James orchestrating pick and roll

Lebron James has always had the size and vision, even coming in as a rookie, combine that with the willingness to share and you get one hell of a pick and roll player. With his shot somewhat improving since the 2004 rookie year, Lebron has become almost unguardable while running the pick and roll.

If you switch he isolates and demolishes whoever is tries to guard him 1 on 1. If you trap, then he has the size to see over double teams, the vision to hit an open man on a dime, and the willingness to do so time and time again. Below are a few examples of how Lebron James has been using the pick and roll this year with his new squad.

Example #1:  Lebron bullies the switch.

This pick and roll starts with Damian Lillard initially wanting to switch back, but Al-Farouq Aminu gets caught on Lonzo Ball and stays. This creates an easy mismatch for Lebron, as he just starts to back down Lillard in the post.

We can see Lebron surveying the defense, with a double team from Aminu on the horizon for King James. Lonzo fades to the corner, giving the defense more space to recover on the pass. The window Lebron has to hit is tiny, having to go over Jusuf Nurcic and JaVale McGee, while far away enough that C.J. McCollum cannot intercept it.

While the pass does not directly lead to a basket, the ” Hockey Assist” ends with Ingram attacking an off-balance defense to get a sturdy basket.

Example  #2: A ” Le Fuck You ” three on the switch

This time the Kings switch Lebron, and he decides to drop his field goal percentage with an ill-advised contested three. Everyone watching knows Lebron is going to shoot when he backs up after the switch, getting his rhythm to jack up the shot. Surely Luke Walton would instead Lebron attack with a slower defender on him, but with all Lebron’s greatest, you do get shots like this from him every now and then.

Example #3: Using the pick as a decoy to attack

This time Lebron uses the pick as a decoy, setting up Taurean Prince like he is going to use the pick, but then he doesn’t.

Already Prince has his momentum leaning towards the impending screen by JaVale McGee, and with the baseline wide open, Lebron engages in a smoooooth crossover to get into the paint.  While he does miss and travel at the same time, this demonstrates Lebron’s ability to see a play before it happens.

Example #4: Defender going under the screen 

This time the Atlanta Hawks defender goes under the screen while switching at the same time. This gives Alex Len a lot of space to cover in an attempt to contest the shot, but barely being 30 percent shooter from downtown on the season, this wasn’t a bad move by the defense.

Either scenario ends with a mismatch on the perimeter, so why not make Lebron shoot a semi-contested three instead of putting pressure on the defense via  drive to the basket.

Lakers using the A-Set offense

With Lebron James, there are many different sets that you can use him in, and the Lakers have been using him a lot in the ” A-Set ” offense as of late. Lakers have been using mostly one of Rajon Rondo, Lonzo Ball, and Brandon Ingram to initiate the offense.

The other two wings on the floor usually start or end up at in the corner at some point. The four and five are each at an elbow of the high post, Lebron at the four with JaVale McGee at the 5. From there the Lakers can use Lebron in pick and roll combinations, or use him as a decoy.

Because of the gravity Lebron draws while on the court, he soaks up a lot of attention wherever he is on the floor. If Lebron was a terrible finisher, you could just stay with him at all times and let him make contested shots at the rim to beat you. If Lebron was a subpar passer, you could double him and force him to make a pass over two defenders. Unfortunately for defenses, Lebron is a great finisher and amazing passer.

While not all lead to a score, below are six examples of the Lakers using  ” A-set ” the past couple games.

Using Lebron as pick and roll ball handler- Here Ingram initiates the offense by dropping the ball to Lebron at the high post. McGee comes over to set a screen on Lebron’s right, allowing him to attack using his strong hand.

Coming off the pick, Lebron is able to turn the corner on Jimmy Butler. Karl-Anthony Towns was in good position to contest the shot but  Lebron goes right up for the layup.

Lebron passing out of the high post: This one is a simple example because the basket comes off a poor gamble by the defense. James gets the entry pass from Lonzo at the high post, Josh Okogie comes blindside to try and take advantage of Lebron having his back turned. Gamble fails and Lebron zips it to Ingram for the layup.

Using Ingram in a pick and roll: Lakers start in the Horns formation again, running Ingram across the front of Lebron and Tyson Chandler, getting a pass on the right wing. From there, Chandler comes over and sets a screen for Ingram. The screen is used, and Brandon gets a nice midrange shot to go in.

