by John Levasseur
I'm going to take a little venture here, step away from the NBA and look at college ball. Personally, I like college ball more. Players seem to want it more, and they actually make mistakes so you have more strategy from a coaching perspective. As a young coach, I find myself drawn to this ‘lower’ level of the game in order to soak in knowledge. It also places a higher premium on defense and set offenses, two of my favorite parts of the game of basketball. I love how defense can still win championships at this level, because the referees are not blowing the whistle anytime someone breathes on a superstar. I love James Harden as a Rockets fan, but the dude is one of the biggest flop artists I've ever seen. I preferred the game from the 90s when Jordan was getting pushed around and hit and nobody cared.
I'm going to take a little venture here, step away from the NBA and look at college ball. Personally, I like college ball more. Players seem to want it more, and they actually make mistakes so you have more strategy from a coaching perspective. As a young coach, I find myself drawn to this ‘lower’ level of the game in order to soak in knowledge. It also places a higher premium on defense and set offenses, two of my favorite parts of the game of basketball. I love how defense can still win championships at this level, because the referees are not blowing the whistle anytime someone breathes on a superstar. I love James Harden as a Rockets fan, but the dude is one of the biggest flop artists I've ever seen. I preferred the game from the 90s when Jordan was getting pushed around and hit and nobody cared.
Anyway, back to college ball. One of my favorite coaches to watch, now that Bill Calhoun (Connecticut) has retired, is the young gun Shaka Smart from VCU. This is a man who is completely gambling on a specific strategy for winning basketball games, he's gambling because they are going after very specific players that fit a very specific mold. Long, athletic, quick, hard workers who never quit; all of this sounds like what every coach wants but he is chasing this over guys who can shoot or post up, or possess other attributes other coaches typically desire. He rarely plays a true center, instead preferring a guy who is rangy to protect his back line when they are playing that diamond and one or man to man press.
I have researched Smart quite extensively, purchasing his DVD's on defense and reading just about every article I can on him (the SI one from a few years ago was particularly brilliant) but unlike most, it was because I had an ulterior motive. I like his style of coaching defense so much that I sought to emulate it with my own teams, so throughout this I will be making comparisons to what worked and what didn't for the team I coached. This whole article will hopefully be an exploration of why Smart is so good but, unfortunately, will likely never win a championship with his current modus operandi.
One of the main components to his style of coaching is having a 'havoc' mentality, disrupting everything the other guys are doing. Defensively, he plays a very active 1-2-1-1 zone defense which allows passes into the baseline corners and then traps the ball handler there. One of the unique aspects of how he coaches it though, is that it isn't just a pre-determined trapping point in the corner. Instead he asks his players to pressure the ball one on one until the ball handler loses control and is forced to look down or pick up his dribble. At that point, the tip of the diamond attacks, double teams the ball carrier, and forces him to make a snap decision. It's not always a turnover, but they need to pass it backwards because the way the other two defensive players are supposed to react takes away the forward and lateral passes. He refers to these players as the ‘interceptors’ while the player furthest back is the ‘basket protector.’
The other option they run is 'double-fist,' which is their full court man to man press. This is especially effective when VCU runs it because of the length and athleticism of their players, Smart makes sure to put guys on the court who all can cover the primary ballhandler as well as jump a panicked one. But nothing particularly special is happening as far as rotations. They will still bring a double team if the ball handler is in trouble, and the defender who is two passes away rotates over to cover the open man.
"But havoc isn't just a defensive strategy," as Smart is so quick to point out, "it's a mentality." Unfortunately, because his teams play with this mentality for all 40 minutes, this is where the downside truly lies. I coached my team to run the diamond and one, we ran double fist, got the rotations down and forced turnovers. Lots of turnovers. But we found that when we played a disciplined team, we needed to also play under control and slow the ball down on offense in order to get a good possession. The players I had to play in order to get those possessions were a stark contrast to the guys I played that made havoc work so well. With Smart and VCU recruiting especially hard after these athletic, long guys who may not possess the skilled talent of some of the other recruits, VCU can't slow down. Looking at that bench, they are able to hockey sub and not lose effectiveness on defense, because every player fits the same mold. They will force a larger amount turnovers from the other team as a result of the inherent fatigue that comes with being pressed for forty straight minutes, but as the old adage goes, "a good pressing team is bad at breaking a press." This is because they are unable to play disciplined on offense, instead preferring to run and gun. The havoc they cause on their opposition, playing with that mentality, it leads to offensive possessions marred with snap decisions and poor fundamentals.
VCU's program will continue to see the tremendous success their fans have already witnessed since Smart took over in 2009, they have been to the big dance every year but one. They had a Cinderella story in '11 making it to the final four after needing to win a play down just to get into the round of 64. This team will see overall success. But if you have the Rams winning it all, think again.
