[bballguy]

Originally Posted by G-spec

Come on dude, how long we been on this thread, can't you sometimes read between the lines, you know I'm good for it brah, do I have to break it down in detail every single time?

You just reiterated textbook defense there which is fine, but this is different. You're neglecting a simple aspect everyone in the business knows, and that is when guarding superstars you don't simply play "by the book defense" When you guard superstars, you're supposed to play the odds is what you'se supposed to do, and the odds are even though KD is an excellent pull up shooter, your best bet and odds there are to prevent the dribble drive.
It's a term called "pick your poison", anyone who's played or watched enough basketball should be very familiar with it, I've probably heard it used to refer to KD pretty much every single Thunder game I ever seen.

I'm sure you get it by now, but just in case let me put it to you this way, do you really want KD getting comfortable doing what you saw in the video there and pullin that shit all game long ? I and 30 head coaches around the NBA sure the fuck don't, rather take your chances with him pulling up, there is only one downside to that and it's a swish, you can live with that, actually you HAVE to live with that, it's K fuckin D you got no choice. The downside of allowing penetration however, well let's just say there's more than one, there is way too many dangers for me to list here in playing a guy like KD way too tight.

I don't know what position you played or still play, but for guards the general rule in the more advanced school of coaching is trying to stay step with step with an excellent ball handler is one of first lessons you learn not to do, your job is to stay in front of him.

I play the 1/2 combo, but I have to guard everyone differently. You're exactly right that you have to "pick your poison", but it's not as simple as "you stop the dribble drive and allow the guy to take a jumper".....If a guy is a knockdown shooter, I'll do everything I can to make sure he gets no mid-range to long-range jumper off. More often than not, he'll be able to blow by me, but I rely on defensive rotations to get everything back in order. On a team with good defensive rotations, there's a better chance that a 2nd man quickly steps to KD than there is that KD will miss a wide-open 18 footer....just my opinion though, I guess.