Going through the reads: Lonzo passes to Ingram on the wing instead of starting at the high post. McGee flashes to the three-point line to get the pass.

After passing to the wing, Lonzo sprints through the lane, running into a Kyle Kuzma/Lebron double screen. Minnesota Timberwolves do a decent job covering Ball as he goes through the screens, although McGee doesn’t wait long enough to get a pass to Lonzo.

When to Lonzo was not there, the secondary play was to go back to Ingram. McGee follows his pass, giving Ingram a screen to use. Brandon loses the ball for a split second, just long enough for Andrew Wiggins to recover off the screen. From here the play breaks down into an Ingram isolation, while also resulting in a bad contested shot.

Using Lebron off the ball: Rondo drops the entry pass to Mcgee in Horns on the left elbow, then immediately goes set a back screen for Lebron. Lowry does a good job hanging around in the lane for a split second, casting doubt for McGee that the cut will be there.

If JaVale had waited a split second longer, Lebron was wide open. However, McGee decides to attack off the dribble, turning the ball over.

Lebron passing out of the high post again: Lonzo dumps the pass to Lebron on the left elbow, the cuts up the middle through James and McGee. Ingram is camping out in the right corner, which is where Lonzo went to set a screen. Brandon uses the screen well and pins Danny Green behind him, but Lebron makes a sloppy behind the back pass at Ingram

Lebron James shot over the years

Since his rockstar-like rookie season, up to his current stint in Tinseltown, Lebron James has never been known for much of a jump shot guy. King James was known for his freakish athletic ability, size, and playmaking abilities. There might not ever be a time where Lebron joins the three-point contest, but he has put in enough work overtime to make his jumper respectable.

While exceptions do exist, there are four general fundamentals to a solid form on your  jump shot:

1. Shooting elbow aimed at the basket– The basketball hoop is where you are targeting, so it only makes sense to align the shooting arm with the basket.
2. Feet and Shoulders squared with the basket– Aiming your body where you are shooting is essentially steering the car straight on a one way. Turning will cause the vehicle to move elsewhere. Sometimes you might make it where you need to go, but it is not consistent enough to rely on.
3. The hand not shooting is only there to guide the ball–  The offside hand is there to guide the ball, not give you an extra boost in strength. Especially with younger kids jacking up Steph Curry three-pointers, the left hand is used to supplement for the distance. Using this hand too much can alter the rotation of spin, a la Joakim Noah’s weird ass free throw shot.
4. Snap the wrist and follow through– Snapping the wrist on follow through creates backspin, which helps in the result your slowing down if it hits the rim. A ” dead ” ball bouncing on the rim has no give to it and will bounce around like a rock. Backspin on the ball gives you more room for error, as the ball is softer on the surface of the rim.
5. Do not fade or lean on the shot– Leaning or fading throws your balance off, which leads to your feet or shoulders becoming unsquared with the hoop.

2004 Lebron:

The first example is taking from the 2004 NBA All-Star game, Lebron’s first of many appearances in the game.

As we can see from the shot below, Lebron has his right elbow sticking way too far out, with the ball going to the right side and somewhat behind his head. Almost in a slingshot motion.

Taking a look at his left hand, we can also see that he uses this hand to push the ball a tad bit. This would give him a little extra strength behind the shot; this makes sense as Lebron is still adjusting to the NBA three line.

2013 Lebron:

The next Lebron shot comes years later in 2013, where Lebron ices the NBA Finals with a jumper over Kawhi Leonard.

Compared to the shot above from 2004, the form looks entirely different. Lebron did not fling the ball to the right of his head, and the guiding hand isn’t helping him on the release.

Right before Lebron rises to shoot, we can also see him bring his right foot center, which causes him to square up with the basket. On his first gather, LeBron had his right foot facing the baseline, which would have thrown off his body alignment about the hoop.

Lebron does add a little fade to the shot, clearing just enough space where Leonard can’t bother his attempt.

2017 & 2018 Lebron:

The Final two Lebron shots are not too different, compared to his 2004 shot at least. On both shots, we see Lebron has his shoulders and feet squared to the hoop. Lebron now brings the ball above his forehead, while keeping his elbow directed at the basket.

The main difference between the shots, his is 2018 from has a quicker release than his 2017 shot.  On the Cleveland release, look how Lebron has a slight hitch at the release, almost making him release the ball on the way down.

