Beilein's Offense a la D'Antoni
Here is an article discussing Mike D'Antoni's offense. It's discussion of how the screen and roll can work to create offensive opportunities. It is very useful in understanding how Michigan uses the screen and roll, usually with Morris and Morgan, and in understanding how perimeter spacing is intimately related to how the screen and roll is supposed to work.
I think that, as the team gets more experience, it will come much closer to the "Seven Seconds or Less" approach that D'Antoni is famous for. When the screen and roll works more consistently, you won't see as much dribbling from Morris or as much perimeter passing leading to desperation three-pointers.
I know it's unlikely, but I hope that spreading an understanding of the principles about floor-spacing and the screen and roll will reduce the number of people who say ignorant things about Michigan's "three-point offense."
http://knickerblogger.net/what-is-mike-d’antoni’s-offense-part-i/
February 21st, 2011 at 11:33 PM ^
This winning streak is one of the first times during Beilein's tenure at Mich that we've executed an offense that hasn't aimlessly passed the ball around the perimeter. As good as the offense looks now, it was pretty Amaker-esque the past 3 years. I suppose once 3's started dropping the rest openend up, but I think fans were fair to criticize the three-point-heave offense that we witnessed for a LONG time.
February 22nd, 2011 at 8:24 AM ^
Care to expand on that?
February 22nd, 2011 at 9:11 AM ^
Passing and standing around for 30 seconds followed by a misguided field goal attempt by X player (Harris, Horton, etc)
February 22nd, 2011 at 9:15 AM ^
34 seconds of perimeter passing punctuated with a bad shot at the shot clock buzzer, interspersed with an occasional Courtney Sims turnover in the post.
February 22nd, 2011 at 8:36 AM ^
firmly in mind.
February 21st, 2011 at 11:50 PM ^
Beilein's offense was, is, and will continue to be a product of the talent he brings in and puts on the floor. He is a smart enough coach to run the offense around the talents and capabilities of his athletes. The offense we are seeing this year is maximizing the talent we have on this team, if we can continue to utilize Morgan and Morris to this extent, it will continue on this track and expand on this track. If we bring in more marksman who can really hit from downtown, it will move the needle closer to being a perimeter-oriented-team.
February 21st, 2011 at 11:51 PM ^
if morris can improve his 3 pt shot, that screen and roll becomes even more effective. even more so with the improvement and/or consistency of the other shooters on the floor; novak, douglass, smotrycz, etc.
February 21st, 2011 at 11:54 PM ^
but this doesn't deserve it's own topic and it would go unnoticed in the other thread, but if D-Mo were in fact to leave early who do you see as the starting PG next year? Douglass or Burke?
February 22nd, 2011 at 12:00 AM ^
I assume he would be a better choice. He is a highly rated prospect and I think Douglass has shown this year he is definitely more of a set and shoot type of guy so the shooting forward suits him better imo. Hopefully Morris realizes how much he needs to stay and this situation doesn't come to fruition. He's good, but not NBA good yet.
February 22nd, 2011 at 12:35 AM ^
Michigan has to get back to being THE team for instate HS players. If that happens, the same people who whine about JB now will be calling him a "genius." Here are some reasons why I think it will happen in the next five years:
1. No more Ed Martin effect. Tom Izzo built his reputation by taking advantage of the Martin fiasco to pretty much lock up the Detroit, Flint, and Saginaw metro areas. But TA and JB have done a good job of running a clean program and changing Michigan's Izzo/Martin-fueled reputation as a "dirty program."
2. Facilities upgrades. For some reason, Michigan allowed their facilities in both football and basketball to fall behind what everyone else had. That was not the way to impress recruits.
3. Troubles in EL. I won't revisit my list of predictions for Izzo and MSU, but it is pretty obvious to anyone watching that Izzo has lost a great portion of the locker room. "Spartan for life" isn't as long as it used to be, nor is it as attractive right now.
4. Izzo may leave. If it plays out as badly as it is starting to look, it may make the Carr-tel/RR/WVU dramas look like elementary school skits.
5. One elite recruit. All it will take is for one five-star to sign with the Maize and Blue to make other recruits take notice that something is happening in Ann Arbor. Michigan used to get their share of elite recruits; there is no reason to think it can't happen again.
6. (Sorta) Somebody has to make Michigan aware of the recruiting advantage MSU has when every semifinal and final game is played in EL every year. These kids are making some of their fondest memories on MSU's home court. That has to make a huge difference in recruiting.
Maybe DB can put his penchant for politics to good use and lobby the MHSAA for an every other year format, or at least get it divided into semis and finals like it was when Michigan had the finals. MSU is the only school for as long as I can remember which has had both, and they have had both for far too long.
It would be a great way to celebrate the first season of a renovated Crisler Arena.
February 22nd, 2011 at 12:45 AM ^
Obviously all of these are important, but I think #4 is crucial to a re-emergence. #2 is also very important.
February 22nd, 2011 at 9:29 AM ^
On #1, Tater, I think you're overdoing it a bit. Michigan got a fair number of highly ranked (and ultimately somewhat productive) players from the triangle during those years. For example, look at '02 to '07:
2002: Lester Abram (Pontiac)
2003: Dion Harris (Detroit)
2006: DeShawn Sims (Detroit)
2007: Manny Harris (Detroit)
How did MSU do during that time?
2002: Maurice Ager (Detroit), Paul Davis (Rochester)
2004: Marquise Gray
2007: Kalin Lucas (OLSM), Durell Summers (Redford)
Of course, the original Flintstones (Antonio Smith, Mateen Cleaves, Morris Peterson, and Charlie Bell), along with Jason Richardson, are significant players. That was just one burst, though, and it wasn't really sustained. Many of Izzo's top-notch players have come from other states since the late '90s.
