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Thought this was an interesting read given the issues we're having with our defense in the pick and roll/pop when on ball screens are deployed.

http://www.vantagesports.com/#story/VKk ... e-strategy

With more shooting options appearing at the 4 & 5 spot, and with our guards and wings being average at best collectively on the defensive end, are we guarding on ball screens in a correct fashion based on this teams personnel?

I think it's clear that our big men can't show or hedge given that they are too big and not nimble enough to do so (Gasol), or hurt to try this tactic (Noah).

That said, our wings and guards are not performing well defensively, so if we were to hedge/show more often, would these guys adequately step in to help on defense?

What say you, Bulls board? How do we improve in this area? Can we given the players we have?

If an opposing coach sees Gasol on the court, why wouldn't he keep sending his man to set the screen on Rose all day?

For me, this is the reason for the slippage in our defensive rating. Timely, given we were abused by Teague & Horford today, who kept playing a 2 man game that would result in open shots to Horford with Pau consistently dropping back into the paint and never leaving it.

Good thread.

The Clippers gif is probably the great example how you defend the on the ball screen from the link you give. They are quick and athletic to rotate, and cover their man beautiful.

Our problem with the team as you pointed out which is a combination lot of things why our defense is so bad. Pau Gasol he is old, to slow footed and unathletic to rotate quick to recover their man. Pau Gasol could stay on his man to cover his man that is do the pop, and what I mean by that defend the guy who keep shooting jumper running the pick & pop. My worry about that is even if Gasol does that I think Horford is to athletic, and too quick for him possible cause a easy basket which I think that happen once against the Hawks when Horford got the easy basket I don't remember exactly.

Noah is not himself probably still hurt which can't well can't use the tactics or whatever to do his assignments very well. Taj is probably our best defender big this season(He was terrible in both ends against the Hawks.), and Nikola who makes lot of mistakes which you expect as a rookie especially on the defensive end.

Our point guards Rose, Brooks(He might be a lost cause.), and to a degree Kirk. Needs to do a better job watching out, and defending the screen and recover quickly. If you notice this season when teams do on ball screen against the Bulls pick & roll, or pick & pop our point guards either not giving much effort, or having a difficult time defending the ball screen, and recover which cause the bigs to switch.

It starts with our bigs, and point guard on the Ball Screen Defensive. With Gasol on the floor it's going to be difficult how to adjust when you face a team who have a big that is athletic, quick, and can knock down the jumper. The only thing I can think of to make some defensive adjustment if Gasol is on the floor is switch on everything but that maybe a bad idea with Gasol on the floor.

While of course there are other aspect why our defense is horrible lack of effort, and energy from everyone.

It might be worth noting that since this was written our defense has gotten worse, our rating is now where Boston is ( )

It's a great indepth article on our biggest problem (defense), with data backing up assertions some of us have been making; mainly we drop back far too much and leave screening bigs wide open for easy 2 pointers. Something effective in past eras (when a typical PF was Oakley or Kevin WIllis) but will get destroyed in 2015 as bigs being able to reliably hit jumpers is standard now, not an exception.

The long 2 isn't inefficient when teams consistently hit 60%-70% against you, like Scola, Horford, Draymond, Vucevic, the list goes on & on. I wouldn't be surprised if opposing coaches tell their PFs "You're playing the Bulls tomorrow, just practice your jumper all day, you'll always be open."

The article doesn't pretend to have a concrete answer, but the data shows that other than an outlier in Portland, teams that are the league's best defenses (GS, ATL, SA, WAS) have a better balance of dropping back vs Showing & Hedging. Just too many good shooting bigs out there. And you're more likely to find them against the better teams (ATL, GS).

I also think the Bulls have a unique problem in that we field both our centers at the same time. Our starting unit often gets burned on defense, and we tend to lose the 1st quarter where our starters play almost the entire quarter.



Our 2nd unit bigs do a much better job of getting out there on shooters (duh, they're both PFs). So while the Bulls are extreme in dropping back, our starting unit is actually going to be even more extreme than their data shows, because both our bigs that show/hedge start playing with the game 1/4 over.

I don't think Noah getting "healthy again" changes much. It helps, but even a younger healthier Noah vs our 1st Miami playoff series got shredded by Bosh on jumpers. Noah's ability as a center to immediately get out there and contest long jump shooters is greatly exaggerated, by both this board & the media. TBH, i know this is heresy, but i think he's overrated as a defender if people are saying he was the best overall defender in the entire league. I think he's a hustle & energy player.

I'd like to see Thibs stop starting two centers.
And if teams are going to abuse the pick & pop on us, go small and put Butler on the 4. GS starts Draymond Green at the 4 and their defense is elite.