The Warriors 4/1 Pick and Pop

One particularly interesting play I've noticed the Warriors running this year is a 4/1 pick and pop.  That is, a pick and pop where the power forward is the ballhandler and the point guard is the screener.  The Warriors most often run it with David Lee and Stephen Curry.  Last night against the Bobcats they ran it to perfection for one of Curry's career high eight threes.

Steph Curry enters the ball to David Lee in the post and starts to run through like he is clearing out.  Lee has been deadly in the post (14th best points per play in the league per Synergy) so this is an option the Bobcats must respect.

Instead of clearing out though, Curry sets a screen on Bismack Biyombo and Lee dribbles around him towards the middle.  Now Lee has the option to continue down the middle and score or pass to the weakside wing or corner if Kemba Walker doesn't step up to stop him.

Kemba Walker does step out to stop Lee, but that takes him away from Curry.  By the time Biyombo  recovers and Walker can go back to Curry, he is already starting his shooting motion.  One of Lee's eleven assists and Curry's eight threes.  This play is a quick hitter that most teams will have no idea how to defend.  It could end with Lee barreling down an open lane or a Steph catch and shoot three.  Here it is in real time:

     

Draymond Green's Game Winner

After surviving a Shane Battier three pointer miss on one end, the Warriors came back with a chance to win the game.  Golden State had numerous players they could go to to win it.  Jarrett Jack, Klay Thompson, and David Lee had big games.  Stephen Curry is the team's best player.  Draymond Green is...wait...nobody thought the ball was going to go to the rookie second round pick.  It was villain ball, the opposite of hero ball.  While the play wasn't designed for Green, he was an option that the ball actually went to, something you don't usually see late in games.

The play featured Klay Thompson and Steph Curry, the team's two best shooters coming around screens on opposite sides of the floor.  David Lee alluded to this in his post game interview with Sun Sports.  He also talked about the fact that if the Heat over helped (which they had been doing all night) the big man were to slip the screen.

That's exactly what happened on the near side of the court.  Shane Battier helped so as not to let Klay Thompson get the ball for a catch and shoot jumper.  This left Green free to dive to the rim.  Normally in this situation a defender on the weakside will rotate over, but the two weakside defenders are defending the other curl and can't help.

When Jack found Green for the easy layup I may or may not have let out a primal scream.

 
        

A Fun Little Play the Warriors Have Been Running

There was one play ran a couple of times I specifically noted when watching Monday's game, a tough loss to Sacramento.  It uses some really basic components to get multiple options at a good look.

After coming down the floor, the ball goes in to Carl Landry (or David Lee) in the high post.  This in itself is a safety valve; if the play blows up, Landry can always isolate on his man.  After sending the ball to the elbow, Curry cuts to the corner where a normally a wing player will be waiting.

Curry sets a screen for Klay Thompson who cuts towards the basket where Landry can pass to him for an open layup.  It hasn't happened yet, but I imagine that Thompson also has the option to fake the middle and pop to the three point line.  Also notice on the weakside David Lee beginning to set a back screen for Harrison Barnes.

Thompson is covered up well on his cut which springs the second action: a wing two man game.  The great thing about this is whats happening on the weakside.  If hedged hard, Curry can slip a pass to Barnes for an open three behind David Lee.  David  Lee's man (right above the block/charge arc, facing the camera) won't be able to help on the three as he is already helping on the Klay cut.

The screen and roll is run as usual.  Curry commits and the weakside action ends.

Curry pulls up for an open jumper he makes at a high rate.  Curry misses this one, but the point is that a high percentage look was created.  Keep your eye out for this next game.  Here are two examples of it in real time:

Have a play or player you want to see broken down? Email jankeljustice@gmail.com  

The Warriors Clinch it on a Slip Screen

Golden State came away with a win against the Phoenix Suns, despite being outplayed much of the second half and David Lee and Stephen Curry combining to go 4-30.  Holding a one point lead with the ball in the final minute, the Warriors went to a bread and butter play designed to get Carl Landry the ball.  Landry was effective the entire game, scoring 17 points in a very efficient manner.  Here is the play:

Jarret Jack dribbles at the top of the key waiting for a Carl Landry screen, in what looks to be a standard screen and roll.

