Can someone please explain our offense to me?

[PimpMario]

I don't mean this as a dig, I am just not a huge Xs and Os guy.  I would genuinely like to be educated.

 

Is there a name or a theme for our offense?

 

If our offense is clicking well what is it supposed to look like?

 

Should we try something to get more open looks?

 

3 points shooters might not want to come here since we are not known for shooting the 3, chicken or the egg?

[basketballjones]

Miles's main "motion" offense is a mover-blocker oriented offense in the only sense that typically (outside of a designed set play), only has two people, the 4&5 (blockers) ball screening or handing off to movers 1-3. It's an evolution of the continuous ball screen motion game that Billy Donovan did a lot of early at Florida and the Celtics really popularized in the NBA under Doc (I call it 20 series). However - most NBA and college teams (Creighton) have evolved that philosophy that it's not such patterned, but still has the bones of the bigs (4&5) setting ball screens and getting swing passes into dribble hand offs for movers.

What most teams do now is incorporate those ball screen principles of that mover/blocker continuous ball screen action, but they've incorporated the dribble drive motion and read and react motion into it. They have post players stay away from each other, and not chase the ball - but sit on the opposite side and get back-side duck-ins before setting ball screens. Honestly, it's the best form of basketball there is in my opinion. Lots of motion concepts mixed with forcing the defense to guard much more random ball screens.

What we've done is somewhat opposite - we've evolved the pattern into something else. While teams used to have that big who was opposite pop to the outside of the paint but top of key, and swing it into a ball screen - we do the same thing but our bigs dribble entry into the hand off, sending the first guy back-door, and getting the hand off with the next guy.

I, personally, really don't like it. It always brings a big out to the perimeter that can't shoot - therefore is not a threat - and his guy can stay in the paint and defend the back door and the roll man on the back side before having to entertain the idea of defending the eventual hand off/ball screen. But that's just my personal opinion. It's really good for burning shot clock.

And before anyone says anything - I'm not criticizing Miles here, at all. It's just MY PERSONAL opinions on the game. I'm 100% about spacing and transition action basketball. That may or may not be what coach emphasizes and he's 100% capable of doing what he wants. Everything looks good if you have guys that can shoot kick out 3's. And we don't.

[basketballjones]

To answer another question - "if our offense was clicking..."

If we were clicking we'd hit the back door or the role man more often. But that requires defenses to have to respect shooters on the backside or on the popping big. They literally don't have to do either, so we just revolve it around the perimeter until someone either breaks down or decides to go 1 on 1.

It's not coincidence that our offense looked best when Walter Pitchford was hitting 3's at a high clip. Just think about what I've posted and now add a threat on the pop and reversal - and a guy who doesn't have to roll but can pop to the corner.

[TourneyBound]

Why sure!!

Dribble pass

drive and pass out

drive and pass out

Drive and shot, if no shot run isolation and hope that guy can create or make a shot one on one

Kinda what it looks like to me.

[Handy Johnson]

Clear out for Shields or White, then Webster makes a ridiculous drive to the basket...

[basketballjones]

You also asked, "Should we try something to get more open looks?"

In my opinion... We get a ton of open looks. We don't have guys to make them or guys who everyone is confident enough in shooting them. In college basketball you only get a glimmer of "openness" and they come on draw two and kick looks. Have to shoot them, have to make them at a good clip.

[HuskerFever]

Why sure!!

Dribble pass

drive and pass out

drive and pass out

Drive and shot, if no shot run isolation and hope that guy can create or make a shot one on one

Kinda what it looks like to me.

 

You forgot "turn the ball over."

[AuroranHusker]

Clear out for Shields or White, then Webster makes a ridiculous drive to the basket...

 

That was the plan for NU at CU, it seemed. Kind of like a diet in which you rapidly lose 10#....         

[huskerbaseball13]

 

Clear out for Shields or White, then Webster makes a ridiculous drive to the basket...

 

That was the plan for NU at CU, it seemed. Kind of like a diet in which you rapidly lose 10#....         

 

[huskerbaseball13]

 

 

Clear out for Shields or White, then Webster makes a ridiculous drive to the basket...

 

That was the plan for NU at CU, it seemed. Kind of like a diet in which you rapidly lose 10#....         

 

 

 

I think that was Miles quote a few days ago...it's the Husker Diet.  Watch game film between NU vs CU....puke for a week and lose 10 pounds.  Hopefully McDermott moves on or I'm afriad Miles and be skin and bones by the time his tenure is completed here. 

[basketballjones]

PimpMario, did I answer anything for you?

[Huskerpapa]

PimpMario, did I answer anything for you?

Nicely done!

[hal9000]

jones, what inside options does this offense provide?  My uneducated observations are that we pass up a lot of looks to the low post.  Every game it seems I'll see Hammond or Morrow seal off his man real nice and be open for an entry pass, but get passed up.  Also another observation, when our 4 & 5's roll off their screens sometimes they look wide open but rarely do we look to them.  Anyone else notice this?  I makes me wonder if they we are even supposed to be looking down low, or is it all for smoke and mirrors?

[basketballjones]

jones, what inside options does this offense provide? My uneducated observations are that we pass up a lot of looks to the low post. Every game it seems I'll see Hammond or Morrow seal off his man real nice and be open for an entry pass, but get passed up. Also another observation, when our 4 & 5's roll off their screens sometimes they look wide open but rarely do we look to them. Anyone else notice this? I makes me wonder if they we are even supposed to be looking down low, or is it all for smoke and mirrors?

