Subscribe Feed (RSS)Jason Quick did a blog post Monday about the way the Trail Blazers defend the pick and roll, aimed, it seemed at this blog. It was a very interesting post, as Nate McMillan kind of laid out his philosophy and explained what he wants to do against the pick and roll. McMillan’s comments were preceded by this remark from Quick:
Anyone who acts like they have all the answers hasn’t coached in this league. I learned a long time ago that when you start acting like you know basketball better than these coaches – who live and breathe it everyday – all you do is make yourself look stupid.
That sounds like some sort of rationalization for not questioning what a coach is doing on the floor. I mean, if you wanted, you could have taken Maurice Cheeks’ wacky explanations of what was going on in Blazer games for years and not challenged them, then woke up one day and realized he just got fired because he wasn’t much of a coach. What a shock!
And while all writers have their own style of covering a beat, I’ve always figured it’s EXACTLY their job to question coaches and hold them responsible for their actions. And take their answers, hold them up to the light and see if they make sense. At some point, you have to judge whether what you’re hearing coincides with what you’re actually seeing. (Thankfully, by the way, the people who cover politicians and the police for our newspapers feel like I do. Of course, maybe NBA basketball is just that much more complicated than the real world).
So let’s take a look at what McMillan said to Quick about the Blazers’ pick-and-roll defense:
First off, the Blazers’ pick-and-roll principles are NOT to switch. They switch only in cases the team calls “emergencies” – when the guard is surprised by the pick or unable to get through. And yes, that has happened more frequently of late because guys like Sergio Rodriguez and Jerryd Bayless are playing more now that Steve Blake is hurt. Blake is the best among the guards on the team at fighting through picks, and Rodriguez is probably the worst. Bayless, the rookie, is still trying to make sure his feet are on the ground.
Because of the increased “emergencies”, the Blazers bigs have switched, matching them against guards or in the case of the Detroit game, forwards like Tayshaun Prince. The easy approach would be to have the bigs drop down and guard the paint, giving the ball handler a perimeter shot.
“Sometimes we do switch, sometimes we don’t,” Brandon Roy said. “We switch when we are getting picked apart. Usually it’s our last resort. Right now, some games we do well in pick and rolls, and we don’t have to switch. Others, they are picking us apart.”
Wow, they switch only in “emergencies.” Well, this team has more emergencies than “E.R.” Monday night, one of our eagle-eyed readers actually went to the trouble of charting the high pick-and-rolls that the Bucks ran against the Blazers. Here’s the way they broke down, thanks to DJ Shatter:
1st Quarter
—————-
16 Total High Picks
14 Switches
1 Over/Under Cover
1 Trap2nd Quarter
—————–
8 Total High Picks
7 Switches
1 Over/Under Cover3rd Quarter
—————–
9 Total High Picks
7 Switches
2 Over/Under Cover4th Quarter
——————
14 Total High Picks
10 Switches
4 Over/Under CoversTotals
—————-
47 Total High Picks
38 Switches
8 Over/Under Covers
1 Trap
That’s a lot of “emergencies” right there, particularly against a team that’s really not much of a pick-and-roll team. Obviously, the Blazers switch these picks a lot. I mean, you can say they don’t — but watch the games and you’ll know.
I can’t resist commenting on one other Nate McMillan observation. Here’s what he said about the pick and roll:
“In this league, you don’t stop the pick-and-roll,” he said. “You just don’t. And I don’t think there is one way you can guard the pick and roll. Regardless of how you guard it, teams will scout you and make an adjustment.”
Sorry, but the pick and roll gets stopped all the time. At least when Portland runs it. Go ahead, run back the tape of that Charlotte game and see how ineffective the pick and roll was for the Blazers. They seldom force the other team to switch and usually end up with nothing out of it. I think Greg Oden almost fainted Monday night when someone hit him with a pass as he rolled off a pick — it’s such an infrequent occurence that he was in shock.
