Against L.A., however, Afflalo’s has seen that steadfast marksmanship dissappear. Perhaps competing possession after possession with Kobe Bryant on the defensive end of the floor plays a role, but his shooting numbers are a far cry from his 47.1 FG% and 39.8% he posted in the regular season. In fact, Afflalo has yet to shoot over a measly 42.9% from the floor the entire series. If Denver is going to win Game 6, much less buck long shot odds and win the series, the former Bruin must find a way to regain his shooting touch.

A possible solution to this problem could be a return to the off-ball action Denver used near the end of their Game 5 victory. Afflalo’s high hoops I.Q. lead contributed to great reads off the ball that lead to a number of great looks for him. Late in the 2nd quarter, we see an example of why he is so dangerous in these situations.

Denver tries to run a double stagger for Afflalo on the left wing. Bryant, being the wily defender that he is, positions himself to deny Afflalo from getting to the screen, essentially forcing him to backcut into help. However, because Afflalo makes his read so decisively, he leaves Bryant flat-footed and beats an attempted switch from Matt Barnes. Thanks to a nifty Andre Miller pass, the play ends with a layup.

Now the threat of Afflalo moving off the ball becomes even more fearsome when he’s involved in screening action with JaVale “massive threat to slip the screen for a dunk” McGee (nickname is an unofficial working title). After running some pin down action between Afflalo and McGee in a few previous possessions, the Nuggets staff either calls for (or alerts McGee to) a slip. Thanks to a disengaged Andrew Bynum, the result is a massive dunk by McGee.

Slightly later on the 4th quarter, the two are back at it again. This time Bynum, worried about the lob and generally disinterested in defending, doesn’t show up to the level of the screen and Afflalo is able to attack the rim and draw a foul.

The final act between this screening duo is a mixture of the all three of the previous examples. Steve Blake is checking Afflalo this time, and similar to the first video, tries to deny him from getting to the screen. Bynum, still allergic to proper help positioning, doesn’t even attempt to slow or impede Afflalo in anyway. Thanks to this, Afflalo simply pins Blake on his back as he cuts across the paint and receives another pass from Miller for an easy layup.

Thus far in the series, Afflalo has found little success in isolation attacks. Mirroring the fact he ranked 195th in this category (per SynergySports) during the regular season. If George Karl can put an emphasis on screening action involving his shooting guard, they could perhaps get Afflalo back on track. Something the Nuggets desperately need if they want to beat the odds.

#5 Opp FG% (43.4%)
#5 Opp PPG (91.3)
#4 Def Rating (97.1)
#3 Opp TO (16.6)
#3 Steals (8.8)
#1 Opp Rebs (39.3)

Miami’s performance in the playoffs thus far has been no different. Although the sample size is only three games, even the most novice of basketball minds can see that the Heat have completely shut down New York’s offensive attack. This one possession in Game 3 personifies Miami’s entire attitude towards team defense.

To begin this defensive possession, all five Miami defenders have their eyes on the ball while simultaneously taking away any logical passing lane. Offensively, the Knicks attempt a slot pick and roll with Anthony and Chandler. This will be the only concrete offensive decision that the Knicks will make as Miami’s defense will control the rest of the possession.

Bosh calls to “tight zone” the screen. This means that he is going to contain the ball handler’s dribble while his teammate (Battier) will go over the top of the screener and cause ball pressure from the backside. Battier’s backside ball pressure eliminates any possibility for a retreat dribble by Anthony which forces him to drive into Bosh’s containment.

On Anthony’s drive, Chalmers stunts at him to give Anthony the illusion that three Miami defenders are guarding him. Bosh is still in his “tight zone” containment and is taking away any direct passing lanes to the screener Chandler who has now rolled to the basket. Wade has shifted over to jam Chandler’s roll. Wade has not fully committed to jamming Chandler’s roll because he knows he is guarding a “Dead 3” in 2011-12 regular season 3-point shooting leader Steve Novak (47.2% according to NBA.com). Wade is in a prime position to do two things: to make a play on the ball if Anthony passes to Chandler in the lane or meet Novak on the catch if Anthony decides to make a skip pass across the court. With his speed and quick lateral explosion, LeBron James has both the right passing lane of Novak and the left passing lane of J.R. Smith covered. With all of his options taken away, Anthony is forced to make the “safe” pass to Baron Davis in the corner.

