Quagmire
Years ago
Knicks Defence- not an oxymoron.
Looking at truehoop today and there is a link to video of the Knicks playing D against the Hornets.
In the video we see the knicks switch on every single screen the hornets played. It made life for the Hornets real tough and got the Knicks an away victory.
Essentially, the play most run in the NBA is the screen and roll or variations of. The question has always been how to defend it best (if it is executed properly- it is almost always going to garner a high % shot) Go over or under the screen, send help early etc.
Usually you would hesitate to switch because the other team would get a mis-match like a center guarding a pg or a pg getting posted by a center.
Coach D has obviously decided to put a team on the floor that can guard multiple positions, Lee, Jeffries, Chandler, Richardson and Duhon which enable them to switch on the roll and diminish its effects.
Not to mention who comes off the bench- Thomas, Harrington and in a few weeks, the rook Gallinari.
Nate and Duhon, despite their vertical challenges, are strong as hell and can at least hold pos in the post until help arrives. (the knicks are also good at waiting for the right time, and faking help D in this situation.)
In coach D's system its much harder for teams to get these types of mis-matches and it is making life for screen and roll teams very hard.
Is this going to be the evolution of basketball?
The abolition of traditional line ups, replaced by a 4 medium-bigs and one point guard?
The system obviously worked against the Hornets- but no Hornet not named Paul can pass worth a darn.
Could it work against the Duncan/Parker screen and roll? (the cadilac of screen and rolls) where Duncan could be counted on to make the extra pass/play?
Regardless- the system is getting the knicks wins that their roster suggests shouldn't be possible.
Now the big question- How well would LBJ fit in this system? Bosh? Wade? any combination of the three?
Knicks fans- there is a whole lotta light at the end of this tunnel...