I would also point out that some teams share McMillan’s philosophy of having several different ways of defending the pick and roll, and mixing them up throughout the game. But there are other teams who play it ONE WAY and one way ONLY. Most of those teams blitz, or double-team the player with the ball — as Pat Riley teams are famous for doing. The rationale for this approach is that Riley wanted no confusion among his players on what he demanded from them – every, single, time. But you can do it whichever way works best for your team.
Look, I don’t pretend to know as much about basketball as Nate McMillan or anyone else coaching in the NBA. But I’ve been watching this league up close for more than two decades and there are certain things we all can see. And quite frankly, it doesn’t take a great deal of basketball expertise to see that whatever it is the Blazers are trying to do against the pick and roll — before and after Blake’s injury — wasn’t working very well.
Tags: Dwight Jaynes, Jason Quick, Nate McMillan, NBA, pick and roll, Portland Trail Blazers, Steve Blake
Dwight,
I have to respect your relentless on beating a subject like a dead horse. At least your rigorous in defending your opinion.
But again, you really come off as an armchair quarterback. I’ve been watching ball for at least 25 of my 32 years of life and I have faith in Coach Mac in the long term scale of things. I don’t like the zone (lazy man’s defense as Adelman would say) and I don’t like that switch (another lazy option, where I think the guards are giving up on their man and letting the bigs cover for their asses)either, but I don’t think these defensive holes are fixed over night. Again, hopefully it will finally click some time. Maybe it will, maybe it won’t. This team is young, they need to learn and take some initiative and play some hard defense. Also these are offensive players, this isn’t a team of defensive vets like Pippen.
They have been successful defensively, here and there, going up less experienced teams. I recall what they did against opponents like Derrick Rose and Chicago where they trapped and completely took them out of their offensive sets so they couldn’t even get into that pick-n-roll situation. The more experienced teams adjusts accordingly and that’s what your seeing.
What do you expect? Most of these guys are still learning to play together. Don’t get me wrong, this Blazer fricking skyrockets my blood pressure, but I’m not ready to completely retool Coach Mac’s defensive strategies. They could adjust a little quicker, but what do you do?
Please excuse the poor grammar and hasty writing, but I’m pretty annoyed w/ the second guessing.
Also, I’m pretty sure that Quick’s article was a response to your loud bitching about Nate’s p&r coaching, but don’t think it’s a bit narcissistic to state that out loud?
Memo to Glen, the job of sports writers isn’t to get too close to coaches and almost never question them. Jason Quick is a sycophant that takes way too much of what Nate says in interviews as fact.
Also, we are 41 games in and you can only cite one game vs the Bulls where our pick-and-roll D worked? That’s not exactly a resounding endorsement of our D.
This team is absolutely brutal defending the pick-and-roll. Waiting for it to “click” as you say is like waiting to win the lottery. Not likely.
Dwight,
Please don’t listen to these idiots who imply you don’t know what you are talking about. I don’t always agree with you, but you are 100% right on this one. I love Nate, but clearly what he says is their strategy and what they do 98% of the time are two different things. On this one it doesn’t take an expert as you say; just watch the dang game. The facts don’t lie.
Keep harping on this one. I think we are going see several more close games and losses unless Mac gets his head out of the sand.
Matt:
Hey, Dwight Jaynes-groupie, thank you for lecturing me on the tenets of modern sports writing. I wasn’t endorsing the Blazer’s defense by bringing up the Chicago game, contrary, it’s an example of how they are only able to execute the type of defense you guys desire (avoid “switching”) with lesser opponents. My point was that these guys are learning still and that you should be giving credit to superior competition instead of pinning the “flawed” defense on this young team. Patience. Can you say that you are really unhappy with this team 41 games in? You are buncha whiny babies. Howsabout some patience.
THIS TEAM IS LEARNING TO PLAY WITH EACH OTHER CURRENTLY!!!
