Perimeter Defense: Greatly Improved

[blazerboy30]

Watching the game last night, it was really obvious to me that one of the biggest improvements we have made has been our perimeter defense.

I think this has gone a little bit unnoticed because of the new focus on the faster pace. But I feel that the greatly improved perimeter defense has been just as important to the team's success as the faster pace.

There were times last night where we had Wesley, Wallace and Felton all over the place on the perimeter, with LMA and Camby using their length to disrupt the offensive movement. We are seeing many less easy pullup jumpers and a lot less easy penetration into the lane.

Last year with guys like Roy, Rudy and Miller on the perimeter, the offense had no pressure, and could easily create driving lanes to make our bigs collapse.

Keep up the perimeter defensive intensity!

 

[magnifier661]

Watching the game last night, it was really obvious to me that one of the biggest improvements we have made has been our perimeter defense.

I think this has gone a little bit unnoticed because of the new focus on the faster pace. But I feel that the greatly improved perimeter defense has been just as important to the team's success as the faster pace.

There were times last night where we had Wesley, Wallace and Felton all over the place on the perimeter, with LMA and Camby using their length to disrupt the offensive movement. We are seeing many less easy pullup jumpers and a lot less easy penetration into the lane.

Last year with guys like Roy, Rudy and Miller on the perimeter, the offense had no pressure, and could easily create driving lanes to make our bigs collapse.

Keep up the perimeter defensive intensity!

I think this is our #1 reason for success. The other team's guards; with the exception of Nash; have been totally frustrated. We need this intensity each and every night.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Our opponents only shoot 23.7% from three-point range... that's the best in the league by 2.3% (the largest margin between two teams in the top 10, btw), and nearly 10% lower than the league average. We are solidly the best perimeter defense in the league this year.



EDIT: Not only is the percentage better, but we're forcing teams to shoot more three pointers than average (177 vs 171 league avg). Over 9 games, opponents have shot 6 more three-pointers than average, but hit 15 fewer. That's at least one three-pointer per game less (1.67, so 2 fewer per 3 games). That's basically our defense giving us an extra three points to work with.

 

[ABM]

Last year with guys like Roy, Rudy and Miller on the perimeter, the offense had no pressure, and could easily create driving lanes to make our bigs collapse.

No kidding. HUGE upgrade in that regard.

 

[Draco]

Yeah, last night was a great example with Felton on CP3, he used to own us.

 

[HailBlazers]

Felton is a stud.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Yeah, last night was a great example with Felton on CP3, he used to own us.

It doesn't sound like much, but his willingness to actually fight over a screen instead of going underneath it probably accounts for 50% of his effectiveness as a defender on the perimeter ('cause it's certainly not his length).

 

[Draco]

It doesn't sound like much, but his willingness to actually fight over a screen instead of going underneath it probably accounts for 50% of his effectiveness as a defender on the perimeter ('cause it's certainly not his length).

Yeah, also even while being a fatass his general quickness allows him to stay in front of the opposing PG so the defense doesn't have to completely collapse on every penetration attempt.

 

[Draco]

Tonight will be a great test of how improved our 3 point perimeter defense is. Orlando basically just dumps it into Dwight for dunks and spreads the floor with four 3 point shooters. They have a ton of guys shooting 40% 3PT. If we can prevent wide open threes while still getting a few double teams on Dwight we should be in a great position to get a win.

At times this year we have done a great job of recovering from double teams to not allow any open shots. But I think we have also had multiple lucky games where opponents are just going cold on wide open threes.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Tonight will be a great test of how improved our 3 point perimeter defense is. Orlando basically just dumps it into Dwight for dunks and spreads the floor with four 3 point shooters. They have a ton of guys shooting 40% 3PT. If we can prevent wide open threes while still getting a few double teams on Dwight we should be in a great position to get a win.

At times this year we have done a great job of recovering from double teams to not allow any open shots. But I think we have also had multiple lucky games where opponents are just going cold on wide open threes.

Orlando and the Clippers are actually fairly comparable in their approach, the main difference being that the Clippers have better, quicker guards and Orlando has a monster in the middle and slightly (or mostly?) inferior perimeter players.

 

[Draco]

Orlando and the Clippers are actually fairly comparable in their approach, the main difference being that the Clippers have better, quicker guards and Orlando has a monster in the middle and slightly (or mostly?) inferior perimeter players.

Inferior perimeter players? The Clippers are shooting 31% threes. The Magic are shooting 38%.

 

[RR7]

Something in their defensive rotation has changed. Not too sure what it is, but there's a switch down low or something, when the ball is being swung, because instead of someone chasing around the perimeter the whole time, we get a solid rotation oevr to corner 3s, which never happened before. It is better players, for sure, but I believe a switch in scheme also. Sorry, will look for it tonight to try to point out, or re-watch the DVRd game from last night if I get a chance. I noticed it early in the year though.

 

[RR7]

Inferior perimeter players? The Clippers are shooting 31% threes. The Magic are shooting 38%.

My guess is by inferior players(not shooters), he means that Paul and Butler are superior players to nelson and Hedo, but I dunno.

 

[Draco]

If we were doing an expansion draft, or projecting trade values, yes I’d say the Clippers probably have more valuable perimeter players on more reasonable contracts.

But looking only at the current performance of the teams on the court, the Magic have a far more dangerous and damaging perimeter offense, especially so from 3 point range. They have a better system and don't have a shitty head coach. The Clippers are all about a bright future with potential, the Magic are playing at higher level right now in the moment.

 

[blazerboy30]

If we were doing an expansion draft, or projecting trade values, yes I’d say the Clippers probably have more valuable perimeter players on more reasonable contracts.

