Here's hypothetical for the group:

You coach a team that runs triangle/man. You are coaching against a team that runs a motion/man-press defense. Not sure that this matters in a HD context, but you are playing on the road and your opponent is a Top 25 team.

There's 1:43 to go in the game, and you're up 7 with the ball. You've been playing normal tempo but switched to slowdown for this end game situation. Is the smarter basketball strategy to:

A) Continue to look for the first good shot and attempt to score, or
B) Hold the ball and milk the clock for as long as possible (so, if there's no fouling, you'd be giving the ball back with a maximum of 1:09 on the clock and still up 7 points).

ETA: Does your answer change if all else is the same but the clock reads 2:07 instead of 1:43?

Are there any other factors you'd need to know before making this decision? Otherwise, I'll hang up and listen for a while.

So this is actually a question about RL basketball? I think the answer depends on what you're defining as a "good shot." If one of my forwards or a center got an open look at a layup or a dunk, I'd probably want him to take it at any point in the shot clock. Other than that I wouldn't want any jumpshots being put up until there were under 7 seconds on the clock, at which point I'd want the guys to take the first really good look they got.

Quote: Originally posted by dahsdebater on 4/09/2010So this is actually a question about RL basketball?

This is an HD question, but during my discussion of this issue with CS, I was told that "We are striving for realism" - so they really should be one and the same in this case.

You don't specifically control that strategy in HD, so it's really all speculation... Just as a matter of interest, what did they do that you didn't like?

Quote: Originally posted by dahsdebater on 4/09/2010You don't specifically control that strategy in HD, so it's really all speculation...  Just as a matter of interest, what did they do that you didn't like?

You can control it (in theory anyway). You have an option to set your tempo to "slowdown" in late game situations (provided you meet the time and score criteria). I have always assumed the purpose of putting that in as a late game setting was to give you control of exactly this type of situation.

BTW, I think your answer makes perfect sense - I just want to get some more opinions on what the "good basketball IQ" play is here before I tell the rest of the story.

I would tend to agree with debater. I would continue running a normal offense with expectation that we are only looking for lay-ups, and if somebody put a shot up outside of 8 feet with more than 7 seconds his *** would be sitting with an assistant coach.

I think you could find real coaches on both sides: A whole host of coaches would be against not taking points that are available to you now in order to prevent points that MIGHT be available to them later.

No jumpshots, but open layups or dunks allowed. I'd have my best ball handler hold the ball until about 10 seconds , at which point we'd run a play to get him on a drive to the lane to either score or pick up a foul at the end of the shot clock. If you go up 9 with 1 min you force the other team to take a bad shot or foul the rest of the way. Make your FTs and you win in double digits most likely.

Or put it this way: Say you take the shot, miss it, they get the ball and run down and make a three. . you would STILL be up by four in a two possession game with limited time on the clock.

However, if you MAKE the shot, you are then up by 9 with, say, a minute thirty and its a THREE possession game.

Quote: Originally Posted By ucfmike on 4/09/2010
No jumpshots, but open layups or dunks allowed. I'd have my best ball handler hold the ball until about 10 seconds , at which point we'd run a play to get him on a drive to the lane to either score or pick up a foul at the end of the shot clock. If you go up 9 with 1 min you force the other team to take a bad shot or foul the rest of the way. Make your FTs and you win in double digits most likely.

I wouldn't hold like that. I would run my offense through. I suppose the answer to this would also depend on the foul situation.



Edit: Not saying I wouldn't slow down, I would, but I'd do that while still running an offense, i would not just try and hold the ball at half court until the end of the clock.

Any team in Div 1 holds the ball with under 2 minutes to play up by 3 scores. You are up 3 possessions, and each of your possessions take 30+ seconds if they don't foul. Even if you don't score again, that leaves the other team with 30 seconds to score 3 times. Less if you are talking about 1:43 and not 2:00 minutes. Obviously the other team fouls, and you hope to make a shot or two at the end of the shotclock. Holding the ball is always the right decision at the end of a game, outside of a wide open layup or dunk.

i'm slowing that baby down, no question

Knowing why MU posted this and what the scenario was, I hope that he posts CS' responses to his ticket later in this thread. Their responses will blow you guys away.......

In real life, I would milk the clock, then with about 7 seconds on the shot clock drive and attack the hoop and try and draw a foul at this point. No jumpers.

Hold the ball for 12-15 seconds then get into my offense. Take the afforementioned lay-up/dunk or even an open jumper. In a three possession game that whittles the time down between 36-45 seconds plus what time it takes to get yourself a shot AND for the other team to get a shot AND score. Playing the percentages, in three possesions the chance of the other team scoring three times (including one three) and you to score zero times in unlikely. This puts you under 1:00 with the lead. Then you milk every last second of the shot clock. (Assuming no fouls, which changes the game unquestionably)