Weaker defenders like Nikola Jokic and Steph Curry are often targeted and hunted in the playoffs in pick-and-roll (or isolation). This detailed film breakdown & scouting report examines the tactical arms race for how defenses have tried to protect these defenders, the history of “mismatch hunting,” and the latest strategic shifts that might protect players in the playoffs.
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Ben Taylor is the author of Thinking Basketball, a Nylon Calculus contributor, creator of the Backpicks Top 40 series & host of the Thinking Basketball podcast.
Stats courtesy:
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https://www.basketball-reference.com
https://stats.nba.com
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Footage in this video is owned by the NBA and its partners. It is intended for critique and education.
Music by Nemesis (instrumental)
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34 Comments
So there’s a simply tactic HS & some old college coaches who play heavy man to man have used against this for years, it’s called cutting LOL
When teams shift the man who is the peel offensive player cuts hard into the path the defender is blindly running into. It’s really that simple. Throw the lead pass & Almost always a foul or a layup. This type of defense is helpless against a team that has a ton of cutting off ball.
Really liked this analysis!! I think it’s one of the best explanations for the game behind what a lot of people see
mike malone just needs to play Braun and not reggie + jamal + brown
Very good video ! Thanks
And they laugh when I said that defense today is much better than what it is in 80s and 90s, it is just that players have improved so much offensively that the 7th player on the roster is still a threat, and the superstars are just not from this world.
Seems Curry is actually good defender (not 1 on 1), as he is doing his role precisely and quickly.
Jokic on other hand still looks awful XD
We can all agree that he never disappoints us with his content !.
Jokic not a weak defender by far. The fact that he is slow doesn't mean he is a bad defender. Rudy Gobert has multiple DPOY while being slower. Yes, slower.
Great video
This video here shows why I can't stand people who say there is no defense today specialy those people who don't watch the actual games. There is so so much ground the cover and people running the offense are super smart. They know your weakness and you constantly have to hide/protect that weakness. On top off that you agresivness has to be in control since is so easy to pick up fouls. There is defense in todays NBA is just that is harder to play defense then it ever was. And still there are great team and invidiuals defenders in the game. People talkin non-sense.
LeBron was playing this defense in 2017-18. Everyone was saying he’s playing terrible defense, his teammates just didn’t know what he was doing.
So much better than that other b-ball youtube show..”are you in?”
Comp 2k teams been on this
This channel is so fucking good wtf
Seeing the Warriors most of the time throughout the vid simply explains their great offense and defense. Position-less basketball is here to stay for sure.
Basically the only way to play defensively against modern offences is to play 'active' defence and intentionally disrupt plays rather than relying on the offence coming to you man-to-man. I don't mind this. People have been complaining that the modern offence is unguardable, when really it's just exposing how comparatively medieval most defensive schemes are. It requires you to play both ends of the court, which is what people have said they've wanted for years.
isnt that just a rotation, lol, isnt this normal?
So jokic and curry are bad defenders?
This is one of your best videos. Fantastic breakdown.
Jokic needs to improve on defense. And i say this as a Jokic fan, i think he should be the MVP this season, but his defense or lack of it interms of rim protection is terrible.
Absolutely fantastic video. So didactic, entertaining and lean. Excellent work!!
This is one of your most fascinating insights and videos on that note in a while
You remind me Mavs do that with Luka all the time.
When he is being targeted either him drop or switch first and immediately go double team and let Luka get out of that.
Great video!
But I think that tactic with Jokic switching is not sustainable (a little lazy actually) because if the ball handler reject the screen ( he is slow footed ) it would be a huge defensive breakdown .It's interesting if Nuggets can win it all without having a top 10 defense in the regular season I think no team has ever done that besides 2017 Golden State .
Peel switch is high IQ play expected from… who? guys who stream from strip clubs with guns?
Let's be realistic, please
So well done bro. Your content is excellent. Thanks for your work. And your understanding of the game. It's a beautiful thing.
Yo been loving ur channel for years the film breakdown combined with the stats truly great keep up the good work!!!
I think when Rodman preswitched it wasn't scheme, it was instinct. An example if his defensive genius.
nice work TB
All of this is illegal defense in the Jordan era.
half way thru the video and I stop myself to ask the question of what is the point. Just tell me what point your trying to make
are we still pushing this outdated Steph curry weak defender narrative? It would be a lot more accurate to say teams look to get him tired and in foul trouble and they’ll hunt the mismatch if their best players are 6’7-6’10 like the Celtics. For a single possession, I’m sure Kerr would rather Steph guard Kyrie than Poole. How many game saving stops, blocks and steals do the other warriors point guards have in the last 2 years
I honestly hate this mismatch hunting meta… it just cheapens the game when one guy keeps trying to duck defensive smoke… EVERY PLAY in 2022 finals tatum was tryna get curry on him… like damn you're THAT scared of wiggins? Or LeBron, you THAT scared of iggy and draymond?
This should be called “the swirl”