Key to success

Most of the NBA teams simple have one thing in common and it's they have waste amount of talents on their rosters. Here in the first place, I mean perimeter players able to shot behind the arc  with playmaking skills.

But one of them Spurs are a little bit different in terms of getting to the middle of the key and producing open 3’s.

When you get to the middle of the key from the top, you’re able to exploit various options.You can attack all corners and wings, what isn’t case when you penetrate under the low block.

By penetrating and getting to the middle of the key, you have better chance to score at the rim or kick the ball out to the perimeter players to force deffense to overcommit and make mistakes.

Also, Spurs are different from other teams on the way how they exploit strategy of getting to the middle of the key. They not only penetrate but when they’re prevented from doing it, they simple use big man passing skills via feeding the big on the low block, P&R, cutting and moving the ball, as well.  
Overall, it's very important in nowadays basketball, to have versatile and skilled big man.

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NBA Walkthrough GSW - OKC game

GSW is formidable shooting team.They also showed that they're defensive mind  orinted(allowed 0.94 PPP), as well.

GSW lost OR war together with FT battle but however they slightly lost shooting contests, they manage to beat opponent, specialy behind the arc(+22 margin) and that was major factor in their winning.See diagram:

Belove are some Twitter thoughts and facts:

In the past 5g the OKC has avg 19 TO's thathave led to 22.4 pts 

Areas keept the OKC from winning vs GSW 1/TO 2/ Boards 3/Slopy game by Durant in the 2nd half 4) Sloppy perimeter D

1/Turnovers

In the 3rdQ GSW turned 6 OKC TO into 13 points & 11pts lead

In the past 5g the OKC has avg 19 TO's thathave led to 22.4 pts

Pts of the giveaways: GSW scored 29 pts, OKC scored 9pts.

2/Boards

The OKC lost game despite they was better in FT%51.3 & won the boards in total.

3/Leadership issue

In 3rdQ, KD missed 7 shots in the row, 5 came when the GSW build 11 pts lead

 4/Sloppy Perimeter Defense

GSW simple tactic, go into the paint, don't scare of OKC big man & kick that ball out making them scramble.
 November 17, 2013

OKC gave up 14/23 3s not trying to play better perimeter D
November 17, 2013

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The Storyfy: FIBA Europe 2013: France - Litvania

During the FIBA Europe 2013 final game, Smart Basket used social media to tell the story of each of the exciting  moments from this game:

1st Quarter: 

Litvania TG 2x hand off + slip p&r

Kleiza with hot hands tonight 4/4

2nd Quarter:

France dominate & outscored Litvania, Litvanian switch in zone and loost composure.

Seems with Kleiza on the bench Litvania is wi/out scoring ideas

Exelent contribution of France 2nd unit, w/out Parker they gain lead of 16 pts, 50:34

Litvania after switching to zone, stopped to play.High scoring shooting % & an aggressive defense + controling boards was key for France

Elbow stagger curl, Diot free up himself for downtown, buzzer beatter 3's, 0:009 to go(1st 1/2)

3rd Quartedr:

Good idea by Franch coach to put Parker on off guard spot and provoke missmaches

France continue with great confidence in 3Q 5 to go, 60:41, Litvania w/out Kleiza struggling from open spots, 42% France 62%

France in match up with Diaw in the 1st line

Don't understand why Litvania also employed zone match up on -18.they definitely lost agresivness and speed from the begining of the game

 

 4th Quarter:

France continue with confidence + 18. Litvania totaly out of the game, France has embarased Litvania by swithing on picks.

Litvania w/out inside game, and struggling from outside, 4min to go -18

 

Post Players- 2 feet in the lane & you OWN the house, 1 foot in the lane & you are RENTING the house, 0 feet in the lane & you are HOMELESS!

France employed stuggerd picks w/pick for 1st picker, lp iso play

 

With 0:22 to go & +16 France won gold! The key moment is mid of 2Q, Litvania simple run out of the gas.France eliminated Litvanian Tansition O.

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Walkthrough:FIBA Eurochampion 2013 PG Analyse

There are 6 top European PG curently playing at ECh in Slovenia and also play/used to play in NBA.

Analyse showed some interesting tendencies in PG's  game.

The criteria what I've used are: number of posesions, pts per posesion, turnovers perc, long range shooting perc, @ the rim shooting perc, FT shooting  perc and mid range shooting percentages.The minimum number of possesions was 70.

In category Number of  Possesions: The PG with most possesions is Dragic Goran, Slovenia.

It's mainly because he spend most time on the floor.Slovenia's buck up PGs played simbolic time.

In Points per  Possesion: the most eficient is Tony Parker.When he has the ball in his hand, he is able to generate more than 1 point per possesion.

  

When we talk about PG efficiency again, Tony Parker showed that he has most balanced game.He penetrate and score and also torched opponents, behind the arc.

It's interesting things that both Spain's PG Rodriguez and Rubio showed lack of  FT efficiency.

To Summing up:

Greek PG Vasilis Spanuolis showed lack of protecting the ball. He generate twice more turnovers than the other PG.