Hey Glen,
I agree with you; our record is great at this point and we do need to be patient. But, this one little thing could be such a simple fix. Just defend the pick the same way just about every team defends our picks.
Dwight,
I think we should continue to track the pick and roll stats like this so we can see if there is improvement.
Dwight,
When you throw a rock into a pack of dogs, the one that barks loudest is the one that got hit.
I think it’s kind of cool that Mac is barking…but I think its even cooler that you’re the one who threw the rock.
Dwight, you said:
“At some point, you have to judge whether what you’re hearing coincides with what you’re actually seeing. (Thankfully, by the way, the people who cover politicians and the police for our newspapers feel like I do.)”
If those newspapers are the Tribune, Willamette Week or the Mercury, then yes. But The Oregonian? No way. The culture of The Oregonian is one of defending the status quo and Jason Quick is a part of that culture.
Glen, catch a clue. What fun is sports if you can’t critique, or even criticize? I think that Mr. Jaynes’s resume speaks for itself.
Quick seems to know where his bread is buttered. He’s quick (no pun intended) to critizize a 20 year old rookie, going through the typical rookie ups and downs….but he can’t hold a coach accountable? That seems a little backward to me. This pick & roll issue has been brought up by countless fans.
Please tell me again why we shouldn’t be armchair QB’s? I support the team with my ticket, apparrel, and NBA league pass purchases. I don’t see anything wrong with addressing a glaring on the court issue like this. Being a yes man will only get you so far Glen.
I have to agree with you this time Dwight. Your observation is spot on about the state of the Blazer defensive union. Although, as you know, great players make coachs look great. But at this point in time Portland’s talent level is not up to the task.
The switches have been happening all season, no matter which point guard is in the game. Steve Blake played 33 minutes in the Detroit game in which Tayshaun Prince torched the Blazers on the switch.
I appreciate the stats from last nights game, it has been what most of us have been thinking anyway, but couldn’t do ourselves.
Dwight,
You provide a quality blog that informs and allows fans to hear from a beat writer’s perspective. I appreciate that. I don’t always agree but I think you do make informed observations that don’t always sit well with the status quo.
Several of us have posted that the Blazers are learning as they go because of their youth. It concerns me that there is little to no improvement in the pick and roll defense. I wonder if what is going on will cause a retardation in the growth of the team.
Wow it feels good to read something Like this. Jason Quick articles over the last year or so have gotten me very upset because it seemed like he was best buds with our coach and everything Nate did would never get questioned publicly! You can tell reading his article that there’s s something to nate and quicks relationship. To never question a pro coach of any league is JOKE!! and quick should be ashamed of himself for saying something so stupid. This guys relationship with the blazers coach makes him unfit to do his job. I really hope the oregonian realizes this and fires Jason Quick. Don’t worry I’m sure the blazers would pick him up and put them in there PR department.
You and Quick should get a room and hug it out.
TheStump:
Thanks for the advice, you should be my life coach.
I’m not a yes-man or Blazers apologist. I’m just being logical. This team is a work in progress, have some patience. As for the “critiquing” it’s not really critiquing anymore but repetitive incessant bitching and whining (like he knows better). Effing move on!
As for fans complaining/whining/critiquing, be my guest…it comes off as white noise anyways.
CP3 hit a game winner yesterday, off a switched pick ‘n roll. We’re not the only one who defends the perimeter poorly.
Our perimeter defense is ok, our perimeter defenders are not.
TheStump:
…because you’re armchair QBing comes off as ignorant fanboy, arrogant, bitchy whining.
Interesting. Must have hit a nerve for The Oregonian to respond like this. And the numerical breakdown of defenses used in the Milwaukee game was excellent.
That “you can’t criticize what you don’t know how to do better” is an old, pathetic defense. Especially when it comes to job performances which are meant, by definition, to be judged by the public — those of government officials, or private interests selling a consumer product (like the Blazers.) The late, great film critic Pauline Kael once answered a similar line by saying you don’t need to be able to lay an egg to tell if it tastes good.
