Who Is To Blame For The Defense

[Simmons25]

The problem with the scheme is its predictability. When your scheme is to switch everything opposing teams know what to expect and exploit it. We don't force opponents to make reads on the fly. We don't force ballhandler to decide on a pass or hesitate which helps generate turnovers.

Opponents know if you screen with Embiids guy the ballhandler gets an easy uncontested 15 foot jumper.

Would it kill the team to just show a little diversity?

It’s predictable because all rim protection lies on Embiid. Unlike say the Warriors, Raps or Thunder that you have a secondary rim protector when you get their primary rim protector to step outside.

Embiid doesnt want to step out and contest that jumper because he knows there’s no one to have his back when that ball handler opts to drive to the basket. You saw this when we played defense on Kyrie. When Kyrie drive past embiid, it’s a lay-up or an And 1, that was until that epic defensive block he had to win us the game.

I was talking to someone today about this... how the defensive scheme we have in place is almost identical to the Warriors 2015 defensive scheme which had them ranked #1 in the league defensively and the players both teams have are very similar. A big shot blocking center, tall athletic players at the 2-4 spot and a short guard that isn't great on defense and you need to cover for.

Bogut - Embiid
Green - Simmons
Iguodala - Tobias
Thompson - Butler
Curry - Redick

Here is the difference though. In 2015 Bogut stationed himself under the basket and it worked because the other defenders knew he was going to be back there waiting to cover them and the others could play up on their man more on the perimeter and pressure them. Embiid plays higher and isn't right at the rim but also isn't out at the 3 point line. Embiid relies on getting a lot of chase down blocks and last year he was doing it regularly. This year he seems to not be doing it much at all and opponents are getting to the rim with ease with Embiid seemingly just watching. God only knows why.

But here is the real problem with playing this style though. The Cavs worked out at one point in the series that you could just set screens at the top against the Warriors because Bogut sat back defensively and they could get wide open jumpers. The Warriors countered in that series by benching Bogut and going small with Draymond Green playing the 5. It turned the series and won them the championship with Bogut playing very little of the last 3 games of those finals.

Now there is no way in hell Embiid is going to be benched like Bogut was if a team goes small so what the hell do you do? What defensive scheme do you run where you can have Embiid out there and at the same time not getting picked apart from the perimeter.

You basically need a Draymond Green type that can play the 4 to cover... but the only player I can see on the squad capable of being mobile enough but also can block shots is Jonah Bolden but he seems to be getting no game time whatsoever and which of the starting 5 do you get rid of to allow Bolden to play that role?

[Kolkmania]

The problem with the scheme is its predictability. When your scheme is to switch everything opposing teams know what to expect and exploit it. We don't force opponents to make reads on the fly. We don't force ballhandler to decide on a pass or hesitate which helps generate turnovers.

Opponents know if you screen with Embiids guy the ballhandler gets an easy uncontested 15 foot jumper.

Would it kill the team to just show a little diversity?

It’s predictable because all rim protection lies on Embiid. Unlike say the Warriors, Raps or Thunder that you have a secondary rim protector when you get their primary rim protector to step outside.

Embiid doesnt want to step out and contest that jumper because he knows there’s no one to have his back when that ball handler opts to drive to the basket. You saw this when we played defense on Kyrie. When Kyrie drive past embiid, it’s a lay-up or an And 1, that was until that epic defensive block he had to win us the game.

I was talking to someone today about this... how the defensive scheme we have in place is almost identical to the Warriors 2015 defensive scheme which had them ranked #1 in the league defensively and the players both teams have are very similar. A big shot blocking center, tall athletic players at the 2-4 spot and a short guard that isn't great on defense and you need to cover for.

Bogut - Embiid
Green - Simmons
Iguodala - Tobias
Thompson - Butler
Curry - Redick

Here is the difference though. In 2015 Bogut stationed himself under the basket and it worked because the other defenders knew he was going to be back there waiting to cover them and the others could play up on their man more on the perimeter and pressure them. Embiid plays higher and isn't right at the rim but also isn't out at the 3 point line. Embiid relies on getting a lot of chase down blocks and last year he was doing it regularly. This year he seems to not be doing it much at all and opponents are getting to the rim with ease with Embiid seemingly just watching. God only knows why.

