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How to beat the trap in basketball


New Passing Drills - How I Beat Trapping Defenses

Home > Coaching > Drills > Team Offense > Passing Drills - How I Beat Trapping Defenses

These two drill variations from Don Kelbick's Motion Offense video will help you beat trapping defenses.

I really like to use this drill because it forces your players to practice passing out of traps.

In practice, I found that my guards knew the trap was coming. So they often dribbled to a spot on the floor that made it difficult to trap them or they would pass before the trap would be set.

Don't get me wrong. I think these are great habits to develop. However, it's unrealistic to think that your players will never get trapped during a game.

And what happens if they never have to truly pass out of trap during practice? Well, in a game, it can often result in turnovers.

This drill can help fix that issue for you.


Instructions

In the first drill, the ball starts just past half court in the trap.

Before a jump shot can be taken, you must have three ball reversals.

However, you can shoot lay ups at any time.

The second drill is similar. However, you start with the ball in the corner.


3 Practice Tips For Passing Out Of Traps

Since it can be difficult to simulate game-like traps during practice, I like to do a few different things.

1 - Start possession or drill in a trap.

As seen above, you start the possession or drill stationary and in a trap. Another variation is to have your players purposely dribble into the trap and immediately pick up their dribble.

2 - Practice in full court controlled scrimmages.

By practicing a full court controlled scrimmage, your players still get to practice the good habits of avoiding trapping locations and finding open teammates before the trap can be set. Also, if they get caught in the trap, they get to practice passing out of the trap.

3 - Surprise traps during scrimmages.

Often during the scrimmage, I don't want the offense to know a trap is coming. I want to surprise them because this is similar to what might happen during a game. I will communicate with the defense about possible surprise traps.

Here are some ideas for implementing surprise traps

  • Trap after every dead ball.
  • Trap after the first pass.
  • Trap after you score.
  • Trap after a foul.
  • Trap when "Jimmy" or "Sarah" catches the ball.
  • Trap on a signal or verbal command.

However, you have to be clever. For example, if the offense hears you give a verbal command or sees you give a signal, they might quickly figure out that something is coming.

So you might use verbal or signal decoys.

For example, let's say that you trap whenever you say the color red. However, you might randomly call other colors and numbers to keep the offense off guard.

You might even mix up the tactics during the controlled scrimmage. You might start with a color. Then later on, you might trap every time you say any number in the 20s.

You might only trap after dead balls at first. Then halfway through, you switch to trapping after you score.

Well, we hope that these tips help you reduce turnovers and ultimately have a better offense. Let us know if you have any questions or ideas that might help.

What do you think? Let us know by leaving your comments, suggestions, and questions...

10 Keys for Beating Pressure Defense in Basketball

Basketball HQ Co-Founder Kyle Ohman wrote this basketball coaching article.

 

During the course of a basketball season, you will face teams looking to speed you up by using pressure. It may come in the form of a man press, zone press, or a basketball team that likes to trap and gamble at different points throughout the game. Whatever type of pressure defense you are facing, you need to have a game plan with your team, and that plan needs to have been prepped in practice beforehand.

This basketball coaching article aims to give you some focus points that will be pivotal in beating pressure defense in basketball. They will help you to be able to handle any type of pressure that comes your way and will allow your team to play with the confidence needed when facing a pressure defense.

So here are ten keys for beating a pressure defense in basketball and giving yourself the best chance for success.

 

 

10 Keys for Beating Pressure Defense in Basketball:

 

Make the Defense Pay

One of the biggest mistakes that basketball teams make against a pressing defense is automatically pulling the ball out to run offense every time after they have beaten the press. Don’t get me wrong; this is an excellent option at points in the game, depending on time and score. But, if you can make a pressing team pay by getting to the basket for a quality finish, do it!

The best way to get a team to back off on the pressure is to make them pay with easy baskets. If you pull the ball out every time and reset after beating the press, why should they ever stop pressing you and gambling for steals? There becomes no penalty for pressing you, so they will continue to do it. Make them pay.

 

Stay Strong with the Basketball

It doesn’t matter what your game plan is if your players aren’t strong with the basketball. This means not only holding the ball with strong hands, but it also means being able to operate from a position of strength when looking to run an offense in the half-court. Players need to catch the ball and IMMEDIATELY square their defender up in triple threat. This will be the only way that they will be able to make the defender pay for overpressuring.

The reason it must be immediately is because if an offensive player doesn’t, the defender will eat up their space and force them to pivot backward. Offensive players must battle for the first 12 inches on every catch and square up their defender. Doing this will allow the offensive player to pivot to make a dribble move or pivot to make a straight line pass to another teammate.

If you are playing against a trapping defense, the player with the ball needs to play in a position of strength and do their best not to hold the ball for too long. As soon as the trap starts to come, the player needs to be aware and then look to make a quality pass out of it or split the trap with a dribble.

 

Use Pass Fakes and Pass on a Straight Line

Defenders off of the ball are going to be playing the passing lanes and trying to jump passes. So one of the most important tools to beating a pressure defense is the simple but extremely effective pass fake. In a basketball pressing defense, the players off of the ball are like free safeties in football.

They are reading the passer and trying to anticipate where they are going to pass the basketball. Throwing in pass fakes will freeze them or cause them to jump out of position before a player makes the pass. Players need to fake a pass and then fire a pass to an open teammate.

Along with pass fakes, players need to make sure that they aren’t throwing looping passes. Looping passes not only open up chances for live ball steals, but even if they do reach the receiver, most of the time, the defense is going to be right there on the catch and ready to harass or trap again.

Passers need to do their best to make straight-line passes to their teammates. This will help prevent tips and steals on passes, but it will also allow the receiver to attack an open space before the defense can shift. And, while yes, there will be times when a pass can be thrown over the top to a receiver, these types of passes need to be made with extra care and limited as much as possible.

 

Get Open to Receive the Pass

We have all seen basketball games where a point guard has turnover after turnover trying to get into the offense against an aggressive, pressuring defense. The average fan would blame the ball handler, but this is not always the case. In most cases, there is also some responsibility with the players off of the ball as well.

The players off of the ball need to do a great job of getting open on the wing to create a target for the ball handler. The other players on the floor can’t leave the ball handler out to dry by not getting open.

This does not mean dancing back and forth with a wing defender trying to fake them out either. Offensive players need to step across their defender’s high foot, seal them off like a post up, give the ball handler a target to hit by showing their hand, and then go meet the pass as it comes to them. And, if the defender is drastically overplaying, they can back cut them. Nothing will soften up a defense like getting some easy backdoor layups and dunks.

