The Timberwolves Run The Same Play Twice In A Row Down 3 Late | NBA Playbook

The Timberwolves Run The Same Play Twice In A Row Down 3 Late

When we last left Kurt Rambis, he was running an ISO set for Michael Beasley down three points, only after he displayed his questionable clock management skills.  Last night against the San Antonio Spurs, Coach Rambis found himself in a similar situation, trailing by three points with 40 second left in the game.  With Michael Beasley out due to injury, Rambis was unable to run an ISO for him and was forced to draw something else up:

1

The Timberwolves set up in a box set and Luke Ridnour starts from the block and splits Darko Milicic and Kevin Love, who are setting screens for him to come to the basketball.

2

As Ridnour starts to dribble out the clock, he gets two screens set for him, one on each side (with Milicic and Love setting those screens).

3

Ridnour has his choice of which screen to use, and in this case he uses a screen from Milicic.  Milicic rolls to the basket in anticipation of the rebound and Kevin Love, who set the screen that wasn’t used pops out to the top of the key behind the three point line.

4

Ridnour is able to get off a clean look from three off the dribble.  Unfortunately it doesn’t go in.  Here is the play in real time:

This is a nice end-game set from Coach Rambis here (minus the fact that Darko looks a little bit lost).  You have a couple different options to get off a clean look (Ridnour coming off the screen, and Love popping out), the shot just doesn’t fall, and the Spurs are able to secure the rebound with 30 seconds left.

The Timberwolves are able to get a stop on the Spurs’ next possession, giving them another chance to tie the game down three with 9 seconds left, coming out of a timeout.  However, instead of drawing up another play, Rambis just has his team run the same exact play:

The first time the Spurs defended this play, Tim Duncan simply hedged on the play, giving up a clean look.  This time, the San Antonio Spurs are prepared for it, switching the screen and not giving up a clean look to Ridnour.  He is forced to Anthony Tolliver, who is popping out to the top of the key, but Richard Jefferson is ready for it and forces Tolliver into a tough shot that he airballs.

—

In the NBA, teams rarely get away with running the same set multiple times in a row.  When it does work, it is either because there is a mismatch or a second option that the offensive team can take advantage of.  It just doesn’t make sense to me that the Timberwolves ran the same play again, especially considering that they are playing a team like the Spurs and had a timeout in between to draw up something new.

This, combined with the Beasley ISO set on Wednesday makes you question coach Rambis’ ability to draw up an effective play late.  He has had three situations coming out of a timeout, needing a three pointer and he has drawn up exactly one play.  Sometimes you don’t need “set plays” late, but I feel like in each of these situations, they were needed.

10
Jan 2011
POSTED BY Sebastian Pruiti
POSTED IN 4th Quarters Coaching Strategy Final Possessions Late-Game Situations Minnesota Timberwolves
DISCUSSION 13 Comments
TAGS

  • bisita

    wow. if they were down 2, the exact same play might have worked since they'd have the option to go for 2. either way, the fact that rambis was able to draw up a nice play the first time means he can draw up a nice play. wonder why he decided not to.

  • bisita

    wow. if they were down 2, the exact same play might have worked since they’d have the option to go for 2. either way, the fact that rambis was able to draw up a nice play the first time means he can draw up a nice play. wonder why he decided not to.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_GN26OTNWY7BNR26QTQSQ2S5Q2Y Jaffe

    i think alot has to do with the inability of the t'wolves to execute the plays, usually with these last/ 2nd last plays there might be three options, t'wolves at best had two, thinking either rambis cant draw plays or the team has trouble executing it

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_GN26OTNWY7BNR26QTQSQ2S5Q2Y Jaffe

    i think alot has to do with the inability of the t’wolves to execute the plays, usually with these last/ 2nd last plays there might be three options, t’wolves at best had two, thinking either rambis cant draw plays or the team has trouble executing it

  • imblo

    Must be tough to draw up a play for a three with very little time on the clock. The defense knows your options are limited, and can just focus on running people of the three point line.

