Doctor Hoop
Prescribing Hardwood Excellence
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- Jan 29, 2016
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Far be it from me to derail off-topic sniping, but ...
UConn defense in the successful past - and I include both Calhoun and Ollie teams - didn't just defend what you were trying to do with hustle and smarts. It took what you are trying to do away from you, and made you do something you didn't plan to do. Think of the big-to-big doubles on Elton Brand, Moore on Langdon, or harassing the Harrison twins on the perimeter so they couldn't effectively attack the middle. Early this season we weren't doing even the first thing, defend what you're trying to do, with any success. We're better now in that the defense is now defending better what the opponent is trying to do. With a thin squad that can still be sidetracked by fatigue and/or fouls, however. The problem against Cincy last night came from the bigs swinging outside and hitting 3's - which, by the way, is the way things have moved in the NBA.*
What I want to see next year is a team that starts taking away the the thing a team wants to do, and then effectively defends their third and fourth best options. Depth, quickness and length are necessary, along with a lot of basketball smarts. The roster next year is capable, but Ollie has to be a lot better getting the defense right early in the season with all the new players and players coming off injury, who won't have the rotations, switches, hedges and forces down.
*I would love to go back about 3 years and have Facey work a lot more on his offensive game in all areas, post-up, face-up and 3 point. He and a healthy Durham moving inside and outside and pulling big men away from the basket would be great. Just like Jackson now needs to work a lot on his back to the basket game, for when he gets played by a quicker, smaller wing.
UConn defense in the successful past - and I include both Calhoun and Ollie teams - didn't just defend what you were trying to do with hustle and smarts. It took what you are trying to do away from you, and made you do something you didn't plan to do. Think of the big-to-big doubles on Elton Brand, Moore on Langdon, or harassing the Harrison twins on the perimeter so they couldn't effectively attack the middle. Early this season we weren't doing even the first thing, defend what you're trying to do, with any success. We're better now in that the defense is now defending better what the opponent is trying to do. With a thin squad that can still be sidetracked by fatigue and/or fouls, however. The problem against Cincy last night came from the bigs swinging outside and hitting 3's - which, by the way, is the way things have moved in the NBA.*
What I want to see next year is a team that starts taking away the the thing a team wants to do, and then effectively defends their third and fourth best options. Depth, quickness and length are necessary, along with a lot of basketball smarts. The roster next year is capable, but Ollie has to be a lot better getting the defense right early in the season with all the new players and players coming off injury, who won't have the rotations, switches, hedges and forces down.
*I would love to go back about 3 years and have Facey work a lot more on his offensive game in all areas, post-up, face-up and 3 point. He and a healthy Durham moving inside and outside and pulling big men away from the basket would be great. Just like Jackson now needs to work a lot on his back to the basket game, for when he gets played by a quicker, smaller wing.