This article is a facsimile of an earlier publication on The Basketball Writers (TBW), which recently closed its doors. Since Mike Miller took over as interim head coach for the New York Knicks, the team has responded by going 7-12. Those numbers don't set the world on fire, but they are a massive improvement from the 4-19 start under David Fizdale. Specifically, Miller has sparked their offensive performance: Over the last two weeks, according to Cleaning the Glass, the Knicks are 20th across the league in points per 100 possessions.
Again, that sounds pretty bad until you remember where they were prior. The question surrounding any coaching change would be, "what did he add to improve the team?" For Miller, a more appropriate question might be, "what has he subtracted?" Watch the Knicks play and one thing is evident: Their playbook is much, much thinner with Miller. Instead of running a lot of different actions, he is taking a patient, teaching-based approach with this young roster. The Knicks will only run a few things, but they will be good at them. They won't change much based on an opponent unless it's within the structure of what they already do. Miller's aim seems to be finding something simple, universal and meaningful to what an NBA team would need to be successful in the future.
0 Comments
This article is a facsimile of an earlier publication on The Basketball Writers (TBW), which recently closed its doors. What does it mean to be aggressive?
As with any adjective, too much or too little can be a detriment. Balance is necessary to ensure productivity and health. On a basketball court, the same can be said for a team's philosophy. Coachspeak gets thrown around without regard for balance. "We want to be the most aggressive team on the court", says the coach who sees his team constantly in foul trouble while swinging-and-missing for steals in passing lanes. "We want to value every possession", says the coach of the team so afraid of committing a turnover that nobody uses their dribble with purpose and the shot clock drops below five each trip down the floor. These over-simplifications are a symptom of coaching with a lack of nuance. The game is bigger than one teaching point or marching order. As with any double-edged sword, the other end always feels the sharpest when it turns around and cuts you. Unfortunately, the Chicago Bulls are victims of their own blade. Head coach Jim Boylen—seemingly protected by a front office that values his "tough love for millennials" mantra—has turned up his team's defensive aggression dial all the way. This article is a facsimile of an earlier publication on The Basketball Writers (TBW), which recently closed its doors. Last season, the Philadelphia 76ers won 51 games and were a Kawhi Leonard miracle away from going to the Eastern Conference Finals. General manager Elton Brand and his staff made two essential deals over the summer to give the Sixers a changed look. One of those moves was the highly publicized Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade to the Miami Heat, taking back Josh Richardson.
The other changed their identity completely. Essentially swapping JJ Redick (signed with New Orleans Pelicans) in exchange for Al Horford (signed from Boston Celtics) has its tradeoffs. Philly has a brand new defensive firepower never seen before. Joel Embiid and Horford are dual rim protectors and shot blockers that use their immense length to lock down the paint. Ben Simmons as the point guard can fluster other teams. Richardson and Tobias Harris are long, disruptive wings that can slide up or down a position. Even the role players all fit this mold. But push aside their defensive potential for a moment. This Sixers team features five All-Star-caliber players in their starting group, and yet it feels like they are falling far short of their offensive potential. This article is a facsimile of an earlier publication on The Basketball Writers (TBW), which recently closed its doors. For as much as I love to talk about schemes and tactics of team offense and defense, the game really comes down to individuals making winning plays.
Guys have to score the basketball, but the best teams and individual defenders find ways to take away strong suits of their opponents. The best scorers have counter moves to score regardless. Let's not skip a step here, though. In order to understand those strong suits (or have them), you have to first find out a player's tendencies. What do they do well? What do they do frequently? What are they trying to avoid or mask in their game? We're keying in on three blossoming stars around the league—Pascal Siakam, Markelle Fultz and Karl-Anthony Towns—and their offensive portfolio to see how they utilize their improved skill packages and tendencies, whether due to their sheer talent or the unique deployment of their top tendency. This article is a facsimile of an earlier publication on The Basketball Writers (TBW), which recently closed its doors. For better or for worse, Trae Young and Luka Doncic are eternally bound.