This is fundamentally changing his form from ” Two motions ”  to ” One Motion.” The One motion shot is what Steph Curry uses, which is why it looks like he is straight heaving the rock.

Two Motion shots have what looks like a hitch, but its really ” cocking ” the ball before release. Michael Jordan is an excellent example of this, as he would cock the wrist above his head, then enter his release to snapping the wrist.

On both these shots, Lebron Jame is doing an excellent job of snapping his wrist to generate backspin. And while both shots are very similar, the 2018 shot has a quicker release.

Shooting only 29 percent from downtown so far this season, Lebron’s shot is still a work in progress. Currently  16 years into his career, there is just so much more that can be done to improve these numbers. Better shot selection maybe, cut back on the ” LeFuck you ” threes or pull up fadeaway threes Lebron sometimes does.

 

 

Lebron’s shot not falling, but everything else has been

Lebron is struggling with this three ball this season, but doing fine with everything else. 

The one knock on Lebron James that has followed him around his whole career has been his jump shot. Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs took advantage of this while sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2007 NBA Finals, and the Dallas Mavericks did something similar in the 2011 Finals.

Over time, Lebron’s jump shot has become more and more reliable, making him impossible to guard. During his rookie campaign,  King James shot 31 percent on any shot that was not directly at the rim. Fast forward to the 2017-2018 season, and Lebron was able to raise these numbers to 39 percent for shots, not at the basket.

Los Angeles Lakers have had an up and down season so far, filled with enough drama to give the Minnesota Timberwolves and Jimmy Butler saga a run for their money. The Lakers strengths have been on display, but the weaknesses are glaring as well. One of those bright spots for the Lakers has been Lebron’s shooting from the field.

Sure the King has only made 10 of 41 three-point attempts for a 24 percent average, but right now he is shooting 71 percent on shots from the free throw line to three-point line. Overall shooting 43 percent from any shot not directly at the rim, so even with his awful shot from downtown, Lebron is hitting shots from pretty much everywhere else on the floor.

With suspect shooters surrounding him, Lebron will need to start hitting the long ball at a better clip to help out his teammates. James has a history of tweaking the form on his shot so we could hear more news about this again in the future.

Until then, Lebron will continue to use his midrange game to keep defenses at bay, while also using his brute strength to get to the hoop at will. If there is one thing we have learned over the years, more times than not, it is not a good idea to doubt the King.

Lakers give fans spooky Halloween with near loss

Lakers played well out the gate but almost choked it away late.

The Lebron James era for Los Angeles Lakers fans is going about as well as expected for anybody who had realistic expectations for this ragtag team.  Coming out the gate, the Lakers looked like they were on a mission to get their asses off the court quick and go trick or treating, jumping out to a 38-21 lead at the end of the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks.

Staples Center was rocking, the fast break was beautiful, and every player looked to be having the time of their damn lives. The second quarter was a different story, with the  Mavericks chipping away, and cutting the once 17 points lead down to 10 at halftime. M.U.D was somewhat responsible for the slippage, as they came into the game with shitty effort on both ends.

James led the Lakers with 29 points, as all the starters scored in double digits. The third quarter saw the Lake show push their 10 point halftime lead up to 16, and all seemed right with the world. But nope, the damn bench blew their second 15+ point lead of the game, making things way more interesting in the end than they needed to be.

If it were not for a dumbass foul by Wesley ” Contract Year ” Mathews with two seconds left, we might have had another Lakers overtime game. Lebron did his best to keep the game interesting by missing the first free throw after being fouled by Mathews but made the second to give the Lakers a one-point lead with two seconds left. A J.J. Barea heave at the buzzer came up short, and the Lakers come away with a win, even though they deserved to lose this shit.

Closing out games has been a real pain in the ass for Los Angeles so far this season, losing every game by less than 10 points, with at least a chance to win every single one. Chances are this aspect improves as chemistry builds, but their fans are running out of excuses for a Lebron James led team to be this bad down the stretch.

JaVale McGee really showed up DeAndre Jordan this game, clocking in 16 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks.  Lonzo Ball played solid as well, giving the Lakers 12 points and seven assists, with Kyle Kuzma chipping in 18 points of his own.

