When teams go up against strong players in the post, they go into games knowing they are going to have to double team the post.  With that, they develop a strategy for their double teams (double on the catch or on the first dribble, from the middle or from the baseline).  Whatever a team decides, everybody needs to be on the same page.  Against the Houston Rockets, the Grizzlies saw what happens if you aren’t on the same page when sending a double team:

The play starts with the Rockets looking to get the ball into Luis Scola on the block.  Darrell Arthur, Scola’s defender, is playing him over the top, trying to get his hand in the passing lane to keep the ball out of Scola’s hands.

Eventually, Scola makes the catch.  The Grizzlies wait until Scola makes his dribble before they send Mike Conley to double.  The double from Conley comes from the middle of the court rather than the baseline.  The problem is that Arthur is still playing high on Scola, as if he is trying to take away the middle and direct him towards the baseline.

Scola, feeling Arthur playing him high, takes the baseline.  This spin move towards the baseline now makes Conley’s double team completely ineffective.

Scola is able to scoop underneath Arthur’s arm and hit the fingeroll.  Here is the play in real time:

The problem that I have with Arthur and his position here is that he never adjusts after Scola makes the catch.  He is playing over the top trying to keep Scola from making the catch, but once Scola does make the catch, he needs to adjust his body and put himself in a position to force Scola towards the middle.  If that happens, Scola turns right into the double team, and who knows what happens after that.

Instead, Arthur never gives the double team a chance, allowing Scola to turn away from it and hit the lay-up.