Hawks: Kyle Korver: Tom Thibodeau's defense changed the NBA

[Amuseddaysleeper]

I think the 2014 Spurs would've beaten the 2008 Celtics.

[Clipper Nation]

Luke Walton

[Phillip]

cool thanks

So you agree with my initial statement then.

Cool thanks

[endrity]

What I am about to say in no way is to detract from Thibs in his standing as one of the best coaches in the NBA. My comment is in regards to how simplified basketball has become.

Thibs 'innovation' was to bring the help from the weakside over early. Zone up on the strongside barely outside the paint. Korver had to slide more weakside so they had farther to run. Thibs likes to do it with his bigs so Noah's defense was able to shine. Brooks who is supposedly the idiot likes to do similar sets with his guards and wings. Westbrook and Sefalosha before he lost a step were the cogs in OKC.

Pop will call it against particular looks. We eviscerated Memphis when Kawhi abandoned the weakside whenever he was on it. For the most part he prefers having two guys that can cut off penetration and keeping people home. We are also adept at passing out of the high post which kills cheaters on the flipside. It's the entire point of swinging the ball side to side.

This is hardly new stuff though. You are only supposed to double from the weakside because strongside is one pass away. I don't see why anyone should be impressed by this.

Well the "innovation" was to better use zone defenses, which were allowed a few years earlier. Which means that isolation, hero ball, is definitely not the best option to use. On the other hand the rules against hand-checking incentivize more movement and screens around the perimer to better counter the zones. In a way, the much more beautiful basketball we see recently is a result of direct rule changes.

However saying that Kobe is a hero for going against that, which is what Malik is saying above, is completely wrong to me. What it means was that Kobe was actually a very dumb player to try and play his old style instead of putting the new rules to better use. It's why the Spurs or the 2011 Mavs are seen a much better model on how to build your roster, cause not everyone can get Wade and LeBron on the same team, rather than Kobe's hero ball.

[unleashbaynes]

^^ There's a lot of contact allowed today, tbh..

Yup....just from watching the last couple of playoff runs with the Spurs, a good deal of incidental contact is allowed when contesting shots at the rim in half court sets, as well as on the break. Danny in particular has played some amazing transition D where guys have tried to sell calls and the refs weren't buying it. They kept the ticky tack stuff to a minimum or at least called it fairly evenly for both teams.

It was nice after seeing the Thunder get every call to their benefit in 2012, we drive and they play physical D with no call, they drive and we look in their direction and get a call. Worst officiated series in Spurs history.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Well the "innovation" was to better use zone defenses, which were allowed a few years earlier. Which means that isolation, hero ball, is definitely not the best option to use. On the other hand the rules against hand-checking incentivize more movement and screens around the perimer to better counter the zones. In a way, the much more beautiful basketball we see recently is a result of direct rule changes.

However saying that Kobe is a hero for going against that, which is what Malik is saying above, is completely wrong to me. What it means was that Kobe was actually a very dumb player to try and play his old style instead of putting the new rules to better use. It's why the Spurs or the 2011 Mavs are seen a much better model on how to build your roster, cause not everyone can get Wade and LeBron on the same team, rather than Kobe's hero ball.

Sure, I don't disagree with any of that. The entire point of the defense is to get help to beat penetration early and force a pass through trees to get to the open man.

Malik is much like Kobe in that he will try and force ideas through even when they are shown to not be working.