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Yeah, Diaw/Bonner PnR sucks. Luckily Splitter is starting
http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-tr...stop-the-spurs
After giving up 101 points in Game 1 and 120 points in Game 2, the Oklahoma City Thunder needed to change their defense if they were going to beat the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3. They've had no trouble scoring — posting 98 and 111 points in Games 1 and 2 — so containing the Spurs' highly efficient offense was key. Luckily for them, they found a way to limit the Spurs to just 82 points on 39.5 percent shooting last night.
The Thunder made adjustments that prevented the Spurs from attempting their preferred shots. When I looked at the Spurs' offense after Game 2, I noted that they always want to take layups and corner 3-pointers. Here's the Spurs' shot chart from those games:
They attempted 42.2 percent of their shots from the paint and 14.3 percent of their shots from the corner. Essentially, 56.5 percent of all the shots the Spurs took in the first two games of this series were by definition from the two most efficient spots on the court. Now look at the Spurs' shot chart from Game 3:
Only 32.9 percent of their shots were in the paint and only 13.2 from the corner 3 spot. This wasn't an accident. Rather, this was by Scott Brooks's design.
So what did the Thunder do differently? First, they contained Tony Parker in pick-and-roll situations with the strategy they employed in Game 2: They corralled him so he wasn't able to reset when necessary or play off of multiple screens. This fourth-quarter adjustment worked so well in the previous game that they came with it right off the bat.
Another crucial difference was that Thabo Sefolosha was guarding Tony Parker. Sefolosha is a longer, better defender, and maybe more important, he can exert more energy on defense than Russell Westbrook because he isn't integral to Thunder's offense. Here, Sefolosha is matched up with Parker as Boris Diaw sets a screen for Parker:
Sefolosha doesn't work around the screen to stay in front of him. Rather, he's playing him on the top side, knowing that Serge Ibaka (Diaw's defender) is defending the paint. As this is happening, Duncan comes up and sets a ball screen for Parker.
But the Thunder don't allow Parker to use Duncan's screen. Sefolosha directs traffic, letting his bigs know where he is sending Parker. Kendrick Perkins steps up and shades toward Parker, keeping him out of the paint.
Parker is now forced to pick up his dribble near half court — that's a win for the defense. He passes to an open Duncan, as the three defenders behind him are zoning up.
Once Duncan makes the catch, Serge Ibaka stunts toward Duncan, but doesn't remain aware that there is a cutter behind him to cover while Perkins recovers on Duncan. Meanwhile, because Parker made his pass far from the basket, Sefolosha can attempt a steal because Parker isn't a threat.
The result? Duncan hesitates at the top of the key, allowing Sefolosha to get his hands on the basketball and force a turnover. Here is the play in real time:
The Spurs are visibly uncomfortable, a stark juxtaposition with their demeanor in Games 1 and 2. This is all a result of the Thunder's defensive strategy. By keeping Parker out of the lane, the Spurs' offense is vastly limited, relying on less effective isolations. In fact, after using just 20 isolations in the first two games, the Thunder forced the Spurs into 18 in Game 3 according to Synergy Sports.
The Thunder have decided to concede some options to the Spurs if it means keeping the ball away from some of the best scorers. Their rotations were sharper, overhelping on Parker, Duncan, and Ginobili.
As Parker brings the ball up, Sefolosha is already telling his teammates which way he will send Parker.
Parker comes off of a Duncan screen looking to split it as Perkins hedges out. As that happens, the Thunder have two help defenders getting involved. Kevin Durant is in the paint, ready to help on Duncan's roll to the rim, and James Harden is at the elbow, ready to help stop Parker.
The result? Parker can neither get into the lane nor hit Duncan on the roll because Durant is there. Durant is "tagging" him: He touches Duncan to reset the defensive three-second count, which allows Durant to be in the paint longer. Eventually, because Parker doesn't have a lane, he isolates and settles for a jump shot off the dribble. Here is that play, with a few others:
These pre-rotations are essential for two reasons. First, they dissuade Parker from even attempting to get in the lane. As we saw in Game 2, the Spurs' offense thrives on forcing the defensive collapse, then kicking it out. If the defense is already there, they can react better.
Scott Brooks drew up a great defensive game plan. His adjustments were terrific and well executed by his team. How can the Spurs counter now? The most obvious answer is that Tim Duncan has to be ready to make plays from the top of the key. In some of the clips above, we saw a hesitant Duncan, but there were some possessions in which he took the shot quickly and knocked it down:
Here Duncan is left open because the Thunder are focusing on getting the ball out of Parker's hands. This will likely happen again, so Duncan has to do exactly what he did here: make quick decisions to take advantage of the Thunder as they recover. Popovich can design plays that begin with Duncan getting the ball at the top of the key, with his teammates cutting off of the ball — perhaps coming off of a flare screen.
