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It seems like the newest trend in the NBA is for teams to switch defenders when the offense runs the pick & roll.
The offense initiates a pick & roll knowing the defense will switch it giving them a matchup that they want, usually it'll end up with a PG being defended by a center etc.
In the Cavs/Raptors series, Lebron will bring the ball up the court initiating a switch with CJ Miles ending up guarding him then he would score on him easily. They ran that same play like three times in a row and on the fourth attempt Lebron's man ended up fighting thru the pick instead of switching.
It seems like the newest trend in the NBA is for teams to switch defenders when the offense runs the pick & roll.
The offense initiates a pick & roll knowing the defense will switch it giving them a matchup that they want, usually it'll end up with a PG being defended by a center etc.
In the Cavs/Raptors series, Lebron will bring the ball up the court initiating a switch with CJ Miles ending up guarding him then he would score on him easily. They ran that same play like three times in a row and on the fourth attempt Lebron's man ended up fighting thru the pick instead of switching.
Any clue why that's a popular strategy now?
Well, think about it even from a rec level point of view. If you have a team with good shooters, and defenders are constantly getting bogged down by picks, then it makes it a lot easier for those shooters to get their shots off. I think switching makes it easier to defend the perimeter and leads to less defensive confusion.
I think teams are willing to live with bigs like Capela, Horford or McGee switching out on quicker guards. They're not slow per se, so they can still be somewhat difficult defenders to beat on drives to the basket. But the really important thing, I think, is that they'd rather make it harder for guards to score 3 points even if it makes it a little easier to score 2. That's my logic anyway.
NBA defense wants options. A team that can switch on picks adds a fourth option: over the pick, under the pick, blitz, switch. Above all, the added option neutralizes the advantage usually created by a screen. The one-on-one take is a rarity in the NBA today, because teams can bring weakside help in the zone defense era. If a player like LBJ is going to attack "one-on-one" after a switch, that usually means shooting before the help can arrive--a jumper and not a layup. That's a win for the defense.
NBA defense wants options. A team that can switch on picks adds a fourth option: over the pick, under the pick, blitz, switch. Above all, the added option neutralizes the advantage usually created by a screen. The one-on-one take is a rarity in the NBA today, because teams can bring weakside help in the zone defense era. If a player like LBJ is going to attack "one-on-one" after a switch, that usually means shooting before the help can arrive--a jumper and not a layup. That's a win for the defense.
This👆🏾
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