The most common play run in the NBA is the pick and roll. It's simple, fast, and more often than not efficient. Most pick and rolls feature a high screen, ball handler, and three spotted up shooters. Ever so often however, the more inventive coaches will run some sort of off the ball and/or weakside action in addition to the standard PNR. The NBA breakdown site, Hoopchalk, recently wrote about this. Gregg Popovich is one of the most common users of weakside action during the pick and roll. Here's a really simple, but effective example.
Tiago Splitter sets a screen for Tony Parker on the wing in what looks like a standard screen and roll.
Tony Parker gets into the lane, never good for a defense. This is when the weakside action commences. Tim Duncan sets a back screen for Kawhi Leonard in the corner. Wait what? Were you waiting for some complicated flex action to be diagrammed? Nope, that's it. Just a simple little back screen in Leonard in the corner.
Parker swings an easy pass to Leonard who splashes the three. Look how much space there is between MWP and Leonard. Again, all that it took was a simple back screen. The shot is so open for two reasons: one, most teams aren't ready for this kind of play and two, all the players on the floor are focused on the pick and roll. You have to wonder why more coaches don't use kind of thing considering how simple it is.
After a Tony Parker tying three and an ensuing Kawhi Leonard steal, Coach Gregg Popovich called time to draw up what would be the winning play. San Antonio came out with the man the Thunder were keying on, Tony Parker on the wing.
Stephen Jackson begins to curl to the baseline and Parker cuts to the corner. Danny Green (in the block/charge circle) begins to make his move to the top of the key. The Spurs could have just started out in the positions that result from this play, but all the early movement can force switches and confuse a defense.
Danny Green gets the ball after a screen from Tim Duncan and waits. Notice on the baseline how far Russell Westbrook is from his man, Parker.
Parker starts to run baseline and Westbrook tries to go over the screens.
Then, Green starts dribbling right and inexplicably, Westbrook completely abandons his man. You can see Parker completely alone on the far side. You can also see that Serge Ibaka isn't interested in Parker at all. With Westbrook not there, he can't call for a switch or warn the probable help defender, Ibaka.
As you can see in this final shot, Parker's defender is on the complete opposite side of the court and the helper is miles away. Parker takes a bounce and hits the game winning jumper at the buzzer. Although this was a great play by the Spurs, a lot of blame has to fall on the Thunder defense and Westbrook. Westbrook probably wouldn't have jumped right in the first place if there had been more communication. It is understandable that the defense is rusty in the season opener, but this is something that will have to be watched moving forward.
Here is the play:
Manú is excited that his team is 4th in the DTA power rankings
We continue the power rankings series with the teams just below the top three. Teams that aren't quite elite yet or just fading from the top. If you missed part 1 click here.
4. San Antonio Spurs
As long as Gregg Popovich is in charge and the Spurs will always be somewhat of a contender. This team has been the number one seed in consecutive years, but lost in the playoffs twice. Lets face, San Antonio will be a top three seed in the west. Manú and Parker will still run pick and rolls and Duncan will still shoot his bank shot. Once again, R. C. Buford has assembled a cast of role players whose skills blend perfectly with the big three's. There is no doubt this team can beat anybody, but we all saw what happened against OKC last year and Memphis the year before that.
5. Boston Celtics
Out with Ray Allen, in with Jason Terry and Courtney Lee. With the exception of the Jeff Green deal, I loved everything Boston did this offseason. Terry and Lee can be versatile scorers that can start or come off the pine. To grab top 7 talent Jared Sullinger with the 21st pick was also huge. I doubt that the Cs will be able to knock off Miami in the East, but they came as close could last year and should again this season.
6. Indiana Pacers
Another team a whisker away from knocking off Miami was the Pacers. The Brendan Haywood for Darren Collison trade and the Roy Hibbert max deal were questionable moves. The Pacers backcourt depth will be limited this year, but an intimidating front line should help that. The organization knows they are not going to beat the Heat using small ball, Indiana's only chance is to outsize them. With the expected jump from Paul George, this team should be sitting right where it wants to come playoff time: near the top and ready to make some noise.
