Novice kind of question on Pitt defense

[gary2]

Say it is a given that we have a pack of very poor defensive players. Is there anything we can do to make it harder for the other teams offense?

It seems like in our man to man we are not exactly in our mans grill. Is that because we are afraid of them going by us? Does giving that kind of space actually make things easier on the offensive player?

I guess what I am really asking is Pitt still playing the same Pitt defense it always did just with very poor defensive players or are we playing a much softer defense because of very poor defensive players?

Would we be better off really packing it in and just conceding threes (though it seems like a fairly easy shot to make)? At least (hopefully) we would not be giving up so many layups and (hopefully) not as many easy put backs.

Harve talked about the blitz trap used against Colo. That was the best defense I have seen from Pitt in 4 years.

I have talked about how Wichita State took Woodall completely out of the game by running two players at him on either side of the screen.

UNC ran the 1-3-1 against Duke for a half.

Someone ran the box and one on FSU and Mayes

What can we do to be better on defense without a complete roster purge?

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

I think you're on the same track of thinking I am.

#1 We need SOME identity on defense. Something we do well and can rely on.

Up to the coaches to figure out what it is with this group of players.

I smiled ear to ear watching Duke play NCSU in a matchup zone and at least 3/4 court pressure on the ball handlers...completely flummoxed them.

That's just a great coach scouting well, and having his team execute to near perfection.

 

[KennyTheKangaroo]

Of course, pitt try to play zone against NC state and the result was an alley oop.

But yes that duke matchup zone was a thing of beauty. NCST had no idea what to do with it.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Originally posted by KennyTheKangaroo:

Of course, pitt try to play zone against NC state and the result was an alley oop.

But yes that duke matchup zone was a thing of beauty. NCST had no idea what to do with it.

And some open threes.

We seem to fail to understand that just being the general area of an offensive player, isn't good enough to actually defend.

 

[JRPITT]

Duke shut down Lacey and Barber by having their two best guard defenders play them straight up man. Those two guards didn't help. Okefor played in the paint waiting for them if they would beat the Duke guards off the dribble.The Duke coach also mixed in a 2-3 match zone which caused NCST some confusion. Three points here;
(1) We don't have guards defensively good enough to stay with Barber and Lacey.
(2) We don't have a rim protector.
(3) Coach Dixon doesn't mix his defenses. He only changes if his man or zone isn't working. Difference in coaching
philosophies.

 

[Harve74]

There's a bit of difference if you're playing all 5-stars, one of whom may be the #1 overall NBA draft choices or 3 stars but, we gotta play the guys we have.

Not many coaches mix defenses these days, although it used to be quite common. Mostly, the turnover of players and the restriction on permissible hours of practice time have resulted in players less well coached than in previous years. As DT said in a thread in thus subject last week, most coaches practice only what they are going to play and practice time is too limited.

In our case, this roster doesn't seem able to have mastered two fairly simple defenses yet. Adding more complicated schemes might be worse yet.

I think there are some tweaks Jamie could make. Some are against his philosophy of how to defend. I guess the question of execution versus strategy could be raised but right now the execution seems to be the main culprit.

As I said a little earlier in another related thread, I think effort and concentration are the bigger issues. Improved lateral quickness would be nice but unlike some other posters who seem to think great defenders are born, not made, I tend to agree with Braves1212's post last week the defense is mainly attitude and effort.