Coach Luke Walton cannot be pleased about the victory, although it is always a plus to win a game in the cannibalistic Western Conference.  Lakers head to Portland on Saturday to try and avenge their opening night loss to the Portland Trailblazers.

What is Josh Hart’s ceiling?

The second-year player is beginning to turn heads with his play, but how high can he go?

The Josh Hart hype train picked up steam over the summer; the 6″5  shooting guard decided he was going to play summer league for the second straight year, even though he had no business being there. Hart would go on to win the 2018 Summer League MVP award, averaging 22 points and about four rebounds per game, and leading the Los Angeles Lakers squad to the finals.

Even last season Hart played solid whenever Luke Walton called upon him, giving one-hundred percent every time on the court. The numbers might not always be there, but he will play with tons of energy while on the floor, doing all the little things that don’t show up in the box score. Diving for balls, taking charges, making the right rotations are the types of things that help a team win, but don’t usually get discussed.

While early, so far this season Josh Hart has almost doubled his points per game output, going from 7.9 points per game to 14.5 this season. His minutes per game is up from 23 per game to 31, and three-point percentage 42 percent this season compared to 39 percent the previous.

New York Knicks legend shooting guard John Starks is somebody that comes to mind when thinking of Josh Hart, while it would be lovely for Hart to turn into the next James Harden, realistically a 21st century Starks would be a massive win for the Lakers. The prime years for John Starks would 1992- 1997, lucky enough to compete with pre-and post-baseball Michael Jordan.

During the mid-nineties, Starks would: win Sixth Man of the Year award in 1996, Eastern Conference All-Star in 1994, the All-Defensive 2nd team in 1993, and led the league in three-pointers made in 1995.  This guy was also fearless on the court, never backing down from Jordan and the nineties Chicago Bulls, while also dishing it right back at times.

The two are comparable because Josh Hart is a tough shooting guard, with an excellent three-point shot who will go toe to toe with anyone. What Starks has is deceptive athletic ability as well, something he and Josh Hart also share.  Raising his ceiling to higher than Starks would require Hart to develop a midrange game, along with more playmaking, something not seen from him yet.

Already proving himself starting lineup worthy, Hart will get the minutes he needs to develop and grow as a player. Playing next to Lebron James will expedite his growth, giving him better looks the basket than he could ever dream of getting. How Josh Hart can rise depends on the work he puts in, with a little of good fortune along the way.

Laker Top 5 pick and roll combinations

With the importance of being able to run an effective pick and roll, what combinations give the Lakers the best chance to score?

Even when Jock Stockton and Karl Malone were wreaking having on the league with their pick and roll dominance, isolation was the preferred method for teams to get a bucket. Which makes sense, if you need a basket late, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon or even Charles Barkley were great people to rely on for that.

As the NBA progressed, the rules started to change,  leaning more towards offensive freedom for players. Implementation of the hand checking rule and zone defense in 2004 forced the game away from isolation, and more towards ball movement. Now defenders could set up a zone to contain isolations but were not allowed to “Use their hands to impede an offensive player’s progress.”

All these things, combined with the increased emphasis put on the three-point shot led to teams spreading the floor while using pick and rolls to create mismatches. This has also lead to the rise in organizations requiring athletic big men who can at least hold their own on a switch. Otherwise, they would be exploited time after time.

Lebron James is one of the best in the NBA at running the pick and roll, with his size and athleticism, he is able to see over the defense while simultaneously being a threat to attack. Rajon Rondo, Lonzo Ball, and even Brandon Ingram are all solid pick and roll players. But what is the Lakers best combination of players to use when executing this play?

5. Rajon Rondo and Kyle Kuzma

Rajon Rondo has always been known as an elite passer, dating back to his Boston Celtics ” Big Three” days, where he was in charge of setting the table for three future Hall of Famers. Rondo has nice size for a point guard at 6″3 and has one of the highest basketball IQ in the NBA.

Kyle Kuzma works well with Rondo because of his size and ability to spread the floor with his shooting. While struggling with his long ball shooting at 28 percent, he was right around league average last season with 36 percent of them going in, so expect him to raise those percentages as the season progresses.

Occasionally Kyle can rush the screens that he sets but can be a very effective screen setter when focused. Patience while setting screens comes with patience, so Kuzma can  improve this skill over time,

Kuzma also has a refined post game for a second-year player, so if the defense decides to switch he can take smaller guards into the post.  With a slew of fadeaways and hook-shots at his disposal, Kuzma is a nightmare for those smaller than him.

