Watching the playoffs so far, I can't get over the abundance of jumpshots, many of them forced or out-of-rhythm. I have to give some credit to good defense, but I feel that the increased use and refining of zone defenses offers the best explanation. Through long stretches of both current series, the success rate in the paint plummets. Ball-handlers get crowded-out, big men get cramped, and passers lose their passing lanes, all thanks to four defenders, sometimes five, all sticking a toe in the lane and collapsing from there. When teams try to space things out on the perimeter, defenders run out at them all and stop ball movement. Early offense off of transition works to an extent, but all the remaining teams deserve credit for being able to take away that first option in early-offense scenarios, forcing their opponents into half-court sets, which they then can't get going all too often. And the result has been a lot of attempts at drawing fouls, and jumpshots that are merely...
Original Story:
http://raptorsforum.com/index.htm
Original Story:
http://raptorsforum.com/index.htm
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May 23, 2008