Another big part of getting open to receive a pass on the wing is timing. Players need to time up their step across move so that they are executing it right before the passer is ready to make the pass. If they go too early, they may not be able to hold the seal long enough to stay open. If they go too late, the passer may be under extreme ball pressure and not be able to get them the ball.

 

Meet Every Pass

Tips and deflections are what pressure defenses in basketball live off of. So it is vital that the receiver comes back to the pass and meets it with two hands every time. If players sit back and wait for the ball to come to them, they allow the defense more time to the ball and also a better angle to jump in and get a deflection. Players need to make it a habit to meet every pass.

If a player is being trapped and is in trouble, teammates must sprint to them and make themselves open receivers. At this point, players shouldn’t be as concerned about running the offense as they are with giving the passer an outlet pass to prevent a turnover.

When pressure is relieved with a pass, the player who caught the ball needs to reverse the ball immediately. Typically, in a trapping situation, the defense is loaded up on one side of the floor. A quick ball reversal will make the defense pay for trapping. As we discussed earlier, the best way to get an over-aggressive defense to back off is to make them pay with easy baskets.

 

Hard Cuts

A great way to make a pressure defense pay is hard cuts. Players need to set up their defender and then make a hard cut to get open. If your team is running a specific basketball play, they need to use the cut in that play to get free, but if you are running motion offense, they really need to be reading the defender and then making the correct cut.

Your players can use several different cuts to get open. They can set up their defender by walking away from the ball and then cutting hard across their face, or they may act like they are trying to get open on the wing before cutting hard backdoor to the basket. Whatever type of cut your players use, they need to be sharp with it.

The better your basketball team’s cuts are, the more worried the defense will be about them, and that takes away from their ability to pressure you.

Another essential key to cutting is making sure that your players are a threat to score on every cut. Even if a player doesn’t get the ball on their cut, they need to be thinking, “cut to score.” This will make their cuts more deadly and will force the defense to respect them. A great cut may also open up another player off the ball by forcing their defender to help.

 

Play at Your Pace

Pressure defenses in basketball are designed primarily to do one thing, and that is to speed you up. By speeding you up, they force you to be sloppy with the ball and to take quick, low percentage shots. You must play at your speed and refuse to let the defense force you to get out of control.

A lot of this falls on the point guard as they need to understand the game flow. They need to know when they should be making the defense pay by being a little more aggressive and when the ball needs to be pulled out to run the offense.

So as a basketball coach, make sure that you are in clear communication with your primary ball handlers on game flow. A good point guard will already naturally understand this, but you can really help out by the play you call out or a calm word encouraging your team to slow down the pace and execute.

 

Avoid Danger Zones

When playing a pressing or trapping basketball team, there are places on the floor that you want to avoid at all costs. These areas are danger zones and will increase the chances of a turnover. One of these areas is the corners of the floor. Here are a few examples of corners being bad in a press.

  • Corners: You must stay out of corners as much as possible. The spacing is tight, and the out of bounds lines and half-court line act like extra defenders.
    • Inbounding Full Court: Make sure that your players set up at the free-throw line so that they have the space needed to cut to the ball to get open without having to catch the ball in the deep corner or tight to the baseline. Players will tend to want to start closer to the inbounder because they think they need to shorten the pass. And, while it is important to shorten the pass, they need to start higher so that they have space to cut to get open first.
    • Bringing the Ball Across Half Court: Never dribble or pass the ball to someone that just crossed half court and is standing in the corner. The half-court line immediately becomes another defender. A great way to avoid this is by having your ball handler look to reverse sides of the floor as they bring the ball up the floor. This can be either done with a pass or with the dribble.
    • Offensive Baseline Corners: Depending on what type of defense you are playing against, these corners aren’t as dangerous. However, against some half-court zone defenses in basketball, they will trap it anytime the ball goes to the corner. So make sure you are aware of that.

Another danger zone is over-penetration. Players need to make sure that they don’t get sped up attacking the press and then dribble into trouble. Your ball handlers must recognize potential trapping areas or areas that are too congested to dribble into. A great move to avoid these situations is the retreat dribble.

If a player does happen to find themselves stuck in a danger zone, they need to be calm, patient, and strong with the ball. The worst thing they can do is toss the ball across the floor in hopes that it might find an open teammate. A wild pass like this is what the defense lives for and will most likely end up in a wide-open layup or dunk for the other team.

The player being trapped needs to be strong with the ball. They must do their best to pivot around or through the trap to make a pass to an open teammate. The other four players on the floor are in emergency mode and must flash hard to the ball to present an open target.

 

Have a Release Valve

When bringing the ball up against a pressing zone defense in basketball, you always want to have a player behind the ball. This player is the release valve and will be there for trapping emergencies and being able to reverse the ball quickly. This action works like a seesaw. If the ball is swung over to the trailing guard, the player who just passed it must now get behind that ball handler to be their release valve.

Obviously, you still need to be looking to advance the ball up the floor because you only have a limited amount of seconds to get the ball across half court. Having a release valve helps with this because it spaces the defense out and allows the ball to quickly change sides of the floor and then be advanced.

If you are playing against an aggressive full-court man defense that likes to run and jump, you want to get all of your players away from the ball handler. This will prevent the run and jump because the distance is too great. However, if you have players hanging around the ball handler as they bring the ball up the court, the defense can run and jump as they please and create havoc.

If the ball handler is really struggling with the full-court pressure, you could try two different things. The first would be to have your post player set a ball screen in the backcourt. This should be okay because the other team’s post defender is most likely not going to be as quick of foot and will not be able to execute a good trap.

The second option is to have one of your bigs bring the ball up the floor. If you have a hybrid post player that can handle the ball, go ahead and give them the ball, clear the floor, and then have them bring the ball up. Once they cross half court, your point guard can come to get the ball from them to run the offense. A handoff is an excellent action to help with this.

 

Quality Shots

If you are taking rushed low percentage shots, a pressing defense in basketball doesn’t even have to get one steal to accomplish its goal and beat you. It is paramount that you get quality shots on every possession. Don’t allow yourself to get into an up and down game where you are shooting wild shots. As we talked about earlier, you should be making the defense pay for pressing you, but this means taking a great shot.

