on offense: a coach's perspective

[coachv jr]

during the first half of the shot clock in our half-court, we make an extraordinary number of passes to teammates who either have their back to the basket or are moving away from the basket. frequently both. during this time we are putting zero pressure on the defense. we have all witnessed a ball handler from the top dribble toward the sideline and hand the ball off to a player coming up the sideline, running away from the basket. at no time is either player looking toward the basket. this is a reprieve for the weakside defense as they do not have to be concerned with cutters or any screening action. next, of course, is the new ball handler dribbling toward the opposite sideline repeating the process. the only two reasons for dribble handoffs are having someone shoot off the handoff (cline, edwards) or to get the ball in the hands of the proper player to run a set piece. we obviously don't have the shooters for that and we run those handoffs outside of shooting range in most instances in any event. our dribble handoffs have become so predictable defenders are getting their hands in there and making even this, the safest of all passes, a dicey proposition. i would love for miller to explain what his purpose is for this.

it's fine for michigan to let their weakside players spot up outside the 3 point line while ball side is decimating the defense with pick and pops/rolls. that's because all can stroke the ball. we should have weakside action to pressure defense and occupy help defenders in the form of back cuts, back screens, and curls. with such a short shot clock, everything should be designed to put pressure on the defense. that means facing the basket when receiving passes. hell, how many times have we seen juwan post up 20' from the basket and not even turn around when he gets it? or post entry passes from the top of the key where the post player does not square up to the ball to pin the defender behind him. instead he is posting up as if the pass were coming from the wing, with his back to the lane. we have all seen the result of that. many deflected or stolen passes.

from experience, i have always thought it takes a whole year for teams to learn to play a decent motion offense. that's probably why no one seems to run them any more. i still think old school is the best school in this case.

 

[Victorbmyboy]

With no perimeter game makes it hard to pressure. Good post!

 

[victorbear]

Who’s responsibility is it to make sure we have shooters??? I would like to know if Archie was required to take on Durham, Moore and Smith because they had signed letters of intent in November of 2016 yet he was hired in March 2017. It is also more difficult to shoot when you don’t get open looks because of poor offense and lack of screening.

 

[Victorbmyboy]

Who’s responsibility is it to make sure we have shooters??? I would like to know if Archie was required to take on Durham, Moore and Smith because they had signed letters of intent in November of 2016 yet he was hired in March 2017. It is also more difficult to shoot when you don’t get open looks because of poor offense and lack of screening.

Oh so who would you take? Who would’ve you recruited when the recruiting season was over? Tell us with your Chrystal ball. Tell us? Nobody can. Nobody was open to getting recruited on a whim. You fans are so unreasonable and unrealistic. As for the open looks you can’t get more open than our players have been. They just aren’t hitting them.

 

[Bustout]

CTC never coached defense. If he did , it was terrible. We ran a 2-3, man, 1-3-1, 0-5 zone in the same possession.

CTC also never utilized a big man.

CTC ran the weave and heave.

Archie coaches D. Archie uses big men. Archie uses a weave and heave. This inherited roster is unbalanced and if this team had any shooters - they’d be fine.

Archie’s system will be fine.

 

[fpeaugh]

Who’s responsibility is it to make sure we have shooters??? I would like to know if Archie was required to take on Durham, Moore and Smith because they had signed letters of intent in November of 2016 yet he was hired in March 2017. It is also more difficult to shoot when you don’t get open looks because of poor offense and lack of screening.

No. Do you not remember Archie actively recruiting all 3 very hard to keep them?

 

[fpeaugh]

CTC never coached defense. If he did , it was terrible. We ran a 2-3, man, 1-3-1, 0-5 zone in the same possession.

CTC also never utilized a big man.

CTC ran the weave and heave.

Archie coaches D. Archie uses big men. Archie uses a weave and heave. This inherited roster is unbalanced and if this team had any shooters - they’d be fine.

Archie’s system will be fine.

Have you seen our offense? It’s painful to watch.

 

[Bustout]

No. Do you not remember Archie actively recruiting all 3 very hard to keep them?

Archie wouldn’t have a team without those 3 guys. He HAD to recruit them. To stay somewhat relevant, rebuild a program, build it back up , he took what he could. Which was the right thing to do given the circumstances.

They’re not his type of players, but he had to keep them.

 

[fpeaugh]

Archie wouldn’t have a team without those 3 guys. He HAD to recruit them. To stay somewhat relevant, rebuild a program, build it back up , he took what he could. Which was the right thing to do given the circumstances.

