A team’s performance after a timeout may be the best way to judge a coach’s Xs & Os knowledge, and his ability to draw up plays. The Clipboard Awards is a competition where I choose the top three post-timeout plays each night, adding up the scores over the course of the season.
Play 3 (1 Point) – Nate McMillian/Portland Trailblazers
This set starts with Andre Miller getting the basketball to Gerald Wallace and then setting what looks to be a pindown for Rudy Fernandez. However, Fernandez fakes using the screen and then heads across the court to set a cross screen for LaMarcus Aldridge. After setting his cross screen, Fernandez comes off of a pindown from Wallace, who had just passed it back to Andre Miller.
Play 2 (2 Points) – Rick Carlisle/Dallas Mavericks
This play by the Dallas Mavericks to start the 3rd quarter is a great example of a misdirection play. The set starts with Jason Kidd bringing down the basketball along the sideline and then getting it to Tyson Chandler on the elbow. Kidd quickly cuts off of him and gets the ball back via a handoff. As this happens, Rodrigue Beaubois runs off of a backscreen set by Shawn Marion. It looks like this is the first option, but on the weakside, Tyson Chandler is setting a pindown screen for Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki comes off the screen and Kidd hits him for the open jumper.
Play 1 (3 Points) – Rick Carlisle/Dallas Mavericks
This play is actually another option of the same set we saw in the previous clip, except with Dirk Nowitzki out of they game, they are looking to set up Jason Terry. You have the same action with Kidd bringing the ball down the sideline and then getting it to Chandler at the elbow. Kidd cuts off of Chandler, but doesn’t get the basketball and sets a screen for Terry off of the basketball. Terry is the one getting the basketball from a handoff, going in the opposite direction of Kidd, taking one dribble, and then knocking down the jumper.
Updated Standings (Previous)
- Doc Rivers – 25 points (1st)
- Erik Spoelstra – 22 points (2nd)
- Monty Williams – 16 points (3rd)
- Gregg Popovich – 16 points (4th)
- Rick Carlisle – 13 points (8th)
- Frank Vogel – 12 points (5th)
- Phil Jackson – 12 points (6th)
- Alvin Gentry – 10 points (7th)
- Tom Thibodeau – 7 points (9th)
- Nate McMillan – 6 points (12th)
- Rick Adelman – 6 points (10th)
- Scott Brooks – 5 points (11th)
- Larry Drew – 4 points (13th)
- Jerry Sloan – 4 Points (14th)
- Avery Johnson – 3 points (15th)
- Lionel Hollins – 3 points (16th)
- George Karl – 3 points (17th)
- Scott Skiles – 2 points (18th)
- Jay Triano – 2 points (19th)
- Byron Scott – 2 points (20th)
- Stan Van Gundy – 2 points (21st)
- Flip Saunders – 2 points (22nd)
- Paul Silas – 1 point (23rd)
- Doug Collins – 1 point (24th)
- John Kuester – 1 point (25th)
- Keith Smart – 1 point (26th)
- Ty Corbin – 1 point (27th)
- Vinny Del Negro – 1 point (28th)
Rick Carlisle is the second coach this season to pull off the exclusive double, getting the top two post-timeout plays of the day/night. Those five points propel Carlisle into the top five. Meanwhile, Nate McMillian’s 3rd place finish today gets him into the top 10.
