Doc Rivers NBA Boston Celtics Curl Lob by Adam Spinella

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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October 16, 2014

Doc Rivers NBA Boston Celtics Curl Lob by Adam Spinella

One person that most defenses don’t expect a lob play to be run for: the point guard. At the NBA level, where scouting is a premium and dictates how defenses play their opponents, if you face a non-scoring point guard who is short, you don’t expect an alley oop to be run for them.

Doc Rivers and Rajon Rondo challenged conventional wisdom by flawlessly executing a brilliant lob play in an end game situation against the Miami Heat. Down 2 with less than a second left, the NBA Boston Celtics called timeout and advanced the ball to the sideline. What happened next sent a game that seemed over into overtime after Rondo’s heroics.

Pierce (3) is the inbounder. Allen (2), Rondo (1) and Garnett (5) line up in a three-man stack deep towards the baseline on the near-side lane line. The amazing Brian Scalabrine (4) is stretching the court straight across from the ball, acting as a three-point threat decoy.

The action is very quick, trying to give the defense no time to adjust or react to the movement of the play. Ray Allen zippers up the lane line, cutting behind Rondo and Garnett, rubbing free their men. Once Allen is clear of Rondo, the NBA Boston Celtics PG will curl around Garnett, getting his man to trail him as he pops out. The chaos in the middle of the court should free some space at the backside of the rim for Rondo to curl to. Pierce just has to throw the ball up towards the far side of the rim for Rondo to barely nudge and pop the ball into the hoop.

This action follows some heroics from Dwyane Wade on the final possession the Heat had just before. Watch how Garnett, following his screen, clears to the corner and draws the help defense with him… not absolutely necessary, but it helps prevent a switch from being effective – if the defense were to switch that action, Garnett would be the open shooter.

You’ll notice that for every lob set we’ve studied this week, the ball has been thrown at the far side of the rim. This is the spot close to the hoop where only the offensive player can get it – the defender will either be shielded off by the rim or out of position because of how he plays in a help stance. Coach your players to do the same – put it where only your teammate can catch the ball.

Coach Adam Spinella is entering his first season as an Assistant Coach at Culver Academies in Culver, IN. Spinella spent the three years prior as a Student Assistant Coach at Division III Dickinson College. The Dickinson Men’s Team advanced to two NCAA Tournaments and accumulated an overall record of 59-26 (.694) during the three-year span, with the 2013-2014 season ending in the Division III Elite Eight. A native of Bow, New Hampshire, Spinella has a keen interest in X’s and O’s, particularly in professional basketball, and skill development.

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