They’re not his type of players, but he had to keep them.

I agree he had to keep them. Smith and Durham are good players.

Our problem has nothing to do with players. It’s the guys in the suits that are crushing us.

 

[Victorbmyboy]

No. Do you not remember Archie actively recruiting all 3 very hard to keep them?

He knew that’s all he was getting in that short of notice.

 

[Bustout]

I agree he had to keep them. Smith and Durham are good players.

Our problem has nothing to do with players. It’s the guys in the suits that are crushing us.

Durham is OK and Smith is good like 25% of the time.

 

[Victorbmyboy]

Durham is OK and Smith is good like 25% of the time.

Smith is playing out of position. He isn’t a power forward.

 

[Bustout]

Smith is playing out of position. He isn’t a power forward.

Happens when you have a regulars out and an unalanced roster.

 

[Victorbmyboy]

Happens when you have a regulars out and an imbalanced roster.

Completely agree. Way unbalanced. All wings.

 

[Hatchets7times]

Smith would be average in the MVC.
Durham is about the same...
It's not the suits..
They're not the ones who can't stand at a f.t. line and make 7 -10...
That alone would have probably gotten us two more wins..

 

[Victorbmyboy]

Smith would be average in the MVC.
Durham is about the same...
It's not the suits..
They're not the ones who can't stand at a f.t. line and make 7 -10...
That alone would have probably gotten us two more wins..

We just don’t have the players yet.

 

[HoosierJimbo89]

We run a dribble drive type of offense, and it just isn't suited to the personnel. We can't penetrate, and there are no shooters that can knock down open shots. Rob is really the only player that can dribble and shoot well enough for this offense. Everybody packs it in on IU because they can't shoot, and they give IU open 3's because they know we can't hit them. You also have to move the ball around to make the defense move, and IU doesn't do that. I know this is the type of offense that the kids want to run and the NBA runs, so maybe that is why Archie is sticking with it.

I would like to see more adapting and smarts from Archie on offense. If the fastball isn't working, throw a different pitch. Juwan is about automatic down low. I would run the offense through him. He will either get a 3-5 foot shot, or get double teamed and open somebody up. We need to shoot more closer to the basket: the closer the shot, the higher the percentage. That would require screens, cutting, moving the ball, to free people, something other than hanging out by the 3 point line.

Check out DiVincenzo/Villanova against UM to see what a well oiled dribble drive type offense looks like when you have shooters. Michigan literally did not help on defense because they had to stick with everybody, and that opens everything way up.

 

[Bustout]

We run a dribble drive type of offense, and it just isn't suited to the personnel. We can't penetrate, and there are no shooters that can knock down open shots. Rob is really the only player that can dribble and shoot well enough for this offense. Everybody packs it in on IU because they can't shoot, and they give IU open 3's because they know we can't hit them. You also have to move the ball around to make the defense move, and IU doesn't do that. I know this is the type of offense that the kids want to run and the NBA runs, so maybe that is why Archie is sticking with it.

I would like to see more adapting and smarts from Archie on offense. If the fastball isn't working, throw a different pitch. Juwan is about automatic down low. I would run the offense through him. He will either get a 3-5 foot shot, or get double teamed and open somebody up. We need to shoot more closer to the basket: the closer the shot, the higher the percentage. That would require screens, cutting, moving the ball, to free people, something other than hanging out by the 3 point line.

Check out DiVincenzo/Villanova against UM to see what a well oiled dribble drive type offense looks like when you have shooters. Michigan literally did not help on defense because they had to stick with everybody, and that opens everything way up.

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Thanks for the insight. Good read.

Remember last night - I think they still are stressing Morgan in the paint - but he missed two easy ones early.

I vividly recall the DJ white days. Throw it into him - if he’s one on one , he made a move for a bucket. If he got doubled, he was such a good passer AND we had good shooters. Created a lot of open shots.

Glad to hear your analaysis is that it’s the personnel and not the fundamental system.

 

[HoosierJimbo89]

Thanks for the insight. Good read.

Remember last night - I think they still are stressing Morgan in the paint - but he missed two easy ones early.

I vividly recall the DJ white days. Throw it into him - if he’s one on one , he made a move for a bucket. If he got doubled, he was such a good passer AND we had good shooters. Created a lot of open shots.

Glad to hear your analaysis is that it’s the personnel and not the fundamental system.

Calipari runs a dribble drive offense at UK, and they were about unstoppable on offense when IU played them in the 2012 tourney. When you have shooters and players who can penetrate, the dribble drive is about unstoppable. The defense has to pick its poison, the shot or the drive, and it is hard to provide help.