On Davis’ catch, Chalmers immediately takes away any possibility for a drive to the middle of the floor and funnels Davis down the baseline into Miami’s helpside defense. As you can now see, Wade has sealed down which takes away a direct pass to Chandler at the rim. Wade keeps his right hand in the small of Chandler’s lower back so he can release himself freely from the seal down if there is a skip pass to the “Dead 3” Novak on the left wing.

Because of Bosh’s great helpside defense and Anthony bringing his man to the ball (Battier), Davis is forced to throw a tough pass over three defenders that Novak has to jump to catch. Even though Wade was already prepared to release on his seal down, this semi-arid pass gives Wade a couple more tenths of a second to closeout on Novak.

Miami’s quick defensive rotations are now forcing the Knicks to play at a frantic pace. On the catch, Novak quickly reverses the ball to J.R. Smith. Anthony decides to lift to his primary scoring area of choice, the pinch post. Like the Heat have been doing all series long with Anthony in the pinch post, Battier immediately fronts him. Making the accurate read, Smith throws the pass over-the-top of Battier’s front. Miami defenders still have their eyes on the ball.

On Anthony’s catch, Bosh is there to meet him on his baseline side. With 5 seconds left on the shot clock, Miami has their first miscue of the defensive possession. Wade and Chalmers aren’t clear in their communication. With Wade preoccupied on the “Dead 3” Novak and Chalmers wanting to get back to his original defensive match-up of Davis, they both leave Tyson Chandler wide open at the basket. But because of the intense ball pressure by Battier/Bosh, Anthony’s back is turned to the basket therefore he can’t see Chandler at the rim.

Double teamed and with the shot clock counting down in his head, Anthony takes one dribble and throws an overhead skip pass to Davis on the left wing. As you can see, before Davis’ even catches the ball, Wade’s consistent preoccupation with Novak kicks in again and is about to pay off. Wade has already anticipated Davis’ next pass to Novak in the corner and has begun to sprint towards him.

On Novak’s catch; look at Dwyane Wade’s stance. He is so low and tight into Novak’s body that there is absolutely no way Novak can get his legs into his shot. This forces Novak to commit a cardinal offensive sin…

Feeling Wade’s intense defensive pressure, Novak places the ball above his head. This is a huge mistake. With the ball above his head, Novak’s core is expanded vertically. This takes away any strength he might have had to make a basketball move. Wade rises up slightly out of his stance, continues to shadow the ball with his hands, and uses the sideline as an extra defender. Succumbing to the smothering Heat, Novak falls out of bounds as the shot clock expires.

Here’s the possession in real time:

With more defensive efforts like this, a championship may be on the horizon for the Heat.

In game two of their first round matchup, the Dallas Mavericks found themselves in another tight game against the Oklahoma City Thunder..  Early in the fourth quarter, Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle went to a small line up of Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Vince Carter, Shawn Marion, and Dirk Nowitzki.

With this lineup on the floor, the Mavs showed a play that starts with: Carter on the weak-side block, Marion and Nowitzki in a perpendicular double screen, Terry heading down the strong-side of the floor, and Kidd bringing up the ball:

The play begins with Carter coming across to set a cross screen for Terry:

As Terry goes underneath Carter’s screen, Harden plays off Carter to deny a direct pass under the basket.  Off the cross screen, Terry heads directly to the perpendicular double screen.  Carter drifts to the corner and Marion ducks in the lane towards the strong-side block.  The Thunder play the double screen straight, with Russell Westbrook trailing and Serge Ibaka sticking with Nowitzki, allowing Terry to catch the pass off the double.  Terry chooses to enter the ball into Nowitzki and the two immediately engage in a pick and pop with Terry as the screener.  Westbrook hedges softly as Ibaka fights over the top of the screen, giving Dirk a small window to hit Terry on the pop.  With the entire left side of the floor clear, Terry quickly attacks the feet of the scrambling Westbrook and is able to draw the foul.

Later in the quarter, the Mavs go back to the same lineup and the same play:

Again we see Terry go underneath the cross screen set by Carter.  Marion ducks across and Carter drifts to the corner to form a weak-side “Triangle Away.” Harden plays off Carter to deny and Westbrook trails Terry who continues on to the double screen.  This time, Kendrick Perkins is on Nowitzki and he decides to step out to deny Terry penetration.  Terry gets the ball to Dirk, who also takes advantage of the cleared left side by driving to the basket.  Harden and Durant both go to help Perkins, leaving two Thunder defenders to guard three Mavericks shooters.  The ball is promptly swung to Terry who misses the wide open three.  However, Dirk uses some veteran savvy and ends the Mavs possession with free throws.