But here is the real problem with playing this style though. The Cavs worked out at one point in the series that you could just set screens at the top against the Warriors because Bogut sat back defensively and they could get wide open jumpers. The Warriors countered in that series by benching Bogut and going small with Draymond Green playing the 5. It turned the series and won them the championship with Bogut playing very little of the last 3 games of those finals.

Now there is no way in hell Embiid is going to be benched like Bogut was if a team goes small so what the hell do you do? What defensive scheme do you run where you can have Embiid out there and at the same time not getting picked apart from the perimeter.

You basically need a Draymond Green type that can play the 4 to cover... but the only player I can see on the squad capable of being mobile enough but also can block shots is Jonah Bolden but he seems to be getting no game time whatsoever and which of the starting 5 do you get rid of to allow Bolden to play that role?

Our team is nothing alike that Warriors team. A big part of their success was their collective basketball intelligence on the defensive end. They rarely missed a rotation, they tried and even Stephen Curry, their worst defender, is an underrated defender and certainly above average for his position.
And oh yeah, they had Draymond Green. Probably one of the most unique defenders of all time, imagine Bolden in that role.

Literally the entire topic is filled with the notion that we give up wide open threes if Embiid is dropping down during high P&R's. I like your optimism but there's no quick fix to our defensive problem.

[Mik317]

Tobias is nowhere close to the defender Iggy was...and you could make a case for Jimmy isn't as good as Klay (at the very least Klay doesn't have to dribble as much and thus has more energy on that end). Also Iggy came off the bench and Barnes is a better defender than Tobias,. JJ also makes Curry look like a lock down defender lol.

Thats a bad comp.

The idea is sound tho...Joel needs a secondary shot blocker to allow him to roam and actually contest. IMO the Bolden/Embiid lineup actually caused some havoc the 3 times we've gone to it lol. Hell Ersan's flopgod skills was basically rim protection so it also worked. Ben in theory could do this but he is more of a body up type of guy than shot blocker and is probably best on the perimeter IMO. This is a no **** sherlock but Durant would be amazing in that role as IIRC he is a pretty dang good weakside shotblocker. But remember the 2 minutes of Noel/Embiid? That **** was cool as ****

[rzzzzz]

But remember the 2 minutes of Noel/Embiid? That **** was cool as ****

That's what Sam wanted. During that short time when Biid felt like he had recovered from the first procedure until that awful scan, he and Nerlens were working out together and reportedly Biid was tossing him around the court, leaving no doubt who was going to play center. After the scan Sam had Nerlens playing pf to Jahlil at center, but there was no doubt who was going to play there after Biid recovered from the 2nd procedure. But Nerlens just couldn't dig the idea of becoming a super, off ball defender. He fussed until Brett relented and switched him and OK4, away from Sams hope for him. And then,Sam was gone, of course.

Moody Nerlens was his own worst enemy. But I wish we had held onto him, against his own publicly pronounced wishes, and Brett had put him in there with Biid enough to convince him that he could be part of a killer front line. Oh well.

[Sixerscan]

Tobias is nowhere close to the defender Iggy was...and you could make a case for Jimmy isn't as good as Klay (at the very least Klay doesn't have to dribble as much and thus has more energy on that end). Also Iggy came off the bench and Barnes is a better defender than Tobias,. JJ also makes Curry look like a lock down defender lol.

Thats a bad comp.

The idea is sound tho...Joel needs a secondary shot blocker to allow him to roam and actually contest. IMO the Bolden/Embiid lineup actually caused some havoc the 3 times we've gone to it lol. Hell Ersan's flopgod skills was basically rim protection so it also worked. Ben in theory could do this but he is more of a body up type of guy than shot blocker and is probably best on the perimeter IMO. This is a no **** sherlock but Durant would be amazing in that role as IIRC he is a pretty dang good weakside shotblocker. But remember the 2 minutes of Noel/Embiid? That **** was cool as ****

Yeah also Ben is a good defender but not the DPOY level Draymond was.

That warriors roster also played together for several years before their first title run. Most of this Sixers roster hasn’t even had a training camp together. Expecting them to have all the concepts down when half the guys have been on the team for like 7 weeks isn’t realistic. People can kick and scream but that reality doesn’t change.

