The deadly art of Pick and Roll

[AZdeuce]

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_ ... juggernaut

Great article and Youtube as proof. Good stuff. From what I see really there is no way of defending it other then hope the Suns miss open shots!

[Qwigglez]

Very nice breakdown. Suns are obviously the best team to run the pick and roll, let's hope the Lakers can't find a way to defend it.

[garyb916]

Very nice breakdown. Suns are obviously the best team to run the pick and roll, let's hope the Lakers can't find a way to defend it.

Yeah leave someone open and hope they miss is the only consistent defense. Unless Nash or Amare mess it up anyways, which is not too often.

Notice that they really didn't use it all that much so far this year. It's like they're saving it as their go to play.

[AZdeuce]

Crazy thing is the most basic play of all plays. BUT it can turn into hundreds of different kinds of variations.

[Qwigglez]

Well throughout the game, the Suns run different variations of the pick and roll, but in the crunch time, everyone plays heavy man to man defense, so it leaves an iso pick and roll of just Amare and Nash, where we'd have three guys open on the wings. We'd just have to make sure none of our guys are cold in that situation, because you better believe Phil Jackson will allow someone like Artest to cheat down in the paint to help contain Amare if someone like Dudley or J-Rich had an off-night.

The Lakers run the Triangle
The Mavs run isolation plays
The Suns run pick and roll

I actually think Bynum might not be that effective throughout the series depending who controls the tempo of the game. Surely, he won't be the one defending a Nash-Stoudemire pick and roll, so it would leave him guarding the likes of Frye or Lopez. If it was Frye, Bynum would be useless out defending the three point line, however it could be Lopez, and if that were the case, then Bynum could cheat over and help Pau guard Amare. Which means, Amare has to look for the lob to Robin if that type of situation occurs in the pick and roll.
Seriously, we just have to be deadly from beyond the arc, this opens up the whole game plan for the Suns. I'm not saying the Suns can't find other ways to win, but playing gritty is just not the Suns style, and it might win us a game, but not the series (kind of like how the Suns won one game against the Spurs).
This is going to be an interesting series, and I can't wait to see the chess match of Phil Vs Gentry.

[SteveNashMVP]

the key to beating the Lakers is our 3 point shooting if the shots fall then we have a very good chance of getting to the finals, if our shots don't fall then we have no chance

[SteveNashMVP]

the suns are probly the greatest pick n roll team of all time because nash is the greatest player in the history to run the pick n roll...... derron williams would look like a noob compared to nash during pick n rolls

[DBrimstone]

That video was seriously a work of art. I've been thinking about our offense and I've decided there's another thing that makes it that much better/stranger. Our center hoists up 3's like there's no tomorrow while our best back to the basket player is our 6-6 shooting guard (who ain't such a bad shooter himself).

So the opposing center gets turned into a perimeter defender and the opposing guard gets turned into a post defender. Out of their comfort zone, one might say. Only other post up guards that I know of are Andre Miller and Kobe. And in my opinion Kobe's turned into a jump shooter over the past couple of years not because he's gotten old, but because of the massive front line that they've always got down low with people defending them. It's hard to drive with so many big bodies in the way.

[BurningHeart]

Such a great video. Just pick and roll them to DEATH.

[albasuna]

I'm curious how you incorporate Robin Lopez into the offense. I haven't watched old footage but from memory there was some plays that I somewhat remember. Anyone want to correct me on this please...

The Suns will have Hill and Richardson probing the corner three point lines while Robin Lopez straddles the lower block while Amare and Nash run the high pick n roll.

High pick n roll with Lopez, Richardson and Hill at the three point lines while Amare sets up at the opposite elbow.

Any other common sets you guys remember? How were the Suns successful with Robin Lopez on offense?


Also I just want to say, that the video demonstrates that Steve Nash pretty much the Suns offense. Most posters, me included were wanting Nash to limit his role. But without him the Suns are pretty much a mediocre team.


**Cliff notes : The Suns offense is one of the best in the history of the league and a marvel to watch.

[garyb916]

That video was amazing. It's beautiful watching this team execute the pick and roll.

With Lopez it may be a little more difficult, as his only real offensive weapons are dunks and layups. But I figure if Amare's driving/rolling, Lopez's defender will have to close on Amare leaving Lopez wide open. Hopefully he'll be close enough to the basket to convert, as he's obviously and offensive liability for us.

We'll just have to hope that when he's on the floor, his defensive presence(and offensive rebounding) will make up for his lack of ability to score. Him and Frye are going to need to play their best basketball.

Well ok the Suns will still win if they don't but it'll be much harder on their other players if those 2 aren't contributing.

[sunsfever68]

The pick and roll will work against the Lakers if the Lakers decide to use Fisher on Nash. I have my doubts about its effectiveness if they decide at times to use kobe or artest on Nash late in the game. Then again, Nash can swing the ball and find the mismatch in the post with Hill or J rich who will then swing it out and will find an open 3.

The key is to make Fisher guard Nash the whole game and not have Kobe or Artest guard Nash and stay on Hill and Richardson.

Also we need to spot up along the 3 point line so we can rain 3's on the Lakers.


I really feel this is the series we'll see that we really need another guy who can create his own shot off the dribble ala Joe Johnson but I hope I'm wrong.


The Lakers have the best 3 point field goal defense while the Suns boast the best 3 point field goal percentage. Something has to give.