 

[Bustout]

We run a dribble drive type of offense, and it just isn't suited to the personnel. We can't penetrate, and there are no shooters that can knock down open shots. Rob is really the only player that can dribble and shoot well enough for this offense. Everybody packs it in on IU because they can't shoot, and they give IU open 3's because they know we can't hit them. You also have to move the ball around to make the defense move, and IU doesn't do that. I know this is the type of offense that the kids want to run and the NBA runs, so maybe that is why Archie is sticking with it.

I would like to see more adapting and smarts from Archie on offense. If the fastball isn't working, throw a different pitch. Juwan is about automatic down low. I would run the offense through him. He will either get a 3-5 foot shot, or get double teamed and open somebody up. We need to shoot more closer to the basket: the closer the shot, the higher the percentage. That would require screens, cutting, moving the ball, to free people, something other than hanging out by the 3 point line.

Check out DiVincenzo/Villanova against UM to see what a well oiled dribble drive type offense looks like when you have shooters. Michigan literally did not help on defense because they had to stick with everybody, and that opens everything way up.

View embedded media

At Dayton, Archie was known to make great adjustments. Here’s my question - do you think he’s not adjusting as much as he maybe normally would be with the thought that - it’s better for the young players to understand the offense and that will pay dividends down the road ... opposed to continually tinkering with everything. Almost like he knows IU won’t win it all this year, so this is more of a learning year than anything else to build the infrastructure for the program long-term?

Probably not, but just curious. Archie is knowledgeable.

 

[ReadHall84]

CTC never coached defense. If he did , it was terrible. We ran a 2-3, man, 1-3-1, 0-5 zone in the same possession.

CTC also never utilized a big man.

CTC ran the weave and heave.

Archie coaches D. Archie uses big men. Archie uses a weave and heave. This inherited roster is unbalanced and if this team had any shooters - they’d be fine.

Archie’s system will be fine.

Maybe but he's gotta find shooters and soon!!

 

[Victorbmyboy]

The other key to the dribble drive is you will draw fouls. You have to hit your friggin free throws! Cal didn’t win it all at Memphis because that team was a horrible free throw shooting team. Something that his 2012 team excelled at.

 

[HoosierJimbo89]

At Dayton, Archie was known to make great adjustments. Here’s my question - do you think he’s not adjusting as much as he maybe normally would be with the thought that - it’s better for the young players to understand the offense and that will pay dividends down the road ... opposed to continually tinkering with everything. Almost like he knows IU won’t win it all this year, so this is more of a learning year than anything else to build the infrastructure for the program long-term?

Probably not, but just curious. Archie is knowledgeable.

It is very possible Archie is just trying to establish his system, even though it isn't suited to his current roster. Plus, the offense is attractive to recruits: they want to play in an NBA offense.

At the same time, if you can make an adjustment to win, why not do it? I don't know if the dribble drive is that complicated. Shooters have to know where to be, and the player penetrating has to know how to get by his man and when to dish it.

Yogi his senior year is a good example of effective dribble drive. He could about always get by his man, and he could find open shooters when he did.

 

[T.M.P.]

Smith is playing the wrong game. He isn’t a basketball player.

fify

 

[victorbear]

Wow all we need are 4 more 5 star recruits and we can run the 2012 Kentucky offense, no problem.

 

[coachv jr]

Who’s responsibility is it to make sure we have shooters??? I would like to know if Archie was required to take on Durham, Moore and Smith because they had signed letters of intent in November of 2016 yet he was hired in March 2017. It is also more difficult to shoot when you don’t get open looks because of poor offense and lack of screening.

it is miller's responsibility to teach them the proper shooting mechanics. i made these observations because they are the first legitimate concerns i have about his coaching. improper fundamentals should be dealt with immediately. doesn't matter if they are his players or not

 

[Crossblock]

the biggest problem I see with the Offense is that we have no movement inside the lane to make the Defense react. Yes we get Morgan open occasionally by moving him from block to block, but unless he comes out to the free throw line to set a screen there is no motion inside. Instead of having three guards play catch 25 feet from the basket, have one of them cut through the lane to the other side of the Court and make the defense react. Have your second forward move from the baseline through the lane diagonally to the free throw line and back. This forces the Defense to move and adjust and perhaps make mistakes. As it is now, the Defense can pack the lane to cut Morgan off, and defend the dribble drive because they are perfectly happy to allow us to take 20-25 foot outside shots because our shooting percentage is so bad.