How do you guard a problem like James Harden?
如何解決像Harden這樣的防守難題?
James Harden is having one of the greatest scoring seasons we've ever seen.
In the 45-year history of Basketball Reference's possession-tracking
database, no player has piled up points at the rate Harden has this season.
Harden打出了我們曾見證過的最偉大的得分賽季之一, 據BBR資料庫追蹤過去45年數據,
沒有球員做到過Harden這賽季的得分效率.
His usage rate of 40.5 percent ranks second in recorded history, behind only
Russell Westbrook's indulgent 2016-17 campaign, but he's used those
possessions far more efficiently, with 61.6 percent true shooting. And he's
done it for a Houston Rockets team that's been missing three of its four best
offensive players for a combined 51 games but still owns the ninth-best
offensive rating of all time.
他的40.5%USG為歷史第二高, 只落後Westbrook 16-17賽季, 但是他的61.6 TS效率卻遠遠
更好, 他是在火箭缺席4位最好的進攻球員, 共缺席51場的情況下做到, 但仍然打出歷史
第9的進攻效率.
Harden is an elite offense unto himself, with his mastery of footwork, ball
handling, passing, and off-the-dribble shooting; his ability to hit
impossible threes or set up easy ones for his teammates; and to juke or bully
his way to the rim and draw fouls in every way imaginable.
Harden是一位菁英級進攻型球員, 他擁有大師級腳步, 運球能力, 傳球能力, 運球投籃能
力. 他有能力投進高難度三分, 為隊友創造簡單機會, 靠身材進攻籃框以及用各種方式買
飯.
Over the past few years, Harden's become one of the most unique and
fascinating riddles posed to NBA defenses. And while there's no "solving" it,
really, you can avoid being completely consumed by it if you can decipher its
internal logic.
在過去這幾年, Harden已經成為NBA最獨特的防守難題之一了, 雖然沒有萬全之策能解決
他, 但如果你能理解其中一些邏輯, 那麼還是能避免被Harden完全吃死.
Here are a few of the ways teams have defended Harden this year, and some of
the ways he's countered those coverages.
下面這些方式是這賽季各球隊防守Harden的方式以及Harden應對方式
Drop the big, force the drive
把長人放禁區, 強迫對手切入
When scheming for Harden, the first thing you have to decide is what you're
willing to live with, because you can only take away so much. An increasingly
popular pick-and-roll coverage, particularly for teams that rely on
slow-footed bigs, involves dropping the screener's defender deep into the
paint to protect the basket, while the on-ball defender chases Harden over
the screen and pursues him from behind.
制定策略對付Harden, 第一件事你必須去選擇你能容許他做甚麼事情, 這是因為你能限制
他的選項是有限的, 比較普遍的擋拆防守策略, 特別是那些依賴腳步慢的長人的球隊, 會
把長人丟到禁區去護框, 同時對球的防守人會擠過掩護從後面追著Harden.
The strategy isn't so much about denying Harden scoring opportunities as it
is about taking away the spots from which he generates his most efficient
shots. The rearview pursuit should force Harden off the 3-point line and into
the paint. From there, the goal is to bait him into no-man's-land shots like
mid-range pull-ups, which he's reluctant to take and (relatively speaking)
not that good at. By stationing a big body near the rim, teams can
essentially sandwich him with shot contesters from both directions.
這策略並不是要限制Harden出手機會, 而是要讓他遠離他能投出高效出手的投籃點, 迫使
Harden離開三分線並讓他進入到禁區, 目的是誘使他出手那些無人防守的投籃, 例如中距
離急停跳投, 這個他不怎麼想出手的類型以及效率也相對較低. 在籃框周圍擺長人, 讓球
隊能夠前後夾他, 干擾他出手.
If executed well, this also allows the three defenders who aren't involved in
the central screening action to stay home on the shooters dotting the arc
around the Harden pick-and-roll. That means avoiding the impulse to help once
he gets into the middle of the floor and trusting your big to protect against
a layup while staying attached to the roll man, all without fouling. The
Spurs created the blueprint for this scheme in the 2017 Western Conference
semis, and other teams like the Raptors and Trail Blazers have copied it as a
way of both protecting and optimizing their hulking centers defensively.
若執行得好的話, 這會讓外圍三個防守者不用參與中間的Harden擋拆防守, 可以待在原地
防射手, 這意謂著當他切進來時, 可以避免協防的衝動, 可以信任你家的長人來干擾上
籃, 同時守住roll man並且不犯規. 馬刺在2017西區半決賽使用此策略, 而其它隊例如暴
龍以及拓荒者也複製同樣的策略來護框以及保護速度慢的長人.
This season, the Bucks took it a step further. Their on-ball defenders,
particularly Eric Bledsoe, overplayed the hell out of Harden's left hand,
giving him a free lane to attack with his right. The tactic made it harder
for Harden to dance into pull-up threes in isolation, and also limited the
utility of a screen. For the offense: Why clutter an already clear driving
lane? For the defense: When you're shading Harden that aggressively, it's
easy enough to wedge yourself between him and the screener to force him away
from the pick. The Bucks' bigs were waiting for him at the rim every time.
而這賽季公鹿則更進一步, 他們的有球防守人, 特別是Eric Bledsoe不給Harden用左手,
完全放掉右側給他切. 這策略會讓Harden在單打情況下, 很難出手急停跳投三分, 也限制
了掩護效果. 為何要放他切? 當你壓的足夠侵略性, 就可以很簡單地把你自己卡在他和掩
護人之間, 來迫使他不使用掩護, 公鹿的長人就可以無時無刻龜在籃下.
http://tinyurl.com/y55p4xqg
他仍然砍下42分, 但是失誤9次, 對比他的6次助攻
Harden's counters: Against the drop coverage, Harden can basically get all
the floaters his heart desires, and he's responded to the popularization of
the scheme by becoming better at hitting them. He's shooting 43.2 percent
from floater range (inside the paint, but outside the restricted area)
compared to 35.3 percent over the previous four years combined.
