A Game of Matchups

Hope everyone had a great Easter weekend and are gearing up to watch the conclusion of March Madness. The NCAA tournament is always an exciting finish to the college basketball season. The reason it is exciting is because teams that would not normally play against each other are paired to play a win and advance game. One bad game and your favorite team could have their season ended. It is important for a team to get a favorable draw that allows them to play the style of basketball they are used to. Upsets will occur when a team is taken out of their comfort zone and forced to play a different style. Having a favorable match-up is important in every game a team plays.

This is why I believe basketball is a game of match-ups. The team that is able to take advantage of the most mismatches will win the game more times than not. As you watch a basketball game, pay close attention to which teams are able to exploit their opponent to gain an advantage. It is important to put players in position that allow them to use their talents to exploit the opposition. The best drawn up play will not work if players are not in the correct positions to execute the play. How a play is run depends on numerous factors: personnel on the court, what type a shot the offense needs, type of defense the opposition is playing, potential mismatches, time of the game, and the score of the game. All of these factors should be quickly considered before deciding what play to run.

The Utah Jazz ran a side out of bounds play that demonstrates different options to look for in the same play. The play is attempting to place players in position to be successful based on game situations. The key to the play is the player passing the ball in. If a guard is passing the ball in then the team was looking to make a three point shot. If a post player is the in bounder then the play is looking to score a basket in the post.

There are a few things to keep in mind when running the play. Make sure the player is a good enough passer to get the ball in bounds. An aggressive defensive team makes it tougher for a mediocre passer to be successful. If the player is not able to get the ball passed in bounds then the play has no chance from the start. Also, make sure all players keep every option available. The defense may be able to shut down the first option. Having more than one option for a play will make a team harder to guard. If every offensive player on the court is an option, there will be a higher opportunity to score. Somewhere on the court a mismatch may open up that is not the first option. Players should be aware when a mismatch is available and get the ball to the offensive player with the advantage.

Play 27 has the 3 man taking the ball out of bounds. The play is looking for a three point shot. Play 28 wants to get the ball inside and has a post player initiating the play. The play allows each player an opportunity to look to score either off of a catch or a cut. follow the links below for an opportunity to view and download the out of bounds play that was discussed

Play 27 https://www.dropbox.com/s/apl1kl6oli2xxey/01a.pdf?dl=0

Play 28 https://www.dropbox.com/s/rt3yx5owoesyvvr/01b.pdf?dl=0