Make the Call

[no-look]

You have just scored with with five seconds left on the clock and your up by three. Whats the defensive scheme?

[Guest DickVitale]

Go man, get one solid trap, and make sure you are able to rotate on the pass, that will run the clock down, force a bad shot, ball game....If they make a lucky one, the worst that happens is OT....Some would foul here, but up three with only five seconds left, I dont know.....Especially in HS, you dont want a kid to get an intentional foul called on him...But...Its all about feel at that point too....Good scenario, no-look...

[Guest nostradamus]

I used to be the "play defense" guy.......had it happen too many times in the last couple of seasons......up 3, 5 seconds left....foul immediately.  In HS they can't advance the inbound to half court.......they're gonna have to go the full length.  If you foul they have to have FOUR things go right for them.

1.  Make the first FT

2.  Miss the second FT

3.  Get the offensive rebound

4.  Make the shot to tie

You don't foul......only one thing has to happen and that is make the 3........

no way in the world I would trap anything....

[Guest nostradamus]

I love going junk defense in this situation if you choose not to foul......pick out the team's best shooters.......go triangle and two.....

[Guest DickVitale]

Trapping makes your opponent waste valuable time, especially up three points...I WAS thinking the other team had the ball at half court though, AND like I said it is ALWAYS about feel...Of course if you dont teach or use trapping defenses, this would not apply..."defensive guy" :...I like the idea of going to a junk defense, but if thats not what you have done before, I would stay away from that in that type of situation. I really dont want them on the FT line either....Too many things CAN happen...Up three, I take my chances on my defense doing the job to close out the game. If they hit a lucky, contested three to tie it up, so be it...Win it in OT. But with only five seconds left, a really good trap will disrupt whatever they are trying to do, because 9 times out of 10, the BEST player will get the initial pass in that scenario. Trap, be ready to rotate out of it, they take a bad shot by a 2nd or 3rd option player...game over.

[no-look]

I've seen all kind of things happen in this situation. And with us its usually not good...lol

[Bucof2010]

I'd say try to get them to pass it to the big man or whoever is least likely to make a 3. Play him but dont foul. At best they get 2 and you just have to inbound it and run off the clock.

[hjhawks]

Do you guard the inbounder, or play him in "centerfield"???

5 seconds is a long time.....

[Bucof2010]

Don't guard him unless he goes ahead of the ball. If he stays behind allow them the reverse its just killing time.

[Guest DickVitale]

I would say no...It depends on your personnel, though, too.....If you have really good, quick man defenders, then I would NOT guard the inbounds and play 5 on 4 with them getting it in the full court...If they get it at half, then I would guard the ball, basket side and have your guy just step in the inbounders path, then guard him in help after it is thrown in to prevent a quick hitter play back to the inbounder.  5 seconds can seem like an eternity, but you have to do the little things to make that clock tick away! Be smart, defend and dont do anything crazy, and you should come out on top in the end... ...For some HS kids, though, that can be a TALL order!

[Guest nostradamus]

I wouldn't trap in the half or the full.......and I have seen a few trapping defenses in my day.....why would you even give the team the numbers advantage......in 5 seconds they can get rid of the ball before the trap comes and one or two more passes to a wide open shooter......no way I trap.....and I believe in trapping......heck it's all we do.

I would foul and make them execute the four things listed above perfectly.

[Bobcat1]

I think you should just stick to what you know.  If you're team presses and traps the then stick with it...If they play man, go man.  Changing it up might cause some confusion...

[Guest DickVitale]

Nos, how are you giving up numbers advantage when its YOUR 5 against their 4?  ???  On the inbounds, if they get it to their best guy, you BETTER do something to stop him or make him pick up his dribble....I know!! How about a good TRAP? : :...THEN rotate..How many passes can they get off after a dribble, pick up, then pass out of the trap...maybe one? Foul for what? stop the clock and let them shoot at you uncontested? ANYTHING could happen then... :...I MIGHT foul if they are not in the bonus yet...Otherwise, no way.

[Guest nostradamus]

Did you watch the Magic/Celtics game in Orlando when the Magic trapped Paul Pierce on the pick and roll with 5 seconds left?  What happened.....the best player found the open player and Big Baby Davis drained the jumper for the win.

First of all....if you trap someone how is your 5 on their 4?  If you trap someone you have 2 defenders on 1 of their offensive players which means it is their 4 on your 3.  Second....you insist that they are inbounding it to their best player....if that is the case, my guess is their best player has been trapped before and instead of putting his head down and dribbling like you think he would.......he will have his head up scanning the floor (since he is their best player) and easily find an open man as he sees the trap coming.....and a team can easily make two passes and get a shot off in 5 seconds.  I used to be a proponent of not fouling......but seen it happen too many times.  They would be shooting a pressure free throw that is worth one point....and then have to purposely miss the second one and get the offensive rebound with outside position and then put it back for a tie.......a lot more things have to happen just right for that to work out.

Bobcat,

As for just doing what you do.....that is fine and all but every end of game situation requires different things.  This situation shouldn't be new to either team as any and every coach should spend valuable time working on end of game situations which mean they will have run different defensive and offensive looks in practice.

[AggiesAreWe]

I think I am still on the fence about this. After reading and hearing Nos explain why to foul, he makes great sense. Nos and I had this discussion at the East Chambers tourney when the Orangfield kid hit the three at the buzzer to send their game with Liberty Hill into overtime. Nos was for fouling, Todd and I said not to foul. In that particular instance, Nos was right.

I would be more inclined to foul knowing that the opposing five on the court were not great freethrow shooters. Even if they were, I have seen too many a good high school player feel the pressure at the line to come through with that first freethrow. But, it is a game of percentages. Do you take your chances on a 30% shot, or make them hit one freethrow and then get an offensive rebound. IMO, those percentages are pretty fairly equal, but a little worse for the latter.

[Guest DickVitale]

Well it does not mean that his philosophy will work everytime, neither does it indicate that mine will...They could BOTH work, they could BOTH fail...Its just a difference in philosophy...I would not foul, he would...we both have valid reasons, and you could win or lose in both instances....Its about a feel when you are coaching...Common sense works too, but I may get in a game next season and decide to foul, even though, I am against it as a strategy today...Thats what makes this game so great.. 8)