We have all seen our once vaunted offense grind slower and slower as opposing coaches finally figured out the perfect defensive strategy for us. This will continue until we can prove we can beat it.
What is this strategy? Perhaps some of you who have played can be more specific, but the other team puts its best perimeter defender closely on Jump, plays "man" but with all other players they will sag off them into the paint unless their mark comes into the paint. This leaves our players frequently open for jumpshots, but denies us the ability to drive or to pass into the paint. While technically a "man" defense, it has the same effect as a well known junk defense called the "box and 1" in which four players play a zone and 1 player follows the opponent's best player.
It would seem that the way to defeat this is similar as the way to defeat a zone--by making mid range jumpers and treys.
How do we do that?
1) Can Lepolo make more treys and Jones start hitting the midrange? That might solve the problem if those two just scored more from distance.
2) Do we need different players on the floor? Some have mentioned Prechtel. Emma-Nnopu might be heating up. Who?
3) How do we get Jump going? Are there really no more effective screens we can try?
4) Can Iriafen start hitting more short jumpers? In the past she had a good mid range shot, and she has made a couple of short jumpers recently.
Next weekend we get two excellent teams at our place: Utah and Colorado. Colorado in particular has the capability of putting on a defense like USC. We need this problem solved.
What is this strategy? Perhaps some of you who have played can be more specific, but the other team puts its best perimeter defender closely on Jump, plays "man" but with all other players they will sag off them into the paint unless their mark comes into the paint. This leaves our players frequently open for jumpshots, but denies us the ability to drive or to pass into the paint. While technically a "man" defense, it has the same effect as a well known junk defense called the "box and 1" in which four players play a zone and 1 player follows the opponent's best player.
It would seem that the way to defeat this is similar as the way to defeat a zone--by making mid range jumpers and treys.
How do we do that?
1) Can Lepolo make more treys and Jones start hitting the midrange? That might solve the problem if those two just scored more from distance.
2) Do we need different players on the floor? Some have mentioned Prechtel. Emma-Nnopu might be heating up. Who?
3) How do we get Jump going? Are there really no more effective screens we can try?
4) Can Iriafen start hitting more short jumpers? In the past she had a good mid range shot, and she has made a couple of short jumpers recently.
Next weekend we get two excellent teams at our place: Utah and Colorado. Colorado in particular has the capability of putting on a defense like USC. We need this problem solved.