Did The All-Star Game Show How To Defend LeBron Late?
With the All-Star game tied, the Eastern All-Stars had the ball on the side and Stan Van Gundy drew up a play. The play was designed to get LeBron the ball and let him work out of an ISO set. To the disappointment of the East (and to the 108,000 in attendance) the play was well defended and LeBron wasn’t able to get his buzzer beater attempt off:
The play is designed for LeBron to come up the middle and off of a Dwight Howard screen. As this happens, Dywane Wade and Paul Pierce switch. The purpose of this is to prevent their defenders from helping on LeBron’s drive after he makes the catch.
The first thing you notice from a Western All-Star perspective is how they defend this. Carmelo Anthony uses his body and just puts himself in between LeBron and Dwight Howard. This prevents LeBron from getting off the screen cleanly, and that is what keeps him from getting open. Kevin Durant is the second thing you notice. He isn’t even worried about defending the inbounder. His one job is to double anyone who gets in his area (my guess is that George Karl knew that either LeBron or Wade were going to come off a screen).
So as LeBron comes off on the opposite side of the Dwight Howard screen (if he went the other way around the screen he would of had a cushion for a lob to get the ball, but because because Carmelo bodied him up he couldn’t go that way) and Kevin Durant doubles him.
LeBron now has no way to get the ball, so Dwight Howard has to come meet the basketball. Here that is a problem, because Dwight Howard is an All-Star, but when you are playing the Cavs, that is either Shaq, Varejao, or Big Z. I think that teams would rather have any of those three make the catch instead of LeBron.
Why is this a good way to defend LeBron moving forward? Well, this is a type of play the Cavs like to run (see his shot against the Magic in the playoffs). Their goal is to get LeBron the ball up top and let him work (It makes sense, he is only the best basketball player on the planet). If you can keep him from catching the ball and funnel it to one of their big guys, you win the possession.
Now what can the Cavs do to counter this (the guy defending the inbounder doubling)? Well, the Cavs’ best counter would be to have a shooter (Boobie Gibson/Mo Williams) inbound the ball. That forces the defense to gamble. The defense would then have to decide whether to let LeBron catch it or let Mo Williams get off an open shot.
The defender turning his back to the inbounder also leaves him vulnerable to the inbounder throwing the ball off of his back.
Another thing that wasn’t mentioned was that Dwyane Wade was blanketed so much on the deny by Chauncey Billups that he literally disappeared from the last picture!
Wouldn’t it also be possible for the Cavs, provided there is ample time remaining, have LeBron inbound the ball and then run a play where he gets it right back? It would force the man guarding the inbounder to not turn his back and double whoever gets the ball.
^ A good idea, but I don’t think Mike Brown is even capable of thinking of not inbounding the ball to LeBron.
I like the analysis and all, but seriously……this play was drawn by Stan Van Gundy…..nuff said.
@Ricky
I hear what you are saying Ricky, the thing is if LeBron is inbounding the ball, you want the defender on top of him, so when he makes the pass, you can deny him. I think any coach in the NBA would be all for LeBron inbounding the basketball…
To Big Man, I honestly think Van Gundy draws up some of the best late inbound passes. Look at the Magic’s play off run last year, they really are top notch plays with multiple options and good positioning.