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Thread of some of the def mistakes we made vs LAC:
PG was on fire & Lue did well to take advantage of his gravity. PG gets separation from KCP here, so Trez steps out to help on him.
Zu dives to the basket as soon as PG runs past him, & AC is a step late in helping the helper.
PG was on fire & Lue did well to take advantage of his gravity. PG gets separation from KCP here, so Trez steps out to help on him.
Zu dives to the basket as soon as PG runs past him, & AC is a step late in helping the helper.
Matthews & Schröder are on different pages here.
Dennis is "icing" this screen, meaning he's trying to prevent Lou Will from using the screen & go middle. That's a common defensive coverage, but the player defending the screener must hang back to stop dribble penetration. 1/2
Dennis is "icing" this screen, meaning he's trying to prevent Lou Will from using the screen & go middle. That's a common defensive coverage, but the player defending the screener must hang back to stop dribble penetration. 1/2
That doesn't mean Wes blew the coverage. If he's containing the ball-handler, that leaves PG open for a pick & pop 3. But if the on-ball defender is icing, then someone has to contain dribble penetration. He and Schröder are running two different coverages, leading to confusion.
Young players often only contest jumpers w/their dominant hand & that's true of THT. You have to reach across your body to contest a right-handed shooter w/your right hand, making your reach shorter
If he slides his feet to his left & contests w/left hand KL gets less separation
If he slides his feet to his left & contests w/left hand KL gets less separation
THT has such incredible length that becoming more comfortable with left-handed contests and the accompanying footwork that goes along with that will be a key part of his defensive development this year.
He'll make life miserable on a lot of shooters if he does.
He'll make life miserable on a lot of shooters if he does.
Wes had a quote after the game speaking to the process of learning different defensive principles, which this play demonstrates to an extent.
His defensive stance here is an invitation to drive middle. This makes sense if it's Giannis, Lopez, or AD back there...but not Trez.
His defensive stance here is an invitation to drive middle. This makes sense if it's Giannis, Lopez, or AD back there...but not Trez.
It's gonna be interesting to see how Vogel approaches Trez's defensive role. Trez's defensive talents are in his speed and ability to beat players to a spot rather than protect the rim. If he's in a stationary position under the basket, that plays into his defensive weaknesses.
Vogel has historically built his defenses around shot blockers, but AD's the only big we have who really fits that description. Having JaVale and Dwight hanging out around the rim makes sense, whereas having Trez down there is asking for trouble. 1/
But there are a few factors at play here that complicate matters a bit. If this were a playoff series, Vogel would almost certainly be mirroring Zubac's minutes with Marc or AD at the 5, and having Trez out there when Ibaka's at the 5. Ty Lue sought out these matchups. 2/
As soon as Marc went to the bench w/foul trouble, Zu immediately came into the game, because the Zu vs Trez matchup is favorable for LAC, as is Marc vs Ibaka.
You could resolve that w/having AD guard Zu instead...but do you want AD banging w/him at this point? Probably not. 3/
You could resolve that w/having AD guard Zu instead...but do you want AD banging w/him at this point? Probably not. 3/
Another approach could be putting Trez in more aggressive defensive coverages that would play more toward his speed and quickness, particularly in the pick & roll.
My observation from watching Vogel last year is that he likes to build out his coverages over time. 4/
My observation from watching Vogel last year is that he likes to build out his coverages over time. 4/
We have the quick turnaround and a shortened preseason, and he kept Lakers bigs in drop coverages in both pick & roll situations and catch hedges (like when PG comes off of screens) for most of the game. If that's a playoff game we almost certainly approach that differently. 5/
But getting on the same page with our most basic coverages first gives us a stronger foundation long-term, even if if doesn't serve short term goals as well.
That said...Luka will almost certainly eat against us if that's how we approach Christmas, just a heads up. 6/6
That said...Luka will almost certainly eat against us if that's how we approach Christmas, just a heads up. 6/6
AD started the game on Kawhi and bothered him quite a bit in on-ball situations.
Lue got him off of Kawhi by having him run off of screens, which AD is less accustomed to defending. How LAL adjusts will be an interesting storyline to watch in the games against LAC going forward.
Lue got him off of Kawhi by having him run off of screens, which AD is less accustomed to defending. How LAL adjusts will be an interesting storyline to watch in the games against LAC going forward.
I've been pleasantly surprised by Schröder's defense. In a size mismatch like this, the key is to stay in front of the ball-handler even if they can back you down, cuz the help defender can take care of the rest, especially if you can force the spin move. That's when AD strikes.
Marc had a rough night on D. If you're asking the def guard to go over the top of the screen as Schröder does here, Marc's job is to contain vs dribble penetration until Schröder gets back in front.
Marc leaves too early & Pat Bev gets a layup. Part of the value of Ibakas jumper
Marc leaves too early & Pat Bev gets a layup. Part of the value of Ibakas jumper
The next few clips will be of PG cooking us. Kuz is great at dropping his top foot on defense, but he has to have his other foot anchored to the ground to do that properly.
PG attacks Kuz's right foot here, and Kuz has to take an extra hop on his left foot, giving PG the lane.
PG attacks Kuz's right foot here, and Kuz has to take an extra hop on his left foot, giving PG the lane.
If you want to create space against a defender when you're in triple threat position (when you have the option to pass, dribble or shoot), turn perpendicular to them & put your foot right between their legs. You'll have created space once you step back. Kobe did this all the time
AD is too upright in his defensive stance here, making him vulnerable to changes of direction. PG gets him to turn his hips with a simple crossover. That's a perfect time to use a shoulder/forearm bump, because the defender only has one foot on the ground and will go flying.
Defenses want to send ball-handlers in a pre-determined direction on screens in the middle of the court. This is called "weaking the screen."
Kuz weaks PG to go left, while Trez weaks him right. Not being on the same page causes them to scramble, leaving PG w/an open stepback.
Kuz weaks PG to go left, while Trez weaks him right. Not being on the same page causes them to scramble, leaving PG w/an open stepback.
