Kings Owner Proposes Idea of Playing 4-on-5 Defense to Allow for a Cherry-Picker

[ddb]

this is the most ridiculous idea I have ever heard.  This is professional basketball with professional players and professional coaches.  the appropriate adjustment would be made by the opposing coach in .001 seconds.   

[guava_wrench]

This strategy would be a disaster against any of the good teams. NBA players know how to move the ball around to find an open guy. You are also making it harder to get a defensive rebound after.

One major problem with this strategy is that if the team scores 5 on 4, it will be very hard to get the ball ahead and you are just treading water. You are also increasing you chances of giving up an offensive rebound. This works in pickup because guys don't run an offense and aren't disciplined enough to get a guy open. It also works at times because there are often multiple guys taking plays off in pickup.

[Celtics4ever]

This is not the park playground.

[Granath]

This would be easy as hell to defend against.

The team that has the 5 on 4 advantage on the offensive end would leave a good 3 point shooter (think Avery Bradley) up a bit higher towards the midcourt line. The rest of the offense spaces out appropriately and looks to drive the lane. As they do, the higher 3pt specialist rolls towards the 3pt line. Either the lane is open or the 3pt guy is. If the lane is open, the 3pt guy turns and releases towards the cherry picker. If the lane isn't open and you kick out to the 3pt guy, he takes the wide open 3 point shot while one of the non-rebounding wings (think Jeff Green) release towards the cherry picker.

Either way you end up with a high percentage shot on the offensive end while forcing a very tough, lower percentage long throw to the cherry picker. You might get a couple of easy baskets throughout the course of the game from the cherry picker, but you'd give up 10 times as many easy baskets to the other team.

[D.o.s.]

One major problem with this strategy is that if the team scores 5 on 4, it will be very hard to get the ball ahead and you are just treading water. You are also increasing you chances of giving up an offensive rebound. This works in pickup because guys don't run an offense and aren't disciplined enough to get a guy open. It also works at times because there are often multiple guys taking plays off in pickup.

This is entirely correct, and the reason the idea is so dumb. What are the other four guys supposed to do, just play some kind of four man zone that's destined for failure?

There's easier and smarter ways to emphasize transition opportunities.

[Eja117]

This would be easy as hell to defend against.

The team that has the 5 on 4 advantage on the offensive end would leave a good 3 point shooter (think Avery Bradley) up a bit higher towards the midcourt line. The rest of the offense spaces out appropriately and looks to drive the lane. As they do, the higher 3pt specialist rolls towards the 3pt line. Either the lane is open or the 3pt guy is. If the lane is open, the 3pt guy turns and releases towards the cherry picker. If the lane isn't open and you kick out to the 3pt guy, he takes the wide open 3 point shot while one of the non-rebounding wings (think Jeff Green) release towards the cherry picker.

Either way you end up with a high percentage shot on the offensive end while forcing a very tough, lower percentage long throw to the cherry picker. You might get a couple of easy baskets throughout the course of the game from the cherry picker, but you'd give up 10 times as many easy baskets to the other team.

Depends a bit who the cherry picker is. If it's Lebron (which it probably isn't because of his great defense) then good luck defending that with Avery Bradley.

[BballTim]

This would be easy as hell to defend against.

The team that has the 5 on 4 advantage on the offensive end would leave a good 3 point shooter (think Avery Bradley) up a bit higher towards the midcourt line. The rest of the offense spaces out appropriately and looks to drive the lane. As they do, the higher 3pt specialist rolls towards the 3pt line. Either the lane is open or the 3pt guy is. If the lane is open, the 3pt guy turns and releases towards the cherry picker. If the lane isn't open and you kick out to the 3pt guy, he takes the wide open 3 point shot while one of the non-rebounding wings (think Jeff Green) release towards the cherry picker.

Either way you end up with a high percentage shot on the offensive end while forcing a very tough, lower percentage long throw to the cherry picker. You might get a couple of easy baskets throughout the course of the game from the cherry picker, but you'd give up 10 times as many easy baskets to the other team.

Depends a bit who the cherry picker is. If it's Lebron (which it probably isn't because of his great defense) then good luck defending that with Avery Bradley.