While Rondo has never been a real three-point threat, career 31 percent shooter, he has a very quick first step. This allows him to get past bigger defenders with ease, creating more opportunities for himself and teammates.

With both players expected to come off the bench, we could be seeing this combination quite a bit this season.

4. Lebron James and Lonzo Ball

Any pick and roll involving Lebron James are sure to be somewhat effective, no matter who he is paired with. The Lonzo Ball pairing is a great option because they are both such excellent passers.

Lonzo has the height advantage over most point guards with his 6″6 size, but still has the quickness to blow by bigger defenders. The advantage of using Lebron here is that if the defense switches, that would put a point guard on Lebron. Much like the Cleveland Cavaliers would do, force a switch to get Steph Curry on Lebron, then exploit the mismatch.

While Lonzo’s shot has shown solid improvement so far this season, he would need to keep up the pace over a longer stretchbefore being considered a better shooter than Rondo. The Lebron/Rondo combo is slightly more deadly because Rondo is a better finisher than Ball now. If the pick and roll is switched, Rondo has slightly better odds of scoring on a blow by compared to Lonzo.

Lebron is a very good screen setter when he wants, and Lonzo is as well when he is able to get in position. With both players committed to the fundamentals,  this combination could become a favorite for the Lakers to run.

Lonzo has above average ball handling skills but could work to improve them some more as the season progresses. Rondo gets the slight edge in handles, who has exceptional ball handling capabilities, the time he played against the Miami Heat with one arm dislocated is one example.

As the season progress, Lonzo and Lebron might become more and more deadly, but for now, it’s slightly behind the Rondo/Lebron combo.

3. Lebron James and Josh Hart

This combination will be advantageous because of the improvements Josh Hart has made to his game over the offseason. Hart is currently shooting just under 43 percent from downtown and shot a respectable 39 percent in his rookie season.

While Josh Hart’s assist numbers have not improved yet since last season, about 1.3 per game now, he looks more confident when attacking the basket. His unwillingness to use his midrange arsenal gives this combination a weakness, with Josh Hart being 1-7 on any shot that isn’t at the rim or behind the arc.

Hart is one of those players though that does all the little things correctly, meaning he is a very good screen setter. So if the  Lakers decide to run this with Hart screening for Lebron, it is almost guaranteed Josh will give Lebron an excellent screen, making his life a little easier as the ballhandler.

Josh needs to improve his ball handling more, but the fact that he is the most consistent shooter Lakers have now makes this pick and roll a must have option. Lebron as the ball handler will get him switches on to shooting guards, who he can also bully into the paint. As Josh Hart continues to improve his ball handling and off the dribble shooting, this combination will become deadly.

2. Lebron James and Rajon Rondo

Nobody would have expected this duo from eight years ago would become a reality today. After several battles, while a member of the Cavaliers, Lebron, and Rondo had many more when the ” Heatles “ became a thing during the 2010 offseason.

Now that the two former adversaries are on the same side, they have a lot of experience to work with when running a pick and roll. Throughout their careers, Lebron and Rondo have probably watched several hours of scouting report  film on one another,  and both  have very high basketball IQ’s to match,

While undoubtedly the two know each other’s tendencies quite well, it will take time to build that chemistry where both of them can begin to anticipate the other’s movement.  While Rondo’s career 30 percent three-point shooting is a bit of a concern, his passing and finishing are good enough to mask those flaws most of the time.

This pick and roll should get plenty of action on both players basketball IQ’s alone because Coach Luke Walton knows each player will be able to consistently make the right play.

1. Lebron James and Kyle Kuzma

These two in a pick and roll is probably the Lakers biggest threat now, and it has a lot to do with the versatility Kuzma has as a scorer. This combination will work exceptionally well when the Lakers use Kuzma at center, a switch in this scenario would end with a center trying to cover Lebron.

To start the year Kyle’s three-point shooting has been way down compared to last year, currently shooting 28 percent from downtown, as opposed to his 36 percent clip from last season.  Kuzma is, however, a great finisher at the rim, getting a basket 68 percent of the time he attempts one at the rim this season.

With Kuzma being an average passer at best, this duo works best with Lebron as the primary ball handler. As the roll man, Kyle has excellent hands around the basket and will have little issue adapting to the thread the needle type passes Lebron can make.

