Why don't the Magic run a halfcourt trap on JJ and Jamal?

[Admin]

If I were the Magic (or any other team) I'd run a half court trap on them and play the passing lanes because we know the Hawks are prone to turnovers and we can be trapped easily since we rely on so much iso-basketball for long stretches of time. Maybe the Magic don't have the personnel to execute this type of strategy or maybe the Hawks would beat it but I think you've at least got to try it and we've all seen on far too may occasions where the Hawks will make bad decisions with the ball when pressured.

[Supporter]

Simply put, it's easier said than done, and when you have guys like Horford and Kirk it make you think twice before trying to trap either one.

Edited April 25, 2011 by Supporter

[Admin]

Simply put, it's easier said than done, and when you have guys like Horford and Kirk it make you think twice before trying to trap either one.

Kirk has always been a fairly high turnover guard and so are both Joe and Jamal as well. If memory serves the Magic trapped us some in the 2nd game when they got back into it and I really think that was the difference for them.

[Peoriabird]

They trap Joe Johnson about 80% of the time with Howard!

[Guest]

SHUTUP! Don't give the Magic any ideas, because this would certainly work against us.

[Crank]

With the way Kirk and Jamal are shooting the basketball and the way we have been able to pick up fouls on dwight that would actually play into our strategy. It worked in game two because Al was out for extended stretches

[Diesel]

If I were the Magic (or any other team) I'd run a half court trap on them and play the passing lanes because we know the Hawks are prone to turnovers and we can be trapped easily since we rely on so much iso-basketball for long stretches of time. Maybe the Magic don't have the personnel to execute this type of strategy or maybe the Hawks would beat it but I think you've at least got to try it and we've all seen on far too may occasions where the Hawks will make bad decisions with the ball when pressured.

But they do. Howard comes over to trap the ball as Joe enters the lane. They use Howard because of his height and Jumping ability.. because he can stop passes into the lane to cutters. The problem is that Joe dribbles out and if Howard follows, ball moves from side to side. When Howard doesn't follow is when the Magic have seen their best work because of the time it takes.. but Joe still has made them pay.. especially early in games.

[Wretch]

They trap Joe Johnson about 80% of the time with Howard!

...lol, and it makes me nervous as sh!t every time.

All of our guys are good passers though. With the emphasis on ball movement, and the shooters/passers we have, it'd probably just play into our hands.

[niremetal]

Joe actually has done well against trapping defensive schemes (as opposed to traps that arise as a possession unfolds) in the past. The Pacers and Nets liked to run traps against us, and it only seemed to work for a few possessions at a time. Once JJ (or someone on the bench who told JJ) figured out what was up, he adjusted and did well. It's when a play starts as an ISO and turns into a double-team, or when a man traps him off a pick-and-roll, that he struggles. When he knows to expect the double to come every single time, he seems to do ok. It's in situations when he doesn't know whether it's coming or not that he seems to panic.

That's not acceptable, of course - after 6 years as the number 1 option, he should know how to react to a double-team that appears during an ISO or screen roll. It's just to say that I don't think a trap would be a particularly effective strategy. If JJ knows that it will be coming immediately and every time he touches the ball, he is able to anticipate it. I think their best strategy is honestly what they've been doing all series - giving JJ lots of different defensive looks. Some traps, some straight-up, and bringing the double team from different angles on different possessions. Uncertainty is what seems to freak JJ out when it comes to double teams.

Edited April 25, 2011 by niremetal

[Admin]

Granted I didn't watch most of the 2nd half of the game but I'm hearing in many posts about how the Magic trapped us a lot more in this game and we didn't deal with it too well. Is that the consensus opinion that they did that to us? And if so well all I can say is I hope SVG didn't read this topic on how to beat us ...