A question for GH BB defensive gurus.

Is it really necessary for our big man to make that jump-out switch to the smaller guard on the pick and roll when they are 20 feet from the basket? It seems what results from that switch is our big winds up scrambling down the lane trying to catch up to his original man he was guarding after the switch back to avoid the size mismatch underneath.

If they do it right, absolutely. If they don't do it at all or do it wrong, it is absolutely a mess.

Read this.

I was wondering the same thing. It seems like everyone does it but with EE, it is not effective.

The proper thing to do is for the big guy to hedge hard and force the guard out towards mid court which gives time for some help defense which gives time for hedger to get back down underneath the basket. If he doesn't hedge, there is a wide open lane. If he hedges poorly, you get the mismatch and a big desperately trying to stay in front of a point guard at the top of the key.

The Pick N Roll is the most effective offensive weapon anywhere on the floor when run correctly, though it does not work every time, as does nothing in basketball.

Just ask the Gopher Womens' weapons of Lindsay Whalen and Janelle McCarville a few years back.

Dr.Don said:

The Pick N Roll is the most effective offensive weapon anywhere on the floor when run correctly, though it does not work every time, as does nothing in basketball.

Just ask the Gopher Womens' weapons of Lindsay Whalen and Janelle McCarville a few years back.

Click to expand...

Teams wouldn't have been running it since the 1930s if it didn't work.

From the Barn said:

If they do it right, absolutely. If they don't do it at all or do it wrong, it is absolutely a mess.

Read this.

Click to expand...

Thanks FTB - Interesting reading. At least Sampson gets kudos for "hedging".

The hedge

You need defenders with some quickness and good feet to hedge well, which is why offenses pick with their post player as their defenders typically lack both.
Good defensive rotation is needed to cover the picker who dives to the goal, and the guard who was screened has to chase hard over the pick and recover good defensive position so the post defender doesn't have to stay on the perimeter too long.
I'm always surprised at how much contact refs allow by the hedging defender that would draw a certain foul if done by the on-ball defender.
In terms of attacking the hedge, a strong dribbler should attack the topside hip of the hedger, draw and maintain the contact and force the whistle. The hedge works best against tentative ball handlers who back off and let the play be disrupted.