A big part of this comes down to time and score. If you are on a run and rolling, a dribble down open three from one of your better shooters might be a good shot. On the other hand, if the other team just went on a 6-0 run, this is not a shot you want to be shooting. You will want to run a solid set and make the defense have to guard to get a stop.

This is going to be something that clearly needs to be explained to your players. The better they understand the ebb and flow of a basketball game, the more confidence they will play with. If it is confusing to them about what you are asking of them, they will play tentative, which also falls into the defense’s trap.

 

 

Drills to Use for Beating Pressure Defense in Basketball

It is essential that in practice, you are able to simulate pressure defense and prepare your team for what it is going to look like. So here are a few basketball drills that you can use during practice to help you work on some of these areas. *Disclaimer* These drills only work if the defense is getting after the offense!

  • 4 on 5 No Dribble Basketball Drill: This drill is excellent for working on being strong with the ball and meeting every pass. The drill is exactly as the title describes it. You are going to have four offensive players and five defenders. The offensive players cannot use any dribbles and must complete ten passes or make a layup/dunk to win the drill. The defense is trying their absolute hardest to get a steal.
    • Teaching Points: The more your players can get the ball moving, the easier it will be. The problem comes when a player holds the ball for too long, and the defense can sink their teeth in on the trap. Also, challenge your players to get the ball reversed as much as possible as this will force the defense to have to cover more ground.
  • Partner Pressure Passing Basketball Drill: This drill will work on being strong with the ball in triple threat and being able to make a pass out of it. You will have groups of 3 players, and it will be set up like the monkey in the middle game. The player with the ball must hold on to the ball and stay strong in the triple-threat position for 3-4 seconds while the defender in the middle harasses them. After a few seconds, the player will use a pivot, pass fake, etc., to get the pass around the defender to the 3rd player. The player making the pass is going to follow the ball and become the next defender. Just repeat this pattern for the desired amount of time. * Players can grab and reach a little bit as well to make this basketball passing drill harder.
    • Teaching Points: The player with the ball needs to keep their eyes up and see the floor as they are being pressured. And, even though they aren’t able to use a dribble in this drill, they need to stay in an athletic position where they would be able to get by the defender with a dribble in a game if needed.
  • 3 Man Perimeter Passing Basketball Drill: One of the biggest things that will kill a pressure defense is ball reversals, and this drill will work on just that. You will have three players on the perimeter, located on both wings and the top of the key. They are each going to be guarded by a defender. The players on the perimeter must be able to swing the ball back and forth between each other without using any dribbles or getting pushed out away from the 3 point line. They can, however, back cut for a finish if the defender is completely overplaying them. Here are a few variations of this team basketball drill.
    • Variation 1: Have the defenders play dummy defense. If you have younger players that aren’t used to getting open, you should start here. Go for a set time or a number of passes and then switch offense and defense or rotate new people in.
    • Variation 2: Full speed defense and have it go for a set time or number of passes. After that, rotate new people in or switch.
    • Variation 3: Full speed defense, and then once you are satisfied with the offensive player’s ability to move the ball, call out, “live” and then let them play 3 on 3 looking to score (they are now able to use dribbles). It makes it a little more game realistic.
    • Teaching Points: This drill is also a great way to practice timing when getting open. As the ball is being swung, players should time up their step across and seal. The better the timing is, the easier it will be to move the ball.

To really turn up the pressure on any of these basketball drills, encourage your defenders to be extra physical and maybe even permit a little grabbing and fouling. Not only will this allow your players to work on playing against physical teams, but it will also help to teach them to play against missed calls. Just make sure that your defenders know not to reach and foul when they go back to playing normally (don’t want any bad defensive habits).

 

Beating Pressure Defense in Basketball Conclusion

Notice that this article’s title is not “handling” pressure defense, but rather it is “beating” pressure defense in basketball. That is because when you face a pressure defense, you need to not only take care of the ball, but you must also attack the pressure and make them pay for gambling.

As a basketball coach, this needs to be the mindset of your team. This type of mentality will also be inspiring to your team and give them confidence when playing against pressure. If you have spent the needed time with your team working on beating pressure, your team’s eyes should light up when they play a gambling defense because they know they are about to exploit them.

Beating a pressure defense in basketball also has a lot to do with mindset. If your players can go into a game with a confident mindset, it will be a long game for the other team. However, if they start to doubt themselves and begin to play tentatively, the defense will be all over it and capitalize on it. As a basketball coach, it will be key that you are staying positive with your players and maintaining this confidence throughout the course of a game.

All of these keys for beating pressure defense in basketball will allow your team to play with confidence and deal with any pressure that comes their way.

 

Principles of zone pressing with traps.

PRINCIPLES OF ZONE PRESSING WITH TRAPS

E.R. Yakhontov Professor, Doctor of Pedagogy, Honored Coach of Russia

The development of the idea of ​​zone pressing is associated with the name of one of the pioneers of basketball, coach of the Kansas University team Forrest Allen. It is believed that zone pressing was first used by UCLA team coach John Wooden at 1964 year.

In fairness, it should be noted that in the Soviet Union and, apparently, in Europe as a whole, zone pressure, as the main form of defense, began to be used much earlier by the Kiev coach Vladimir Alekseevich Shablinsky. The SKIF (later Stroitel) team led by him has consistently and successfully applied zone pressure since 1959.'

Zone pressing is based on the principles of aggressive zone defense, in which the player with the ball is attacked by two defenders (setting a trap), which forces the latter in difficult conditions to make a pass that can be intercepted by a third defender.

Zone pressing, like the usual zone defense, can be carried out from various initial formations (constellations). However, as early as 1971, Delmer Harris noticed that all types of formations are characterized by the same interactions of the players after the ball is put into play by the opponent. Therefore, the original formations can be transformed into one another, or adjusted (matching) to the formation of attackers, without requiring a change in the principle of interactions.

It would be wrong to say that the pressing team gets more fouls anyway. Most often, extra fouls are a consequence of the fact that inexperienced players, setting a trap, seek to knock or snatch the ball from the attacker's hands. It must be remembered that the purpose of the trap is to provoke a hasty transmission that can be intercepted. To do this, the defenders who set the trap block the direction of the longitudinal and diagonal passes, leaving the attacker the opportunity to make a pass only across the court or back. Sometimes the defenders who set the trap try to immediately carry out a group selection of the ball themselves, which causes unnecessary personal remarks.

Naturally, the risk of getting extra fouls with zone pressing is reduced by regularly improving it in training sessions.