But looking only at the current performance of the teams on the court, the Magic have a far more dangerous and damaging perimeter offense, especially so from 3 point range. They have a better system and don't have a shitty head coach. The Clippers are all about a bright future with potential, the Magic are playing at higher level right now in the moment.

Perimeter defense isn't just about limiting open 3-pt shots or 3pt percentage. It is also about limiting guard penetration that requires the entire defense to collapse, and disrupting the setup of the offense. So while Orlando may be shooting a higher 3-pt percentage, that doesn't mean that they are more difficult to defend on the perimeter. IE: Who's harder to guard with the ball 23-ft from the hoop... Kobe(18.8% 3pts) or Hedo (45.2% 3pts)?

 

[Nikolokolus]

Inferior perimeter players? The Clippers are shooting 31% threes. The Magic are shooting 38%.

I'm not talking strictly about just 3-point shooting percentages. I'm also referring to the threat to score from the guard/wing positions. The Clippers with Chauncey, Williams, Butler and CP3 put far more pressure on the guards and wings to close off dribble penetration AND try to defend the three point line. The Magic definitely shoot a higher percentage from the 3 point line, but they're also more predictable, meaning that as long as you close out you probably aren't going to get killed on dribble penetration.

Both teams however try to play through the attention that Griffin and Dwight draw to create space for shooters and/or drivers.

 

[Draco]

Good point. Well I'll be interested to see how we perform defensively on this test, as you said the Magic have a very different perimeter offense then the Clippers. They have very different strengths and weaknesses.

 

[Draco]

FAIL

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

What perimeter defense?

 

[Nikolokolus]

The Blazers just didn't close out in the first three quarters and they paid the price. Doubling and tripling Dwight and constantly collapsing the lane really wasn't the way to go. Oh well, they get a chance to see if they can show up early against the Spurs.

 

[magnifier661]

Last night can't determin a "FAIL". 1st thing, Orlando was shooting 60% from the 3. That's 20% more than their average. They were out of control. And if you want to say it's because we left them "wide-open"; other teams have done this very same thing and Orlando failed. We were trying to stop Howard; which we did. Unfortunately the shooters were on fire.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Last night can't determin a "FAIL". 1st thing, Orlando was shooting 60% from the 3. That's 20% more than their average. They were out of control. And if you want to say it's because we left them "wide-open"; other teams have done this very same thing and Orlando failed. We were trying to stop Howard; which we did. Unfortunately the shooters were on fire.

They weren't "out of control" they were completely wide open. That was some of the worst 3 point defense I've ever seen.

 

[magnifier661]

They weren't "out of control" they were completely wide open. That was some of the worst 3 point defense I've ever seen.

Regardless... Like I said before. I've seen teams use that strategy before on them and it worked. I thought our team was doing the same thing, and it almost worked as well. If you make them hit some wide open tres in the first half; they fall in love with them. Then teams bunker down on Howard and foul anytime he goes to the basket. The shooters keep shooting and the shots stop starting to fall. Then they get all mind fucked and don't know what to do.

It almost worked for us if Orlando didn't have an "out of his mind" Turk performance in the last 3 minutes of the game.

You do that same game 100 times and I bet Orlando loses more than 70 of them.

 

[HailBlazers]

FAIL

Before the game yesterday a buddy of mine said, "The Blazers need to NOT double team Dwight, just let him get his 30 points."

Looking back now, he was right. It was all the doubling off the bat that got their shooters warmed up and in groove all night, almost 60% FG,and 48 points off three's!

 

[blazerboy30]

I just disagreed with the scheme last night. I would have preferred to make Howard prove he could beat us while shutting down everybody else. For some reason we kept running a half-assed double or triple team at him. Since it was half-assed, it didn't bother Howard AND it left their 3-pt shooters wide open.

It isn't surprising that later in the game when we decided to use our perimeter defenders to apply pressure and disrupt their offense, we had more success.

 

[HailBlazers]

Exactly ^

Dwight had only 13 points. You let him get 20 or so, and you take away a ton of made three pointers from the cast.

 

[magnifier661]

I just disagreed with the scheme last night. I would have preferred to make Howard prove he could beat us while shutting down everybody else. For some reason we kept running a half-assed double or triple team at him. Since it was half-assed, it didn't bother Howard AND it left their 3-pt shooters wide open.

It isn't surprising that later in the game when we decided to use our perimeter defenders to apply pressure and disrupt their offense, we had more success.

Yeah you're right about one game, but if this game was played 10 times, we win 7 of them easily. I think our game plan was good because Howard hurts your team in the first 3 quarters and then becomes a liability in the 4th. If we kept this game close, we would have blown them out in the 4th.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Yeah you're right about one game, but if this game was played 10 times, we win 7 of them easily. I think our game plan was good because Howard hurts your team in the first 3 quarters and then becomes a liability in the 4th. If we kept this game close, we would have blown them out in the 4th.

If the Blazers played defense the way they played the first three quarters 10 times against that team then they probably lose 9 of them. Stop kidding yourself. It was a shitty game plan on defense and shittier execution.

 

[blazerboy30]

Yeah you're right about one game, but if this game was played 10 times, we win 7 of them easily. I think our game plan was good because Howard hurts your team in the first 3 quarters and then becomes a liability in the 4th. If we kept this game close, we would have blown them out in the 4th.

You think it is a good game plane to run a half-assed double or triple team at Howard, with defenders getting caught on no-man's land?

 

[Draco]

The Clippers are shooting 31% threes. The Magic are shooting 38%.

Now we go up against a Spurs team shooting 42% from three, even better then the Magic were. If we don't prevent wide open threes today it likely will end up being another game of double digit deficits.