Meeting of the Minds: Should the Suns run the full court press? Part 2

Here is part two of the debate between Greg Esposito and Ben York. If you missed part one you can read it here.

Ben York:
You make several good points in the email; it would seem as if our roles have reversed and you are becoming more the optimist and me more of a pessimist!

I think where we differ is the idea that the Suns and Mercury are at the point where they could feasibly entertain the thought of a press. The reason it works so well in college and even in some high schools is for three reasons, which I shall list below.

1. Personnel: By this, I mean your players and the opposing players. As with everything in basketball, there shouldn’t be a blanket philosophy for all teams. Sure, you’ll have a style you run but there will always be an adjustment for the team you’re playing (regardless of what any coach or player will have you think). So, if you have mediocre defensive players and the opponent has a bunch of athletic and quick players, a press isn’t the right idea. This same philosophy should apply to all levels of the game. For example, Boston has the players to run a press against virtually anyone; they are committed to team defense regardless of where they are on the floor, they have quick guards, quick big men, and intelligent help defense. Unfortunately, the Suns don’t embody all of those attributes.

2. Coaching: There is so many little intricacies to a press that must be addressed by the coach. If you have a good coach, a press should be more proactive than reactive. Players should anticipate where the next pass is going, where the dribbling guard will go, and which passing lanes to cut off. If you don’t have this, a press is much too easily broken by the offense. The press isn’t rocket science, but as I said in the first email, all 5 guys have to be knowledgeable and committed…which brings me to the last reason.

3. Commitment and Intelligence: It takes a lot of effort to run a press continuously. Let’s not forget that these players don’t respond well to an old school mentality (see Terry Porter). In high school and college, coaches have much more of a disciplinarian approach to the game than in the NBA. I’m not saying the Suns don’t have these, I’m just stating that the shift in philosophy in order for a press to be effective would be difficult for the Suns since they are obviously all about scoring. Boston, Orlando, and the Spurs would be good examples of committed players on the defensive end.

In all, the Suns are surely capable of running a press, but I’m a firm believer that if you don’t have your weak-side and help defense down pat in the half-court set, there is no reason to think it would be better extending it to the full court set.

To make up that 4%, all the Suns need to do is work on improving their pick & roll defense and be more aware of their weak-side help. Also, they should force better double teams and work on their rotation and anticipation.

Greg Esposito:
Ah Ben, you are proving to be a formidable foe. I appreciate you listing your points in numerical order. It makes it easier to refute said arguments.

At the professional level every team should “be at the point” where they could run a press. There is a reason they are getting paid millions of dollars. Sure, some players are better than others on a physical and mental level but I don’t think that any team is incapable of doing it. Let me break down the reason why in your three categories.

1) Personnel: I agree with the assessment that there shouldn’t be a blanket philosophy for every team. You would have to tweak the strategy based on an opponent but you wouldn’t have to abandon it all together. You could run the press when the opponent’s second unit is on the court in an attempt to fluster the non “star” players on the court. You talked about a team having mediocre defense and facing an athletic club. I think the press relies as much on athletic players that are willing to hustle as anything. If the Suns are staying with the Seven Seconds or Less offensive strategy their roster will still be filled with fast, athletic guys who can keep up with other teams players. What the Suns lack in defensive intelligence, which can be taught with the right coach, they can make up for in their raw athletic ability that will reek havoc on a team in the press.

2) Coaching: This is your easiest argument to counteract. Alvin Gentry announced that Bill Cartwright, Dan Majerle and Igor Kokosko will remain on the coaching staff. That means there is still one spot open for a defensively minded assistant. Said assistant could be just want the Suns are looking for to not only help them master the press but also improve their collective defensive basketball IQ. Does anyone doubt that if Mike D’Antoni had hired Tom Thibodeau instead of his brother Dan D’Anotoni as an assistant a few seasons ago that the Suns defense would have been vastly improved? You can run a dedicated press unit that focuses with said assistant on how to be committed to the press and play them at strategic points in the game. Also, Dan Majerle was known as a tough defensive player during his playing days so he can help with the mental toughness of the team.

