All teams want to run. Every player loves the open, free-flowing run-and-gun system employed by the likes of Steve Kerr, George Karl and Gregg Popovich. It seems so simple, too: Just unleash the athletes and let them race up and down the court. Installing that sort of offense, even for a team perfectly equipped to run like the New Orleans Pelicans, isn’t simple at all. Players have to learn how to run with one another without clogging lanes, getting in each others’ way, or messing up passes. Running can’t just be a command, it has to be a mindset. And it’s that mindset that Alvin Gentry is drilling into his new team, as Rob Mahoney of Sports Illustrated reports:
Pelicans players are prompted about running the floor in film sessions, on the practice court, and in casual conversation. Drills are executed at full speed and scrimmages played with an 18-second shot clock (Gentry says that when his team really needs a kick, he’ll drop it to 15).
“I equate it to a wide receiver that knows the ball’s not coming to him,” Gentry said. “You still have to run the route just like it’s coming to you to keep the defense honest. Our goal is to make sure everyone is [running] like the wide receiver that the ball is coming to.”
It shouldn’t take too much work for the Pelicans to adopt this attitude. This team (save for maybe Omer Asik) was made to run. Anthony Davis is already a terror in the open court, and he’ll be even deadlier when he’s in that situation repeatedly during games.
But what about the other side of the ball, which actually needs more improvement after the Pelicans finished No. 9 in points per possession last year but in the bottom third in points allowed? While Alvin Gentry preaches running on offense, what message is he trying to send on defense? The answer is simple. No, really, it’s just that: simple.
“[Before,] you could have four different calls.” Anderson said. “There’s only one or two now. That really helps the flow of the defense. You’re really not hesitating to think: ‘Which side am I supposed to call this on? Am I supposed to drop back? Am I supposed to hedge?’ There’s a million different ways you can guard but there are just one or two now [in our system]. So simplifying it makes you not think as much and I think it’s great.”
Any player will testify to the fact that communication is the bedrock of team defense. Without it, the entire scheme falls apart. It’s a trait that is as valuable as it is impossible to measure. Sometimes though, even good communication can lead to confusion, especially if there’s too much to communicate, and too much to remember. Now that the Pelicans have a simplified defensive system, their communication will be more effective. Coupled with their new SSOL-inspired offense, the Pelicans are gathering the necessary tools and stratagems on both sides of the ball to reach an elite level.
