When chatter started about the hiring of Woodson, it immediately triggered in me what was often said about him as an NBA coach. He isn't much with X's and O's. It was ALL iso stuff. Sure, with the Knicks he had Carmelo Anthony, but it was so obvious when he was with Atlanta, Joe Johnson was dubbed Iso Joe. To his credit, he was credited with being a very good defensive coach - pace adjusted typically in the top third to half. Sure it was easy to point to 80 points per game, as they were fattening up on the underbelly of their schedule. A nice win at Xavier, which isn't showing to be too good defensively, and a highly anticipated win over UNC, which is just average defensively.
IU's offense is one set and a cloud of dust, and while they do have nice sets to enter into the offense, if it doesn't yield a good look, it's all set around relying on TJD's matchups. It makes sense, but not every time, certainly not when it's totally predictable. Out of their set, there is zero movement off the ball. There is zero options for other players which aren't created by defensive movement around TJD.
This isn't about TJD. This is about creating movement that get other players optimum opportunities to create shots, which would in return force TJD's defender to help. It would at its core, occupy other defenders, not making help on TJD nearly as easy. They don't even split action off post feeds. (Split action is when one perimeter player on ball side screens, typically the cutter is also ball side, but they're hugely effective when the post feed is on the weak side (two players on one side - the passer, typically at the slot, and the post), then screens the other slot.
What's been effective at the NBA level is a weak side mid post feed, slot to post, split screen slot to slot, then have the post dribble up the lane line for a DHO with the cutter off the split screen.
IU does very little of anything after its initial action.
Keep in mind, Woodson's offense last year was only one more per game than Miller's. They were just a better, more aggressive defensive team. Then you see what happens, however, when IU doesn't match its opponent's intensity level and isn't specifically more talented. They don't to much to create good looks. I wasn't that fond of what Kansas did in the half court either, but they were getting what they need off their early action, as well as forcing turnovers.
IU is a mediocre offensive team in the half court, and they don't need to be.
IU's offense is one set and a cloud of dust, and while they do have nice sets to enter into the offense, if it doesn't yield a good look, it's all set around relying on TJD's matchups. It makes sense, but not every time, certainly not when it's totally predictable. Out of their set, there is zero movement off the ball. There is zero options for other players which aren't created by defensive movement around TJD.
This isn't about TJD. This is about creating movement that get other players optimum opportunities to create shots, which would in return force TJD's defender to help. It would at its core, occupy other defenders, not making help on TJD nearly as easy. They don't even split action off post feeds. (Split action is when one perimeter player on ball side screens, typically the cutter is also ball side, but they're hugely effective when the post feed is on the weak side (two players on one side - the passer, typically at the slot, and the post), then screens the other slot.
What's been effective at the NBA level is a weak side mid post feed, slot to post, split screen slot to slot, then have the post dribble up the lane line for a DHO with the cutter off the split screen.
IU does very little of anything after its initial action.
Keep in mind, Woodson's offense last year was only one more per game than Miller's. They were just a better, more aggressive defensive team. Then you see what happens, however, when IU doesn't match its opponent's intensity level and isn't specifically more talented. They don't to much to create good looks. I wasn't that fond of what Kansas did in the half court either, but they were getting what they need off their early action, as well as forcing turnovers.
IU is a mediocre offensive team in the half court, and they don't need to be.
