Switching Screens Is For Wusses
Mike BibbyWatching the Hawks right now, there are a couple of things that are supremely frustrating.
First, I still can’t see how anyone thought it was a good idea to take Marvin Williams ahead of Chris Paul or Deron Williams. What was Marvin’s ceiling out of UNC? Shawn Marion? He was an athletic three with physical tools, but the Hawks management got swept up in the hype surrounding that National Championship run, no doubt.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg in Atlanta right now. There’s a much bigger issue, though it might seem inconsequential. Switching screens.
Before getting into why it’s a problem in the ATL, let me say that I’ve watched the Knicks do this on and off all season long. Mike D’Antoni likes to put Jared Jeffries - a truly versatile defender - on the opposing point guard at the beginning of games. However, when opposing big men set a ball screen on Jeffries, it seems as thought D’Antoni always has his guys switch that screen. The end result of that is almost always David Lee guarding a guy like Tony Parker.
In a five minute span during the beginning of that Spurs-Knicks game last week, Parker scored six easy points, and could have had 10 if he didn’t miss a lay-up (where he thought he got fouled) and commit a bad turnover. On virtually every one of those possessions, he got a screen from Tim Duncan, and then just blew by David Lee after the Knicks switched on the screen.
Then, Nate Robinson checked in the game, and the Knicks stopped switching ball screens on TP. Parker didn’t score for 10 minutes thereafter. It’s not like Nate is the greatest defender. But he will fight through a screen. And by doing so, not only does Nate help to avoid giving Parker or Duncan a huge mismatch, but it also sends a message to the rest of the team about going as hard as possible on every play.
So how does all of this apply to Atlanta?
Against the Jazz last night, Mike Woodson had his guys switching every screen all over the floor.
Mike Woodson seriously diminished the Hawks’ chances of winning in Utah when he decided that, defensively, this team would spend the season switching on every screen. It’s a functional strategy against teams with a limited number of offensive options and/or little off-the-ball movement. Against Utah it essentially rendered the Atlanta defenders stationary, calling out switches but never moving their feet as the Jazz players ran their offense without interference.
Anyone who has played the game knows that by switching all screens, it promotes the idea that there is no real individual responsibility on defense. A coach can’t get in his player’s face and say, “I want you to shut Player X down!” if he’s having his team switch on all screens.
Utah took advantage across the board, scoring with ease from one-through-five. They allowed five Jazzmen to score in double figures, completing 50% of their shots as a team despite a miserable 5-25 FG stretch during the final minutes of the game, once it was way out of reach.
And that lackadaisical attitude, which is engendered in part by the order to switch screens, can easily carry over to the offensive end. You’d be hard-pressed to say that the Hawks played with any sort of pride last night. Joe Johnson finished the game with 15 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks, and 4 turnovers. Josh Smith went 0-6 from the free throw line. That’s just a lack of focus.
For Smith, that’s part of a disturbing trend.
In the last six games, Smith has averaged 10.8 points and 3.5 rebounds. Now, I realize not every NBA forward is capable of averaging 10.8 points and 3.5 rebounds. But I think only one of them recently signed a $58 million contract. I’m not saying it’s time for the Hawks to give up on Smith. But this is year five. We’re way past the oh-he’ll-come-around-eventually stage. Somebody needs to take a blowtorch to his butt, and quick.
Undoubtedly, there is a functional use to switching screens. But for an Atlanta team that is quick enough to hedge-and-recover, they need to show some more fight.
February 24th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Big Sia says:
Yo this was a terribly written article.
Really bad writing man
February 24th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
SteveNash says:
thank you for that informative… um… crap… so this is what dime has come too huh… i miss the game, the player, the life point of view…
February 24th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
mosduff says:
despite some typos, I actually applaud this type of article. It’s like a poor man’s Charley Rosen article.
Dime is great. I check it of least once a day but I do think it suffers from too many articles without much substance. This looks like a step in the right direction, in my view.
February 24th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
George W Kush Sr says:
Big Sia, what do you mean?
I actually agree that its a poor choice to not switch up. The definition of insanity is repeating the same thing and expecting a different result. I mean were not talking about a shooter’s stroke, this is the game strategy for the whole team and its not working, Woodson should’ve tried to change it
February 24th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Quedas says:
Oh yes, damn him for writing an article about basketball… Who gives a shit about that, right?
February 24th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
patrick says:
Give Dime a break. They used to only write Smack everyday. Past few months they have kicked the content output up like 1000%. Every once in a while you get to learn about not switching on screens. Take the bad with the good.
