How do you defend this?

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Look at Houston's shot chart from last night. I count only three mid-range shots and then everything else is in the paint or beyond the arc. This is the modern day NBA taken to the extreme and it works for these guys. They are 2nd in offensive rating this season.

To me, the way you defend this is by playing a switching defense, which requires players that can guard multiple positions. It doesn't appear New Orleans did that very well!

[AbeVigodaLive]

D'Antoni wants them to shoot 50 three pointers every game the rest of the season.

Remember, this system has been in the works for awhile. They implemented it and studied it at the D League level. The Wolves, from Saunders to Mitchell to Thibs, has been a bit behind the curve on this issue as you well know.

[Monster]

Do your best and just pray they miss. Houston is a team that might be able to match up and give GS a series. It would be high scoring that's for sure.

[Coolbreeze44]

That's amazing. If I was building a team to try and defend an offense like that I would want long, agile players at every position. But probably the best way to counter an offense like that is to punish them at the other end to try to get them out of their comfort zone. Pound the ball inside and pound the offensive glass. You're going to give up some fast breaks, but I'll take that over letting them efficiently fire away from the 3 point line.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

You get an elite defensive center like Gobert, DJ, etc and you run them off the 3pt line so they have to drive into a stiffle tower and if you give up some extra easy looks inside the paint you take it.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

That's amazing. If I was building a team to try and defend an offense like that I would want long, agile players at every position. But probably the best way to counter an offense like that is to punish them at the other end to try to get them out of their comfort zone. Pound the ball inside and pound the offensive glass. You're going to give up some fast breaks, but I'll take that over letting them efficiently fire away from the 3 point line.

I agree with the long, agile part. I also think teams aren't doing their homework with these guys. There is simply no way New Orleans should have allowed that many 3-point looks.

Even when the Wolves played Houston in January (and won) we allowed Ryan Anderson 14 (!) 3-point attempts. Ryan Anderson is not Steph Curry. He does not have a lightning quick release, nor is he going run off of multiple staggered screens. There is no way he should be allowed to get off that many 3's.

The key to me is to crowd them out at the 3-point line and force them to put the ball on the floor. This probably means doing a bunch of switching on ball screens, but what's the big deal if Wiggins or Rubio switches on to Anderson. His entire goal in life is to take a 3. Let him post those guys up and take a 2-point contested turnaround. I'll take that shot!

[SameOldNudityDrew]

Zone D is legal in the NBA right? Could a team conceivably design a zone defense that targeted those areas? It would be tough because the 3 point line covers so much space. But I'm curious what that might look like and if it could be effective?

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

Zone D is legal in the NBA right? Could a team conceivably design a zone defense that targeted those areas? It would be tough because the 3 point line covers so much space. But I'm curious what that might look like and if it could be effective?

At the NBA level zone defenses should be eviscerated.

[Coolbreeze44]

Zone D is legal in the NBA right? Could a team conceivably design a zone defense that targeted those areas? It would be tough because the 3 point line covers so much space. But I'm curious what that might look like and if it could be effective?

Drew, a matchup zone would have the best chance of succeeding against this. You need constant pressure on the ball.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Zone D is legal in the NBA right? Could a team conceivably design a zone defense that targeted those areas? It would be tough because the 3 point line covers so much space. But I'm curious what that might look like and if it could be effective?

Drew, a matchup zone would have the best chance of succeeding against this. You need constant pressure on the ball.

But isn't that similar to just switching everything on the perimeter? You are just handing off guys from one person to the next as screens come.

What about a 1-3-1 with the weak side wing dropping down to the paint when necessary?

LOL, I have to believe NBA coaches have thought this through....khans is probably right.

The thing is it can take a long time to change conventional thinking. It took 30+ years for the NBA to truly grasp the basic math of 3 points being 50% greater than 2 points, thus an open 3 is almost always the better shot. Are there dogmas on defense that need to be broken in order to catch up with the new realities?