Counters

In today's post we will revisit Strong, Weak and Loop to see some of the counters the Spurs use when defenses get used to their regular actions.


In the first clip we see the ball handler Gary Neal swing up top to the trailer and stay on the strong-side of the floor, keying "strong":



Neal and Tiago Splitter come down to set the double screen for strong-side wing James Anderson, but the post man Matt Bonner has not ducked in.  Instead, Bonner sets a screen for Anderson to slip to the weak-side corner.  Bonner then uses the Neal-Splitter double screen to go up top.  Weak-side wing Danny Green decides to keep the ball so Bonner sets a screen.  Lamar Odom positions himself to hedge, so Bonner slips the screen and Green gets the ball over to Neal.  Splitter seals his man in the post but Neal's man plays tight, inviting Neal to attack the basket.  Neal misses the floater, but Splitter's defender is forced to help allowing Splitter an easy tip in.




This time the trailer is denied so Boris Diaw cuts backdoor.  This cut keys the ball handler to dribble towards the weak-side and pass the ball directly to the weak-side wing.  The post player then goes to the weak-side wing to initiate a pick and roll as Diaw settles on the block Tim Duncan vacated.  Duncan slips the screen, drawing Diaw's defender.  The Jazz defender guarding the weak-side corner rotates to Diaw.  Duncan gets this defender back to the corner with a nice pass fake, then finds Diaw for a layup.


Another trailer denied clip:

- The trailer, Matt Bonner, is denied so he cuts backdoor.
- The ball handler, Tony Parker, dribbles to the weak-side and passes the ball to Manu Ginobili
- Tim and Manu go into a pick and pop.
- The Big Fundamental unleashes a step back jumper on Blake Griffin.




This time the ball handler is able to swing the ball up top to the trailer, but the weak-side wing is denied.  On the denial, the weak-side wing cuts backdoor and the trailer "DHO's" to the strong-side wing.

The Spurs then settle into a 3-out-2-in spacing with the two bigs at the elbows.

Green enters the ball into Duncan and cuts.  Duncan keeps the ball so Green continues his cut towards Richard Jefferson to set a down screen.  The Nets switch the screen giving Duncan space to pass the ball to Jefferson.  Jefferson dribbles his defender into a Duncan screen and gets a pull up jumper off against the soft coverage.


Next we see the Spurs run a weak counter from a side out of bounds:



The ball handler pass ahead to the strong-side wing and cuts across to the weak-side, keying "weak."  The ball is swung up top and the weak-side wing looks to set the cross screen on the post.  Instead of cutting to the wing, the ball handler cuts back door to a waiting double screen.  The weak-side wing settles to the corner and the strong-side wing cuts across to the opposite wing.  Parker receives the ball on the move and easily gets to his spot at the elbow for the pull up jumper.  (This action can also be used as a counter when the ball handler is being denied the swing pass from the trailer after cutting to the weak-side)




In this clip, we see weak:
- Parker passes ahead to Ginobili and cuts through to the weak-side
- Ginobili swings the ball to Splitter who swings to Parker.
- Kawhi Leonard sets the cross screen for Bonner in the post.
- Splitter goes to down screen.
- Bonner, instead of using Leonard's screen to go to the opposite block, cuts up top using Splitter's screen and just misses the catch and shoot three.



Again we see the post go up top instead of using the cross screen:



Parker, not as confident in Duncan's shot, holds the ball and waits for the trailer, DeJuan Blair, to set a screen.  Parker's defender goes under the screen.  Tony gets Blair's defender to ball watch by faking a shot, then passes to Blair who punishes the mental lapse with a quick baseline spin.


Next we see a "loop" setup:



Out of the loop we see a "floppy" action (where two perimeter players change sides of the floor, with a screen being set by one of the two, and the two bigs on each block to set additional screens).  The primary read is for Parker but the pass can't be made so the ball is reversed to Green on the other side.  Parker continues his cut towards the corner and Duncan sets a screen on the ball.  The Jazz simply watch Green come off the screen and he obliges their kindness with a layup.


Sometimes the looping player will come off a down screen set by the post:



After the screen, Duncan has acquired deep position.  Ginobili feeds Duncan and quickly cuts for a nice give and go.


We see the post hit again after a loop is called:



Even on one-on-one post ups, the Spurs continuously occupy the defense with off the ball cuts.  After feeding Duncan, Parker cuts to the weak-side corner and Blair waits on the opposite block (where his defender can not help for fear of an easy dump pass to Blair, also a likely spot for an offensive rebound).  Leonard sees his defender ball watching so Kawhi cuts to the basket (he continues his cut towards the weak-side corner but Parker directs him to the wing).  As Duncan sizes his man up, Jefferson's defender digs down prompting Jefferson to cut to the basket.  Duncan makes his move, once again capturing the attention of Kawhi Leonard's defender.  Leonard makes one last cut as Duncan finishes his move with a nice bank shot.