The Sixers starting lineup against the Magic had played 5 minutes together total prior to that game. The Magic starters had played 750. Heck the actual Sixers starting lineup has only played 150 minutes together. For all the talent in the world (and the success they’ve had to date and could have the rest of this year is a testament to that talent) there’s something to be said for just knowing how to play together.

So many people any time there’s a bad game just want to blow everything up. This team needs to stop remaking itself every couple of months. If they bring almost everyone back next year, have a camp together ect I guarantee the defense will be a lot better.

[sixers hoops]

Tobias is nowhere close to the defender Iggy was...and you could make a case for Jimmy isn't as good as Klay (at the very least Klay doesn't have to dribble as much and thus has more energy on that end). Also Iggy came off the bench and Barnes is a better defender than Tobias,. JJ also makes Curry look like a lock down defender lol.

Thats a bad comp.

The idea is sound tho...Joel needs a secondary shot blocker to allow him to roam and actually contest. IMO the Bolden/Embiid lineup actually caused some havoc the 3 times we've gone to it lol. Hell Ersan's flopgod skills was basically rim protection so it also worked. Ben in theory could do this but he is more of a body up type of guy than shot blocker and is probably best on the perimeter IMO. This is a no **** sherlock but Durant would be amazing in that role as IIRC he is a pretty dang good weakside shotblocker. But remember the 2 minutes of Noel/Embiid? That **** was cool as ****

Yeah also Ben is a good defender but not the DPOY level Draymond was.

That warriors roster also played together for several years before their first title run. Most of this Sixers roster hasn’t even had a training camp together. Expecting them to have all the concepts down when half the guys have been on the team for like 7 weeks isn’t realistic. People can kick and scream but that reality doesn’t change.

The Sixers starting lineup against the Magic had played 5 minutes together total prior to that game. The Magic starters had played 750. Heck the actual Sixers starting lineup has only played 150 minutes together. For all the talent in the world (and the success they’ve had to date and could have the rest of this year is a testament to that talent) there’s something to be said for just knowing how to play together.

So many people any time there’s a bad game just want to blow everything up. This team needs to stop remaking itself every couple of months. If they bring almost everyone back next year, have a camp together ect I guarantee the defense will be a lot better.

Yeah. I don’t like Brett Brown or the defense very much at this point, but I don’t want them to blow anything up. Even if they wanted to implement a new defense, they wouldn’t completely overhaul it mid-season. Most of the plans for this season were laid around a starting lineup of Ben, Fultz, Roco, Dario, and Fultz, so they have to do the best they can with in-season changes.

Under Lloyd Pierce, we utilized about the same amount of switching defensively, and our defense was highly ranked.

I don’t watch a lot of other teams anymore. I mostly only have time to watch us. However, I would like to see something were Jojo doesn’t switch. Having a 7’2 player and Redick switch defensive assignments is usually easy baskets for the other team. Jojo does an admiral job defending point guards, but definitely something I’d like to see less of.

Same with Redick. We need to hide him by assigning him to the other team’s weakest player. They would be better served fighting through screens than having him switch onto Kyrie, Tatum, Lebron, etc. everytime the other team needs an easy basket.

I wouldn’t call for firings or philosophical overhauls yet, but definitely some adjustments to glaring problems.

[Hipster Doofus]

Who's to blame? Billy Lange and the departure of Lloyd Pierce.

[Sixerscan]

Tobias is nowhere close to the defender Iggy was...and you could make a case for Jimmy isn't as good as Klay (at the very least Klay doesn't have to dribble as much and thus has more energy on that end). Also Iggy came off the bench and Barnes is a better defender than Tobias,. JJ also makes Curry look like a lock down defender lol.

Thats a bad comp.

The idea is sound tho...Joel needs a secondary shot blocker to allow him to roam and actually contest. IMO the Bolden/Embiid lineup actually caused some havoc the 3 times we've gone to it lol. Hell Ersan's flopgod skills was basically rim protection so it also worked. Ben in theory could do this but he is more of a body up type of guy than shot blocker and is probably best on the perimeter IMO. This is a no **** sherlock but Durant would be amazing in that role as IIRC he is a pretty dang good weakside shotblocker. But remember the 2 minutes of Noel/Embiid? That **** was cool as ****

Yeah also Ben is a good defender but not the DPOY level Draymond was.

