my opinion will be key for the game: The way Barça will defend Real's wings, and specially JC Carroll.

I think it was one of the most important things in the Spanish Copa del Rey quarter final this two teams played months ago. After that game I tweeted I was willing to watch their next game, to see if there would be a reaction from Real's bench, and what would be Barça's counter against that reaction. 

OK, their next game was two weeks ago and both teams, knowing they would face again in London, appeared to decide not to show too much, and save weapons (and efforts) for next friday's semifinal. 

There will be great players on the court. Both teams know it. Real's smalls are a headache for any team facing them. In my opinion the most special one in the white side, as he does what no other one can for Real, is JC Carroll. In the Copa del Rey game, Barcelona decided to focus their defense on him.

Carroll is a great catch and shoot player. Period. Amazing release. No need of perfect balance. Can you keep him from scoring? Not likely. You just can't stop this kind of player. But you can try to keep his percentages a little bit lower, or to avoid a couple of shots, even if you give up some other players' options.

In basketball stats count and both RMA and FCB will play against the other team's best options (and by the way if you're interested in Euroleague stats, take a look at In The Game an awsome site to learn about EL stats and how they affect the game) 

So, this is how FCB tried to stop Carroll's production when defending off ball screens, as RMA runs some really good sets to get shooting options for the Azerbaimerican.

Barça's off ball screen defense:

• Trail the shooter, go behind his back, force him to curl, to dribble, to give an extra pass... 

• Plus, strong hedge from the passer, we can call this "jump and swipe" 

• Plus, rotation, being still more aggressive. Two or even three players' rotation to minimize Carroll's advantages.

Notice how in the first clip (this is actually the first time this situation happened with Carroll in the Copa del Rey game) JC and Llull read the defense really well and after the former receives the pass, the latter goes away, and when Marcelinho helps, Carroll kicks the pass for Llull to hit the three. As I said earlier, if your goal is to avoid Carroll's shots, you'll give up other players options.

• Switch. There will be mismatch situations, but anyway, that's a risk they take. They are ready to switch once, twice... in order to keep the ball off Carroll's hands. And to face the mismatch in case Madrid find it (watch, in the second clip, Carroll's frustration when he doesn't get the ball to play the mismatch against Jawai) As we saw before, the passer's defender will jump towards Carroll and in this case they double team him putting a lot of pressure so he has to give one more pass. Team effort just in case he can beat the trap or if Madrid finds a mismatch inside the paint (watch Tomic's helps!)

Let's watch the video... and enjoy the F4!

Real Quick: Double Curl

Watching the Argentinian League (LNB) Playoffs I've found this interesting situation, in which "3" receives three consecutive off ball screens ("2" - "4" - "5"). He curls in the last screen, setting then one more screen against the last screener defender, to allow his teammate ("2" who follows his steps) curl with a bigger advantage.

Eurobasket 2011: Turkey's Baseline Out Of Bounds

Yesterday, Turkey lost to Serbia in a win or go home game. It was in the very last play of the game that they didn't manage to score in a baseline out of bounds situation. Serbia played good defense and they made it to Quarter Finals.

Turkey wanted to inbound the ball and play a sidescreen between Onan and Turkoglu, probably looking for a pick and pop situation for Turkoglu to score. Their idea was to free Onan with an off ball screen and then Turkoglu would set the screen

Serbia switched in the off ball screen, and Macvan made a hell of a job denying the pass to Onan. Markovic stayed with Ilyasova, who finally received (far from the basket due to Teodosic's denial position) and tried a quick shot (maybe too quick) with three seconds remaining.

Here is the video:

D-Leage Final: Fear The Last Shot

After a long and intense season... I'll be around here more often (I hope so). In the next days - weeks I'll bring new stuff (I think it will be interesting)

To begin with, I've been following the NBA D-League this season, and I'm sure everybody knows it has just come to its end. A new Champ, Rio Grande Valley, after beating Tulsa. Coach Chris Finch, UK's National Team coach, has done a very good job and his team won the last game thanks to a Craig Winder's buzzer beater.

In the video we can watch a back pick followed by a hand off, which Tulsa's defenders try to stop by automatically switching. Finally Winder takes his shot and Rio Grande wins...

It's an interesting situation for last seconds. Let's watch it.

"Horns" Options

It's been a while since I last wrote a post... Some of you know the reasons, I've been working so hard (actually, I'm working so hard) that I haven't had time to add new situations to the web.

I'm gonna try to come more often, but I can't promise! By now, I want to show you some interesting plays we're facing through the season.

This one is a "horns" situation and a possible way to continue. The post swings the ball, picks down and sets a ball screen. Leon have a really good couple of American inside players, Ryan Humphrey and Rick Hughes, veteran players, but still excellent competitors.

I'd like to receive your comments about the play, how would you play against it and whatever you want to add!!!

Here you have.

Euroleague: Keys

As I said in the last post, we would be watching some of the last F4 keys by the end of the week.

Well, here you have the last play of the final game between Panathinaikos and CSKA. CSKA is two points down, and they have almost six seconds to play. They inbound the ball from halfcourt, and they run a baseline situation in which they set a couple of off ball screens to create an advantage.

You can see in the video how PAO's defenders switch against the off ball screens, and how Ramunas Siskaukas get the ball to play a one on one against Drew Nicholas, that ends up with Siskauskas' shot. Unfortunately for the Russian team, he missed his shot and now PAO is the 08/09 Euroleague's Champion.

The question is: why didn't Smodis (inbounder) pass to Planinic instead of giving the ball to Siskauskas? Were they looking for the three point shot? In my opinion they were looking for the best option to score, and if we watch the second half of the video, we find out that Planinic is the best situated player to score... But then, something happens. And you'll have to watch the video to know it.

Have a nice weekend!



Euroleague... where Batiste happens.

Zone Offense

There are many different ways to play against zones. I'll show you some of them.

On today's video, we see how the team playing the offense, break the defense with an overload and two off the ball screens. The defense can't stop the cutter and they have no players to fix the zone.

It's a quick offense, that creates an easy shot for the shooter. To mix two good weapons against the zone is a good idea, and makes offense hard to stop. Off the ball screens, overload, and a good shooter is all you need to run this play.

Three passes, and the shot should be there. In case the defense adjusts and can avoid 3's shot, then 2 will pop to the corner and will have a good shot option too. Also, 4 will cut to the basket and he'll be ready to receive the pass to play along with 5 against the defenders.

Let's watch it.

Off ball screens' defense: switch

A new basketball year starts. I'll post today about a defensive situation I've watched in the Russian Promo Cup in the final game between CSKA and Khimki.

Khimki is the new team of Sergio Scariolo, former headcoach from Unicaja Malaga, Real Madrid and TAU in the Spanish ACB, which is a good reason to start following that league closely.

What we are watching today is a baseline situation and the way Khimki play defense against CSKA's off ball screen.

Erazem Lorbek sets the screen for J.R.Holden, who is defended by Anton Ponkrashov. Ponkrashov, first, changes his feet position in order to deny the middle of the court and force Holden towards the baseline (where the defensive situation follows). Then Ponkrashov and Mc Carty switch. CSKA can't give the main pass they are looking for and have to look for Zisis far from the basket.

Let's take a look at the images.