They have been in the top 10 in turnovers forced for the last 5 consecutive years, because at the end of the day that's what havoc does, force turnovers. Heck, they have even done a nice job limiting their own turnovers. In those same years, they have committed fewer turnovers than the eventual tournament champion. The difference is that VCU simply doesn't have the offensive firepower to keep up with the big dogs in the league. With the exception of last season, when UCONN staged a Cinderella story of their own, the tournament champ outpaced VCU by almost 400 points in point differential each year in this half decade (since they have started being consistently competitive).
You might say, "well, that could change at any point. The more success they have, the more likely they are to draw top recruits, besides why even bring up point differential?" First point differential. As John Madden was famous for saying, "the winning team is the one that scores more points that the other guy." Simple, yet true. Teams that consistently outpace their opposition are proven winners. During the time period we're discussing, the last five seasons, in every year but one (again, UCONN), the team with the highest point differential during the regular season won the national title.
Also, top offensive recruits are not likely to want to play at Virginia Commonwealth (although it is not impossible). The years I press on most defensive possessions as a coach, I get a reputation as a coach who 'hockey-subs.' Honestly, it's true in those years. When you are pressing and sprinting from point to point the whole game, your players tire quicker and you need to sub them quicker. Top flight offensive players rarely get the total minutes they need to put up gargantuan point totals for one thing, but they also are generally unable to get into a rhythm on the offensive end both due to the quick rotations but also because of fatigue.
Understand something, I am not saying it is impossible to win using either of Smart's presses in your system, or even with a havoc mentality. There are a lot of things those defenses do that allow you to be incredibly versatile on the offensive end of the floor as a coach. For example, if you develop a stretch 4, and play him at the 5, you can play a 5-out offense. This offense is incredibly difficult to guard by a typical team because it means that their slower big men are forced to play outside, or they risk giving up a lot of points to outside shooters. You also really can't play a zone against it for the same reason, which puts other coaches in a difficult position, especially if a zone is a large component of their defensive gameplan.
However, even playing that type of offensive set falls into the same pitfalls as the havoc defense, it's boom or bust. Returning to the NBA for a second, if you examine the Houston Rockets or Golden State Warriors, both of those teams rely on their three point shooting. When they have a cold game or playoff series it has a detrimental impact on their seasons. So many teams go away from the post now, but the truth is that it is the most consistent way to score, regardless of level. Havoc requires a rangy, athletic team to be sure. But if I were on the VCU bench, I would focus my energy on the development of a bona fide low post threat, even if it means having a slower athlete in that 'basket protector' role. Surround him with rangy athletic defensive stalwarts who can shoot and you have a similar situation to the Orlando Magic finals run, except they will be coached by one of the most brilliant defensive minds in the game today, and force turnovers. No coach wants to miss on the opportunity to convert points off turnovers, and right now VCU is doing too much of that.
In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare writes, "Cry, 'Havoc!' And let slip the dogs of war." Military historians agree that 'havoc' was the command given to let soldiers know they could loot and pillage a town or city after victory. There is a reason havoc was a command given only after victory was assured, because it meant commanders would lose control of their army. Smart's style of playing the 1-2-1-1 is somewhat revolutionary (giving due credit to Billy Donovan), but until the Rams are able to solve their offensive deficiencies and, quite simply, put more points on the board in a more efficient fashion, they will only be able to crush teams against which they are already superior. The Rams will be successful in games in which Smart knows he can cry 'havoc,' and allow his troops to loot the opposing backcourt; against more formidable opponents, they need to have a more effective, efficient and productive offensive strategy if they plan to go deeper into March.
I have researched Smart quite extensively, purchasing his DVD's on defense and reading just about every article I can on him (the SI one from a few years ago was particularly brilliant) but unlike most, it was because I had an ulterior motive. I like his style of coaching defense so much that I sought to emulate it with my own teams, so throughout this I will be making comparisons to what worked and what didn't for the team I coached. This whole article will hopefully be an exploration of why Smart is so good but, unfortunately, will likely never win a championship with his current modus operandi.
One of the main components to his style of coaching is having a 'havoc' mentality, disrupting everything the other guys are doing. Defensively, he plays a very active 1-2-1-1 zone defense which allows passes into the baseline corners and then traps the ball handler there. One of the unique aspects of how he coaches it though, is that it isn't just a pre-determined trapping point in the corner. Instead he asks his players to pressure the ball one on one until the ball handler loses control and is forced to look down or pick up his dribble. At that point, the tip of the diamond attacks, double teams the ball carrier, and forces him to make a snap decision. It's not always a turnover, but they need to pass it backwards because the way the other two defensive players are supposed to react takes away the forward and lateral passes. He refers to these players as the ‘interceptors’ while the player furthest back is the ‘basket protector.’
The other option they run is 'double-fist,' which is their full court man to man press. This is especially effective when VCU runs it because of the length and athleticism of their players, Smart makes sure to put guys on the court who all can cover the primary ballhandler as well as jump a panicked one. But nothing particularly special is happening as far as rotations. They will still bring a double team if the ball handler is in trouble, and the defender who is two passes away rotates over to cover the open man.