February 22nd, 2011 at 1:11 AM ^
I think it's been a misnomer all along by "Beilein haters" to say this offense is designed to just jack up threes. When we played Ohio State at home this year the announcers pointed out that our offense was actually pretty similar to what they run. The big difference being: Jared Sullinger. This was before the emergence of Jordan Morgan. I don't think it's a coincidence that our recent run has coincided with Morgan's improved play. When we didn't have a threat down low like him, the offense looked much different. As would OSU's if you took away any of the big guys they've had in recent years.
I do like what I'm seeing now and very excited to see what things will be like when the young trio has grown up a bit.
February 22nd, 2011 at 12:42 AM ^
February 22nd, 2011 at 2:27 AM ^
with the loss of harris and sims, we cant complain how the seasons gone, i think they're surpassing excpetions. To move forward and be an elite program we need a center and it doesnt looked like we recruited one this year...that why i m frustrated with the coaching but he does do well with the talent he has. And Hardaway is looking like a great pick up.
February 22nd, 2011 at 3:22 AM ^
For anyone who says Beilein just jacks up 3s, I ask them to read up on the motion offense. It's the same offense that Bob Knight ran at Indiana, and what several NBA teams use. There are variations of it for sure, but same basic principles. Bob Knight liked to run more screens. Beilein perhaps gives his shooters a 3 point look as their first read. But overall, it's very similar.
When I watch UofM, for the most part, I see them taking open shots. They just aren't falling. Kind of similar to what we said about RR...the coaches are putting the players in position to succeed, the players just don't always execute. They are ameteurs afterall...
All in all, the three point shots don't generally bug me. If they are open, might as well try it. Some of the needless dribbling bugs me, and Morris and Douglass' passing can be very poor decisions. Those passes are what usually frustrates me. But if you are going to bag on the offense for three pointers, I think there are bigger things to focus on.
February 22nd, 2011 at 9:13 AM ^
I can't recall a single 3 point shot by Beilein.
February 22nd, 2011 at 9:44 AM ^
That's when Michigan ran a lot of motion. They don't do so much of it anymore.
I would not be surprised if motion sets make a comeback as the team matures. The read-and-react principles in a motion offense can be hard to understand, and it can be even harder to get everybody to understand those principles the same way at the same time. I wouldn't be surprised if Beilein is keeping it on the shelf, letting his freshmen and his first-year starting PG get familiar with screen-and-roll sets, with plans to bring it out more next year.
I also think we'll see more 1-3-1 and 2-3 zone next year on defense. I don't think freshmen are ready to run the 1-3-1 either.
February 22nd, 2011 at 8:40 AM ^
Isn't D'Antoni's offense more of a run and gun? I think D'Antoni's offense is more like Paul Westhead's rather than Beilein's. In Beilein's offense there seems to be a lot of room for improvisation and playmaking and now with a true point guard (who can drive and kick and create) the offense is clicking better than ever. To me it seems this offense needs a true point guard (Morris), an athletic wing (THJR), two big man shooters (Smoctryz, Novak) and a rebounder (Morgan). The best is still yet to come for this team and we have seen in the past that Beilein teams can do some damage in the tourney.
February 22nd, 2011 at 10:03 AM ^
At the very least, it's more like a Pitino offense, Kentucky style. I'm sure Beilein would like to fast break more, for easy baskets, but I don't think his teams pre-Michigan were run and gun. It more taking back door cuts and if they close down on the middle, kicking it out for open threes. The person who said it's more like a Bobby Knight offense might have a closer analogy.
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<br>The problem now is, there's no low post presence to draw the defense in, the players are to young to execute all the back door cutting and screening efficiently, and they don't have the shooters to make them pay from outside. One will come from experience; the others need recruiting. He's just got to be flexible enough with his system to attract elite talent; something even Knight had a problem with in his latter years by sticking to his system (and being more of a hardass than today's players will take).
February 22nd, 2011 at 9:37 AM ^
I can see where certain aspects of Michigan's offense resembles D'Antoni's. It seems that THJr is taking much of the role of the PG in the pick and roll because of his ability to hit the open three when the window opens behind the screen. This is probably DM's biggest weakness (now that he has started finishing some with the left hand) and the biggest reason he will not be going pro after this season; he just doesn't have the NBA range yet and scouts for sure see him passing up on those open looks from deep.
Thanks for the article.
February 22nd, 2011 at 9:58 AM ^
Most of Hardaway's 3s come as a spot-up shooter, when Morris feeds him off the drive or when he receives the second pass off the screen-and-roll. Hardaway rarely runs the screen-and-roll with a big. He's been doing it a little more lately, but when he does, he usually gets to the rim. His defender usually goes over the screen, taking away the jumper and giving him a driving opportunity.
I just think that teams are not prepared for Hardaway on the screen-and-roll and don't know how to defend him. For most of this season, Hardaway's been a jump shooter and a fast break finisher; he has not created his own shot off the dribble much. So teams defend him by going over the screen and taking away the jumper.
If I were an opponent, when Hardaway is the ballhandler on the screen-and-roll, I would show hard on him and see if he can find Morgan on the slip or get around the big that steps out on him. I bet he can't do it yet. He will someday, but I don't see other aspects of his game indicating that he can do that right now.
95% of the time, the screen-and-roll is the Morris-Morgan show. Making Hardaway the ballhandler on the screen-and-roll is just a change of pace. It's going to lose its surprise value soon.