NONOY FOR PRESIDENT: Anatomy Of A Loss (PART 1)

It HAS been a while. And yet it seems that the feeling is still the same.
I'll never get used to losing.

As sucky as the 2 losses to La Salle in the pre-season tournaments. As sucky as losing to UST after a season of dominance in '06. As as sucky not being able to defend the crown in '03. Significant losses that have one common theme: the suckiness of it all is part of the journey to where Ateneo basketball is now. The only good thing that comes with losing, I guess, would be the learning that comes with it. With the winning streak we've been having, losing definitely gives the team a point of view that will make them say:

"So this is how losing feels like. Do we like this feeling?"
(while we hope for a response that goes...)
"This should not happen again."

Adamson came ready today. They knew they could match up well with our players and if they kept the game close, they had enough talent to pull through. Just so happens that today, Ateneo was caught flat-footed; nothing clicked. And well, you saw what happened, no sense in retelling.

Looking forward, I am sure Coach Black and company are now regrouping, trying to solve the enigma that is today's performance. Let me point out some elements we need to focus on for the subsequent games we will be playing.

Pass with Purpose

As we have mentioned time and again, the Blue Eagles play efficient team basketball whenever they move the ball around and run their plays to the dot. Only a handful of players can actually create their own shots while majority rely on coming off screens, moving without the ball, or grabbing second chance opportunities with offensive boards or hustling for loose balls. However, this only holds true if your opponents are stupid. Thus my admiration for Coach Austria grows every time Ateneo meets Adamson. He takes his losses seriously and prepares his crew well.

Today, it seemed like the Eagles were rattled with a the type of defense that Adamson used. Mind you, this was no special defense, just straight up man-to-man but with rapid switching and occasional double-teams that confused the players into unsure match-ups and hurried shots. The team failed to recognize open spots on the floor. They tried to run their plays too strictly that they did not adjust well to the movements of defenders. Don't pass just because you have to, pass because you trust that the receiver knows what to do with the ball. If not, find the open man or return to the basics - pick-and-rolls, drives and dish, or foul fishing. These plays never fail, but we've gotten so used to having our go-to plays that we forget to play old-school basketball.

Adamson double/triple-teamed Greg when they could which led to either offensive fouls or unnecessary turnovers. Yes Greg did have his monster jam, but there was quickly an adjustment in Adamson's defense after that. Greg should recognize where the open man is; his height gives him that privilege anyway. The other Blue Eagles on the floor should know which angles on the floor will allow him a clear passing lane and not just wait for cross-court passes or ill-advised handoffs.

Drive with Direction

We've seen the blue eagles run the floor and get easy baskets on layups and even dunks. However, when playing half-court offense, it seems gone are the days when players such as Salamat and Buenafe would literally bully their way to the basket for magical (yet highly calculated) shots. Dribbling skills is one thing, but capitalizing on open lanes is another.

Nowadays, Monfort, Ravena and Nico are often the ones attacking the rim, and this only on occasions wherein they are either trying to fish for fouls, or in clear advantage on their defenders. I happen to think driving the ball to the hole is more team-play than individual talent. Adamson showed us how earlier. Did you catch it? I'm pretty sure Nuyles cannot take on Kirk 1 on 1 on sheer athletic ability alone. Yes the dude can jump over Kirk if he wanted to, but he first needs to make sure he gets the ball, and then jumps with the ball given how pesky Kirk's hands and quick feet can get. So how did they do it? Simple. Offensively, Adamson hits two birds with one stone (no pun intended), by a) blocking out their man when trying to get position on the floor, and b) uses this blocking and jockeying for position in guise of intended "screens" to free up the lanes. Hence Nuyles getting so much open space to attack the basket and sky up with 2nd-level defenders jumping too late and Kirk steps late trying to battle through triple screens. When Nuyles or Alvarez misses, Manyara, Colina, Camson and Brondial are there free to clean up.

Stopping such a team-oriented approach will also require team effort for Ateneo. The first solution could be putting a bigger yet quick-on-his-feet defender on Nuyles and Alvarez. I say put Oping on Alex and Kirk or Tonino on Lester. Yes, you give up speed when you put bigger defenders on proven ball handlers and scorers, but let us not forget that this is as much won on the floor as it is when the actual shot is made. Oping might not be as quick as Kirk or Tonino when defending Nuyles, but he has pretty much all-day to get in his case. Offensively, Oping can post Nuyles up or shoot over him on midrange catch-and-shoot situations, tiring him down when it's his turn to do damage. Defensively, Oping's long arms have proven to be a nightmare for shooters even with Alex's high leaping ability; and Oping can jump as well. The speed issue though can be argued, but I say it is up to the other Ateneans on the floor to make sure that they do not get pushed out of the lane. Boxing out not just when there is a shot, but the general taking of the opponents' sweet-spot subsequently opportunities for them to be productive.

---MMPKP

Photo from fabilioh.com

NOTES:

Expect more bashing now, it won't get any easier friend, be the bigger man. Eyes on the prize.
Adamson's FB call, as funny and amusing as it was for us, it did them well. The response of their supporters proved crucial in taking away Ateneo's leverage in having its 6th man.
Perfect time to bring out Norman Black's NO YABANG mantra perhaps? So that we can all churn out all the unnecessary distractions and re-focus our energies in trying to give as much support to the team.
The Austria household... I just cannot fathom.
Another broken streak: the curse of the wave. It is still jologs though.