
#Nba rule changes how to
It's something that became legal when the NBA began allowing zone defenses in 2001, but it took until 2008 for coaches to really figure out how to take best advantage. When the ball is on one side of the court, watch for this: Very often an extra defender sneaks over to join the action, bringing a crowd of defenders closer to the ball. This is not the same as double-teaming, but it has some similarities.

Thorpe explains it best in the video, but the gist is this: In recent years more and more NBA coaches have signed up for the defensive philosophy, popularized by Tom Thibodeau since 2007-08, of "flooding ball-side box." With post ups and isolation plays being able to be defended much better, more ball movement and clever schemes are required for these elite scorers to hit the box score. Elite scorer numbers are down across the board, and this is in direct effect due to advanced defenses thanks to the removal of Illegal defense. The drop in post-ups has been similar, and the numbers would seem to indicate an increase in ball movement.Ĭonversely, this has had an effect on the specifics of personnel scoring, not necessarily team scoring output. The Magic, at 7.4 percent, were the least isolation-prone team in the league that season.3 This season, 15 teams - half the league - are below that 9 percent isolation mark, and a whopping 11 have lower isolation shares than Milwaukee’s league-low number from 2008-09. In 2008-09, the year after the Celtics used a Thibodeau-designed system to create one of the stingiest defenses ever, 27 of the league’s 30 teams still finished at least 9 percent of their offensive possessions via an isolation play, according to Synergy Sports. The percentage of offensive possessions that end with isolation plays and post-up shots has declined every season for the last five years, per Synergy Sports. The league overall understands this, though some coaching staffs have been quicker than others in adjusting their systems.

Including ESPN's Henry Abbott, and Grantland's Zach Lowe) Earning the big bucks because they are the best at what they do. (Up coming quotes are from some of the most renowned and well respected NBA analysts and writers on the Earth today. Purpose: To encourage ball movement and team play through giving defenses more freedom to defend, particularly help defense from the weak side, which was extremely restricted from 1981-2001 with the Illegal defense guideline in place Defender on cutter must follow the cutter, switch, or double-team the ball.ġ982: League average offensive rating 106.9Ģ001 - Removal of Illegal Defense Guidelines If offensive player is above the top of the circle, defender must come to a position above foul line.į. Offensive player above foul line and inside circle must be played by defender inside dotted line.Į. Player without ball may not be double-teamed from weak side.ĭ. Defender on post player is allowed in defensive three-second area (A post player is any player adjacent to paint area).Ĭ.
#Nba rule changes pro
Weak side defenders may come in the pro lane (16’), but not in the college lane (12’) for more than three seconds.ī.


The new wave of coaches made defenses sophisticated enough by 1981 that the league created an “illegal defense” rule to open up the paint.