Instead of setting the pick however, Landry cuts to the opposite elbow.  This catches Marcin Gortat by surprise as he is expecting to have to hedge.

This leaves lots of room for Landry on a shot he can knock down consistently.

Some interesting things of note from the game:

• Landry was playing crunch time (and playing well), and I'm assuming this is because of Bogut's status.  The Lee/Landry lineup will have trouble with defense and on the boards, but it is tough to stop on offense.
• The Warriors played small a ton with Klay Thompson moving to the three and Stephen Curry playing off the ball.  I will look into the lineup numbers on this once there is a larger sample size.
• Festus Ezeli is a legitimate backup center.  He rebounded and covered space well and will learn the subtleties of defense from Andrew Bogut.   

  

 

The Suns Take Advantage of a Dubs Defensive Lapse

On of the biggest questions for the Warriors this year is going to be their defense.  Andrew Bogut is going to be a huge help, but he isn't a magician that will fix all the bad habits.  Golden State won their final preseason game, but showed some worrisome defense on this particular play in the second quarter.

The Suns come out with a pretty standard inbound set up with the point guard standing below a big man on the ball side.  Most side out of bounds plays feature the guard taking a down screen from the big man and popping to the top of the key.  The big is in the post/elbow area as a safety valve (and sometimes even the first option). 

As explained earlier, Luis Scola sets a down screen and the guard is opened up at the top.

He receives the ball at the top and everything seems fine.  The defense is in position and there aren't any mismatches.

The ball is swung twice and eventually ends up on the near wing.  On the far side, Scola is setting a screen for the inbounder who is cutting towards the lane.  You see David Lee helping out.  The initial receiver of the ball also cuts toward Scola after swinging it.

The initial ball handler now sets a screen for Scola whose man is already helping out.  The usually effective screen the screener.  Now David Lee is trapped and has to pick his poison.  Does he leave the man he's helping on and allow an easy layup or stay put and allow an open 18 footer (money for Scola).  He actually makes the right decision.  Jarret Jack, defending the screener, needs to help out on Scola.  He doesn't (and actually isn't even close) which shows either inexperience in Mark Jackson's system or lack of communication from his teammates.  Either way, the fact that such a wide open shot can be attained by a simple out of bounds play should be disturbing for all Warriors fans.  Hopefully strides can be made as a team defense this year and Bogut's communication will certainly help, but until the big Aussie comes back there will certainly be some stupid mistakes like this. 

Golden State's Double Elbow Set

During the Warriors preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers, they found themselves down eight during the second quarter.  Golden State went to a set play that Dubs fans should get used to seeing.  A lot has been said about the Warriors possibly running their offense through the two bigs and having the various shooters curl of screens.  That is exactly what happens in this in this play.

Things start off in a "Horns" look with a double high post and a man in each corner.  Charles Jenkins dumps the ball to David Lee and cuts through the middle.  The first option is here where Lee can just take his man one on one if it is a mismatch.

While Lee holds the ball, Jenkins cuts to the corner to set a screen for Klay Thompson.  Thompson's defender has to make a choice, go over or under the screen.

Thompson now has to read what hid defender did.  If the defender had gone under the screen, Klay would have popped out for an easy (for him) two.  As it is the defender went over the screen which means Thompson has to cut backdoor.

The Lakers help defense covers up the backdoor cut well.  So the play is over right? Not so much.  After the initial action fails, Carl Landry sets a down screen for Charles Jenkins.  The player that set the initial screen, Jenkins, is receiving a screen.  This is a basic screen-the-screener concept.  Because he was defending the screener,  Jenkins' defender had to help on Klay, leaving Jenkins with a ton of room when he gets the screen.

Jenkins receives the ball, but chooses not to shoot.  Now, Carl Landry has great post position.

Landry goes to work down low and finishes with a fade away jumper.

This is definitely a complex set, but not one without its merits.  There are so many options the defense has to defend that eventually a mistake will be made.  Now, just imagine the great passer Andrew Bogut surveying the floor from the elbow and Steph Curry coming of the down screen.  The Warriors versatile personnel can be used in some really interesting ways that will hopefully eventually lead to the P word.