During the 2018 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks made a pick swap that essentially sent Doncic to the Mavs and Trae to the Hawks. Both are playing like All-Stars and vaulting their offenses to high-caliber levels. We're not getting into the "which is better" argument or seeking to anoint one franchise as the trade winner. Instead, let's appreciate their greatness, the value they bring to their teams and the unorthodox nature both utilize in order to dominate. Among the many things making these guys so special is their mastering of footwork—minutia in the big picture but a legitimate base for all skill. Great players are built from the ground up, with a keen ability to make complex maneuvers look easy while staying on balance and in attack mode. Young and Doncic are different players, so they utilize different moves and packs of footwork to blow past their adversaries. We can appreciate both, particularly from a fundamental standpoint. As a coach, I've used the footwork of both players as examples when teaching our players how to pay attention to their feet and what angles to take. The exemplary work is of guys their own age. This article is a facsimile of an earlier publication on The Basketball Writers (TBW), which recently closed its doors. The pick-and-pop has become one of the NBA's most common plays on offense, even more so as skilled big men continue to get stretchier and the lanes are kept open for ball-handling drivers rather than lumbering rollers. With everyone frequently running this action—even going so far as to invert the look with guards and wings taking turns as the screener—defenses have had to concoct easily repeatable counter schemes. TBW's Coach Adam “Spins” Spinella of Dickinson College details how teams essentially have two different options, and both include involving a third defender for help. But is that assistance the real thing or just a mirage? This article is a facsimile of an earlier publication on The Basketball Writers (TBW), which recently closed its doors. Nate McMillan is a product of the tough, rugged 1990s. He was a very good player for the Seattle SuperSonics, serving as a defensive specialist in the backcourt and a high-volume 3-point shooter for the era. McMillan played for George Karl for a chunk of his successes; Karl was known for his high-octane offenses and those Sonics teams were the epitome of up-tempo.
Given that context, McMillan's Indiana Pacers are all the more puzzling. In the pace-induced and 3-point crazed league, McMillan's teams are dead last in attempts from beyond the arc. They're also 25th in pace, per Basketball Reference. This article is a facsimile of an earlier publication on The Basketball Writers (TBW), which recently closed its doors. Another week of NBA action, another set of tidbits in the film room. As we think about what we're thankful for this holiday season, I'm very thankful for Synergy, the video and statistical service that allows us to quickly and neatly dive into these tidbits. While this week has a heavy emphasis on offensive sets and individual tendencies, we are diving into those niche categories that often can fall under the radar. Jerami Grant Quick RipsThis article is a facsimile of an earlier publication on The Basketball Writers (TBW), which recently closed its doors. Simple yet effective. That's how you describe the Phoenix Suns "blade cut." New coach Monty Williams and first-year Suns point guard Ricky Rubio have been helpful additions, but so too have competent screeners and improved team chemistry overall. That's resulted in a better scheme for star Devin Booker and complementary scorer Kelly Oubre Jr. Coach Adam “Spins” Spinella of Dickinson College details how Phoenix is running a seemingly basic action designed to punish defenses for taking away baseline drives from Booker and Oubre Jr., both of whom are dangerous just about anywhere on the court. By starting a multi-player circle action spinning invertedly versus a corner cut across the defender's face, the Suns are getting some easy baskets. And then come the disguises and counters: This article is a facsimile of an earlier publication on The Basketball Writers (TBW), which recently closed its doors. Coach Adam “Spins” Spinella of Dickinson College breaks down how the Toronto Raptors held Joel Embiid scoreless (in 32 minutes played!) during their 101-96 win on Monday. Embiid went 0-11 on the night and was held scoreless for the first time in his career, even as the Sixers tried to change their offensive approach at halftime to free him up. Nonetheless, the Raptors were a couple of steps ahead with their defensive scheme. It got so frustrating that Embiid even wound up being benched for a long stretch of this contest between to Eastern Conference contenders: |
Adam SpinellaHead Boys Basketball Coach, Boys' Latin School (MD). Archives
September 2021
Categories |