As mentioned before, if Kuzma can maintain discipline while setting screens, it will give Lebron more room to operate. The pick and pop option is something the Lakers could get good mileage out of, with Kuzma screening for Lebron and popping out for three.

Combination of Lebron’s threat to score and vision and Kyle Kuzma’s diverse offensive arsenal make this pick and roll very hard for defenses to cover. Lebron can get the best out of all his teammates, so as he and Kuzma build chemistry, this threat should become more and more deadly.

 

Kuzma for 6th man of the year

Kyle Kuzma is in a perfect position to campaign for the Sixth Man of the Year 

Since 2000, 15 of the past 18 Sixth Man of the Year winners had gone to guard positions, with Lamar Odom being the last frontcourt player to win since 2010-2011 when he brought the award back to the Los Angeles Lakers. Since the Sixth Man of the Year award was born to the NBA in 1982-1983, Odom is the only Laker player to bring the prize home.

Coming into the 2017 NBA draft, Kyle Kuzma was considered to be worth a second round pick, so the Lakers drafting him at 27th was maybe a little higher than advertised, but right around where scouts expected Kyle to get selected. The surprise came with how quickly he came out the gate and put on a show for the restless Laker fans wanting to be a fun team again.

After putting up 8 points and 4 rebounds in 18 minutes in an opening night loss to the Los Angeles Clippers last season, Kuzma went on a tear after that averaging 17 points, 6 rebounds on roughly 53% shooting from the field.  The Lakers ended up going 8-11 during the span, which does not seem like much, but it was enough for fans to start to see the potential that this young core has, and for Kuzma to earn his right for the Lakers to include him in their future plans.

Barring any injuries, Lebron James at power forward is the position he will be playing a lot of this season. Giving Lebron power forward minutes instead of Small Forward does not change how many touches he gets on the offensive end, but it does change one thing, where is Kuzma going to get his minutes?

Luke Walton has publicly said that he plans on giving Kuzma minutes at center for some of their small-ball lineups, which does compensate for some the minutes Lebron will inevitably soak up from Kuzma.

With all the playmakers the Lakers added in Lebron, Rajon Rondo, and Lance Stephenson, combined with Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, Kuzma will be able to get significantly more open looks this season compared to last season. With roughly 49% of Kuzma’s shots last season coming off an assist, looks will continue to show up with all the creativity Lakers have on offense.

To qualify for the Sixth Man of the Year, all they need to do is play more games coming off the bench than as a starter, which would give Kuzma a 40 game maximum to be eligible for the award. Unless the injury bug bites the Lakers this season, Kyle will see most of his minutes coming off the bench.

With last year’s sixth man of the year winner Louis Williams averaging 22 PPG and 5 AST per game, Kuzma could very well be in the discussion this year if he can improve on his 2017-2018 averages of 16 PPG and 5 TRG. Kuzma’s touches might drop some with the new additions, but as our deadliest offensive weapon off the bench now, the pieces are in place for Kyle to make a run at the 2018-2019 Kia Sixth Man of the Year Award.

How the Lakers defended James Harden

Even though the Lakers lost, they were able to mix things up against reigning MVP James Harden, which could come in handy down the line

Getting lost in the shuffle of the brawl that took place this past Saturday, was how the Los Angeles Lakers tried to reigning defender MVP, James Harden. The Lakers moved away from the “ Switch everything “ method that most teams seem to be deploying these days, and gave Harden a few different looks.

Although Harden did end up with 36 points, give Coach Luke Walton credit for mixing things up in an attempt to through the Houston Rockets off. If the Lakers can recover from their sluggish start and make their way into the playoffs and meet the Rockets, it doesn’t hurt to have different schemes on tape for the Rockets to consider when game planning.

Two things happened on the defensive end:

1. Instead of switching every pick and roll, which Houston ran 17.6% of the time last season, the Lakers would drop the defender who’s man is setting the screen back, while at the same time having Harden’s defender trail him over the screen. This would force Harden towards the defender dropped back, and with his man trailing, would make it very difficult for Harden to get off a clean look for three.

2. While not all that uncommon, another scheme the Lakers tried out was having one man hang around as ” Free Safety,” which means he was less interested in what his defender was doing, and more interested in what moves Harden was planning on making.

