Some observations on our offense over the last two games. Way too early, but I'm bored.
Our base offense is a motion offense which utilizes cuts off the ball and ball motion to set up either an outside shot- if the defender sags- or mid range penetration with the threat of either a mid/short range jumper or hitting the offside wing cutting through the paint. When Poyser and Green have the ball, a straight up man defense will have a lot of trouble catching the swing because they HAVE to defend the ball to the three point line. Poyser and JoJo present the threat of dribble penetration so to overplay, the defense needs to show help. They CANNOT sag under screens or shade the middle or they will be torched as all three are high percentage threats.
The natural and obvious defensive adjustment to this is for the defense to either overplay the guards and/or show help to prevent the swing. To take advantage, we then adjust to a single or double high post offense to set up the pick and roll - while maintaining the base offense.
This is where I think our biggest adjustment needs to come from. When the pick comes, all three need to make a dribble before passing the ball along. The inclination is to be unselfish and swing it away from the congestion but in doing so they are missing the roll which is wide open at times and the offside flash from the opposite side of the paint which opens up because the center cheats towards the roll. When we run the pick on a cheating help defense we have a 4 on 2 for a split second off the ball. It is a totally different mindset from their base offense to make that extra dribble to give time to the roll and/or UCLA cut, but it will burn the overplaying defenders, pick up easy scoring opportunities and force the defense into playing honest. Experience/film will hopefully guide them to recognize when they need to adjust their mindset.
I still contend that point guard is just a name for whoever is getting us into our first pass in this offense. All our guards have stuff to iron out. Poyser with vision at times, Mooring and Ofoegbu with ball handling in traffic and risk assessment. Our wings and forwards with transition feeds.
All of our players have a sweet spot and trouble areas.
Poyser
sweet spots- transition finishing, transition main ball handler, ball swing rhythm 3's, dribble drives off a pass, suprisingly to me- spacing
Trouble- breaking down a defender while maintaining vision, elbow in decisions, sometimes game flow decisions.
Mooring
Sweet spot- transition finishes, rhythm jump shots, one on one drives to the middle lane area, dribble drives off the pass
Trouble- transition ball handler, decisions in traffic, game flow decisions.
Green
Sweet spot- set shot, post play on a guard or wing, surprisingly- finishing in transition, surprisingly- finishing at the basket, and rebound put backs.
Trouble- dribble drive decisions leading to offensive fouls, post play on forwards, spacing
Ofoegbu
See Mooring above but weaker on ball handling, bigger and stronger, shares same weaknesses.
Baxter:
Sweet spot- high post passing, wing passing, stepping into jump shots, transition finishing, outlet/inbound decision making
Trouble spots- post scoring, dribble drive, age, experience.
Jones:
Sweet spot- short and mid range jumpers, offensive tip backs, one on one post moves.
Trouble spots- passing from the block, finishing in traffic at the rim
Morgan:
Sweet spot- offensive rebounding, tip plays, short range jumpers (over the defender) pull up jumpers, speed and finishing in transition, set shot to 15 feet high post scoring, handles for size.
Trouble spots- post moves (overdribbling), outlet/traffic passing, offensive flow decisions (although not as bad as some insist).
Team:
Sweet spot: ball movement, off ball movement, primary and secondary break, coachability.
Trouble spots- adjustment between offenses, experience, Lack of any team continuity with coaches, youth.
Our base offense is a motion offense which utilizes cuts off the ball and ball motion to set up either an outside shot- if the defender sags- or mid range penetration with the threat of either a mid/short range jumper or hitting the offside wing cutting through the paint. When Poyser and Green have the ball, a straight up man defense will have a lot of trouble catching the swing because they HAVE to defend the ball to the three point line. Poyser and JoJo present the threat of dribble penetration so to overplay, the defense needs to show help. They CANNOT sag under screens or shade the middle or they will be torched as all three are high percentage threats.
The natural and obvious defensive adjustment to this is for the defense to either overplay the guards and/or show help to prevent the swing. To take advantage, we then adjust to a single or double high post offense to set up the pick and roll - while maintaining the base offense.
This is where I think our biggest adjustment needs to come from. When the pick comes, all three need to make a dribble before passing the ball along. The inclination is to be unselfish and swing it away from the congestion but in doing so they are missing the roll which is wide open at times and the offside flash from the opposite side of the paint which opens up because the center cheats towards the roll. When we run the pick on a cheating help defense we have a 4 on 2 for a split second off the ball. It is a totally different mindset from their base offense to make that extra dribble to give time to the roll and/or UCLA cut, but it will burn the overplaying defenders, pick up easy scoring opportunities and force the defense into playing honest. Experience/film will hopefully guide them to recognize when they need to adjust their mindset.
I still contend that point guard is just a name for whoever is getting us into our first pass in this offense. All our guards have stuff to iron out. Poyser with vision at times, Mooring and Ofoegbu with ball handling in traffic and risk assessment. Our wings and forwards with transition feeds.
All of our players have a sweet spot and trouble areas.
Poyser
sweet spots- transition finishing, transition main ball handler, ball swing rhythm 3's, dribble drives off a pass, suprisingly to me- spacing
Trouble- breaking down a defender while maintaining vision, elbow in decisions, sometimes game flow decisions.
Mooring
Sweet spot- transition finishes, rhythm jump shots, one on one drives to the middle lane area, dribble drives off the pass
Trouble- transition ball handler, decisions in traffic, game flow decisions.
Green
Sweet spot- set shot, post play on a guard or wing, surprisingly- finishing in transition, surprisingly- finishing at the basket, and rebound put backs.
Trouble- dribble drive decisions leading to offensive fouls, post play on forwards, spacing
Ofoegbu
See Mooring above but weaker on ball handling, bigger and stronger, shares same weaknesses.
Baxter:
Sweet spot- high post passing, wing passing, stepping into jump shots, transition finishing, outlet/inbound decision making
Trouble spots- post scoring, dribble drive, age, experience.
Jones:
Sweet spot- short and mid range jumpers, offensive tip backs, one on one post moves.
Trouble spots- passing from the block, finishing in traffic at the rim
Morgan:
Sweet spot- offensive rebounding, tip plays, short range jumpers (over the defender) pull up jumpers, speed and finishing in transition, set shot to 15 feet high post scoring, handles for size.
Trouble spots- post moves (overdribbling), outlet/traffic passing, offensive flow decisions (although not as bad as some insist).
Team:
Sweet spot: ball movement, off ball movement, primary and secondary break, coachability.
Trouble spots- adjustment between offenses, experience, Lack of any team continuity with coaches, youth.
