Andre Miller Game Winning SLOB Lobs

Written by Coach Peterman

I have coached at the NCAA Division 2 (Southwestern Oklahoma State University), NAIA (USAO), and JUCO Levels (Blinn College and Carl Albert State College) as well as high school. I just felt that fellow coaches especially young coaches need to constantly work on their “game”. Just like the basketball players that we coach. We as coaches need to improve ourselves. That is my story and why I do this blog.

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December 13, 2014

Andre Miller Game Winning SLOB Lobs by John Zall

With the offseason acquisition of playoff veteran Paul Pierce the Washington Wizards looked to build off of last season’s 2nd round playoff exit. With a record of 14-6 they went on the road to face the Orlando Magic. The score was tied at 89 apiece with .8 seconds left and the Wizards had possession of the basketball side-out in their own end.

With only .8 left the Wizards only had time for a catch-and-shoot or a lob at the rim. They play they ended up running and scoring with was very similar to a play the Portland Trail Blazers ran 4 seasons that resulted in a lob to Nicolas Batum. Although the initial alignment and action were different, the subsequent floor spacing it provided and roll to the rim that followed was almost identical. The in bounder on both sets was coincidentally NBA veteran and passing extraordinaire Andre Miller.

The Wizards had Andre Miller inbound the ball. Bradley Beal was stationed in the corner, Paul Pierce was on the ball side pinch post, John Wall was on the weak side pinch post and Trevor Booker was above the 3 point line. The play starts with Beal rolling hard to the rim and setting a subtle rub screen for John Wall who flashes to the perimeter for the ball. Orlando’s defenders do a good job jamming this action and staying attached. Once Booker hits the charge circle he begins to circle out to the ball side corner. The ball side corner was formerly occupied by Bradley Beal he vacated it when Paul Pierce went and sent a down screen for him at the off-elbow. Pierce’s defender does not jam the cutter and Beal curls to the rim untouched. The timing is almost thrown off when Booker’s defender leaves him to challenge at the rim but the pass is perfect and he is a split-second too late. Beal catches the ball at the buzzer and lays it in.

The Portland Trail Blazers were tied with .9 seconds and had the ball on the side in their own end. Andre Miller inbounded and had Raymond Felton stationed at the 3 point line and former NBA All-Star Brandon Roy at the top of they key. Nicolas Batum lined up in the mid post with Lamarcus Aldridge behind. The play starts with Felton faking a cut to the basket and popping back out behind the 3 point line and Lamarcus Aldridge cuts to the vacant ball-side corner. Batum steps up to set a back screen for Brandon Roy but slips the screen and rolls hard to the rim. The Spurs recognize this early and switch it but again the pass it perfect and Batum went up and got the pass over Tony Parker. In both sets, the spacing made it impossible for help to come quick enough at the rim and the pass was delivered perfectly.

Coach Zall also has experience as an AAU Head Coach for the Boston Warriors. As Head Coach for the Warriors his team won the 2011 16U State Title and twice competed in AAU Nationals down in Orlando, FL. On top of being a student at Northeastern University, Zall was named Head Coach of the Men’s Club Basketball team for the 2012-13 season. During his lone season as Head Coach, Northeastern finished second in the Northeast Regional Tournament featuring colleges from throughout the East Coast. Coach Zall has also spent time as a Head Coach in the Bay State Games where his team won the Bronze Medal in 2012 and at various camps including: Five Star, Boston Celtics, NIKE, Franklin Pierce University, Hoop Group and The Elite 75.

andre miller