That warriors roster also played together for several years before their first title run. Most of this Sixers roster hasn’t even had a training camp together. Expecting them to have all the concepts down when half the guys have been on the team for like 7 weeks isn’t realistic. People can kick and scream but that reality doesn’t change.

The Sixers starting lineup against the Magic had played 5 minutes together total prior to that game. The Magic starters had played 750. Heck the actual Sixers starting lineup has only played 150 minutes together. For all the talent in the world (and the success they’ve had to date and could have the rest of this year is a testament to that talent) there’s something to be said for just knowing how to play together.

So many people any time there’s a bad game just want to blow everything up. This team needs to stop remaking itself every couple of months. If they bring almost everyone back next year, have a camp together ect I guarantee the defense will be a lot better.

Yeah. I don’t like Brett Brown or the defense very much at this point, but I don’t want them to blow anything up. Even if they wanted to implement a new defense, they wouldn’t completely overhaul it mid-season. Most of the plans for this season were laid around a starting lineup of Ben, Fultz, Roco, Dario, and Fultz, so they have to do the best they can with in-season changes.

Under Lloyd Pierce, we utilized about the same amount of switching defensively, and our defense was highly ranked.

I don’t watch a lot of other teams anymore. I mostly only have time to watch us. However, I would like to see something were Jojo doesn’t switch. Having a 7’2 player and Redick switch defensive assignments is usually easy baskets for the other team. Jojo does an admiral job defending point guards, but definitely something I’d like to see less of.

Same with Redick. We need to hide him by assigning him to the other team’s weakest player. They would be better served fighting through screens than having him switch onto Kyrie, Tatum, Lebron, etc. everytime the other team needs an easy basket.

I wouldn’t call for firings or philosophical overhauls yet, but definitely some adjustments to glaring problems.

Well assigning redick to a bad offensive player is well and good until him not switching is allowing the great offensive player an open 3 or a free run to the rim. Likewise I think they have Embiid switch less than other guys (a lot of the time dropping on picks) but against some guards with awesome range that’s a dangerous move. Like it’s easier said than done for one of our wings to get around an Al Horford screen to stop Kyrie from getting a wide open shot. So when those guys get picked would you rather give that shot to Kyrie or let Jo try to stop him?

The system this year is designed with Redick in mind to some extent. As you said they switched last year, the difference (among others) is this year when that happens they are more aggressive in trying to switch *again* shortly after the first switch to get a better matchup. The issue is that’s more complicated and reliant on guys knowing what each other is going to do, where the 2nd switch is coming from ect. When they are struggling it’s usually because they are screwing that 2nd switch up or can’t get to it.

[76ciology]

Under Lloyd, we don’t switch that much. It works in regular season basketball but in the playoffs, you have to switch. Our defensive scheme this season is actually more advanced, and I like it on paper.

Nobody plays switch-light defensive scheme in the playoffs. Just imagine how many times warriors tried to pull Gobert away and make him dance at the perimeter. Nobody is safe.

My theory is, refs allows more physicality in the playoffs so there are a lot of allowed moving screens that only switching can counter. And the NBA promotes/favors the iso heavy playoff game.

Right now we run things with the playoffs in mind. If we dont learn from this, then we wont make it far. The Kyrie-Horford 2 man game, lowry-ibaka pick and pop, will mean easy open shot for either guys and teams will continue to hunt JJ. You also won’t be able to allow Embiid to defend Giannis or unlock’s Ben’s best asset on D which is to defend 1-5 positions with him defending PGs.

The key for me is for Ben go be more active rotating below the rim to have Biid’s back. He has the tools to make it happen. On paper...

[sixers hoops]

Yeah also Ben is a good defender but not the DPOY level Draymond was.

That warriors roster also played together for several years before their first title run. Most of this Sixers roster hasn’t even had a training camp together. Expecting them to have all the concepts down when half the guys have been on the team for like 7 weeks isn’t realistic. People can kick and scream but that reality doesn’t change.

The Sixers starting lineup against the Magic had played 5 minutes together total prior to that game. The Magic starters had played 750. Heck the actual Sixers starting lineup has only played 150 minutes together. For all the talent in the world (and the success they’ve had to date and could have the rest of this year is a testament to that talent) there’s something to be said for just knowing how to play together.