On the next possession, the Mavericks run the same play on the other side of the floor:

When Carter goes to set the cross screen, the Mavericks know Harden will play off Carter, so the Mavs make a subtle adjustment.  Terry doesn’t bother to go under Carter’s screen, instead Carter uses Terry to seal Harden on the block.  Harden plays solid defense, but Carter uses his size to back into the paint and is able to rise up over the contest to hit a tough banker.

Once again, the Mavericks go back to the same play:

This time Terry goes under Carter’s cross screen.  Harden denies Carter in the post and Westbrook goes over the top of the screen to deny the direct pass to Terry under the basket.  Kidd attempts to lob the ball over Harden’s denial, but the pass sails on him and Durant is there to steal the ball (as he was playing Marion, who was preparing to duck across).

Unlike the NFL, the NBA season is too long for teams to truly hold onto trump cards.  Eventually, teams must show their hand.  As teams become more familiar with each other, in game adjustments become more crucial.  A coach’s experience making these adjustment not only shifts the outcome of games, but may help determine who is eventually crowned champion.

Joon Kim is the author of NBA Breakdown, and its subsidiaries, Spurs Motion Offense and The Triangle Offense — a tree of sites dedicated to basketball fundamentals.  You can follow Joon on Twitter: @JoonKim00.

The play begins with the ball handler (here Tony Parker) passing ahead to the strong-side wing (Manu Ginobili). This pass keys several actions:

1. After passing ahead, the ball handler cuts across the lane. The strong-side wing looks to hit the ball handler as he cuts through:

Here, the crafty Ginobili perfectly times the pass and hits Parker in stride for the layup.

2. If the ball handler can’t be hit, the strong-side wing passes up top to the trailing big man. The trailer then swings the ball to the ball handler, who cut through to the weak-side of the floor.

3. As the ball is swung, the weak-side wing goes to set a cross screen for the other big in the post:

As the ball is swung to Tony Parker, Ginobili (this time at the weak-side wing) sets a screen for Duncan in the post. Al Jefferson cheats over the top of Ginobili’s screen, leaving Duncan wide open to catch the lob from Parker.

We see the pass ahead and cut through the lane, keying weak. This time the cross screen is for Boris Diaw, who is able to seal his defender on the opposite block. Boris quickly feels his defender on his right shoulder, then unleashes a baseline spin for the easy reverse layup.

The post man can also come off the cross screen to set a ball screen:

After the cross screen, Duncan chooses to set a screen for Parker. Parker waits for Duncan then quickly step fakes his defender into the screen. Parker then crosses over away from the screen past the help of Al Jefferson. To prevent an easy basket, Paul Millsap is forced to help from the weak-side corner, leaving Kawhi Leonard wide open for three.

In all these clips, we see the fourth action of weak, a screen-the-screener action.

4. After swinging the ball back to the ball handler, the trailer comes down to set a screen for the weak-side wing, who just set the cross screen for the post.

In this next clip, we will see the Spurs run a counter of this action that still leads to a screen-the-screener for the ball handler instead of the weak-side wing:

We see Parker pass ahead to Gary Neal and cut across the lane. Instead of cutting all the way to the weak-side wing, he doubles back to set the cross screen. Meanwhile, the weak-side wing (this time Stephen Jackson) pops out to receive the swing pass from the trailer. After swinging the ball, the trailer (this time Matt Bonner) screens-the-screener allowing Parker to come up to the top of the key and receive the ball.

In the last clip, we will see another counter from the weak action:

Parker passes ahead to Danny Green and cuts across. We see the weak-side wing Stephen Jackson move down, but he sets a back pick for Parker instead of screening for Boris Diaw in the post. Parker comes off the back pick towards a waiting Boris Diaw, who is ready to set another screen. Paul Millsap is so concerned with denying Parker that he leaves Diaw a direct line to the basket. Diaw cuts back door and Duncan finds him for an easy layup.