Spanish PG Sergio Rodriguez showed high efficiency behind the arc but also lack of getting to the FT line.

Generaly, both Parker and Dragic showed strong tendencies in driving and in mid range games, bith better take care of the ball than the other PG.

Rodriguez and Spanuolis dominate behind the arc, but they showed lack of care of the ball and certain limitation, when we talk about finishing at the rim.

It's obvious rising tendencies toward increasing efficiensies from mid range shooting.

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I part Walkthrough: Top Euro championship contender - France

Friendly pre European championship game, France vs Serbia was most interesting game this week.

Through anlyse I've tryed to get some answers specialy one: wether France will be top tournament contender in Slovenia?

Positive Factors: they are phisical and long,  what give them ability to employ various defensive options, they've good low post line and their leader Tony Parker, helps them to get on an edge over the oponents.

Negative factors: care of the ball, 3 pts shooting along with getting on the free throw line isn't so impressive. It could be tough issue for France, when they face  traditionaly shooting teams, such as Spain, Litvania etc.

First of all, let's look at some stats:

However, Serbian team generated 5 more posseions they weren't able to convert it in points, what in reverse produced low Offensive percentages 0.75 per posession compared to France team 0.83 per possesion, it gave them an edge over the opponet.

France was better in shooting and sligtly in attacking the offensive boards. But their turnovers emerged high.They have a problems with care of the ball and also in getting to the foul line.

How  offensive rebounds influence overall offensive output?

Serbian team did a good job of rebounding their own misses, but in general, just aren’t very good at shooting. In the first place their ORB% correlates strongly with their Offensive Rating, because they need 2nd chance to sustain their offense, France  team didn’t rebound exceptionaly better than opponent in Offense but they shoot the ball better.

                               3 pts Shooting Chart -France

 

During the 1st half opponent shut down penetration, particulary Parkers driving and kicking, what eleminated open 3's.They was focused at the begining and rotated  very well.

French team showed some tendencies in shooting 3's, from the left side of the court, it was continued in 2nd half, as well.

During the 1st half they scored only twice behind the arc, compared with 2nd half where there  they made 2 times more 

• French 3 pts game is entirely concentrated on the left side of the court.
• France is able to generate more points inside, than from outside, 
• they are very physical inside the key, but they aren't realy big treat from perimeter and it's obvious problem.
• When Parker is on the bench, French team is forced to slow down tempo, playing very static.
• Other problem is that during entire game against Serbian team, they weren't generate easy points in transition, partly because of an exelent Serbian contribution on offensive boards, very good transition defense, and mostly from France inability to rebound and convert it into easy points. 

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Walkthrough NBA final: Spurs 3's impact

In 2013 NBA finals, Green is after 5 games 25/14  from behind the arc.The issue is what Heat will do to lower down his contibution? 
But if they decides to keep a defender on him, the lane is going to be wide open for Parker and Ginobiliy.
If not, the main threat will come once more from Green, who demostraated formidable  accuracy and shooting skills from behind the ars. Lets see some stats:

It 's noticable some corelation between Green's 3 pts shooting influence on Spurs winning. His stronggest 3 pts performance was in 2nd game.
But as a big Spurs contributor in winning, when he scored 4 or more  times behind the arc, the Spurs usualy win.                                
However he shot and score from corner,  he is most dangerous from 45 degree angle.

Down are couple of situations from G3, where Green exploited opportunities created by Parker and Ginobili.

Spurs on very simple way create open 3 by driving to the basket and pounding the ball to the low block.

 

 

  

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NBA 12/13 WALKTHROUGH G3 Spurs vs Grizzlies

• Coaches have to do exelent job to put their players in situation where they can be successful, create environment and let them win.

• The players are extension of what coach teach them.

• Coaches  have to prepare their teams for all possible scenarios they may face.

But if you play your opponent with conviction you have great chance to win.You have to explane players why you play it, that gives them bit of ownership and they will understand it better and of course you have to repet those plays over and over in practice. 

Somtimes your game plan from some reasons, dosn't work. Good example is   Game 3, where after sloppy begining, the Spurs cauht up rhitm and sturted to execute game plan.

As usual, the Spurs haven't panicked and started to bounce back from behind in a major way, cutting the big deficit and force overtime. From there, Tim Duncan took over, leading the Spurs to a decisive win.
First,  let's check stats:

                    
                                  Shot Selection - 1stQ

See belowe how Spurs beat Grizzlies on the floor. They simple make adjustments on the fly and exploited an advantages such as:

                                         Transitionn Offense

 

The Grizzlies weren't able to counter the Spurs in transition because of their tall unit was slow in defensive transition

                                          Spacing and Read 

The Spurs spacing and reading the defense was tremendous.Every time the Grizzlies high hedge Spurs players read it and punished  either scoring from perimeter or under basket.

                                            Pick and Roll

The same situation was when we talk about Grizzlies pick and roll defense.They send to high their bigs far from the basket.The defense that they employed was unadequate to counter the Spurs.

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