Zone pressing exerts a strong psychological pressure on the opponent and goes well with a quick break in the attack, as it leads to interceptions, ball tackling, and opponent's mistakes. I remember how Vadim Anatolyevich Solovyov, a brilliant children's coach who for many years led the national youth team of the RSFSR, shouted to his pupils, who had lost the ball several times in a row in a match against the Leningrad national team: “Well, why did you flinch? After all, zone pressure is a gamble! The coach of the Leningrad national team at that time was the honored coach of the USSR Evgeny Vladimirovich Kozhevnikov, an apologist for zone pressure defense.

If the match was played like a chess game, with no time limit for reflection before making a decision, Vadim Solovyov would be right. When the player with the ball falls into a trap and the decision must be made as quickly as possible, a reflex is triggered, forcing him to quickly use an apparent defensive error and pass the ball to a partner who is free at that moment.

An excellent illustration of the operation of such a reflex is the example of the use of a trap by the honored coach of the USSR Yevgeny Semyonovich Shvam in one of the matches of the qualifying tournament of women's teams for entering the major league. A little more than 10 seconds remained until the end of the game. Team E.S. Shwama was down by a point and the opponent had to put the ball into play from the intersection of the center and side lines. Trainer E.S. Shvam took a minute break.

What happened after the break is shown in . 1 and 2. Team E.S. Shwama put pressure on everyone except the player in the center circle (05).

The expected pass to free 05 followed. With this pass, X5 and X2 rushed to 05. Seeing that X2's defender had "ignored" the thrower 02, the latter quickly entered the court in readiness to receive a return pass.

This is where the reflex kicked in. Player 05 decided to return 9 immediately0039 the ball to the “uncovered” player 02. After all, the seconds were running out, and one point
was enough to win! But it was on this reflex transmission that the
wok of the X3 player was aimed. An interception followed, a dribble and a free throw from under the
basket.

Team E.S. Shvama won. This is a textbook example of making the right decision in the last seconds of a seemingly lost match. It also illustrates the psychological component of the zone pressing effect. The reflex also works for very experienced players. What can we say about youth teams.

Since the basic defensive interactions for full court zone pressing are the same as three-quarter and half court zone pressing except in the first phase of the defense, there is no need to consider them separately. It is more important to trace the transition to the standard actions of defenders from different initial arrangements.

Zone Pressing 1-2-2

The 1-2-2 formation can be transformed into 3-2, 1-2-1-1 or 3-1-1 depending on the positions occupied by the opponent players and special tasks when putting the ball into play. To actively counter the throw-in, a setup with three players in front is more beneficial. There are two points of view regarding the place of fast, short defenders in the zone pressing formation. Some coaches prefer to place them in the first line of defense. Others place tall attackers in the front line, using fast players in the middle line of the defensive formation where they can be more useful in interceptions.

Requirements for players. The XI position is usually one of the shorter, quicker defenders. He tries to prevent the thrower from putting the ball into play by slowing down the offense and giving his teammates the opportunity to adjust to the offensive lineup. Sometimes this player does not interfere with the thrower, but instead helps his partner to hold the player coming to receive the ball on a throw-in. In this case, all other players take positions at an angle of interception with respect to the attackers, trying to force the opponent to violate the 5 second rule on the throw-in and thereby provoke a hasty pass. A mixed tactic is often used, where the player in the center of the first line of defense first tries to interfere with the thrower and then quickly steps back to the middle, from where it is more convenient for him to connect with a partner for a group attack against the player in possession of the ball.

X2 and X3 positions are taller players, usually forwards. Depending on the movement of the ball, they must be ready to quickly move into the backcourt and cover the weak spot under the basket.

Position X4 is the fastest player on the team, who has a good sense of the situation and is able to foresee the development of events. Usually this is a tall back row player, a defender. When the 1-2-2 formation is transformed into the 1-2-1-1 formation, he takes a place in the area of ​​​​the central circle. In this case, after the ball is put into play, it moves to the side of the ball. He has to move around a lot, as he is often responsible for playing in the middle of the court.

The X5 position is usually occupied by the center, the tallest player on the team, who plays stronger than others under the shield. He is the last line of defense and is responsible for preventing shots from close range.

Actions of the players after putting the ball into play. After putting the ball into play, player XI pushes the dribbler to the sideline, and together with partner X2 stops him, forcing him to turn away into the corner (fig. 3). Players XI and X2 must not allow a dribbler to pass between them, otherwise the defense will be destroyed.

In this position, X3 is the key player . This means that he is responsible for the actions of the two attackers Ol and 03 and must be ready to intercept the ball when passing to either of them. X4 and X5 move into position to intercept the passes to players 04 and 05.

If player 02 manages to pass the ball to player 04 along the sideline, X4 must stop the dribbler, and X2 helps him in this by setting the trap (diag. 4). Players X3 and X5 accompany forwards 03 and 05, and player XI becomes the key player, , because at this moment he is responsible for the actions of two forwards, 02 and Ol.

Another continuation occurs when player 02 returns the ball to player 01, who, after a throw-in, breaks through the center of the court (diagram 5).

Players X3 and XI set a trap for the ball carrier and player X2 becomes the key, being responsible for the actions of attackers 02 and 04. Player X5 accompanies attacker 05, and player X4 moves to the side of the ball.

In fact, in this case, there is a variant of the natural transformation of zone pressing 1-2-2 into zone pressing 1-2-1-1.

Rotation of the defense forward when trying to intercept the ball. At the moment the dribbler is stopped by the players setting the trap, the key player must decide whether he will try to intercept the ball on the pass or not. If he makes a decision and starts moving to intercept, the defense will have to rotate (change positions) in case of failure.

According to the direction of movement of the key player, this rotation is called forward rotation (Fig. 6).

Defenders XI and X2 together attack the player in possession of the ball (trap). The key player XZ moves to the center line of the site. At this point, he decides whether he will stay in the middle and wait for the attack to develop or try to actively start an interception movement. If he sees that the player with the ball is in a difficult position and feels that there is at least half a chance of intercepting the pass, he should actively come forward in readiness to take possession of the ball. Seeing X3 move to intercept, X4 must be ready to take the lead as well. If the XZ player manages to intercept the ball, he will practically be one on one with the basket. If the interception attempt fails, he will need help. It is for this purpose that the rotation of protection is carried out.