So many people any time there’s a bad game just want to blow everything up. This team needs to stop remaking itself every couple of months. If they bring almost everyone back next year, have a camp together ect I guarantee the defense will be a lot better.

Yeah. I don’t like Brett Brown or the defense very much at this point, but I don’t want them to blow anything up. Even if they wanted to implement a new defense, they wouldn’t completely overhaul it mid-season. Most of the plans for this season were laid around a starting lineup of Ben, Fultz, Roco, Dario, and Fultz, so they have to do the best they can with in-season changes.

Under Lloyd Pierce, we utilized about the same amount of switching defensively, and our defense was highly ranked.

I don’t watch a lot of other teams anymore. I mostly only have time to watch us. However, I would like to see something were Jojo doesn’t switch. Having a 7’2 player and Redick switch defensive assignments is usually easy baskets for the other team. Jojo does an admiral job defending point guards, but definitely something I’d like to see less of.

Same with Redick. We need to hide him by assigning him to the other team’s weakest player. They would be better served fighting through screens than having him switch onto Kyrie, Tatum, Lebron, etc. everytime the other team needs an easy basket.

I wouldn’t call for firings or philosophical overhauls yet, but definitely some adjustments to glaring problems.

Well assigning redick to a bad offensive player is well and good until him not switching is allowing the great offensive player an open 3 or a free run to the rim. Likewise I think they have Embiid switch less than other guys (a lot of the time dropping on picks) but against some guards with awesome range that’s a dangerous move. Like it’s easier said than done for one of our wings to get around an Al Horford screen to stop Kyrie from getting a wide open shot. So when those guys get picked would you rather give that shot to Kyrie or let Jo try to stop him?

The system this year is designed with Redick in mind to some extent. As you said they switched last year, the difference (among others) is this year when that happens they are more aggressive in trying to switch *again* shortly after the first switch to get a better matchup. The issue is that’s more complicated and reliant on guys knowing what each other is going to do, where the 2nd switch is coming from ect. When they are struggling it’s usually because they are screwing that 2nd switch up or can’t get to it.

I’ll take that everyday rather than the abuse I watch him routinely take against teams who effectively isolate him. I’ll take my chances with Ben, Jimmy, or Tobias fighting a screens.

I’ll never forget Lebron posting up and laying it in against Marco play after play. After blowing a 20 point lead with the Cavs running a pick to switch Marco on Lebron every single possession, they finally tell Roco to stop switching. He fought through screens like good NBA players can, and the free baskets came to an end, it was just too late.

I feel like there are too many matchups where they can’t keep up with the multiple switches or we just end up at a huge disadvantage by giving in to the switch.

I usually don’t complain, but what we’re doing isn’t working. We have three excellent defenders in our starting lineup and we are still not a good defensive team.

I’m almost of the mindset that this will be our downfall come playoffs, and we just have to hope to improve for next season. We overhauled half our roster and we aren’t putting it together quick enough on the fly to win this year. Even after our 6 game win streak, I thought we can score with anyone but our defense needs a lot of work.

The Hawks and Magic are both playing well lately, and we probably are super motivated right now, but giving up 120 and 130 points to those teams is unacceptable.

[brannigan73]

Its mostly the scheme. It cant mainly be Redick and McConnell because we were third in defensive efficiency last year with those guys playing the same role as this year. The main change is Saric and Covington for Tobias Harris and Butler. I have a hard time believing that should be anything but a wash at worst. Covington might be better then Butler on D maybe even more then marginally but Harris even though is he average-ish on D is a much better defender then Dario. There stuck with it for the remainder of the year because you just cant change at this point but expect them to return to something closer to 2017-2018 next season. Lange might get fired if the play-offs go really poorly.

[Sixerscan]

Yeah. I don’t like Brett Brown or the defense very much at this point, but I don’t want them to blow anything up. Even if they wanted to implement a new defense, they wouldn’t completely overhaul it mid-season. Most of the plans for this season were laid around a starting lineup of Ben, Fultz, Roco, Dario, and Fultz, so they have to do the best they can with in-season changes.

Under Lloyd Pierce, we utilized about the same amount of switching defensively, and our defense was highly ranked.

