Spurs D on Pick and roll

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I am tired of watching us continually switch into a mismatch on this shit.

For a defensive guru like Pop, I can't figure out the fascination with switches resulting in Tony guarding Dirk and Rasho guarding Terry.

[exstatic]

When you have Tim behind it all, it works. When he's on the bench, Dallss scores.

[exstatic]

I think that Pop switches everything against Dallas, because a pick and roll may actually be a pick and pop with the big man, and if it isn't switched with at least a small man guarding, it's an open jumper.

[timvp]

I am tired of watching us continually switch into a mismatch on this shit.

For a defensive guru like Pop, I can't figure out the fascination with switches resulting in Tony guarding Dirk and Rasho guarding Terry.

Watch much basketball in the last six years? The Spurs have played the Mavs this way since Dirk came into the league.

And they've pretty much owned the Mavs.

They switch the pick-and-rolls and then they have the smaller player take away the offensive player's power hand. Then the double team comes from the weakside and the Spurs force them to swing it and hit weak-side threes.

Nice to know that Spurs fans can even complain against a defensively genius gameplan.

:shootme

[exstatic]

Other than Dampier, I can't really think of a Mavs big man in the last 6 years that couldn't hit the open J.

[Solid D]

Come on AHF. Every Nellie team does small/big two-man screen-rolls. They iso and mismatch. You can't avoid the mismatches. You just deal.

I need not repeat what timvp has already astutely pointed out on the way the Spurs handle the helpside.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I remember us defensing them this way for as long as I can remember _allas being good.

I just think the scheme is ineffective when we don't have Tim out there (or in the past, when we didn't have one of Tim or Dave out there).

[exstatic]

I think SA really only struggled when it was Malik and Horry. I think even Rasho can hold the center of the lane.

[FromWayDowntown]

I actually agree with Aggie on this one. For years and years, Pop demanded that his point guards go over the screen on pick and rolls, to avoid switches and mismatches. (He was so insistent on that tactic that in the 2001 playoffs, Flip Saunders starting running pick and roll plays with 2 screeners standing shoulder to shoulder.). The only exception to that was pick and roll plays where David was involved -- Pop let David hedge the roll and David was exceptionally good at doing that effectively.

But, times change and so do personnel. I think Pop has had to stray from his insistence that Tony go over because Tony is not physically strong enough to fight over the top of a screen -- Tony has shown a pretty strong tendency to go under the screen through the years and some teams have exploited that pretty well. This team also lacks anyone who can hedge the roll as effectively as DRob did (which is sort of like saying that the Padres lack a hitter of Tony Gwynn's quality).

I cringe everytime that the Spurs switch that 1-4 screen roll against the Mavericks, but I think the last two games have also convinced me that Dirk is so generally so passive that he doesn't really exploit a mismatch against a PG who's a foot shorter. It's fine against Dallas, but I think it could become problematic against, say Minnesota, who will undoubtedly run 1-4 screen rolls to get Duncan off of Garnett and to put Tony onto Garnett, if that's the way the Spurs want to defend it.

I'd still rather see the PG go over the top, or have the PF hedge hard, but you can't really argue with the results.

[Spurminator]

I think Pop should scrap ever using a Rose/Horry frontcourt unless the game is a blowout or Rasho/Tim are in foul trouble.

[spurster]

It's not so simple for Dirk to simply shoot over a much smaller man. Typically, a smaller man can get away with a little more contact when a larger man is shooting. If Dirk simply shoots, it will usually be a bad shot for that reason. More often, you would see Dirk back his man down and then do a fadeaway jumper, which is not exactly a high percentage shot either.

[T Park]

I think Pop should scrap ever using a Rose/Horry frontcourt


what for?? Two good players that can play together!

I guarantee you youll see that vs Seattle and Phoenix.

Might even see it tonight Vs Philadelphia

[Jimcs50]

The Spurs have been in the top 2-3 in Def FG% the past 7 yrs......I do not think I would be nitpicking about any defensive schemes that Pop draws up.

[Jimcs50]

If it ain't broke don't fuck with it.

[Jimcs50]

The Spurs have only lost in the playoffs with a healthy team because of a collapse of shooting, not defensive collapses.

[exstatic]

Truisms:

Death

Taxes

The sun will come up tommorrow.

AHF will criticize Pop for _________.

[BigVee]

A couple of things. It took me awhile to embrace this defensive scheme too , but it sure seems to work, so.....plus any of you who have played, it is always difficult to have a smaller man in front of you...they are always in your way, tangling up you legs, making it hard to move, etc. You notice Dirk first turns his back to back the shorter guy down before turning to shoot.

[Solid D]

Yeah, men with small hands bother Dirk. It reminds him of cabbage-breathed Carney's back home in the Rheinland.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I guarantee you youll see that vs Seattle and Phoenix.

If we run out Horry and Rose against Matrix and Amare, we will get our ass handed to us.

[smackdaddy11]

If it ain't broke don't fuck with it.


Best post in this thread.

[Spurminator]

what for?? Two good players that can play together!

With Rasho and Tim on the team, we should have a shotblocker on the floor at all times. Dallas drove into the paint at will when Horry and Malik were in there.

[T Park]

If we run out Horry and Rose against Matrix and Amare, we will get our ass handed to us.

Well lets see
Duncan cant play 48 minutes.

Malik cant keep up with Marion.

Horry could stay on him.

Duncan has to rest Horry could guard Marion Malik on Stoudamire??


Of course not. How could I think a different thing.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Horry cannot guard Matrix. Malik cannot guard Amare. Malik could maybe slow down Matrix (I'd argue DBrown or Bowen are better for that).

You're a dumbass.

[Useruser666]

Horry can't keep up with a basketball lately. I would put Rose on Amare in stints.
Trust pop on this.

[Jimcs50]

Has anyone else noticed that Tim Duncan has had 13 rebounds in his last 4 games?

That is a weird stat.

[T Park]

Horry cannot guard Matrix. Malik cannot guard Amare. Malik could maybe slow down Matrix (I'd argue DBrown or Bowen are better for that).


Malik cant guard Amare?? Who can?? Rasho?? Hell no, Duncan has trouble with him as well.

Whatever.

Your a jackass.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

The real question about slowing down Amare is keeping Nash under wraps. The few times I've seen any of the Suns, alot of Amare's points are coming from Steve's crazy good assists. Just as when he was with the Mavs, slow down Nash = slow down the whole damn team. If he can get some help on the post I think Malik could guard Amare just fine.