X4 moves forward in the direction of the position left by X3, and X2, who was involved in setting the trap, quickly steps back, covering the area of ​​the court left by X4. After the rotation, the players again find themselves in the initial arrangement of zone pressing (Fig. 7).

It should be emphasized that the neglect of this element leaves the danger zone uncovered behind the back of a key player coming out to intercept the pass (Fig. 8).

Rotation of the defense back when the attackers successfully move the ball along the touchline. Rotation back is shown in fig. 9 and 10.

If the attackers manage to move the ball along the touchline, the X4 defender will have to attack the player with the ball. Whenever X4 is forced to participate in the formation of a trap, the far side of the court must step back to secure. This maneuver defines the nature of the back rotation of the defense. After the rotation, the defense is in the original arrangement of zone pressing.

If player X5 can take part in the rotation, he participates in it (Fig. 10). If he cannot leave the place under the basket, the rotation is carried out by four players.

2-2-1 Zone Pressing

2-2-1 Zone Pressing is more effective at countering kick-offs from behind the endline as the four defenders cluster in the forwards' backcourt despite the positions they occupy. The standard actions of defending players after putting the ball into play are shown in fig. 11.

Player XI stops the dribbler and his partner X2 helps form the trap. In this case, X4 key player must decide whether he will move to intercept a possible return pass to Ol, who enters the court from behind the endline (which will entail a forward rotation), or will maneuver in a position that allows him to control two attackers at the same time. Ol and OZ. In the case of a forward rotation, the X3 player will have to go to the position left by the X3 player, and the XI player will step back to the position left by the X3 player.

For fig. 12 it is shown that the players of the first line of defense are pushing the dribbler to the sideline. If he manages to dribble along the touchline, the trap will have to be set by players X3 and XI.

Players X5, X4 and X2 rotate backwards. If X5 is unable to leave the area under the basket, X4's defender must move in the direction of player 04.

The game situation may require that the nearest defenders of the first and second line go to the player with the ball in the first phase of the defense (diagram 13).

In this case, the XI defender pushes the dribbler to the sideline, where he is met by the XZ player. X4 moves towards attacker 04 on the side of the ball. Player X5 backs up post 05 and X2, the key player, is positioned to intercept passes sent to players 01 and 03.

If player 02 manages to pass the ball to attacker 04, despite the opposition of defenders XI and X3 (fig. 14), attacker 04 will be attacked by defenders X4 and X3 together (trap). Defender X2 accompanies player 03 as he moves towards the basket. Defender X5 covers post 05, and defender XI, the key, is positioned so as to be able to intercept the passes directed to players 02 and 01.

Zone Pressing 2-1-2

This setup is very effective when there are two fast defenders up front.

When the ball is put into play, defender XI pushes the dribbler to the sideline, and his partner XZ joins him to form a trap (dia. 15). Player X2, the key player, moves to a position convenient to intercept possible passes to players 01 and 03. Player X4 takes a position convenient to intercept the ball when passing to attacker 04, and player X5 protects the post player 05.

If key player X2 moves to intercept the return pass to attacker 01, X5 will move to the space left by X2 and X4 will move to the space left by X4 (forward rotation).

If the dribbler dribbles the ball to the center, he will be attacked by defenders XI and X2 (fig. 16). Player X3 moves towards the most likely pass, towards player 03. Defender X5 protects center player 05, and player X4, the key player, takes a position convenient for intercepting possible passes to players 04 and Ol.

Zone pressing 1-3-1

In zone pressing in a 1-3-1 formation, players XI and X2 attack the dribbler together if he dribbles along the sideline (dia. 17). Player X4, the key player, is ready to intercept the ball in case of possible passes to players 01 and 03. Player X3 moves towards player 04 on the side of the ball, and player X5 backs up center player 05.

If the dribbler passes the ball across the court to teammate OC, the latter should be attacked by players X4 and XI (diag. 18). In this case, X2 becomes the key player and aims to intercept possible passes to players 01 and 02. X3 moves towards attacker 05 on the side of the ball, and X5 takes place in the outer semicircle of the free throw area.

Summing up, it can be emphasized once again that the basic interactions of zone pressing defense with traps are standard for any initial formations. A team that has mastered the principles of setting up traps, holding players at an interception angle, and rotating back and forth can use these moves in any initial set-up and anywhere on the floor.

Players must follow the following rules:

  1. Adjust to the lineup of attackers, push the dribbler to the touchline and attack him together. If the attackers successfully overcome the counteractions of the defense, repeat the same interactions again.

  2. When the defender approaches the dribbler, he must keep his arms up, focus on the ball and position himself between the ball and the uncovered player. His task is to interfere with the transfer of the ball or provoke a cross pass that can be intercepted.

  1. When forming a trap, the dribbler cannot be allowed to pass between the defenders. In this case, the defenders should not receive fouls.

  2. Trap guards must step back quickly when passing the ball.

  3. Defenders not involved in the formation of the trap must be prepared to intercept passes.

  4. You can not leave the position under the guarded basket until the partner gives a signal that he is ready to defend it.

  5. When rotating back, the player on the farthest side of the court from the ball must quickly move back. He must substitute under the basket for a back-line player, or go to the side of the ball.

  6. The midfield player must be constantly ready to step back towards the basket when the ball is successfully advanced by the attackers. He comes forward only to form a trap or intercept the ball.

  7. When stepping back, defenders must cover the free throw area quickly.

10. Don't forget that pressing can be effective without interceptions
. The physical and psychological pressure exerted by
makes attackers more likely to make mistakes.

After the forwards have cleared the center line, the defenders may continue to use trap zone pressing tactics or change the defensive system. In the latter case, the players must know exactly what protection will be applied and perfect the necessary shift in training sessions.

Drills to improve defense by zone pressing with traps

1. One against one all over the court (fig. 19).

Maintain position to push the dribbler towards the touchline.

2. Three against three. Throw-in resistance (Diagram 20).

The attacker with the ball tries to put it into play from behind the end line. The three defenders actively counter the throw-in, trying to get the attackers to break the 5 second rule.

Defender X2 guarding player 02, the most likely receiver of the ball, uses a closed stance, preventing the ball from catching with his nearest hand. The closed stance allows you to securely control your player and is often used by defenders when trying to force attackers to break the 5 second rule on a face-off.

The XZ defender guarding player 03 farthest from the ball plays in an open stance. In this stance, it is easier to follow the ball, but there is a danger of missing the ward behind. The farther away from the ball the attacker is, the more effective the defensive play becomes in a closed stance.