I don’t watch a lot of other teams anymore. I mostly only have time to watch us. However, I would like to see something were Jojo doesn’t switch. Having a 7’2 player and Redick switch defensive assignments is usually easy baskets for the other team. Jojo does an admiral job defending point guards, but definitely something I’d like to see less of.

Same with Redick. We need to hide him by assigning him to the other team’s weakest player. They would be better served fighting through screens than having him switch onto Kyrie, Tatum, Lebron, etc. everytime the other team needs an easy basket.

I wouldn’t call for firings or philosophical overhauls yet, but definitely some adjustments to glaring problems.

Well assigning redick to a bad offensive player is well and good until him not switching is allowing the great offensive player an open 3 or a free run to the rim. Likewise I think they have Embiid switch less than other guys (a lot of the time dropping on picks) but against some guards with awesome range that’s a dangerous move. Like it’s easier said than done for one of our wings to get around an Al Horford screen to stop Kyrie from getting a wide open shot. So when those guys get picked would you rather give that shot to Kyrie or let Jo try to stop him?

The system this year is designed with Redick in mind to some extent. As you said they switched last year, the difference (among others) is this year when that happens they are more aggressive in trying to switch *again* shortly after the first switch to get a better matchup. The issue is that’s more complicated and reliant on guys knowing what each other is going to do, where the 2nd switch is coming from ect. When they are struggling it’s usually because they are screwing that 2nd switch up or can’t get to it.

I’ll take that everyday rather than the abuse I watch him routinely take against teams who effectively isolate him. I’ll take my chances with Ben, Jimmy, or Tobias fighting a screens.

I’ll never forget Lebron posting up and laying it in against Marco play after play. After blowing a 20 point lead with the Cavs running a pick to switch Marco on Lebron every single possession, they finally tell Roco to stop switching. He fought through screens like good NBA players can, and the free baskets came to an end, it was just too late.

I feel like there are too many matchups where they can’t keep up with the multiple switches or we just end up at a huge disadvantage by giving in to the switch.

I usually don’t complain, but what we’re doing isn’t working. We have three excellent defenders in our starting lineup and we are still not a good defensive team.

I’m almost of the mindset that this will be our downfall come playoffs, and we just have to hope to improve for next season. We overhauled half our roster and we aren’t putting it together quick enough on the fly to win this year. Even after our 6 game win streak, I thought we can score with anyone but our defense needs a lot of work.

The Hawks and Magic are both playing well lately, and we probably are super motivated right now, but giving up 120 and 130 points to those teams is unacceptable.

You would really rather let a great player have a wide open shot? Why? Redick may be a bad defensive player but it’s still better than the guy being totally unimpeded.

I’d really suggest you watch some other teams play before acting like fighting through screens for 48 minutes is a viable strategy. That works in high school it doesn’t work when the ball handler can rise and routinely drill a shot in a split second. Maybe a defender can do it for a few possessions but asking him to do it for a whole game just isn’t feasible, especially with guys you expect to carry an offensive load on the other end. It’s like asking an nba team to press for 48 minutes.

Again I will point to the end of the Celtics game when Butler kept getting Irving switched on him. Then when they tried to not switch Harris slipped the screen and got a dunk. This isn’t some Sixer specific strategy. It’s just the cat and mouse game that’s part of the modern NBA.

The best way to fight it is really to limit the mismatches that are on the court at a given time. Im sure that’s why they gave Fultz every chance to play, why they replaced Belinelli with Chandler, why they were so high on Zhaire, why they targeted Scott Ennis and Simmons over more skilled players at the deadline.

But with Redick there’s only so much you can do. You just have to decide whether his offense is worth the obvious matchup issues he presents.

[Jacc]

BB

Terrible coach

[Negrodamus]

Read on Twitter

There goes our scapegoat, watch him as he goes....

[youngcrev]

Read on Twitter

There goes our scapegoat, watch him as he goes....

That would be perfect. Saves us from firing him

[sixers hoops]

Well assigning redick to a bad offensive player is well and good until him not switching is allowing the great offensive player an open 3 or a free run to the rim. Likewise I think they have Embiid switch less than other guys (a lot of the time dropping on picks) but against some guards with awesome range that’s a dangerous move. Like it’s easier said than done for one of our wings to get around an Al Horford screen to stop Kyrie from getting a wide open shot. So when those guys get picked would you rather give that shot to Kyrie or let Jo try to stop him?