3) Commitment and Intelligence: I don’t know if it was Terry Porter’s old school mentality or his personality that the players didn’t respond well to. It seemed like anyone that wasn’t named Mike D’Antoni wasn’t going to be taken very seriously. The current roster loves Alvin Gentry and will be more open to defensive suggestions he makes, as long as it doesn’t distract from the SSOL offense. A commitment to something doesn’t take years to change. It takes effort and a team buying into the message. Everyone loves Gentry so he will be able to get them to commit to a plan that includes defense, particularly some running of the full court press.

I believe that running a press could have a trickle down effect and help the entire commitment to defense. Disrupting a teams flow of bring the ball up will disrupt their entire offensive strategy and may even prevent them from running pick & roll offense the way they are used to. Organized chaos on both sides of the ball. Seems like a plan to me.

It’s your turn Mr. York. Make your closing statement a good one.

Ben York:
Greg, Greg, Greg…

There is nothing wrong with your theory, idea, or wish to implement a press. Having said that, you’re wrong.

Have you ever stopped to wonder why you never see a press (other than man-to-man full court) in the NBA? It’s because it just isn’t effective and it’s easily broken with the right players. If it’s a man press, the guards in the NBA are so good at their handles they can easily bring the ball up court - that’s what makes a good point guard. Plus, a 4 or 5 man usually stays behind to deliver a pseudo screen which creates just a second or two of room to dribble, which is all they need. If it’s a zone press, there is obviously a person open and they typically can find that open person with ease. Once that player is found, there is an immediate advantage for the offense and the press failed. The room for error is too slim. Have you noticed how easy it is for many players to pass out of a double team? It’s because the defense is typically not where they should be and the offensive player is at an elite level. In the NBA, that’s what is going to happen most of the time.

Simply put, there are just too many athletic and gifted players for a defense to run a press that is both successful and effective.

Now, I’m not saying that a couple times a game would be wrong. On the contrary, I think it would be beneficial. But the problem with that is that the kind of intensity it would take to sustain the Suns offensive pace doesn’t mix with a press. The reason they are able to run as much as they do is because they are so good offensively; they don’t have to play stellar defense.

There is a reason why we don’t see Orlando, Boston, San Antonio, Cleveland etc. running so much on offense; it’s because they place so much emphasis on defense. Now, if the Suns were to run a press for a few times a game, they might win by 18 instead of 12 or 14 - it doesn’t matter. The Suns have a high point differential against their opponents so it wouldn’t make sense to exert that energy to win by a couple more points.

I’d be more on board if their offense is sub-par or mediocre. Since we all know that isn’t the case, please God, have the Suns focus on protecting the basket and their help defense.

That is all.

Greg Esposito:
Everyone in baseball used to think that batting average, runs batted in and stealing bases was the end all be all of the game. There was talent and game plans that were never valued in baseball because it was “not accepted”. I think the press in the NBA is one of them. If you haven’t seen a press in the NBA how do you know it won’t work? People don’t try radical things based on fear and flawed conventional wisdom. The effectiveness of the press is one of those “conventional wisdom” flaws.

An athletic team that has some Nash like energy and drive can hustle to make the press work. I think you are giving way too much credit to the offensive skills of the NBA players and way too little to their ability to run a solid double team. A double team in the backcourt with 10 seconds to get the ball up is significantly different than one in a half court set. Failure is based on making a person think about what they are doing rather than relying on their muscle memory to do it. Catching them off guard with a press will force errors that won’t occur necessarily when a team can casually get set once they cross the timeline.

I think you missed the point when it comes to the energy issue. You utilize your bench and your roster more by making sure the latter half of it is filled with energy and hustle guys that can sustain the defensive pace while having one or two guys focus on the offensive production. Guys like Amundson, Dudley and Tucker and to some extent Tucker are the perfect guys for this kind of system.

To you point about Orlando, Boston, San Antonio and Cleveland, I think these teams don’t run so much on offense because the play based on “conventional rules”. I don’t know that it is because they are better defensively and expend more energy. There are plenty of teams who can’t play defense and still don’t run on offense because it’s not what is standard in the game.

I want a revolution. I want fresh thinking. Just call Gladwell, Simmons and myself (never thought I’d put myself in a category with those two) the “Bill James” of basketball.

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