Markus and the Pick & Roll

[ATL MU Warrior]

Markus has improved leaps and bounds over last year, but the one area where he hasn't is in managing the pick & roll. 

The next time he gets a pass to a wide open big man rolling down the lane might just be the first.  I don't know if it's his size (or lack thereof), that the defense is so focused on stopping him, or what, but there are multiple P&Rs run every game where either Ed or Theo set a screen, then roll uncontested to the front of the basket, yet the pass never comes.  It must be extremely frustrating for those guys.

With St. John's lack of interior size and foul trouble, last night would have been a perfect situation to run this over and over and generate point blank looks at the rim.  Every time they did run it, it generated nothing.  I've thought it for a while, but last night it was very apparent that this is a serious limitation to MH's game. 

Is it fixable?

[StillWarriors]

I've observed this as well. I think a lot of the time that is a tough pass for him to make because often the defender that is guarding him off a switch is a big, and he'd have a tough time with vision and getting the pass over the defender at his height. The angle for such a pass often doesn't allow for a bounce pass.

[BM1090]

Markus' P&R numbers are off the charts good. He struggles either seeing or being able to deliver interior passes sometimes but it's by far our best offensive option.

[tower912]

1.   It is his size.
2.  Who do you want going to the basket and possibly shooting free throws, Theo or Markus?

[ATL MU Warrior]

1.   It is his size.
2.  Who do you want going to the basket and possibly shooting free throws, Theo or Markus?

I want him to pass to a big guy moving to the basket that has nobody within 5 feet of him.

[The Sultan]

Yeah the "roll" is by far the secondary option here.  Maybe not even that.

[BM1090]

Yeah the "roll" is by far the secondary option here.  Maybe not even that.

Yep. Markus is option 1. We have Sam usually releasing to the wing for three. Another shooter sometimes open to the corner. We'll hit Theo if he is WIDE open but he's typically option 4 on that play. And the play works.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Yep. Markus is option 1. We have Sam usually releasing to the wing for three. Another shooter sometimes open to the corner. We'll hit Theo if he is WIDE open but he's typically option 4 on that play. And the play works.

I'm not trying to be hyperbolic here, but I bet if i went through every game this season i would find fewer than ten occasions this season where Markus fed a post who was rolling to the hoop uncontested.  And our bigs are rolling to the hoop uncontested 6-8 times a game, easily. 

It is simplistic, but even tying to make that option #1 or 2 a handful of times per game is going to help our offense.  Right now teams can crowd the perimeter with little fear of the consequence of getting beat inside for an easy bucket. 

[The Sultan]

Rolling to the hoop uncontested, and rolling to the hoop uncontested with a clear passing lane, are two different things.  And this may be a bad observation on my part, but Theo isn't great at catching the ball while in motion. He's better posting up.

[BM1090]

I'm not trying to be hyperbolic here, but I bet if i went through every game this season i would find fewer than ten occasions this season where Markus fed a post who was rolling to the hoop uncontested.  And our bigs are rolling to the hoop uncontested 6-8 times a game, easily. 

It is simplistic, but even tying to make that option #1 or 2 a handful of times per game is going to help our offense.  Right now teams can crowd the perimeter with little fear of the consequence of getting beat inside for an easy bucket.

He did it a few times in the DePaul game. I'd agree he rarely does it. I think he's just mostly incapable of making that pass because of his short wingspan. It's pretty tough for a 5'10 guard to hit that roller, especially when a big has typically switched onto him. That's why you sometimes see the pass to the wing to one of the Hauser's who then able to hit Theo or Ed on the roll. Markus tried that pass against Butler and X and we turned it over for a runout.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Rolling to the hoop uncontested, and rolling to the hoop uncontested with a clear passing lane, are two different things.

This. Just because there is no one defending them underneath the basket doesn't mean that they are open. Still got to get them the ball. Otherwise teams would score every single time they ran a pick and roll play. You defend it by cutting off the pass to the roll man, not defending the roll man.