February 24th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
kg fan says:
I actually liked the article. Breaks down parts of the game I never looked at before. I’m not really an Xs and Os guy so its nice to have dime break down the simple things
February 24th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Sanpitch says:
What the hell you talkin’ about Big Sia. Thanks for looking into the game Andrew Katz. This is the stuff I love to read about. I could care less about the “Lebron James just farted” articles. This is the good stuff.
Thanks and thanks for writing an article not about the Lakers, Celtics, or Lebron. I like it.
I watched that game last night and it was killing me how Utah was just piecing the Hawks apart. My high school coach would have b-slapped us if we played defense like that. I would have gotten the finger in the chest stab.
February 24th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
amanalone says:
How could anyone complain about the content of this article? If you don’t want to read about switching screens, don’t read it. But of course it should be written about on an in-depth basketball site.
February 24th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
mavs all the way says:
nice read.
don’t listen to them. there are people who will always be wusses.
February 24th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Jim says:
Go watch Entourage. Good article, let’s see some more like this.
February 24th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Dave says:
Did Marbury just get bought out? Sudt saw an article on Fox Sports… Whats the deal dime, when do we get to see him ruin the Celts??
February 24th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Drink the Haterade (KB24 Chip 09) says:
Dime post it
Earlier Tuesday, Boston signed center Mikki Moore, who was waived by Sacramento after last Thursday’s trading deadline.
February 24th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
LeBEAST_13 says:
I hope Josh Smith reads this article mate. WAY overrated.
He used to punch everyone’s sh*t (contract year anyone?) and has now resorted to pushing old white guys to the floor when they’re in midair. He could of got to MH’s layup but it was a blowout and he was just lazy. Anyone who watched last nights game and other Hawks games this year can see this guy’s lack of true effort. I don’t shy from hard fouls at all but that was bullsh*t.
I fu*king hate guys that get paid and basically quit on improving their talent. DESPICABLE.
Other than that, as someone that checks this site hourly because I generally like the content … this article was a pleasant surprise.
1
February 24th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
fallinup says:
Good write, Drew. Don’t listen to the ones not getting paid to do this. I don’t mind the posts throughout the day at all. It keeps me with something to read up with.
I would suggest some new look to the website so posts from earlier in the day arn’t buried on page 2. Some folks only got time to glance at the home page. I don’t think some of the articles are getting it’s full discussion on cause everyone else is postin in the newer stuff. 2 columns or something.
February 24th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
E$ says:
How do you say buckets in french? T.Park giving out plenty vs Mavs tonight
February 24th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
jonny taise says:
yeah, this was good! something a little different! a nice insight to the game!
February 24th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Amar says:
AK — this is a good piece. keep writing stuff like this. dime is more than a lifestyle mag, it’s a basketball lifestyle mag. a big part of that is basketball. thanks for breaking this down.
February 24th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
HeadKicker B says:
Good read. Keep em’ coming.
February 25th, 2009 at 4:02 am
Truth says:
high school ball coaches like myself love this x’s and o’s type stuff. interesting and helps give a better understanding of the game.
February 25th, 2009 at 4:05 am
Coop says:
I thought the article was poorly structured but it’s content was decent and I certainly want to read more about strategies over who’s wearing what pair of hideous shoes on any given day (no offence CGF!
February 25th, 2009 at 9:47 am
Sanpitch says:
Since when did everyone on the comment board become a critic?? Hell half of us can’t type anything that makes sense and now suddenly we are saying stuff like “poorly structured”! What the hell!
Hell, half the comments on here would get a 2nd grader slapped upside the head by his English Teacher and we are saying “poorly structured”.
(In my best Seth Myers impersonation) “Really!!??”
February 25th, 2009 at 10:11 am
SteveNash says:
jajajaja…. it wz a good article… just not what i want to read on dime… if i wanted an article on basketball strategies i would go read one of my coaches notes!!!
February 25th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Kevin K says:
As an ATL native, I have received crap load of bashing for this, but I am going to say it here. Joe Johnson is OVERRATED! He’s a good player, but not a superstar/franchise type of a player.
Mike Woodson is an idiot. He has less play option than Mike Brown. Seriously, his coaching is that of a middle school level.
The Hawks have over achieved this year due to Mike Bibby’s resurgence and Marvin William’s solid play. Every time Josh Smith shoots a jumpshot, I cringe. Joe Johnson kills any ball movement although half the blame should go to the coach.
February 25th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Dave says:
the information in this article was good, only an astute basketball person would pick that up and regardless of any typo’s it’s probably info most of you haters never thought about. I bet now y’all will pay more attention to screen switches.