3. Two against one. Stopping the dribbler (Fig. 21).

The ball carrier tries to dribble past two defenders. The exercise is performed throughout the site. Defenders learn how to stop a dribbler without receiving personal remarks. The two defenders work until they can stop the dribbler five times.

4. Four against two. Stopping the dribbler (Fig. 22a and 226).

Players 01 and 02 try to get the ball forward. When 01 tries to dribble past X3 and X4 defenders, 02 steps back to get the ball from 01 when he is stopped by the defenders. Defenders X5 and X6 are pulled into the middle as if they were each wide on the far side of the court from the ball. They may start to move forward on the pass (forward rotation) if player 01 finds himself in a difficult position in the trap formed by players X3 and X4. Regardless of this, X5 and X6 defenders allow 02 to receive the ball and start dribbling, after which the two of them immediately attack the dribbler, trying to stop him. XZ and X4 defenders pull back to the middle. Player Ol comes back ready to receive the ball from partner 02. As soon as the attacker makes the pass, the defenders guarding him must immediately retreat to the middle of the court.

5. Three defenders in circle (fig. 23a and 236).

Seven or eight players form a circle. The coach passes the ball to player 01. Defenders XI and X2 immediately attack the player with the ball together, and the defender X3 tries to predict the direction of the pass and intercept the ball. If player Ol manages to pass the ball to player 03, the latter will be attacked by defenders XI and X3 together, and defender X2 retreats to a position convenient for intercepting passes. Accordingly, with a successful pass to player 08, the latter is attacked by two defenders XI and X2, and the defender x3 tries to intercept the ball during the next pass. You cannot pass the ball to a partner standing next to you.

If the defender manages to intercept the ball on the pass, the passing player takes his place. Defenders who form a trap do not get confused to take the ball away, but only make it difficult to pass. The size of the circle can be increased when the defenders become more effective.

This exercise is an excellent physical preparation for zone pressing defense. It also makes it easy to control errors in defensive interactions, which is not always possible in a training two-sided game.

6. Four against three and four against four (Fig. 25a and

256).

In this exercise, you can gradually improve the elements of necessary interactions in zonal pressing, such as the formation of traps, forward rotation when trying to intercept a pass, and recovering defensive positions.

7. Rotate when trying to intercept a transmission.

The clarity of interactions in this situation must be constantly improved. You should start with a situation of four against three, then four against four, and finally five against five. The coach gives the command to rotate forward or backward, and the players repeat the necessary interactions several times.

8. Pull back.

The exercise starts from a set-up with a trap formed on three quarters of the area. Defenders allow the attackers to make a forward pass, then quickly retreat to the defending basket's free throw area and re-organize the defense.

8


How to beat Golden State - Basketball on UA.Tribuna.com

The main question of the new season.

“I witnessed a miracle,” Dave Bautista, who plays replicant Sapper Morton in Blade Runner 2049, tells me from the screen.".

"But you didn't see him."

Thanks for the damn reminder, Dave. Yes, I was in the military and couldn't watch live as LeBron James and Kyrie Irving pulled off a miracle and got Cleveland to win the Finals against the Warriors. Reason #407 to be offended by the army.

Today, that oversight seems truly life-changing. Golden State won 73 games this season, but flew past the title. A year before, and a year later, the Warriors had proven their worth with confidence. But it was in that final that they screwed up. So no, Dave, I didn't see that miracle. Mel parade ground or doing something else stupidly senseless and missed the miracle.

But you know what? I probably will continue to believe that something like this will happen again. Since I was already lucky enough to witness the greatest comeback in football history in Super Bowl 51, why can't it happen again? Moreover, I will break it down and tell you what needs to happen in a separate possession, a separate game or a separate series, so that the winner of the upcoming NBA season is not the Warriors.

POSSESSION - PROTECTION

Let's say the Warriors win the opening fold. Here they go on the attack, Curry has the ball. What needs to be done by the team in defense to somehow complicate the life of Steve Kerr's wards?

1. Everyone changes with everyone

Everyone dances with Levan's elbows, and in the modern NBA in defense everyone changes with everyone. If you have problems with this, then you (a) are not going to beat the Warriors, (b) you do not play modern basketball. In the online basketball manager BuzzerBeater, a motion attack is called a "carousel". It sounds naive at first glance, but it captures the essence of what the Warriors players are doing on offense.

Elements of a triangular attack, many screens, constant movement, sharp dips under the basket, as well as the movement of the ball, the movement of the ball and more movement of the ball. Quite a carousel. Only not a crappy children's attraction, but a solid spinning monster, where not only the main structure itself rotates, but also each individual element. Such a twist, which from the very first seconds makes you regret the hot dog you just ate. People constantly move without the ball (and all five of them), pass at any angle and for any distance, and at the first opportunity they throw. And they do, of course.

In such a situation, it is useless to run after your player through the alleys of barriers. No, your team needs to be prepared for every player you have to be on defense against any Warriors player, and he'd better not crap himself in a disadvantageous situation. Of course, in a situation where a front-line player remains against Curry, the scales initially tilt not in favor of a big man, who would probably be much more willing to take care of the player’s direct duties far away from two meters than jumping after Steph around the perimeter. But sorry, pal, without the emphasis on such inferior trades, Warriors basketball wouldn't be such a unique basketball constructor.

How many teams in the league have personnel potential in order to quickly exchange defense without loss of quality at least in positions 1-4? Obviously not enough, once in matches with the Warriors, 9/10 of the "big" leagues sits in a puddle at the very first mismatch.

It now occurred to me that perhaps a 2008 Celtics lightweight five with Garnett in the center position could have coped with a similar task. Ideally, you want long-armed and athletic guys with the right balance of size and mobility like Kawhi, Giannis, Garnett and Pippen. And there are five of them. Sounds like a secret Tyrell project, not an existing basketball team.

It is logical that the Cavaliers came closest to the idea of ​​"all for all". Tristan Thompson can go up the arc, sit on the legs against any defender and make life difficult for him on a shot from a distance, and the last final showed that Kevin Love in this aspect is also not as hopeless as many might think.

2. Force them to play one-on-one

I'm sure that sitting one-on-one against any player in the starting five of the Warriors is a hemorrhoid. In addition, today's rules make it much easier to beat the first step for offense, since without hand-checking, life in defense is not sweet at all. But this is extremely important - to restrain, as far as possible, this very "carousel" of Uncle Steve. Trying to drive Golden State into streetball is a must.

