(12-02-2022 06:02 PM)Jerry Weaver Wrote: (12-02-2022 12:16 PM)Miggy Wrote: EMU's big problem on defense is limiting opponents three-point shooting and not fouling excessively. EMU just can't rely on opponents missing open three's to win games.
I'm with you there. The root cause of such, however, has been a lack of hustle and energy on defense, in my opinion. As mentioned, I HATE fouling a three-ball shooter and we don't, probably more due to the fact that we don't expend the energy to close out on those shots rather than intelligent play. We also don't commit or draw fouls on opponent screens because we automatically switch on all of them. Not real sure about the effectiveness of that strategy at all, it seems to produce quite a few mismatches.
Although it looks like a lack of player's energy to close-out on a three-point shooter, it's my opinion that such is more related to the defensive scheme employed to deny or stop a three-point shooter.
As playing a zone defense on the perimeter and having the defender close-out on the 3-point shooter is iin my opinion useless because the shooter is still taking an open shot. At the very least, defenses should play man to man against known good three-point shooters, set-up further out, get in the face of the three-point shooter, in order to make him dribble. By setting up further out and in his face with forearm
Up between the shooters eyes, so he'll likely decide not to shoot a three, but rather to pass or dribble instead. Even if he shoots a three-ball off his dribble, stats show he will shoot a lower percentage. Even making him shoot a two-ball jumper is a win. If he goes to the hoop there should be a rim protector waiting for his arrival.
On defense bb coaches think when their team is weak inside defensively that they need perimeter players to help inside. They rarely do and therefore should instead hold their ground on the perimeter to stop passes out to the three-point line, and if the ball is shot, run to the hoop for a defensive rebound, with other players rotating back in transition.
When EMU goes inside, players should kick the ball out to it's three-point shooters who rotate to open areas. EMU rarely does this. It should. As it would result in EMU's good three-point shooters taking and making more three's.
I should add that I hate defenders playing with both hands out l-wide because the key to all shooting (although shooting form is also important) is for the eyes to pick-up the hoop early as the brain is making calculations as to hoops location and distance.
The defender bringing his hand up late allows the shooter to see the hoop and calculate both the intended line of flight and distance. Sad part is few defenders bring their arm up before the shooter brings the ball to shooting pocket. They should. Same on defending shots near the rim.
I'm not saying this to brag. But I tested my theory in a tournament. I allowed team to play with both arms down and out-wide. We lost the game by 15-points. That put my team in losers bracket. We switched to playing with one arm up in shooter's face. We made in to the championship game and beat the same team by 20-points. Opponent coach never realized what went wrong.