The system this year is designed with Redick in mind to some extent. As you said they switched last year, the difference (among others) is this year when that happens they are more aggressive in trying to switch *again* shortly after the first switch to get a better matchup. The issue is that’s more complicated and reliant on guys knowing what each other is going to do, where the 2nd switch is coming from ect. When they are struggling it’s usually because they are screwing that 2nd switch up or can’t get to it.

I’ll take that everyday rather than the abuse I watch him routinely take against teams who effectively isolate him. I’ll take my chances with Ben, Jimmy, or Tobias fighting a screens.

I’ll never forget Lebron posting up and laying it in against Marco play after play. After blowing a 20 point lead with the Cavs running a pick to switch Marco on Lebron every single possession, they finally tell Roco to stop switching. He fought through screens like good NBA players can, and the free baskets came to an end, it was just too late.

I feel like there are too many matchups where they can’t keep up with the multiple switches or we just end up at a huge disadvantage by giving in to the switch.

I usually don’t complain, but what we’re doing isn’t working. We have three excellent defenders in our starting lineup and we are still not a good defensive team.

I’m almost of the mindset that this will be our downfall come playoffs, and we just have to hope to improve for next season. We overhauled half our roster and we aren’t putting it together quick enough on the fly to win this year. Even after our 6 game win streak, I thought we can score with anyone but our defense needs a lot of work.

The Hawks and Magic are both playing well lately, and we probably are super motivated right now, but giving up 120 and 130 points to those teams is unacceptable.

You would really rather let a great player have a wide open shot? Why? Redick may be a bad defensive player but it’s still better than the guy being totally unimpeded.

I’d really suggest you watch some other teams play before acting like fighting through screens for 48 minutes is a viable strategy. That works in high school it doesn’t work when the ball handler can rise and routinely drill a shot in a split second. Maybe a defender can do it for a few possessions but asking him to do it for a whole game just isn’t feasible, especially with guys you expect to carry an offensive load on the other end. It’s like asking an nba team to press for 48 minutes.

Again I will point to the end of the Celtics game when Butler kept getting Irving switched on him. Then when they tried to not switch Harris slipped the screen and got a dunk. This isn’t some Sixer specific strategy. It’s just the cat and mouse game that’s part of the modern NBA.

The best way to fight it is really to limit the mismatches that are on the court at a given time. Im sure that’s why they gave Fultz every chance to play, why they replaced Belinelli with Chandler, why they were so high on Zhaire, why they targeted Scott Ennis and Simmons over more skilled players at the deadline.

But with Redick there’s only so much you can do. You just have to decide whether his offense is worth the obvious matchup issues he presents.

I just don’t have the time to watch other teams play like I could a few years ago. I’ve been watching NBA players play good defense for years. Players can fight through screens and play man defense. They often would have Robert Covington play man defense on point guards on the perimeter. Again, the game we lost to Cleveland at the end of last year, Covington had to cover the greatest player of all time man to man to stop the bleeding, and he was okay. Players are able to guard a player if needed. They just don’t stop at picks and give up. When Butler first came here he would routinely fight through picks and it looked odd to me because I’m not used to seeing it anymore.

I’m not qualified to be a basketball coach at any level, so I am not one of those guys who always believes he is right. But I’ve watched almost every Sixers game for the last 30 years, and this defense is very easy to pick apart. Even in games we win, the opponent ends up looking good offensively. We are always disorganized and confused.

I feel like in the cat and mouse game of the NBA, we have a coach who is overmatched from a strategy standpoint.

[PhillyPhilly]

One thing that is clear is we need to replace JJ ahead of next season. Put someone alongside Ben who is competent defensively but is still a threat from deep (Milton? Smith? Lamb? KCP?), and this team goes up several levels imo.

[Sixerscan]

I’ll take that everyday rather than the abuse I watch him routinely take against teams who effectively isolate him. I’ll take my chances with Ben, Jimmy, or Tobias fighting a screens.

I’ll never forget Lebron posting up and laying it in against Marco play after play. After blowing a 20 point lead with the Cavs running a pick to switch Marco on Lebron every single possession, they finally tell Roco to stop switching. He fought through screens like good NBA players can, and the free baskets came to an end, it was just too late.

