Knight Watch: Help-Side Defense

Really well-done explanation of the help-side defense principles Tom Izzo utilizes. (Say what you will about Bobby Knight--and I've said my share--but the man can break down what's happening on a basketball court like no one else alive.)

Analysts often talk about teams playing a zone defense with man-to-man principles. It almost seems like MSU does the opposite--playing a man-to-man defense with zone principles.

We'll need plenty of good help defense tonight to limit the scoring of Hummel, Moore, and Johnson and make some of the less-acclaimed Boilermakers beat us.

about 2 years ago KJ@theonlycolors 6 comments 0 recs |

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That

was awesome.

PP-TPW.
The Only Colors

by LVS on Feb 9, 2010 4:53 PM CST reply actions

Good explanation by Knight, as usual.

His sweater, however, does not deserve the same praise.

by rcpratt on Feb 9, 2010 5:23 PM CST reply actions

I liked this, but

I think MSU can also get itself in trouble with the help defense. Often (Durrell Summers, I’m thinking of you) the help comes from ball side leaving a perimeter player open for a quick kick out and three-point shot. There’s an art to knowing when to help and when to hold your position.

by Con-T on Feb 9, 2010 5:42 PM CST reply actions

He sure can break it down

I’m not that big a fan of him as a color guy because, despite providing a wealth of information, he sounds like he’s watching paint dry rather than a basketball game. I’d love to see a series of these where he breaks down various offensive systems, zones, etc.

by TheCrestedHelm on Feb 9, 2010 5:57 PM CST reply actions

Exactly

I’m not wild about him as a color guy, except for those sidebars after commercials where he breaks everything down. I always feel like I’m learning something.

PP-TPW.
The Only Colors

by LVS on Feb 9, 2010 7:56 PM CST up reply actions

I like...

…his style as a color guy. He doesn’t talk to hear himself talk and he knows more about basketball than God. I tend to think I’m in minority among the sports blog reading public in that I’m kinda charmed by Dick Vitale’s oft-inane ramblings, but I think there’s room for the opposite approach. But I also kinda like the Pam Ward/Ray Bentley team calling a football game, so I’m clearly in heretic territory when it comes to announcers.

Plus, I loved Knight a little bit for ripping John Calipari. Yeah, it probably comes from the same place as all the less-admirable jerky things Bob Knight has done, but he was being a jerk in the direction of someone else powerful, so it amuses me.

by witless chum on Feb 11, 2010 8:27 AM CST up reply actions