Zach Randolph is having a very good year on the offensive end in the post.  When you start putting up numbers like Randolph has been, teams are going to start playing you differently.  Yesterday against the Bulls, Randolph was getting fronted whenever he tried to post up his man.  Not only that, but a weakside defender came over to discourage any lob over the top.  With the original post now taken away, the Grizzlies needed to come up with a way to counter the initial defense:

As Randolph posts up, you see a defender coming over the top of him as Kyle Korver sinks into the paint to prevent the lob.  So what are the Grizzlies going to do here?  They are going to have Marc Gasol flash to the high post (as Randolph points out).

Read more…

The FIBA World Championships started on Saturday, and one of the major themes from the first day of games was the importance of post position for offensive players.  There were two performances that illustrated this point very well.  They were Ante Tomic’s game against the United States and Yi’s game against Greece.

Good Position Before The Catch

Getting good position in the post before the catch makes everything easier for the player posting his man up.  Getting closer to the basket before even getting the ball, limits the amount of moves a post player needs to make.  Also, it allows for an easier attempt because the post player is closer to the basket.

Click To View Video

Here, Ante Tomic (#11 from Croatia) is allowed to set up on the block before he gets the pass, and with Tomic being 7’2″ (According To DraftExpress) that position is all he really needs.  After making the catch, Tomic only needs two dribbles to set himself for the turnaround jumper.  Push Tomic another five feet out, and that is a tough shot.  But at his size and position on the court, he is able to get off an easy shot.

Read more…