The Spurs also need to keep using Parker off of the ball. They did this while Westbook covered him in Game 2, and it was very successful. It also worked for them in Game 3, but it just wasn't run as frequently:
Sefolosha may be an excellent defender who is accustomed to chasing talented offensive players, but the Thunder's bigs remain mediocre at defending Parker as he comes off of curls. By not playing Parker off of the ball, the Spurs are bailing out guys like Perkins and Collison.
This series highlights the importance of coaching in the playoffs. At first Popovich and the Spurs were on the attack with their successful offense. Brooks and the Thunder countered with a new defensive strategy. Now, it's up to Popovich to respond. The coach that wins will advance to the finals.
Yeah, Diaw/Bonner PnR sucks. Luckily Splitter is starting
sorry thunderfan but we all saw the same series, refs/stern got you there.
The real adjustments:
sorry thunderfan but we all saw the same series, refs/stern got you there.the "refs" excuse
The real adjustments:
the officiating
Thunderup really thinks it wasnt rigged, because he doesnt understand the NBA'S most basic rules
Dont blame him guys, its not his fault
The fact is we were better last year.
Pop couldn't counter Scotty's coaching move of putting Thabo on TP. As the article states, we changed up the defense and gave Parker and the Spurs a different look. It's Pop's fault he couldn't counter.
Good luck winning the West without Harden TBH
Last edited by td4mvp2k; 02-12-2013 at 09:09 PM.
sorry thunderfan but we all saw the same series, refs/stern got you there.
That's like saying Philli outcoached Scotty, who outcoached Pop... makes no sense. Thunder were slightly better last season, enough to move on to the Finals. Harden was a good part of that. Ibaka/Perkins hitting every jumpshot was also fluke as .
We'll see how it looks this season.
So if it isn't outcoaching, then what do you call Scotty's adjustment to put Thabo on Parker and give him fits (which had a profound effect on offensive execution) to which Pop couldn't counter?
Harden's less of a factor.
Manu's also missed both games against OKC this season so far, and KL missed the game at OKC...
It's called "realizing you have a lockdown defender on your roster". When Pop decided LeBron was to be guarded by Bowen the 2007 Finals was over before it even began.
Scotty knew well before the series that Thabo was capable of guarding Tony. When we faced players similar to Parker, he would put Thabo on them. He only felt compelled to make the adjustment after Parker played out of his mind in game 2. Pop had 3 games after game 3 to make a counter adjustment and couldn't.
Define 'give him fits'? Thabo is a much better defender than Russ, no doubt about it. Yet, he still dropped 20 pts on him on the pivotal game 5... we just didn't have an answer for KD back then, and Harden killed us with some timely 3s...
That's the game that changed the series. Spurs were not going to win in OKC with the reffing there.
Good article, and the most infuriating thing is that the guy says what needs to happen. He said Duncan is going to get open looks at the top of the key and he needs to take them, which he does. Unfortunately, Diaw didn't.
Diaw would constantly catch it wide open at the 3 point line and hold it on to it. Boris' passivity on offence basically had us playing 5 v 4 at times. They'd completely ignore Boris on D and he would just stand there with the ball waiting to pass it while wide open. Infuriating.
Spurs also had Danny Green and Bonner 3 pointers magically dissappear. Splitter also couldn't play much due to the hack-a-Splitter.
We're much improved defensively this season, and Splitter freebies are not longer an issue. KMart also has a fame of choking on the playoffs. If we were to play this season, I think we could take them.
OKC is still a solid team, and it's arguable KD can be contained.
Hilarious that your highlighted photos involve an obvious foul on Duncan that went uncalled.
Harden is what beat the Spurs, tbh.
Thabo is an athletic defender standing at 6'7 that has the team responsibility of being the "lockdown" defender. He didn't shut down Tony by any stretch of the imagination but he disrupted the offensive execution. Starting from game 3, Parker encountered an entirely different defensive philosophy from us. Scotty gameplanned to keep TP and Manu from driving to the hole at will and it worked. Parker and Ginobili's ability to drive into the lane and cause chaos opens up possibilities for other things to happen on offense. Putting Thabo on Tony essentially disrupted Parker's ability to run the offense.
Harden cancelled Ginobili and Kevin took us to the Finals with his brilliant play.
Hack a Splitter was so irritating last year because he hit 69% during the regular season, then collapsed to 37% in the playoffs. Just gotta hope he doesn't choke again this year, because that's what it was from Tiago. Choking.
Speaking of choking, lets not claim Bonners 3's 'magically' disappeared. It's Bonner. Nothing magic about it.
As for containing KD, there's only one guy who can do it. And his name is Russell.
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