RealGM

This whole Shaq trade got me thinking about how run and gun team operate and I am wondering why cherry picking can't be used as a strategy. Sure 5 on 4 allows the other team an easy basket but 1 on 0 is an even easier scoring chance. As far as I know it's not against the rules since I've seen it done unintentional i.e player is late back and a turnover happens.

I guess the opposition could always have someone back there as well but it would makes this strategy good for teams that are short on talent. You are playing 4 on 4 instead of 5.

any coach with a brain should be able to manhandle a team that's playing them 4 on 5.

IanJames wrote:any coach with a brain should be able to manhandle a team that's playing them 4 on 5.

Bingo.

I played some bball with some friends, they suck and im pretty good so i made up this team they were 3 and i was with this kid that really stunk.
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IanJames wrote:any coach with a brain should be able to manhandle a team that's playing them 4 on 5.

So we got a strategy to play against New York...

It would work, if not for the fact that a guard could begin backpedaling as soon as the shot goes up, and be back to play free safety on any heaves. Not only would the opposing team have the 4 on 5 advantage, their point guard would be in line to break the single game steals record.

The "Lithuanian Liquidator" (haha?) thrives on cherry picking: http://youtube.com/watch?v=zTrjh9nSOqo

As previously stated, 5 on 4 would be taken advantage of too often, and there is always a chance of getting a steal. At best you'll just be trading baskets the whole game.

I posted a thread like this a while back.

Do you mean it way too literally. Like play 4 on 5 zone D, and just keep a guy back.

If so, that won't work because the O already knows there's one guy back. And they'll have one designated guy back. You have to be sneaky like the Suns.

You need the strategy of guards don't crash the D boards, and the ballhandler goes to the open pockets, while the other guards run down court to probably thier favorite spot. quick outlet pass to the PG at the pocket and you got it.

If Don Nelson doesn't use it, it can't be done. We all know that Nelson has tried almost every unusual strategy there is. He would have tried this one if he thought it would be effective.

As soon as the team with the man advantage takes a shot the furthest guy from the rim would just start running back and by the time the cherry pickers got the board, the player would already be back there. Think about it.

Cedric Ceballos was the best cherry picker I can think of off the top of my head.. He used to cherry pick so much...

Even if the 5 on 4 team can't get a person back consistently, they can always play 4 on 4, which still gives the offense the advantage with more spacing, and eliminating your worst offensive player. The team that's cherry picking on the other hand has no advantage what so ever.

In my CYO league there's this kid that every time the ball leaves your hand when you shoot he sprints to the other end. He got a couple baskets out of it but my team ended up figuring it out.

I am not saying you do this for a whole game but for spots - say you see few shooters or more defensive players on the court you can give it a try.

MikeM wrote:As soon as the team with the man advantage takes a shot the furthest guy from the rim would just start running back and by the time the cherry pickers got the board, the player would already be back there. Think about it.

Yeah but this is Shaq we're talking about... What could that player do by himself? Its either a foul or a dunk/layup... I'm sure Shaq could quickly back that guy down and score before the other team arrived... And with the way Pheonix outlets the ball after a rebound or even a score, I doubt more than 1 guy would be back in time, if that.... Its an interesting strategy that could be used for a couple of minutes in the middle of the second or third, just to shake things up...

People look down on it, it is called cherry picking after all. Come up with a term that's less dishonorable and maybe people will do it more.

i saw Linas Kleiza mentioned but in all honesty that was overblown.

The night he dropped 40 something pts, he cherry picked 3 or 4 times and it ended up on sportscenter because of dunks/and'1's..... That's only 6 pts out of 41 or 42. and when you're playing with someone like Camby or Dwight Howard you might as well take off running if you see your big man in position. It's smart basketball.

Actually if any of you actually got to play organize ball a lot... with 4 players... as I did. We had a team that only had 5 players against teams with usually 7-8. It was one of those mid-week for fitness games, the serious teams usually sundays...

anyways, when one of us would foul out, the box defense is decent... assuming the the 2 players up top will always collapse into the middle preventing penetration, the 2 players down post will have to be incredibly good at boxing out also... it helps if they are much taller than everyone else....

it'll work, if the 4 man box is good enough defensively interior-wise, to force the other team to shoot open shots at the perimeter.... if they are a good shooting team.. pretty much very difficult to win. But if they have poor perimeter shooting or streaky, then the cherry picking team will have a slight advantage... no amount of coaching can fix "bad" shooting nights... but good coaches will make sure that they punish the 4 men box D by penetrating and then allowing the offensive players down low to receive the pass through the gaps which will occur with a 4 man D... again, if the 4 man box defense has good defensive and long players, they can probably hold the other team from penetrating enough.


I would like a team to try this actually....

and in terms of the back court for the 5 man team running back to try to steal the long range pass... this can be fixed by putting a seven footer, like maybe a Shaq who has good hands, just make sure the pass is very high and as close to the other end's free throw as possible... good passers should be able to do this... But the other coach can just swing his SF or a tall PG (Joe Johnson, Thabo Sefalosha etc) and this can help minimise successful hail mary passes to the big man who is cherry picking.

Another way is to use a one on one situation pass half court... basically the cherry picker will have to be incredibly good at one on one situations.. will either score or fouled on one on one open court/paint situations..

Again I would like to see a team atleast try to use this for an entire game.