And in this streetball it is necessary: ​​

(a) Play Curry as hard as possible. Over the past ten years, the league has done everything to remove any physical contact from the relationship between the player with the ball and his opponent. And Steph Curry should be very grateful for the rule changes that allowed a player like him to exist at all, because if he had to play against, for example, Raja Bell in 2007, Steph would quickly become sad and ask to go back to the future. However, even in today's game, there is an opportunity to throw fragile guys like Curry off balance. It takes a hell of a lot of work in every domain, but it's possible.

(b) Provoke Durant in isolation. The dumbest idea, if you look at it in isolation from the general strategy to break the rhythm and, as it is now fashionable to say, the “flow” of the Warriors attack. In fact, ideally, any Warriors player should try to cut off from partners after receiving the ball, but Durant especially needs to be forced to play haphazardly and provoke in him memories of the glory days of Oklahoma, when he could drum the ball as much as he wanted and it did not violate system because there was no system.

(c) Try to catch Green/Thompson for a couple of offensive fouls. First off, a good charge can really stop Thompson from heating up to Johnny Storm temperature and burning you out with 5-10 3s. As for Green, everything is simple - he needs to be angry so that he goes to argue with the judges, gushing as much as possible with emotions that are not on the case. Perhaps he will then kick someone again and frame his team.

Basically, a defense against the Warriors today is a defense against Hakeem Olajuwon yesterday. Dennis Rodman, in one of his books, talked about the fact that in the finals of the western conference 19'95 between the Spurs and the Rockets was supposed to be a duel between David Robinson and Olajuwon. Only now, no duel happened, since Hakim raped the "Admiral" in all hazing ways when he was alone with him. Rodman was instructed by the San Antonio coaching staff to shift to Hakim every time the Nigerian got the ball. Houston won the first two games.

In the third and fourth, Rodman began to ignore the coach's instructions to double up on Hakeem. Olajuwon has lived like few people before or since, but the Spurs won both games. After that, Rodman was threatened with a fine for not following the instructions of the coach, and Dennis had to switch back to the Houston center when he received the ball. The Rockets won the series in six games. Rodman still believes that Spurs management didn't want Robinson to be seen in a bad light as MVP of the season, who Olajuwon carries around the court like a child, and this PR decision cost the Spurs a series win.

When Rodman backed Robinson, Hakim had to look for passing partners and use his teammates more. As soon as the ball closed on Olajuwon, San Antonio won.

Now imagine that you are playing against four Khakims. This is the Warriors. You need to make them play independently of each other. Will it work? Well, it's worth a try.

3. Control your shield

It seems to be nothing complicated. We sit on the defensive, keeping a close eye on every passing line and trying to hit as many passes as possible in an attempt to disrupt the smooth flow of the attack. We are trying to force the Warriors to move to the most isolated type of game possible with an emphasis on "isolation". And after the throw, we take the rebound in defense.

Defensive rebound is the point at which the opponent's possession ends. If you want to claim at least something against the Warriors, then you should have a comma in the form of a new attack from the Golden State in your nightmares. Against a team of this class, it's hard to fight back once, so don't take risks and check if you can do it twice in a row.

POSSESSION - OFFENSIVE

1. Find a weak spot

In 2016, the weak link was Steph Curry, who played with injury and whose non-100% form Cleveland exploited to the fullest. Steph Curry himself is by no means a bad defender. For today, who does not play defense at all, especially in the position of the first number of the league, he defends at an average level.

A year later, that trick didn't work, partly because Curry himself was healthy, and also because the Warriors now have two very smart all-around players in the top five in Durant and Green. Green generally proved a long time ago that he is smart and well done when he does not try to hit someone in the groin, but leads the defense and makes sure that not a single throw goes unopposed. Insures Green, of course, brilliantly, for which he received the award for the best defender of the year. And climbing on Durant with his ubiquitous tentacles is also a so-so idea, because in recent years, apparently, KD has been working very hard and carefully on functional strength, so now sometimes even LeBron smears from under Durant in separate episodes after contact in the aisle .

Exit? See point #2 of the defense. Force the Warriors to defend one by one. Kyrie Irving carried defenders with his unique ball and body skills in one-on-one play. LeBron can create himself, or maybe create an advantageous position for a friend. Everyone else can only take advantage of the favorable moments. For example, it is more aggressive to go to the ring when receiving the ball, following the old rule that "you will never be as open in attack as when you receive the ball."

As far as I understand, this is the tactics of the Cavaliers in the off-season. Look, they have brought together a whole five players who can (or at least once could) create for themselves half a meter of free space. Isaiah, due to his height, could only be successful at the NBA level if he learned to generate distance between himself and the always larger defender. Rose has broken everyone's ankles before and is great at finishing attacks when surrounded by multiple opponents. Wade has always had a great almost Jordanian sense of timing, which allowed him to attack either when the defender either did not have time to figure out what to do or did something too early (hence Wade's ability to catch fouls on early jumping opponents). LeBron is LeBron. Love and Korver both have enviable technique and move very quickly from the receiving phase to the shooting phase. All of these skills will allow Cleveland to drag in a scenario where every player on the court will be a threat in isolation. And if the Warriors are strong in unity, then the opponents who want to beat them must be strong in unity.

2. Run, Forrest, run

It's very hard to sit on defense against a team like the Warriors (especially on the arc), and after a good rebound, also run into a fast attack, but you can't do without it. Any fast break should be perceived as a kind of voluminous mismatch. The sooner you cross the middle of the court, the more likely it is that in the turmoil someone will take the wrong player in defense or yawn the opponent behind his back, or even decide to grind with the judge for a second or two in his life after a controversial episode. Moments like this are gold for the Warriors' rivals. Moreover, it is desirable that (a) the whole five run and the center should also not be lazy to lower his head into the floor while accelerating in the first five or six steps and (b) that you yourself do not throw the ball out in chaos or something worse. Every loss against the Warriors can be multiplied by three, because for every slightest joint you will fly a three-ruble note by the collar.

3. Be more active on the offensive shield

Tristan Thompson and his bestial instinct for offensive rebounding is one of the reasons the Cavaliers can hold their own against the Warriors. Thompson is not cut under the shield in the attack - the Cleveland's chances of success immediately fall sharply. In the only winning match in the last Final, Thompson not only chased the ball with the necessary zeal after his team's throw and immediately added it to the basket, but also made sharp discounts to partners on the perimeter.