With weak, the Spurs have an equal opportunity play that can naturally flow from screens, to off the ball movement, to post ups, to pick and roll. Players have no fixed positions and Popovich gives them free reign to read the defense and react accordingly. The ability to execute a variety of options with varying personnel, combined with the Spurs great patience and unselfishness, ensures the offense can generate high percentage shots: both in the past – when Duncan was the anchor on the block, to today – with Parker speeding around the court.

Joon Kim is the author of NBA Breakdown, and its subsidiaries, Spurs Motion Offense and The Triangle Offense — a tree of sites dedicated to basketball fundamentals.  You can follow Joon on Twitter: @JoonKim00.

To say that Ibaka has been putting on a basket denying clinic this past season would be a severe understatement. Ibaka’s 3.7 blocks per game average is the highest we have seen in the NBA since Theo Ratliff in 2000-01 season. Ibaka’s dominance of that category has been so thorough that the next closest player (Javale McGee) trails him by a difference of 1.5 bpg. Not since the 1984-85 season when Hakeem Olajuwon trailed Mark Eaton by 2.9 bpg have we seen such a discrepancy between the top two shot blockers in the league (Eaton set the NBA mark with 5.6 bpg that year).

With Ibaka’s impeccable timing, high defensive acumen and freakish athleticism, there is no question why he won the NBA’s shot-blocking title this season. Also, unlike other young shot blockers, Ibaka takes the Bill Russell approach of trying to keep the ball inbounds whenever he gets his hands on it. This creates more transition scoring opportunities for two of the best fast-break finishers in the league in Westbrook and Durant. His production this year was one of the reasons that the Thunder sat atop the Western Conference standings for much of the regular season.

So what makes him so successful in the art of shot blocking? Let’s take a look at the types of blocks and how Ibaka excels at them.

1. Weakside Rotations

Most elite defenders sacrifice proper team defensive position in order to make a big, defensive play. Gambling is a part of playing defense, but just like in Vegas, you have to know when to pick your spots or you will get busted out.

In this clip vs. the Nuggets (4/25/12), while guarding Faried on the left block, Ibaka does a good job loading over to a rolling Javale McGee on the ball screen.

On the skip pass, Ibaka shifts back to put himself in a defensive position where he can see Faried, the opposite post-up and the ball all while simultaneously moving himself out of the paint to avoid an illegal defense call.

On the post feed, Ibaka now only has to focus on two things, his man and the ball. He watches McGee attempt to baseline quick-spin/counter middle Kendrick Perkins. Perkins does a great job of “walling up” which forces McGee to kill his live dribble. The moment McGee kills his dribble; Ibaka sprints over for the weakside block.

2. Walling Up

Given their height and length, every post defender at all levels is taught to “wall up” when guarding or helping on an offensive player who has killed his live dribble. This is done in an effort to avoid a cheap foul and to also force the offensive player to make a difficult shot over outstretched hands. Ibaka uses his 7’4 wingspan to his advantage in this shot blocking technique as well as anybody not named Tyson Chandler in the NBA.

In this game vs. the Clippers (4/16/12), Ibaka does a good job of showing on the ball screen set by Kenyon Martin. This show causes Chris Paul to have to flatten out his dribble.

When CP3 flattens out his dribble, he calls for another ball screen from the 5 (DeAndre Jordan). Perkins recognizes this and communicates the switch to Ibaka.

Jordan never gets a chance to set a good screen, so the Thunder posts can stay with their current switched matchups. On the retreat back down to Jordan on the left block, Ibaka puts himself in a position where he can see the ball, his man and the opposite corner. When Chris Paul makes a great bounce pass to Randy Foye in the right corner, Sefolosha is slow to react which forces Ibaka’s help on Foye’s drive. Recognizing that he has a huge size advantage and that Foye killed his live dribble early, Ibaka walls up which leads to an easy block and a shot clock violation by the Clippers.

3. Multiple Efforts

Versus the Lakers (4/22/12), Ibaka does a great job of knowing their personnel by being prepared to jump to the next logical pass when Kobe Bryant is funneled to the short corner and remaining disciplined on his close out to the shot-fake happy Pau Gasol.

On the short corner feed to Andrew Bynum, Ibaka waits until Bynum picks up his dribble on the baseline spin move to leave his feet for the 1st block.

With his head completely under the net, Ibaka has enough athleticism to keep his balance and recognizes that Devin Ebanks got the offensive rebound and is about to lay it up. Ibaka explodes for the 2nd block keeping the ball inbounds the entire possession.