That's the problem with having the post player pop to get the reversal and dribble entry into the back-door then hand off. Your weak side big doesn't get to sit on the back side porch to time seals on the backside reversal. If the weakside big is always popping to get the reversal = no post ups.

Only chance for a post to touch the ball in the flow of our continuous hand off motion is on the roll, or if the guard coming off the hand off pulls back his dribble and enters it - especially if they switch the hand off.

For the record, I'm only discussing our predicated motion we run that we've been doing for years now. I'm not saying or implying that Miles doesn't have other options and sets designed to get post touches.

[atskooc]

 

jones, what inside options does this offense provide? My uneducated observations are that we pass up a lot of looks to the low post. Every game it seems I'll see Hammond or Morrow seal off his man real nice and be open for an entry pass, but get passed up. Also another observation, when our 4 & 5's roll off their screens sometimes they look wide open but rarely do we look to them. Anyone else notice this? I makes me wonder if they we are even supposed to be looking down low, or is it all for smoke and mirrors?

That's the problem with having the post player pop to get the reversal and dribble entry into the back-door then hand off. Your weak side big doesn't get to sit on the back side porch to time seals on the backside reversal. If the weakside big is always popping to get the reversal = no post ups.

Only chance for a post to touch the ball in the flow of our continuous hand off motion is on the roll, or if the guard coming off the hand off pulls back his dribble and enters it - especially if they switch the hand off.

For the record, I'm only discussing our predicated motion we run that we've been doing for years now. I'm not saying or implying that Miles doesn't have other options and sets designed to get post touches.

 

So the question is: is this offense the reason we haven't recruited quality bigs, or are we running this offense because we don't have quality bigs?

[hal9000]

 

 

jones, what inside options does this offense provide? My uneducated observations are that we pass up a lot of looks to the low post. Every game it seems I'll see Hammond or Morrow seal off his man real nice and be open for an entry pass, but get passed up. Also another observation, when our 4 & 5's roll off their screens sometimes they look wide open but rarely do we look to them. Anyone else notice this? I makes me wonder if they we are even supposed to be looking down low, or is it all for smoke and mirrors?

That's the problem with having the post player pop to get the reversal and dribble entry into the back-door then hand off. Your weak side big doesn't get to sit on the back side porch to time seals on the backside reversal. If the weakside big is always popping to get the reversal = no post ups.

Only chance for a post to touch the ball in the flow of our continuous hand off motion is on the roll, or if the guard coming off the hand off pulls back his dribble and enters it - especially if they switch the hand off.

For the record, I'm only discussing our predicated motion we run that we've been doing for years now. I'm not saying or implying that Miles doesn't have other options and sets designed to get post touches.

 

So the question is: is this offense the reason we haven't recruited quality bigs, or are we running this offense because we don't have quality bigs?

 

It's a good question, and one wonders if it doesn't frustrate the likes of Hammond, Morrow and Jacobson.

[Handy Johnson]

We don't even try to post up Shields or White, that is a real head scratcher. We don't have enough shooters to rely strictly on jump shots. I shudder when I think of what Maryland's front line will do to us.

[atskooc]

We don't even try to post up Shields or White, that is a real head scratcher. We don't have enough shooters to rely strictly on jump shots. I shudder when I think of what Maryland's front line will do to us.

I shudder at what Maryland's everything will do to us.

[BBFan]

I thought Shields was too aggressive in Miami game and dribbling into triple and quadruple coverage but then was too passive in the CU game.  I saw that the offensive plan was for Shields to get his teammates involved, but he passed up drives when there were not too many defenders in the lane.  it was like he had already decided that he wouldn't take it to the hole.

[basketballjones]

jones, what inside options does this offense provide? My uneducated observations are that we pass up a lot of looks to the low post. Every game it seems I'll see Hammond or Morrow seal off his man real nice and be open for an entry pass, but get passed up. Also another observation, when our 4 & 5's roll off their screens sometimes they look wide open but rarely do we look to them. Anyone else notice this? I makes me wonder if they we are even supposed to be looking down low, or is it all for smoke and mirrors?

That's the problem with having the post player pop to get the reversal and dribble entry into the back-door then hand off. Your weak side big doesn't get to sit on the back side porch to time seals on the backside reversal. If the weakside big is always popping to get the reversal = no post ups.

Only chance for a post to touch the ball in the flow of our continuous hand off motion is on the roll, or if the guard coming off the hand off pulls back his dribble and enters it - especially if they switch the hand off.

For the record, I'm only discussing our predicated motion we run that we've been doing for years now. I'm not saying or implying that Miles doesn't have other options and sets designed to get post touches.

So the question is: is this offense the reason we haven't recruited quality bigs, or are we running this offense because we don't have quality bigs?

Uh... Definitely not a reason we haven't recruited quality bigs. I don't think dudes at any level besides the NBA are that conscious of factors like that. And I don't think Coach Miles is insane, so I'm sure if we had an elite back to the basket guy we'd get him touches.

[PimpMario]

Basketball Jones and everyone else thank you for your contributions to this thread. I really appreciate it.

I have a better understanding of what our offense should look like. I am sadly not less frustrated with how it has looked.