I feel like there are too many matchups where they can’t keep up with the multiple switches or we just end up at a huge disadvantage by giving in to the switch.

I usually don’t complain, but what we’re doing isn’t working. We have three excellent defenders in our starting lineup and we are still not a good defensive team.

I’m almost of the mindset that this will be our downfall come playoffs, and we just have to hope to improve for next season. We overhauled half our roster and we aren’t putting it together quick enough on the fly to win this year. Even after our 6 game win streak, I thought we can score with anyone but our defense needs a lot of work.

The Hawks and Magic are both playing well lately, and we probably are super motivated right now, but giving up 120 and 130 points to those teams is unacceptable.

You would really rather let a great player have a wide open shot? Why? Redick may be a bad defensive player but it’s still better than the guy being totally unimpeded.

I’d really suggest you watch some other teams play before acting like fighting through screens for 48 minutes is a viable strategy. That works in high school it doesn’t work when the ball handler can rise and routinely drill a shot in a split second. Maybe a defender can do it for a few possessions but asking him to do it for a whole game just isn’t feasible, especially with guys you expect to carry an offensive load on the other end. It’s like asking an nba team to press for 48 minutes.

Again I will point to the end of the Celtics game when Butler kept getting Irving switched on him. Then when they tried to not switch Harris slipped the screen and got a dunk. This isn’t some Sixer specific strategy. It’s just the cat and mouse game that’s part of the modern NBA.

The best way to fight it is really to limit the mismatches that are on the court at a given time. Im sure that’s why they gave Fultz every chance to play, why they replaced Belinelli with Chandler, why they were so high on Zhaire, why they targeted Scott Ennis and Simmons over more skilled players at the deadline.

But with Redick there’s only so much you can do. You just have to decide whether his offense is worth the obvious matchup issues he presents.

I just don’t have the time to watch other teams play like I could a few years ago. I’ve been watching NBA players play good defense for years. Players can fight through screens and play man defense. They often would have Robert Covington play man defense on point guards on the perimeter. Again, the game we lost to Cleveland at the end of last year, Covington had to cover the greatest player of all time man to man to stop the bleeding, and he was okay. Players are able to guard a player if needed. They just don’t stop at picks and give up. When Butler first came here he would routinely fight through picks and it looked odd to me because I’m not used to seeing it anymore.

I’m not qualified to be a basketball coach at any level, so I am not one of those guys who always believes he is right. But I’ve watched almost every Sixers game for the last 30 years, and this defense is very easy to pick apart. Even in games we win, the opponent ends up looking good offensively. We are always disorganized and confused.

I feel like in the cat and mouse game of the NBA, we have a coach who is overmatched from a strategy standpoint.

I really think you're misremembering Covington's defense... like I loved the guy but I felt like all last year I was explaining to people how just because he was getting lit up he was still a great defensive player, he was always more of a team guy... anyway even taking the facts as you give them he wasn't doing it all game.

How can you say he's overmatched when you're not comparing him to any of the other teams? Is Stevens overmatched when Kyrie gets put on an island? Kerr when Curry is? Like the Warriors literally lost the 2016 NBA finals because Curry got switched onto Irving who proceeded to drill a 3 in his face at the end of game 7. Watch the end of this game, outside of Lebron heroism in the half court sets its both teams trying to get Curry and Irving switched onto bad matchups. JR Smith must have set like 10 screens in 3 minutes:

Watch on YouTube

At least Brown is able to get Redick out of the game in favor of Ennis when he can.

[Black Mage]

The problem with the scheme is its rigidity to doing the same thing every time. Turnovers happen when players are taken out of a comfort zone, forced to read and react and make decisions on the fly. When a player knows with absolute certainty what their opponent will do each and every possession we let them off the hook and let them play with confidence that a certain shot will always be there or that we'll always react a certain way.

I also think it lulls our own players into off-ball daydreaming. If you know a switch is always coming and you never double or hedge or fight over a screen then it pretty much leaves the rest of the guys not involved in the play to ball watch.

[rzzzzz]

But with Redick there’s only so much you can do. You just have to decide whether his offense is worth the obvious matchup issues he presents.

I wish we did a better job of this during every individual game. And maybe bring shorter burts of extra energy off the bench.