How the Spurs contained Kyrie Irving

[bklynspursfan]

Another great read from By Mike Prada with illustrations breaking down several possessions.

This was Irving's line last night:
2-15 from the field, six points, two free throw attempts, seven assists, two turnovers, five personal fouls, zero field goals in the game's final 40 minutes.

Irving's had a few duds in a remarkable one-and-a-half year career, but never has he been that bad in a game. Why did he play so poorly? Watching the tape, it's clear the Spurs had a sound defensive strategy that they executed to perfection.
The key to containing Irving is to, literally, contain him. He's too good a ball-handler to pressure too closely, and he's also too good a shooter to just lay off. The only way you have a chance is to box him in between the three-point line and the basket and force him to shoot mid-range jumpers. You have to do this with all five defenders chipping in, not with just one guy.

http://www.sbnation.com/2013/2/14/39...s-defense-2013

[Dex]

Good defensive breakdown.

One of Sean's keys to the game was "Don't let Kyrie beat you", and that's exactly what the Spurs did. They focused their entire defensive scheme and effort around stopping Irving.

The Cavs almost made them pay for strategy, as Waiters, Zeller, and Gee were getting open for plays and converting, but when you put the W on the board, you can't argue with the results.

And that defense at the end was a thing of beauty. A little physical out on the perimeter, but Kyrie was initiating just as much contact as Tony was, and the odds of the refs blowing the whistle in that moment are miniscule.

[Richie]

Gotta think this is the kind of scheme we can use against Lebron. Keep him out of the paint and if he beats you from mid range then shake his hand and say well played.

[Dex]

Gotta think this is the kind of scheme we can use against Lebron. Keep him out of the paint and if he beats you from mid range then shake his hand and say well played.

Lebron has a bit more of a safety valve with Wade, Bosh, and a bevy of three-point shooters.

[101A]

"CIA Pop" is as much a cliche on this board as anything ever has been. But watching last nights game, in which the Big 3 returned, really for no apparent reason, AND the Spurs seemed to be playing with a governor controlling their tempo and intensity - to see that, just coincidentally, Irving has his (allegedly) WORST game ever? Can that be a coincidence? Or did the Spurs use a relatively meaningless Regular Season game to help work out defensive strategies for hard to contain point guards? Parker's fist pump at the end, and his facial expression do not indicate a team that looks like it escaped what should have been an easy win, with a "whew dodged a bullet there" - but it suggests, more, "Mission Accomplished".

[101A]

Gotta think this is the kind of scheme we can use against Lebron. Keep him out of the paint and if he beats you from mid range then shake his hand and say well played.

I'm thinking Westbrook and, to a lesser extent, CP3.

[Richie]

Lebron has a bit more of a safety valve with Wade, Bosh, and a bevy of three-point shooters.

Yeah, but Lebron is the main man. Wade and Bosh are great players, but you can't shut down all of them. If we can contain Lebron as best we can and the others beat us then they are just the better team. Same with OKC and Durant.

Turn Lebron and Wade in to jumpshooters and the Heat are beatable. Let them get to the rim and nobody can stop them.

[KenziE]

"CIA Pop" is as much a cliche on this board as anything ever has been. But watching last nights game, in which the Big 3 returned, really for no apparent reason, AND the Spurs seemed to be playing with a governor controlling their tempo and intensity - to see that, just coincidentally, Irving has his (allegedly) WORST game ever? Can that be a coincidence? Or did the Spurs use a relatively meaningless Regular Season game to help work out defensive strategies for hard to contain point guards? Parker's fist pump at the end, and his facial expression do not indicate a team that looks like it escaped what should have been an easy win, with a "whew dodged a bullet there" - but it suggests, more, "Mission Accomplished".

this CIA Pop indeed

[KenziE]

Another great read from By Mike Prada with illustrations breaking down several possessions.



http://www.sbnation.com/2013/2/14/39...s-defense-2013

this guy Mike Prada is exposing the spurs . He should stop doing this type of write ups till the season is over there is a reason why the spurs love being under the radar . This dude is giving materials for other teams to counter the spurs -- not good CIA Pop aint liking it

[Strategic]

or it could just be that Irving watched Tony Parker's shootaround video which aired yesterday afternoon. In it Tony suggest that Irving should focus on getting his teammates more involved in the offense.

[racm]

One of the things that stops Cleveland from being good so far is that if Irving's locked down on the team blows. There's no "we can play off of each other" vibe on this team.

[Vic Petro]

Yeah, but Lebron is the main man. Wade and Bosh are great players, but you can't shut down all of them. If we can contain Lebron as best we can and the others beat us then they are just the better team. Same with OKC and Durant.

Turn Lebron and Wade in to jumpshooters and the Heat are beatable. Let them get to the rim and nobody can stop them.

I don't think it's possible to keep LeBron from the rim. Trying to limit LeBron is futile. If I'm playing Miami I basically try to stay home on everyone, contain Wade and Bosh, and let LeBron become a scorer and try to beat you by himself.

[Richie]

I don't think it's possible to keep LeBron from the rim. Trying to limit LeBron is futile. If I'm playing Miami I basically try to stay home on everyone, contain Wade and Bosh, and let LeBron become a scorer and try to beat you by himself.

Seriously? You dare the best player in the world to beat you playing him 1-on-1? No double teams? Then it's game over, he'll get a dunk every possession.

Sure it's tough to keep Lebron from the rim, but it's what you have to focus on. He's much improved this year and clearly the best player in the game, but he's only shooting 41% from mid range this year and 39% above the break 3. Compare that to 70% in the paint + restricted area combined. I know where I want LeBron taking shots from.

[bklynspursfan]

this guy Mike Prada is exposing the spurs . He should stop doing this type of write ups till the season is over there is a reason why the spurs love being under the radar . This dude is giving materials for other teams to counter the spurs -- not good CIA Pop aint liking it

tbh, if the NBA teams can't figure this stuff out on their own, then shame on them lol

[KenziE]

tbh, if the NBA teams can't figure this stuff out on their own, then shame on them lol

im pretty sure they can figure it out themselves but the thing is let them work for it , what this guy is doin is laying out the red carpet for them , tbh

[thekingrobert]

Let's not forget he did twist his ankle the game before

[lefty]

So much for the TP suckers who were saying that TP stopped Irving