I've had this thought in my head for some time, but this seems to be an appropriate time to ask it . Why doesn't a team on defense with the lead late in the game go to a full court 2-2-1 or a 3/4 trap defense? During the first 39 minutes of a game, those defenses are used to slow down the other team, but in the last minute, coaches insist on pressuring the ball with a man-to-man defense, which usually results in the ballhandler running past his defender and creating an advantage for the offense. If Calipari calls a time-out after the made free throw and then sets up in a full court of 3/4-court zone defense, there is no way Kansas gets that shot off. The most likely result in that situation is that Collins tries to split a double team and gets fouled; or Kansas turns the ball over making a high-risk pass trying to break the press. Instead Rose guards Collins 90 feet from the basket, Collins blows by him and Rose is chasing him and "trying to foul" (I put that in quotes, because it didn't look to me as if they were trying to foul).
2 comments:
I think you make a good point and I figure a big reason why you don't see that happen ever is fear of what could happen. If it goes wrong (and it likely would occasionally just because pressure does sometimes lead to easy buckets) that coach would get skewered for that unconventional decision. Losing conventionally is more OK than losing unconventionally.
Still, it would be so surprising to put one of those defenses in in that type of situation that it could easily lead to confusion. I think as long as you provided some last line of defense to prevent a total breakdown it would be great to see something more along those lines.
It may not be right in all late game situations but I think here it just makes a lot of sense. I mean, to break one of these presses, it requires 3 or more passes or a dribble through a double-team. I can see not wanting to do this in a 1 or 2 point game if you are worried about a ballhandler trying to split a double team and drawing a foul. But I think it makes sense if you're up 3 with 10 seconds or less to go. Or in the last minute of the game up 4 or more to slow down the other team.
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