Being an ex-Portlander, I like being able to get critical assessments of the team’s play — and the fan sites, while often good, are usually too exhaustive for quick reading.
The Blazers’ are among the best in the league in offensive efficiency (points scored per possession) and in the bottom third tier in defensive efficiency. Failure to defend the pick and roll is one of the major reasons (if not the major reason) – especially considering the head coach’s pronounced goal before the season to focus on improved defense – for the team’s defensive failings. Another is the team’s tendency (somewhat improved recently) to allow uncontested baskets because their guards and small forward fail to get back on defense after missed shots, which costs an average of half a dozen points a game.
The best teams in the league (Boston, Cleveland, LA, and Orlando) are, not coincidentally, among the the top half-dozen in defensive efficiency. If those teams (with each of their vaunted offensive excellence) can excel at defense, why not the Blazers?
We’re told our team has a great player “culture” , which I interpret to mean young and eager players willing to give their all for the team. But on defense, either the players do not, in fact, possess this culture or they are undercoached. Given my personal belief that the former is true, why is the media not focusing on the team’s coaching staff — challenging it to explain why they have failed to coach well this young and otherwise admirable team in half of the game – the defensive half?
It’s interesting to watch this team over the past couple years Nate has been coach, to see its progression from laughingstock to playoff contendor.
The 2005-06 Blazers were terrible; we all agree. Just lousy on both sides of the ball; but especially on defense–where the team featured numerous players who simply couldn’t be bothered (Zach, Darius, Telfair, Dixon), a pile of rookies who didn’t know how to play NBA defense (Webster, Monia, Jack), and one guy–Ratliff–who spent most of the season on the shelf. When one of your bright spots on D is Ruben Patterson, that’s a problem.
The 05-06 Blazers were better, but still bad. Prz was hurt much of the year, Ratliff was gone, and Magloire got most of the minutes at center. OTOH, Ime Udoka was an excellent defender, and Roy at least bothered to show up–and LMA showed flashes of brilliance. That year, the remaining don’t-care defenders (Zach, Dixon, Magloire) departed the team; since then, the primary problems with the Blazer defense have been around execution, tactics, and skill–not attitude.
Last year’s team improved markedly with the return of Steve Blake, the good health of Prz, and the elevation of LMA to the starting lineup; though losing Udoka hurt quite a bit. Interior D wasn’t bad–it was the perimeter D that killed us, especially at the PG position. Sergio is too small and Jack is too slow to play really effective NBA defense–as a result, the Blazers zoned up much of the time.
The fact that we are arguing about pick-and-roll defense, instead of just watching the Blazers grab a spot on the floor and stick their arms in the air on D, is further evidence of progress. I have little doubt that Nate knows how to defend a pick and roll; it’s the players who need to learn (or be replaced with those who can); both the guards and the bigs. Oden needs to know how to deal with guards on a switch. All the guards need to improve at fighting through screens. And just as Jack was shipped out last offseason, expect Sergio–by far the worst perimeter defender on the team–to be traded within the month, though the injury to Steve Blake may delay that deal (though it is increasing Sergio’s value).
The P&R defense of the Blazers certainly needs improving; and the coaching staff knows that. As a fan, I expect progress to be shown on this front by next year. But during Nate’s tenure, the Blazers have gone from terrible to mediocre to decent to pretty good–next year, not this year, is when I will start to demand great. Obviously, KP and his front-office acumen has a lot to do with this, as have the players. But the progress this team has made has been steady and definite, so for now I’m a satisfied customer.
I first noticed this against Toronto, when it seemed like Steve Blake ended up defending Chris Bosh after a switch about 5 times in a row. That’s a losing proposition. No matter who is the guard and who is the big man, the Blazer defenders switch on the pick and roll EVERY TIME. It’s infuriating. Watch the games and see for yourself. I hope Nate starts proving us wrong.