    I think the play worked better the first time because the threat of the quick two was there. Not really an option in the second instance.

  • imblo

    Must be tough to draw up a play for a three with very little time on the clock. The defense knows your options are limited, and can just focus on running people of the three point line.

    I think the play worked better the first time because the threat of the quick two was there. Not really an option in the second instance.

  • Phil

    Pretty simple “Horns” set, very popular in Europe. I'm pretty sure Darko is familiar with the play, and actually would say it's by design he sets the screen late rather than early, because it gives the defense a different look than they would have had to face otherwise – Duncan goes from having to protect against the drive, to having to hedge against the screen. The Wolves get exactly the look they wanted, so at the risk of being too results-oriented, I wouldn't fault Darko here.

    Setting the screen late can give the offense a bit of an edge – they definitely know the screen is coming (NBA teams run screen/rolls what, maybe 70 times a game?), but at the very least you can change the angle. The Spurs do it a lot in end-of-quarter situations, with Manu/Parker dribbling the clock down to about 8 seconds, and only then having Duncan/Blair/etc set the screen.

  • http://www.nbaplaybook.com Sebastian Pruiti

    I don't question the effectiveness of a late screen, but all the pointing between Love and Milicic makes me think he didn't know what was up. Also, when Tolliver and Love set the screen the second time they run it, they set the screen at the same time…

  • Phil

    Pretty simple “Horns” set, very popular in Europe. I’m pretty sure Darko is familiar with the play, and actually would say it’s by design he sets the screen late rather than early, because it gives the defense a different look than they would have had to face otherwise – Duncan goes from having to protect against the drive, to having to hedge against the screen. The Wolves get exactly the look they wanted, so at the risk of being too results-oriented, I wouldn’t fault Darko here.

    Setting the screen late can give the offense a bit of an edge – they definitely know the screen is coming (NBA teams run screen/rolls what, maybe 70 times a game?), but at the very least you can change the angle. The Spurs do it a lot in end-of-quarter situations, with Manu/Parker dribbling the clock down to about 8 seconds, and only then having Duncan/Blair/etc set the screen.

  • Phil

    Pretty simple “Horns” set, very popular in Europe. I'm pretty sure Darko is familiar with the play, and actually would say it's by design he sets the screen late rather than early, because it gives the defense a different look than they would have had to face otherwise – Duncan goes from having to protect against the drive, to having to hedge against the screen. The Wolves get exactly the look they wanted, so at the risk of being too results-oriented, I wouldn't fault Darko here.

    Setting the screen late can give the offense a bit of an edge – they definitely know the screen is coming (NBA teams run screen/rolls what, maybe 70 times a game?), but at the very least you can change the angle. The Spurs do it a lot in end-of-quarter situations, with Manu/Parker dribbling the clock down to about 8 seconds, and only then having Duncan/Blair/etc set the screen.

  • http://www.nbaplaybook.com Sebastian Pruiti

    I don’t question the effectiveness of a late screen, but all the pointing between Love and Milicic makes me think he didn’t know what was up. Also, when Tolliver and Love set the screen the second time they run it, they set the screen at the same time…

  • http://www.nbaplaybook.com Sebastian Pruiti

    I don't question the effectiveness of a late screen, but all the pointing between Love and Milicic makes me think he didn't know what was up. Also, when Tolliver and Love set the screen the second time they run it, they set the screen at the same time…

  • http://nbaplaybook.com/2011/03/25/minnesota-lacks-a-plan-late/ NBA Playbook – A Look At The Playcalling In The NBA Through Videos, Pictures, & Words » Minnesota Lacks A Plan Late

    [...] bashing, but over the course of this season we have seen this become a trend.  From running the same play twice in a row late despite it not working the first time to poor clock management late in games, Rambis simply [...]