Spurs, masters of the Misdirection

[bklynspursfan]

Nice read here. The link also includes illustrations from last nights Bulls game on how the Spurs run their offense.



The San Antonio Spurs scored 103 points last night against arguably the league's most tenacious defensive team, the Chicago Bulls. If the game was exactly 100 possessions, the Spurs would have scored 117 points. On a per-possession basis, that's five points more than the average mark of the league's best offense, Oklahoma City. They did this on the second night of a back-to-back after playing in a different time zone the night before.

Oh, and they did it without Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.

We've reached the point that we take the Spurs' ability to withstand injuries to their best players for granted, but this is still an incredible achievement. Take away the three best players from any team in the league, and they would probably struggle to win 20 percent of their games. The Spurs, though, keep humming along, even against some of the league's toughest teams.
How do they do it? By using an age-old offensive concept that too few teams in the league understand: misdirection
.

http://www.sbnation.com/2013/2/12/3980098/san-antonio-spurs-offense-tim-duncan-tony-parker-manu-ginobili

[Seventyniner]

By the thread title, I thought this was going to be about the Spurs' supposed interest in Josh Smith and Al Jefferson.

[xellos88330]

Nice read! :toast

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

A must read for any NBA fan.

[look_at_g_shred]

Awesome.

[dylankerouac]

Great article!

[CGD]

Nice find!

[spurraider21]

:toast

This is seriously some good stuff

[ceperez]

"No, really. Nobody. Some guy named de Colo. Oh, and Danny Green. He’s a D-Leaguer. He helped the Spurs beat the Bulls in the United Center on Monday.

Tim Duncan was out. Same goes for Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. I think the Spurs had one starter and a bench of inflatable pool toys, and that bunch pantsed the Bulls.

The Bulls committed 19 turnovers. The Spurs turned those into 29 points. The Bulls allowed the Spurs to hit half their three-pointers. Like the Bulls don’t know that the Spurs have been known to live on three-pointers to spread the floor so Parker and Ginobli drive to the hoop where Duncan does his magic.

Only the Bulls didn’t face Parker, Ginobili or Duncan. They faced some guy named Neal from Australia. I think he’s from Australia, or maybe Neal from Australia is a caller to the Score. Whatever and whoever, that guy had 16 points off the bench, more than any Bulls starter except Nate Robinson."

Hilarious!!

[Cry Havoc]

Fantastic breakdown.

[Brazil]

Good breakdown tbh

[Seventyniner]

I'm not sure if other teams do this, but I can definitely see the Spurs having a primary and secondary play idea each time down the floor. With 8 options for each, you can have 64 sets the opponent has to plan for while you only have to practice 16.

[Captivus]

Excellent read.
I particularly like this articles, only because I don't have that kind of knowledge to see that during a game. I mean, I see it, but I don't always completely understand what I'm looking at.

[hsxvvd]

Very good read.

[superbigtime]

Wow that was educational.

[Richie]

I'd love to see timvp do some of these sorts of breakdowns. As others have said, it's not the kind of thing I can see live when watching the game

[HI-FI]

great article. Green mentioned after the game how they know they aren't as athletic as other teams, but they beat them with brains and execution.

:pop: "corporate knowledge"

[Samr.]

Spurs may well be the first team to make FA's have a "bachelor's degree and/or at least two years overseas in a top basketball league, minimum" in order to consider them for signing.

[bklynspursfan]

I'll likely try and pay more attention to their play calling in games now. I have always been amazed with all the off ball movement, down screens, etc... when I watch them, I look at other teams who have so many possessions where guys are stagnant and its just iso ball, dribbling for 18 seconds then forcing up shots and it sort of makes you appreciate the team that much more.

And when these teams have segments that display nice passing for a few possessions like we do so often, it's hard to be impressed cause it's like natural for us.

But as good as the offense was last night, the defense was just as sharp.

[Samr.]

But as good as the offense was last night, the defense was just as sharp.

You mean the Bulls' defense right?

[bklynspursfan]

You mean the Bulls' defense right?

Yea they were sharp for us. :)

But us forcing turnovers and capitalizing.