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If you were Mike Woodson with this roster

GeorgeStrait IU

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Apr 10, 2005
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Which offensive philosophy would you try and run? Defensive sets etc? I really believe TMP and some others could give some good replies here. (No sarcasm) TIA
 
Start Reneau, Mgbako, Tucker, Carlyle and Rice. Press a lot and push the ball, get easy baskets off turnovers and 3s from players trailing the break. Keep it simple and fast. Then bring in Galloway and Ballo and shift gears into token pressure and pick and roll stuff between Ballo and Galloway. Move the ball side to side, distort the defense is rule one in the half court until you get what you want. But movement, movement, movement with intent. Block out and send 5 to the glass. Mix it up, but be sure you have the right guys with the specific style. Right now we look like we're lazy and lost which I believe combined almost spells lousy.
 
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invert the offense/move the offense higher to create move space and lanes for cutters. We have wing size. Seems this would be be effective with Malik being high, and Ballo on the bench.

Could result in rim opportunities ala Princeton or NU (Carmody).
 
When Ballo and Reneau are on the floor together, run a lot of "horns". When Rice (or Galloway), comes off a Ballo ball screen, Ballo rolls or dives to the bucket. At the same time, Reneau screens away for opposite wing. Ballo if he deosn't get the ball, heads out weakside to set a back screen for Reneau. If all of that ends with nothing, Ballo comes out top looking for another pick and roll action, with backside cutting and screening.

When the ball handler comes off a Reneau screen, Malik has the option to roll or pop. If he rolls, Ballo goes and screens backside wing. If he pops, Ballo dives to the basket for a lob or duck in. If there's nothing at that point, Ballo goes back up and back screens Reneau. Then goes and looks for ball screen opportunities. Neithe big stays in the post areas for more than a second or two, always vacating and looking for cutting or screening opportunities.

When Ballo is the only big in the game, run a healthy dose of single high big, pick and roll. With screening and cutting action on backside.

When Reneau is the only big in the game, run a healthy dose of Pinch Post Princeton style sets, with Reneau as the pinch post.

When neither are in the game (rare). Run 5 out Princeton style read and react.

Defensively...High ball pressure, contain to same side, hard hedges by bigs on ball screens, don't overhelp otherwise. Layups at times are better than constantly being in rotation, and chasing perimeter guys around. All 5 crash boards hard.

I would have been running 1 on 1 and 2 on 2 closeout drills... and then 3 on 3, 4 on 4, and 5 on 5 shell drills since August, HEAVILY, to make defensive rotations second nature. AND to get guys like Ballo and Reneau in those pinch post/roll man areas, forcing them to make the right decisions and plays on offensive kick out opportunities.

I would track offensive rebounds versus rebounds given up. It would be an aspirational award for bigs, and also for guards.

And we would work heavily on pushing the tempo, off misses or makes. And basically ALL players except Ballo would be pushed, encouraged, demanded, to seek out gaps and open passing lanes, and be ready to shoot when the pass comes their way. Flat footed, reactionary catches, would often stop practices and get yelled at, and attention made to it.
 
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