4. Confrontation

Every great shot blocker has been dunked on. That is the price you pay when you challenge elite athletes at the rim. But when your primary rim protector makes a huge block during a mid-air confrontation, it can ignite your team. In this game vs. Nuggets, Ibaka displays his fearlessness with a play on Corey Brewer’s drive to the basket.

On this side out of bounds, the Nuggets lift the 5 (Al Harrington) to the right elbow in an effort to catch OKC sleeping on a back door to the 2 (Ty Lawson). When that doesn’t work, the 1 (Andre Miller) reverses the ball to the 4 (Danilo Gallinari) on the left wing for a dribble hand off (DHO) to the 3 (Corey Brewer) lifting from the deep left corner. On the DHO, Brewer catches Sefolosha sliding a step behind his offensive momentum and executes a quick pocket cross over.

After the crossover, Gallinari pins (illegally) Daequan Cook behind him so Brewer only sees daylight on his straight line drive to the basket.

Because Al Harrington has stretched to the short corner, Ibaka has to make a decision to leave an above average jump shooter (39.5% on Overall Spot Ups according to Synergy Sports Technology) or help to stop the ball. Almost always, the leading rim protector will choose to step up to stop the ball and it helps that Derek Fisher is in Corey Brewer’s logical passing lane if he did decide to dump off to Al Harrington for the short corner jumper. Even though Brewer elevates way before him, Ibaka still makes a big-time defensive play while keeping the ball in-bounds.

5. Half Court Chase Down

The 5th and final way to successfully block a shot is no doubt the most difficult. More than likely, when a post player has to chase down a block in the half court, he or his teammates probably made a mistake in the assigned defensive scheme. This was the case in the Thunder’s first game of the 2012 Playoffs vs. the Mavericks (4/28/12), but nevertheless Ibaka made up for his teammate’s miscue.

On this 4-5 ball screen, Nick Collison’s man Brendan Wright sets a right wing ball screen on a great shooter in Dirk Nowitzki. Ibaka again recognizing personnel knows he can’t go under the screen because Dirk is a great 3-point shooter. Collison initially looks like he is going to zone/down the ball handler.

When Dirk recognizes how extremely far off the other three Thunder defenders are off from the midline, he picks up his dribble. This causes Collison to switch completely onto Dirk which opens up a passing lane for Dirk to deliver the ball to Wright.

After a subtle push off from Wright, Ibaka notices he is about a step and half behind Wright when Dirk releases the ball. Although he has both heels on the charging semi-circle, Daequan Cook attempting to take a charge forces Wright to have to open up his shoulders on his left-handed layup attempt. This is just the little space Ibaka needs to come in and erase two points.

There are five ways to block a shot and Ibaka has mastered them all. For the Thunder to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy this June, Ibaka will need to showcase that mastery all postseason long.

The play starts with Harden always in the right corner (so he can drive middle with his dominant left hand) and the ball in the hands of the Thunder’s backup point guard, currently Derek Fisher. Dirk-stopper Nick Collison begins the action by sprinting to set a ball screen for Fisher at the top of the key. This screen, commonly referred to as false action (because it’s used to set up the real threat of the play), forces a quick hedge by Collison’s defender freeing him for a catch on a pass back from Fisher.

This false action now sets up the real design of the play; to get Harden into a dribble hand-off (DHO) while sprinting up from the deep corner.

Harden’s read are simple:
- Backcut if denied getting to the screen
- Curl if the screener’s defender offers no hedge protection
- Straight cut (usually for a 3pt shot) if both defenders sag under or Harden’s man gets caught in the screen

And if no initial opening appears after the DHO, Harden and Collison can re-engage in screening action (Either a step-up or traditionally side pick and roll).

The key to all this is the weakside spacing. The other two perimeter players and second post form what is referred to as a “Triangle Away”. The alignment that allows for gaps to be open both on the baseline and for any middle attack Harden chooses to make off the bounce.

In Game 1 against Dallas, Harden finds the space for 3-point shot thanks largely to Dirk Nowitzki cutting in front of his defender (Delonte West) while trying to recover to Collison’s roll to open space after the DHO.

This set is used so frequently by the Thunder because it is a read-based play. Harden essentially just has to react to both his defender and the screener’s to make the cut that puts the most pressure on the defense. So the result in Game 1 maybe nothing like the results you see the rest of the series. The only certainty about this play is that you will see it.