The problem is Zaza. The Georgian knows how to not only decently take a good position when setting the back, but also does not disdain to stick a sharpened elbow right into the sternum of a too raging pick-up. You can't get away from this. Andrew Bogut took dimensions, Pachulia puts illegal tricks into action, but here one has a lot to do, one must be prepared for this.

Will the ability to predict the direction of the ball's rebound (as David Lee does) help you in the fight for the rebound on someone else's backboard, or will you take position due to your size (Howard, Drummond and everyone else who does not meet point # 1 of defense actions ) - That's your business. You may not be a super sniper, but you must go to rebound in attack.

THE GAME

What rules should be followed to cool the Warriors down not in one single segment, but in the whole game?

1. Control the pace and reduce the number of possessions

Richard Jefferson, for example, thinks that the Cleveland would be able to drag the Warriors into the seventh game if they were lucky in the third. Except old RJ doesn't mention the mini-miracle of 24 three-pointers from Cleveland in the fourth. To take even one game in a hit-and-run format, the Cavaliers had to shove Golden State as many threes as no one else scored in the history of the final series. Do you think it's a good strategy to get involved with the Warriors in a shootout where the two teams will hit a total of 250 on points?

It's a choice between two evils - to die bravely and to the sound of fanfare in a heroic charge with an open visor, or to clinch the Golden State until the whole mess ceases to resemble basketball at all. The first option is doubtful - only those who are confident in their own artillery and can spit throws from afar until they are blue in the face can decide to go into a general battle in an open field with the Warriors. And still, this option will work through two times for the third. Denver beat Golden State on 24 three-pointers in the regular season, but hardly anyone would bet that this could happen at least once more in a season.

The second option is also unattractive, but it gives at least some tangible chance. The Warriors are great at dismantling any defense in a positional attack, but they still feel less comfortable in a viscous swampy game. Last season, they scored two tenths of 100 possessions per game per game. In matches where they managed to break this bar and give out more than 100 possessions, the Warriors went 32-2. In 48 matches where the number of possessions was less than a hundred, they suffered 13 defeats (35-13).

Utah are playing at a super-retired pace (Joe Ingles generally seems to be moving around the court under the howls of Yonsi from Sigur Ros), and San Antonio last season had the fourth-lowest average number of possessions per game, so they were in the playoffs hopes that it is these teams that will be able to throw the Warriors off balance. But it didn't work out.

American football uses a run or short pass to control pace. The clock is ticking and the team continues to have the ball and move forward. In the end, the defense gets tired and it becomes easier for the attack to dissect it. To defeat the Warriors, you need to be very skillful with time - to contain attacks at any cost in the transition, that is, in the early attack (the first eight seconds), and try to drive Steve Kerr's charges into the need to attack in the last 6-8 seconds of possession. Statistics prove that the effectiveness of such late shots is the lowest. Unsurprisingly, in the past three seasons, Milwaukee and San Antonio have performed best in games against Golden State - two teams with noticeable coaching style and a good set of long-armed players.

Playing against the Warriors in the open will feel like a western revolver duel or a basement shootout from Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds - there's a very good chance it'll all be over before you know what's going on. The Golden State have one of the most effective offenses in history, so you don't want to jump into their trap. To have any chance, you need to convert between 38-40% of your shots (the average of winning Warriors teams over the past three seasons). Hope, they say, maybe "fly"? So-so idea.

Better the old fashioned way - roll up your sleeves and solve problems hand to hand. In short, turn a basketball game into an American football game. If it rains or snows, you're better off.

2. Don't give up and stick to your line

Even if you manage to take control of the game, don't expect the Warriors to kick back. The rain of three-pointers will continue throughout the game. At some point, they can catch the courage. You know, when you have four All-Stars on your team, it's inevitable. It is very likely that they will score crazy shots from the most incredible angles with their backs to the ring. With a foul. At the end of ownership. It's the Warriors.

It is very important for a coach not to miss the moment when a drizzle of threes turns into a downpour in order to take time out in time and try to break the rhythm of the game. It is very important for the team to have two superstars on the roster who can counter the Golden State hit with a counter-hit and shut up other people's fans / inspire their own. You can’t do without guys who will take the ball, say: “I’m right now,” and do everything themselves so that the team can at least stay within reach in the score. At San Antonio, the whole game was tied to one performer. The Georgian killer removed the performer - you can start captions. The same would have happened with last year's Houston. So you need at least a tandem of high-class guys who can score at least a couple of points with a snap of their fingers.

Another thing is that even 77 points for two against the Warriors may not be enough.

3. Take a cue from the elders

Since everyone compares the current Warriors with the Chicago of the second half of the 90s, why not take an example from those who almost pushed Michael and Co. off the throne?

I'm talking about SuperSonics-96. If George Karl had guessed earlier to put Payton on Jordan, then the whole history of the greatest dynasty in the history of the NBA could have had a different shade.

(Aside: No, look at that defense! Today, for such scrums, each of the participants would receive an unsportsmanlike foul upon receiving the ball).

The Sonics in the 1995/96 season relied on an uncompromising pair of defenders (Nate McMillan and Gary Payton) and the super-agile Sean Kemp. Basketball was different then, but the principles can be used about the same - a minimum of space before and after receiving the ball by any attacking player, someone constantly pulls his hand across the pass line, no one stands still in defense.

SuperSonics in most cases managed to help their partner against Jordan and return to their player. Today, this is impossible, because this someone else will stand on a three-point arc, and you simply won’t have time to reach him if you go for safety net.

I wanted to make the main emphasis not even on the Sonics model game, but on their dedication. Lost the first step? I'll hit you on the hands, you'll go throw free kicks. Are you going out alone with the ring? I will break you in half so that you will subconsciously beware of doing this next time. Does the ball go out? I'm taking care of him. The Sonics looked great in that final as they went out to fight the Bulls with their heads held high and dying. I am sure that today most teams look at the calendar, see the match against the Warriors there, and the question immediately follows: “Who do we play after them?”

SERIES

Believe in yourself

The Warriors have gotten to the point where most pundits, when discussing a potential loss to Golden State in a playoff series, are not discussing what to do and how to play against them and what would have to happen to Curry/Durant/Greene/Thompson themselves for their rivals to have a chance.

On the one hand, this is logical. Look at all of the above. If you add them together, it turns out that in order to defeat the Warriors, their opponents must play 48 minutes of focused and disciplined, but at the same time fiery and selfless basketball.


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