The Lakers would do this but using whichever defender was guarding the,e least dangerous offensive weapon for the Rockets. This has the potential to give up open shots to Rockets role players, but that is the point, the Lakers would rather P.J. Tucker drop 30 on wide open shots than Harden get hot and go off for 50 by continuously beating his defender off the dribble.

Here we see Brandon Ingram trailing Harden off the screen, with JaVale McGee staying back. This gives Harden a ” Wall ” that he has to go through to get to the basket. Harden is good enough to beat this play consistently, but if he is working harder than usual to get there, it is worth it. One way or another he is going to get his shots up, you want him to work.

Here is another example of McGee dropping back, and Rajon Rondo trailing Harden over the screen. If you look at the right block, we can also see Lebron James nowhere near his man, mostly filling in that ” Free Safety ” role as extra help. 

A third example of McGee dropping back to provide a wall, with Lebron paying no mind to his defender Tucker.

This example is on an isolation play, with Brandon Ingram crowding Harden forcing him to his weak hand, which is also where most of his help is. Notice Lebron all but in the paint ready to help, leaving Tucker all alone. Rondo is providing an extra hand by turning his focus more towards Harden, and less towards his man James Ennis. Because Chris Paul is such a threat, Kentaviouis Caldwell-Pope is not helping off as much as the other Lakers. 

 

While the Lakers were unable to get the win in Lebron’s home debut, and most of the game was overshadowed by the fight that took place towards the end. The Lakers at the very least gave Houston something to think about the next time they play, and hopefully if they meet in the playoffs, Houston as several schemes to review that the Lakers tried out during the regular season in an attempt to corral Harden.

Ben Simmons: Point God

With the Philadelphia 76ers opening the 2018-2019 NBA season tonight visiting the Boston Celtics, here are Ben Simmons best passes from the preseason.

By far Ben Simmons best attribute is his passing, even being an outstanding rebounder and finisher at the rim, the freakish 6″10 point guard has passing skills very rarely seen for anyone.

Not only does he have the size to see over the defense, but his strength and athletic ability are also at an elite level. Once Simmons is able to develop a consistent jump shot, there will be virtually no way to stop him.

Down below we have a few examples from this years preseason that demonstrate Simmons elite passing skills.

Example #1: Simmons collects the entry pass from Robert Covington and is able to make a nice pass to the cutting Markelle Fultz around a double team,

We can see right here that Simmons makes a fantastic wrap around pass to hit Fultz wide open on his way to the hoop. Simmons original man should have rotated to the cutting Fultz but freezes in the paint and fails to make any play at all.

Example #2: Simmons attack the paint off a nice drop pass from Dario Saric, three defenders come over to help, which leaves Amir Johnson wide open for the layup plus a foul.

As Simmons enters the lane, he draws the attention of three defenders, with Amir Johnson’s man in a position to step over and help.  Simmons is able to do another beautiful wrap-around pass to Johnson, who collects and makes the basket, even with a little push from behind.

Example #3: In transition, Simmons is able to make the nice pass to Fultz for three.

Simmons is most deadly when he is in transition because of his size, speed, and strength. Once he gets inside the three-point line, the defenders collapse in to cut off the easy basket, which leaves Covington and Fultz wide open on the wings ready to shoot.

Simmons swings the pass to Fultz, who hits his first three of the 2018 NBA season. Beautiful to see after the rough time he had last year,

Example #4: Simmons gets into the paint once again, and makes a nice pass out of the shot.

While the shot was there for Simmons but drawing the attention of four defenders leaves a lane for Johnson to head straight to the rim. On the perimeter, Ben also had two shooters open for a shot, but the better play was to drop the pass off to Amir.

Example #5: Simmons threads the needle to Covington in transition.

The defense is making an excellent effort to get back in transition, but Ben Simmons has a small window to make the pass to a cutting Covington, while also needing to hit him in stride since he will be coming in full speed ahead.

J.J Redick looks to be trailing around Simmons to give him an out if the pass was not there, but the ball gets to Covington right in stride for the dunk.

The overall theme from these passes is Ben Simmons is able to routinely get deep into the defense, forcing help and hitting wide open teammates. What is also really impressive is the creativity he uses to get passes off, because of his size he is able to see over and around defenders, which gives him unique angles for passes.  With the 76ers stacked with talent and shooters, it does not seem too crazy to think that Ben Simmons will lead the league in assists this season.