"But havoc isn't just a defensive strategy," as Smart is so quick to point out, "it's a mentality." Unfortunately, because his teams play with this mentality for all 40 minutes, this is where the downside truly lies. I coached my team to run the diamond and one, we ran double fist, got the rotations down and forced turnovers. Lots of turnovers. But we found that when we played a disciplined team, we needed to also play under control and slow the ball down on offense in order to get a good possession. The players I had to play in order to get those possessions were a stark contrast to the guys I played that made havoc work so well. With Smart and VCU recruiting especially hard after these athletic, long guys who may not possess the skilled talent of some of the other recruits, VCU can't slow down. Looking at that bench, they are able to hockey sub and not lose effectiveness on defense, because every player fits the same mold. They will force a larger amount turnovers from the other team as a result of the inherent fatigue that comes with being pressed for forty straight minutes, but as the old adage goes, "a good pressing team is bad at breaking a press." This is because they are unable to play disciplined on offense, instead preferring to run and gun. The havoc they cause on their opposition, playing with that mentality, it leads to offensive possessions marred with snap decisions and poor fundamentals.
VCU's program will continue to see the tremendous success their fans have already witnessed since Smart took over in 2009, they have been to the big dance every year but one. They had a Cinderella story in '11 making it to the final four after needing to win a play down just to get into the round of 64. This team will see overall success. But if you have the Rams winning it all, think again.
They have been in the top 10 in turnovers forced for the last 5 consecutive years, because at the end of the day that's what havoc does, force turnovers. Heck, they have even done a nice job limiting their own turnovers. In those same years, they have committed fewer turnovers than the eventual tournament champion. The difference is that VCU simply doesn't have the offensive firepower to keep up with the big dogs in the league. With the exception of last season, when UCONN staged a Cinderella story of their own, the tournament champ outpaced VCU by almost 400 points in point differential each year in this half decade (since they have started being consistently competitive).
You might say, "well, that could change at any point. The more success they have, the more likely they are to draw top recruits, besides why even bring up point differential?" First point differential. As John Madden was famous for saying, "the winning team is the one that scores more points that the other guy." Simple, yet true. Teams that consistently outpace their opposition are proven winners. During the time period we're discussing, the last five seasons, in every year but one (again, UCONN), the team with the highest point differential during the regular season won the national title.
Also, top offensive recruits are not likely to want to play at Virginia Commonwealth (although it is not impossible). The years I press on most defensive possessions as a coach, I get a reputation as a coach who 'hockey-subs.' Honestly, it's true in those years. When you are pressing and sprinting from point to point the whole game, your players tire quicker and you need to sub them quicker. Top flight offensive players rarely get the total minutes they need to put up gargantuan point totals for one thing, but they also are generally unable to get into a rhythm on the offensive end both due to the quick rotations but also because of fatigue.
Understand something, I am not saying it is impossible to win using either of Smart's presses in your system, or even with a havoc mentality. There are a lot of things those defenses do that allow you to be incredibly versatile on the offensive end of the floor as a coach. For example, if you develop a stretch 4, and play him at the 5, you can play a 5-out offense. This offense is incredibly difficult to guard by a typical team because it means that their slower big men are forced to play outside, or they risk giving up a lot of points to outside shooters. You also really can't play a zone against it for the same reason, which puts other coaches in a difficult position, especially if a zone is a large component of their defensive gameplan.
However, even playing that type of offensive set falls into the same pitfalls as the havoc defense, it's boom or bust. Returning to the NBA for a second, if you examine the Houston Rockets or Golden State Warriors, both of those teams rely on their three point shooting. When they have a cold game or playoff series it has a detrimental impact on their seasons. So many teams go away from the post now, but the truth is that it is the most consistent way to score, regardless of level. Havoc requires a rangy, athletic team to be sure. But if I were on the VCU bench, I would focus my energy on the development of a bona fide low post threat, even if it means having a slower athlete in that 'basket protector' role. Surround him with rangy athletic defensive stalwarts who can shoot and you have a similar situation to the Orlando Magic finals run, except they will be coached by one of the most brilliant defensive minds in the game today, and force turnovers. No coach wants to miss on the opportunity to convert points off turnovers, and right now VCU is doing too much of that.
In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare writes, "Cry, 'Havoc!' And let slip the dogs of war." Military historians agree that 'havoc' was the command given to let soldiers know they could loot and pillage a town or city after victory. There is a reason havoc was a command given only after victory was assured, because it meant commanders would lose control of their army. Smart's style of playing the 1-2-1-1 is somewhat revolutionary (giving due credit to Billy Donovan), but until the Rams are able to solve their offensive deficiencies and, quite simply, put more points on the board in a more efficient fashion, they will only be able to crush teams against which they are already superior. The Rams will be successful in games in which Smart knows he can cry 'havoc,' and allow his troops to loot the opposing backcourt; against more formidable opponents, they need to have a more effective, efficient and productive offensive strategy if they plan to go deeper into March.