LATEST STORIES FROM THE X'S & O'S OF BASKETBALL
Be the Aggressor, Nuggets Take it to Mavs
May 04, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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It's why the playoffs are the playoffs and the regular season is the regular season. I only caught the first quarter of the Mavs against the Nuggets but it was evident that the Nuggets were the aggressor, taking it right at the Mavs, and reciprocating it with hard physical defense...
Analyzing Celtics Poor Inbounds Defensive Coverage
May 02, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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Throughout the first six games of the first round seven game series between the Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls, I've been surprised to see the poor defensive coverage by the Celtics on critical inbounds plays in the fourth quarter. If the game is close again -- as it should...
Follow The X's and O's of Basketball on Twitter
May 01, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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I've been twittering for a few months on a personal account and I find it a neat new way to communicate online. I just created one to go along with this blog so we'll see how well it goes. You can following my tweets at https://twitter.com/coachbruchu. Happy tweeting!!!
Doc Rivers Post Game, We Had Our Chances
May 01, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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What a game, what a series. From a fan's perspective, you couldn't ask for anything more, 7 overtimes, unbelievable shots, game-changing plays. As a coach though, I think most would look at the game and series much more critically. Why did the Celtics go to Tony Allen on consecutive...
The Run Out Versus the Block Out
April 30, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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It has been an interesting series between the Atlanta Hawks and the Miami Heat. Both teams have ratcheted up the physicality and the list of injured is growing on both sides. I know Kenny Smith on TNT keeps talking about how he hates the Hawks half-court offense, he calls it dribble...
Analyzing the Turning Point in Celtics vs Bulls Game 5
April 29, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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The Celtics vs Bulls series has definitely been the most entertaining to watch, yet as a coach its been interesting to dissect some of the good plays, and the bad ones as well. Of course, last night's game was controversial mainly due to how it ended, was the Rondo foul on Miller...
The Importance of Toughness, Nuggets and Hornets
April 28, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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I caught the first half of the game between the Denver Nuggets and the New Orleans Hornets last night and the entire game -- entire series for that matter -- was summed up in one word -- toughness. The Nuggets have it, the Hornets are running away from it, and that is the fundamental...
Pistons Defense Lets them Down in Series Sweep
April 27, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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I watched a couple of halves of the Cleveland Cavaliers versus Detroit Pistons series. While on the one hand, certainly Lebron James and the Cavs looked invincible -- to me, I felt that the Pistons really just didn't play good enough defense. They had the right idea to double-team...
It's All The Same So Long as the Basket Goes Through the Hoop
April 26, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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The last day or so, I've heard a lot of talk on TV and the radio about whether or not certain star players need to score a certain amount of points in order for the team to win. In Houston, they're wondering whether it is a bad thing that Yao Ming only went 2-for-7, yet the...
Mavs Team Defense Shuts Down Tony Parker
April 24, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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After an impressive Game 1 start, the Dallas Mavs relapsed into defensive ineptitude and allowed Spurs point guard Tony Parker to torch them for 38 points and a blowout win in San Antonio. Erick Dampier came out the day after and proclaimed through the media that he was going to put...
Orlando Magic's Solid Transition Defense Despite Sloppy Offense
April 23, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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In playing against the Philadelphia 76ers, it's all about transition defense. They play a very uptempo, fast-breaking style, with their athletic guards in Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller. The Orlando Magic are the better team, but if they allow the 76ers to get into the open court...
Kobe Bryant the Leader, the Future Head Coach?
April 22, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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What is most fulfilling as a coach is to see that your players have matured, that they get the big picture, and that they can take control themselves. In watching Kobe Bryant throughout his career, he's had times of immaturity, he's made mistakes, but I think he's in a...
Celtics Beat the Bulls -- End of Game Analyzed
April 21, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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Just an incredible finish between the Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls tonight. If the Bulls lose this series, they'll look at this game and wonder "what if" they had won this game, a game they should have won. The Celtics will look back at Game 1 and wonder "...
Hawks Play the Percentages on Defense -- Go Under all Ball Screens
April 20, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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With the exception of the 76ers thriller over the Magic, most of the games today were duds. I happened to catch the Heat vs Hawks game which was a dud. I've watched both the Heat and the Hawks a few times during the regular season but I never got in-depth into either team. But...
Celtics Good Offense Leads to Bad Transition Defense
April 18, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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What a thrilling game from start to finish between the Celtics and the Bulls, at least from a fan standpoint, end to end action, last second shots, and overtime. From a coaching standpoint, we see a lot of mistakes, taking ill-advised shots, poor defensive execution, bad fouls, and...
Mavs Offense dictated by both Carlisle and Kidd
April 17, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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Of all the first-round playoff matchups, the one upset that probably won't surprise many people is the Dallas Mavericks over the third-seeded San Antonio Spurs. But not all of it is the aging, ailing Spurs. The Mavs have finally started to gel in the past few weeks under Rick Carlisle...
Lakers and Jazz Get Tough for the Playoffs
April 15, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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Can't you tell it's playoff season for the NBA? Ray Allen gets suspended by popping Anderson Verajao in the crotch. I took in the Lakers vs Jazz game last night and both teams turned up the intensity, upped the physicality, all in an attempt to gain a mental edge on what potentially...
Raptors Hard Hedge Forces Turnovers
April 14, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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It's been a disappointing year for Raptors fans. Sam Mitchell was fired mid-season (one of many coaching casualties), the Jermaine O'Neal experiment failed miserably, Jose Calderon couldn't stay healthy, and rumors kept swirling that Chris Bosh wanted out. If there has...
Do the No Defense Knicks Fit in NYC?
April 13, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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It's getting close to the end of the regular season in the NBA and for 16 well-deserved teams, the real season begins. The rest are left to ponder what never was and what changes need to be made in the future. I watched the playoff-bound Miami Heat against the lottery-bound New...
Another Blow to Amateur Basketball in the US
April 12, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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Just this past week as this year's inductees were announced for the Basketball Hall of Fame, most of us coaches eagerly waited for Bobby Hurley Sr.'s name to come up only to be disappointed yet again. To be sure, Michael Jordan, David Robinson, Jerry Sloan, John Stockton, and...
The Case For Derrick Rose as Rookie of the Year
April 10, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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About a month ago, I thought it was going to be an interesting battle for the final few playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. At the time, I thought Milwaukee and Chicago would go down to the wire. I was right about Chicago, not so much about Milwaukee. John Paxson is looking pretty...
Greg Oden a Work in Progress on the Pick and Roll
April 09, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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A lot of talk about the Spurs and their playoff hopes now that Manu Ginobili is gone for the year. I took in their game last night against the Portland Trailblazers, who look poised to make some noise themselves in the upcoming playoffs. One of the players I really looked at closely...
To Foul or Not to Foul -- Heat Lose to Hornets
April 08, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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With the NCAA Championship over, I'm really starting to get into NBA Playoffs mode. Caught the second half of an intense game between the New Orleans Hornets and the Miami Heat. Playing in different conferences, but the game really had the feel of a playoff game. Hornets head coach...
One of Ty Lawson's Record 8 Steals
April 07, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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Well, not exactly a thriller of a game, especially when compared to last year's championship game. I do wonder if the outcome would've been different if Michigan State would have played the first half the way they played in the second half. As I mentioned on Sunday, the key...
Nuggets Trapping the High Ball Screen
April 06, 2009 by
The X's & O's of Basketball
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Watched the first half of the second game in the TNT double-header last night between the Denver Nuggets and the Utah Jazz. Both teams are playoff teams and could very well face each other in the first round. It's remarkable how much one player (Chauncey Billups) can make, but...
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