Defense

[WTSooner]

Another way to improve team defense over last year, is how LK will pair the guys on the court.

If M'Baye is going to be able to alter shots in the paint from helping out, I think that is the biggest reason why he'll start. If you are going to ask Pledger, and to a lesser extent Grooms, to pressure the ball, they are going to get beat at times. More often then others. So if those two are on the floor, it makes sense to have M'Baye out there with them.

On the flip side, if you have 2 of the freshmen out there with Cam, even though they are still going to get beaten if LK wants constant pressure defense, it will probably be less so then Pledger and Grooms, therefore you might be able to get away without having a shot changer in the middle.

I'm not a big fan of constant pressure defense. Good teams will get behind it, and that creates easy baskets and wide open looks. It also gives up offensive rebounding opportunities, because the defense is always scrambling. You can get away with it more if you have 2-3 guys in side that can alter shots, and rebound strongly. I'm not sure we have that. Be interesting to see how much, and at what times, LK has our guards out pressuring and denying. Also be interesting to see if he asks Pledger and Grooms to do the same things he asks the more athletic guards to do.

Good defense doesn't mean you have to turn guys over. Good defense can simply be not giving up easy shots, making the other team work for everything, and then getting the rebounds. Hopefully LK is going to implement a mix of those two styles.

 

[KBaden145]

Good team defense isn't about whether you have good match-ups at each position. I've seen lots of good defensive basketball teams with a poor individual defender in the lineup. It comes down to strong and timely defensive rotation. As long as the perimeter guys can get out to contest shots and at least limit dribble penetration, you can play really good defense with solid rotation from your bigs. That was our biggest issue last season. With M'Baye, Osby, better effort from Fitz and Arent, and if Bennett will continue to develop, I think we will be much improved. Any talk of Pledger sitting on the bench bc he is not a plus defender is ridiculous.

 

[garyeb2]

Good team defense isn't about whether you have good match-ups at each position. I've seen lots of good defensive basketball teams with a poor individual defender in the lineup. It comes down to strong and timely defensive rotation. As long as the perimeter guys can get out to contest shots and at least limit dribble penetration, you can play really good defense with solid rotation from your bigs. That was our biggest issue last season. With M'Baye, Osby, better effort from Fitz and Arent, and if Bennett will continue to develop, I think we will be much improved. Any talk of Pledger sitting on the bench bc he is not a plus defender is ridiculous.

The Coaching in the Big 12 is very good. If an opponent has a defensive weakness, they will find it and exploit it. It may take him 20-25 seconds into the possesion to get the step slow defender sucked one step out of position. But, they will do it and then they will nail him. It happened to OU over and over last season. Not by every team and not on every possesion. But, it happened over and over.

Step slow Fitz and his slow rotations were a constant source of leaks. But step slow perimeter defenders drawn one step out of position can not close out on 3 pt. shooters. That was the source of just as many leaks. Step slow peremeter defenders one step out of position contributed to Fitz"s foul trouble as much as Fitz did.

I have said that one could probably have a good defensive team with one step slow guy. Alot of good teams probably do. But, they don't do it on purpose. The best defenses have 5 good defenders.

 

[KBaden145]

We can't put 5 good defenders out there at any one time without sacrificing significant offense and vice versa. For this team for this season, I think our best option is to get the 5 best offensive threats on the floor and play the best team defense we can. Who that is is debatable but I think it includes Pledger, M'Baye, and Osby for sure. Cam, Fitz, Hield, Grooms, and Cousins seem to be in the running at the other spots. Then use our depth to pressure and push as much as we can. Best defense is a good offense kind of thinking. I also think some lineups with Pledger at the 3 with Hield or Hornbeak at the 2 could help against smaller lineups. However, Pledger ability to stretch the floor offensively is invaluable.

 

[garyeb2]

We can't put 5 good defenders out there at any one time without sacrificing significant offense and vice versa. For this team for this season, I think our best option is to get the 5 best offensive threats on the floor and play the best team defense we can. Who that is is debatable but I think it includes Pledger, M'Baye, and Osby for sure. Cam, Fitz, Hield, Grooms, and Cousins seem to be in the running at the other spots. Then use our depth to pressure and push as much as we can. Best defense is a good offense kind of thinking. I also think some lineups with Pledger at the 3 with Hield or Hornbeak at the 2 could help against smaller lineups. However, Pledger ability to stretch the floor offensively is invaluable.

Once again, I'm taking a position that is in line with what Kruger has said and someone else is off in some different direction. Contrary to popular opinon, I don't just make all this stuff up. I have good sources and a pretty good fact checker or two. Kruger said if they dont defend they don't play. On this point I'm sure. He means it.

Pledger worked harder in the offseason than ever before. He drew down 15lbs. He is getting after it in practice much much harder than last season. When they are going through defensive drills at 3/4 speed, he seems to be as good of defensive technician as any of them. Pleger understands that Kruger means it and he has and is doing all he can do to hold on. And I'm happy to give him credit for that.

But, there two things he doesn't have any control over. He is still a step slow and Buddy is going to play. The staff thought that it might be 4 or 5 games in before they had him ready. I don't know what they think after the scrimmage and I don't know if the exibition games count.

Pledger is easily the best 3 pt. shooter and they need him if they want to be good. But, Buddy is going to play. Pledger could very easily be the starter and get the most minutes. But, Buddy is going to play. If Pledger doesn't defend at a higher level than he did last year, Buddy is going to start and Pledger is going to play.

I don't care how it works out. I just want the team to be better. And I'm not going to argue about who starts where. Like it or not. that is how it is going to play out.

Oh, by the way, Tubbs says good defense creates good offense. Don't stray too far from what the good coaches say. I might start losing confidence in your opinions.

 

[KBaden145]

No, I agree with that premise Tubbs is talking about. I am a defense first guy. I just have trouble seeing us being a great defensive team. We were so bad last but more length and bodies will help. My thinking is where do you trade off. I think we started most games well last season because of our offense and faded late bc of a short bench and poor defensive possessions. I am trying to stay within the context of this group not necessarily the one I would want or put together, if that makes sense. My reference is OStates last final four team. Not a great defensive team and not a particularly deep bench. However, they were efficient offensively and could spread the floor with offensive threats. They always seemed to have teams on their heels. I would love it if we could play great defense and not sacrifice offense to do it. I just don't see it.

I agree about Hield. Love him. I have penciled in as a starter next season but also playing a lot this, often with Pledger still on the floor.

 

[SoonerinNC]

I think too much is made of Pledger and Fitz defense. In this day and age it is very hard to stay in front of the athletic players on a good team. And anyone is subject to getting screened partiularly the way they let the screeners lay on you now. When I was coaching high school there was a rule that the screener had to give the defensive man a step.

I think it is much more important how well a team checks players who have gained an edge over the defender and particularly how well they rotate to stop a player who has blown by someone and to cover the resulting open players.

In other words since Bobby Knight changed basic man to man defensive philosophy team defense is far more important than individual defense.

In my opinion, Kurger does a very good job with team defense. Also I believe that was a major reason we had leads in games against very good teams last year only to lose the game when tired legs caused the defense to collapse.

I love the three freshman guards. I think they will all play but are unlikely to supplant our top returning scorer and potentially at least an honorable mention Big 12 player.