[MUBBau]

This. Just because there is no one defending them underneath the basket doesn't mean that they are open. Still got to get them the ball. Otherwise teams would score every single time they ran a pick and roll play. You defend it by cutting off the pass to the roll man, not defending the roll man.

This. The person that sits behind me at games complains the whole time when there is someone open (easy to see from up in the cheap seats) and Markus doesn't get them the ball but never takes into account that most of the time there is a big man or two defenders in front of Markus blocking him from view/making that pass.

[Mr. Sand-Knit]

I'm not trying to be hyperbolic here, but I bet if i went through every game this season i would find fewer than ten occasions this season where Markus fed a post who was rolling to the hoop uncontested.  And our bigs are rolling to the hoop uncontested 6-8 times a game, easily. 

It is simplistic, but even tying to make that option #1 or 2 a handful of times per game is going to help our offense.  Right now teams can crowd the perimeter with little fear of the consequence of getting beat inside for an easy bucket.

Agreed, Markus is a really good young player.  Its been beaten to death but he is still only the age of most college Freshman.  He has a lot of room for growth.  Passing is clearly one of them.  We have had quite a few uncontested dunks this year off of PNR in the exact sutuations that have been described.  Unfortunately, few to none have been from Markus.
Markus seems to either be in pass or shoot mode, meaning he hasnt gotten to the point yet where in the blink of an eye he can ascertain the best play, ie pass or shoot.  Therefore, he is in pass mode where all he is thinking is pass or he is in shoot mode.  Not uncommon fir many young players, not an easy skill to develop, many players never really master that.  If he does he becomes a True Pro.
Chartouney had 5 of the prettiest assist you will ever see and the non assist to theo.  If Markus can ever even approach that level of passing he can play till he decides to stop with a fortune.

[Mr. Sand-Knit]

This. Just because there is no one defending them underneath the basket doesn't mean that they are open. Still got to get them the ball. Otherwise teams would score every single time they ran a pick and roll play. You defend it by cutting off the pass to the roll man, not defending the roll man.

This and when the help defender is a big it only makes the hedge/trap more difficult.  That said the great ones find a way

[ATL MU Warrior]

This. Just because there is no one defending them underneath the basket doesn't mean that they are open. Still got to get them the ball. Otherwise teams would score every single time they ran a pick and roll play. You defend it by cutting off the pass to the roll man, not defending the roll man.

There are multiple ways to defend P&R, and most if not all of them involve guarding the roller. 

Theo/Ed are routinely open...wide open.  Usually not a defender in the paint.  Against a team with limited size and in foul trouble, it's a no-brainer to figure out a way to get them the ball.

I guess give credit to opposing teams for choosing to crowding the ball handler on the perimeter, realizing that Markus cannot/will not make that pass. 

[tower912]

There has to be a passing lane

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

There are multiple ways to defend P&R, and most if not all of them involve guarding the roller. 

Theo/Ed are routinely open...wide open.  Usually not a defender in the paint.  Against a team with limited size and in foul trouble, it's a no-brainer to figure out a way to get them the ball.

I guess give credit to opposing teams for choosing to crowding the ball handler on the perimeter, realizing that Markus cannot/will not make that pass.

Early in the year there were a few thunderous Theo dunks off this play.  I agree it would be great to exploit it more often.  I personally dont think there are physical excuses for not doing it...its just not run/done as often as it potentially could. 

One thing i have noticed with Theo is he is being more deliberate in his picks (assuming to not pick up fouls).  The staff might be having him stress this over trying to get into offensive position - which seems to be a fair trade in my books.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

There are multiple ways to defend P&R, and most if not all of them involve guarding the roller. 

Theo/Ed are routinely open...wide open.  Usually not a defender in the paint.  Against a team with limited size and in foul trouble, it's a no-brainer to figure out a way to get them the ball.

I guess give credit to opposing teams for choosing to crowding the ball handler on the perimeter, realizing that Markus cannot/will not make that pass.

You're right, I should have said the most common way to defend the pick and roll is to cut off the passing lane. I'm sure there's been a few times that Theo or Ed have been missed underneath the basket but most of the times they are open under the basket it is because their defender is doubling Markus and cutting off any possible pass.