  Completing a long distance pass to LeBron when he's covered is harder than it sounds. Also, it will help the other team if you don't have LeBron on defense.

[bdm860]

This reminds me of when I played little league baseball.  It was a foregone conclusion that if you had runners at 1st and 3rd, the guy on 1st base would steal 2nd base.  I remember being in this situation many times, and once that first pitch was thrown we would just jog to 2nd base, didn't even need to hustle or slide, because we knew the catcher would never attempt to throw you out or else the player on 3rd would steal home.

Then I remember watching the Yankees with my uncle, and they had runners at 1st and 3rd.  And I remember being confused and asking him why they weren't stealing 2nd, and he just kind of chuckled and said that doesn't work in the pros, the defense is too good for the offense to get away with it.

[Granath]

This would be easy as hell to defend against.

The team that has the 5 on 4 advantage on the offensive end would leave a good 3 point shooter (think Avery Bradley) up a bit higher towards the midcourt line. The rest of the offense spaces out appropriately and looks to drive the lane. As they do, the higher 3pt specialist rolls towards the 3pt line. Either the lane is open or the 3pt guy is. If the lane is open, the 3pt guy turns and releases towards the cherry picker. If the lane isn't open and you kick out to the 3pt guy, he takes the wide open 3 point shot while one of the non-rebounding wings (think Jeff Green) release towards the cherry picker.

Either way you end up with a high percentage shot on the offensive end while forcing a very tough, lower percentage long throw to the cherry picker. You might get a couple of easy baskets throughout the course of the game from the cherry picker, but you'd give up 10 times as many easy baskets to the other team.

Depends a bit who the cherry picker is. If it's Lebron (which it probably isn't because of his great defense) then good luck defending that with Avery Bradley.

You don't defend Lebron, you contest the pass. A long pass to a defended target, even Lebron, isn't a high percentage play. Even if he catches it, that gives time for the defense to get back.

As I said, you might get a few scores from that cherry picker. But imagine no Lebron on defense...you'd score 130 against Cleveland without him on defense.

[D.o.s.]

But imagine no Lebron on defense...

[LooseCannon]

If this idea would give the cherry picker a guaranteed basket, it would make sense to do it when you have a small lead towards the end of the game, since trading baskets would preserve your lead, so long as you aren't giving up automatic threes.

[apc]

Isnt that offside? 

[Timdawgg]

Ask Jack Taylor how this works..He scored 138 points in one game....for a lot of the points he cherry picked by design...

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2012/11/20/jack-taylor-grinnell-college-ncaa-record-138-points/1718463/

[Eja117]

This would be easy as hell to defend against.

The team that has the 5 on 4 advantage on the offensive end would leave a good 3 point shooter (think Avery Bradley) up a bit higher towards the midcourt line. The rest of the offense spaces out appropriately and looks to drive the lane. As they do, the higher 3pt specialist rolls towards the 3pt line. Either the lane is open or the 3pt guy is. If the lane is open, the 3pt guy turns and releases towards the cherry picker. If the lane isn't open and you kick out to the 3pt guy, he takes the wide open 3 point shot while one of the non-rebounding wings (think Jeff Green) release towards the cherry picker.

Either way you end up with a high percentage shot on the offensive end while forcing a very tough, lower percentage long throw to the cherry picker. You might get a couple of easy baskets throughout the course of the game from the cherry picker, but you'd give up 10 times as many easy baskets to the other team.

Depends a bit who the cherry picker is. If it's Lebron (which it probably isn't because of his great defense) then good luck defending that with Avery Bradley.

You don't defend Lebron, you contest the pass. A long pass to a defended target, even Lebron, isn't a high percentage play. Even if he catches it, that gives time for the defense to get back.

As I said, you might get a few scores from that cherry picker. But imagine no Lebron on defense...you'd score 130 against Cleveland without him on defense.

A younger Antoine would have been a better example. Of course he would have stopped to take a three, but you see what I mean.

[action781]

A D3 college team has essentially been doing this recently... Could be where the Kings owner got the idea from

http://deadspin.com/5962514/d-iii-players-138-point-game-is-a-sham-record-and-shouldnt-be-celebrated-by-anyone