BK Jelgava isolation

     LBL team BK Jelgava in the game vs Barons/LDz used isolation play to make a few runs and gain the lead. It's rare to see isolation plays in Latvian league, so i will explain how they executed it and why it was hard to guard for the defense!

     At first I would like to introduce you to the Dribble Drive offense. This offense is very popular in NCAA basketball, often used by Kentucky Wildcats (championship run with John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, 2009-10) and Memphis university Tigers (lost in NCAA final, 2008-09, with D Rose on their team).

     Basic principle is great spacing to play isolation game, usualy for guards, but also used for forwards with speed advantage. Offense is based on players skill to play 1on1! Imagine, how did it looked when John Wall or D Rose played it!

     Basic set up is 4 players out, and 5 or 4 player down low at the base line! All the players move dependig on the ball's movement. I will show you how its done by team BK Jelgava!

     To create the good spacing, they play top Pick and Pop, with guards! In this game Gluditis sets screen, and pops out for a shot!

First option: if the strong side helps, pass out for a shot! Coach Gulbis puts there Zebergs who is decent shooter, but very good cutter, and he reads defense and cuts to the basket for easy basket! If he would be in the weak side, defense would be able to help of him and make the offense harder! GREAT spacing!

Another option: if strong side does not help, the weak side have to. Defender X5 have to help on drive, it makes defender X3 to take care of 5 player, and leaves player 4 open for a 3 pt shot, here it is Cavars, who can score off the catch, if they put there Justovics, who is good shooter, it can be very hard to guard!

     Now you know the basics of this offensive movement, we can watch how it developed in the game!

     Gluditis is good shooter on the catch and after dribble, he is fast and can jump, also his ball handling is quite good, so he can produce!

     I also highlighted the spacing between perimeter players, so you can understand how hard it is to guard, if the player is good 1on1.

     As the game went on Gluditis went HOT, and coach Gulbis took the player out from the strong side, and putted him on the weak side.

     Defender tried to deny the pass, but got caught up, and Gulditis made easy penetration, and made hard shot over defense! As i said, he went HOT!

     Another ISO play, did I mentioned, that he went HOT? Here they played simple PnR, and defense switched, they made the same spacing, and Gluditits did his job off the dribble!
     Defense let him take the shot and made a distance to defend the drive, but he beated it anyway!

     BK Jelgava did this play mostly in first half and gained the lead and mental advantage, that they can beat them 1on1, there is nothing better than that feeling! In the second half they played this set few times, did pass the ball to the cutters and scored! Here is another episode of Gluditis doing his job off the dribble!

     And the most simpliest option, Pick and Pop! Steinbergs is pretty good shooter of the catch, so this is a good play to run with him, if he's not able to get the shot off, he can get the ball back to Gluditis and make him work!

     Barons/LDz made some miscommunication between guards, that made easier to drive and collapsed the defense! You have to talk on defense! "If you're not talking, you're not playing the defense"/Doc Rivers/.

     This simple but very effective play cought my eye and I tought it would be great to show to you, how did the BK Jelgava beat Barons/LDz!

Thanks for reading.

Coach Rozlapa!