Harden應對: 對付這種龜在籃下, Harden可以出手拋投拋到爽, Harden就是用投進更多拋
投來回應這種策略, 他在拋投距離投出43.2%命中率, 對比前4年只有35.3%命中率.
On its own, that still represents a great percentage play for the defense.
But it doesn't account for the fact that Harden draws fouls on 11 percent of
his drives, or that he still finds passing seams that lead to corner threes,
or that getting the drop man to commit to stopping his drive opens up a lob
or shovel pass to the roll man (usually Clint Capela). The Rockets can also
set their screens higher to give Harden a longer runway, which allows him to
gather speed and Euro-step around the backpedaling big man. Here, Harden
exploits the Bucks and then the Nuggets:
就個人得分而言, 他就已經投出較高的命中率了, 但這還沒有算進他的切入有11%機會買
飯, 或者找到傳球路徑傳給底角射手, 又或者為了防他切入而創造的lob以及地板球傳給
roll man的機會(通常是Capela), 火箭也可以在高位更遠位置設置掩護, 創造出夠遠的距
離, 這能讓Harden保持高速以及歐洲步來對付不斷沉退的長人.
http://tinyurl.com/yxtr9rz3
Against the Bucks' exaggerated version of the coverage, Harden also used his
lethal side-step move to create enough space to get 3-pointers off going to
his right. He wound up hoisting 16 threes in that game and hitting six.
在公鹿誇張的防守策略之下, Harden從右邊用他致命的side-step創造足夠的空間來投三
分, 他16投6中.
Switch the small stuff
用小個子換防他
Harden is as good an isolation scorer as there is, and he can work basically
any defender in the NBA. But he still prefers to operate in a controlled
environment where he's selecting his opponent. Most Harden coverages are just
teams' best attempts to avoid the terror of seeing their most vulnerable
perimeter defender stranded on an island against him. That's why so many of
these game plans are geared toward protecting big men against a switch.
Allowing Harden to isolate against a big with limited mobility is asking to
get burned, either by a clean step-back three or a blow-by with a path to an
unprotected rim.
Harden是個優秀的單打手, 他基本上可以單打任何一個NBA防守者, 但他仍然傾向挑選想
要的防守者去執行單打, 大多數對付Harden的策略就是避免最弱的防守者去對位Harden,
這就是為何大多數的比賽計畫都是傾向保護長人而不是換防, 讓機動性較差的長人去防
Harden單打就是自殺, 不是被投進後撤步三分, 不然就是被過並且籃下沒護框.
But some teams have the personnel to avoid that fate, or at least mitigate
the risk. The Warriors are one such team, thanks to their ability to downsize
and play Draymond Green at the five for extended minutes. Even so, having
Steph Curry on the floor still gives Harden a soft spot to attack. Golden
State sometimes responds by trying to pre-switch and sub Curry out for Green
or Andre Iguodala as the screen defender, snuffing out the targeted mismatch
before the Rockets can adjust.
但有些球隊卻擁有人員配置來避免被單打的命運, 或者說至少風險比較低了, 勇士就是這
樣的一支球隊, 這得感謝他們的小陣容以及Green扛五號的能力. 把Curry擺在場上, 這會
這變成Harden突破口, 勇士有時候會使用預先換防, 在火箭能做出反應之前, 讓Green或
者Andre Iguodala做為掩護者換回來, 來避免被錯位.
For the most part, though, switching one wing or guard for another - even
when you lose some size - doesn't pose the same risk as doing so with bigs.
Harden can physically overwhelm guys, but he hardly ever posts up, and will
often look for his step-back when he's faced with a defender capable of
sliding with him on drives. In other words, you can get away with not sending
help after giving up size on a switch (though it makes contesting his jumper
more difficult).
而大部分的情況是直接用側翼或者後衛換防, 即使這會失去size優勢, 但這與直接用長人
換防的風險不同, 當Harden碰到防守人能滑步跟上他的切入時, 雖然Harden可以直接用身
材輾過去, 但他卻很少去打低位, 而是傾向用後撤步. 換句話說就是你用換防犧牲了
size, 但也不需要額外協防(這也意謂著你可以直接干擾他投籃, 讓他出手更困難).
http://tinyurl.com/y64vu66u
Obviously, there are some weak guard defenders that Harden can rip through
like tissue paper. But for teams like the Raptors or Thunder, who are stocked
with length and strength on the perimeter and quickness in the frontcourt,
switching everyone one through four is manageable. Pascal Siakam handled
himself beautifully on Harden switches Tuesday night.
很明顯, 聯盟有一些比較弱的後衛, Harden可以像撕掉衛生紙一樣撕碎他們, 但對於某些
球隊例如暴龍以及雷霆, 他們囤積了一堆有臂展, 力量, 速度兼具的前場球員, 可以換防
1到4號, Pascal Siakam在禮拜四晚上的比賽中, 換防Harden就執行得特別漂亮.
The Thunder switch against Harden as liberally as anyone, as long as it isn't
center Steven Adams being drawn into the action. (They can get a bit quicker
at that position with Nerlens Noel, or go small with Jerami Grant at the
five.) They don't protect Westbrook the same way the Warriors do Curry, and
for that reason, the Rockets tend to target Westbrook most. They know the
Thunder will concede that switch, and they know it's a favorable matchup for
Harden.
雷霆也有能力執行換防, 只要別讓Steven Adams去換防就行(他們這位置有速度更快的選
擇, 例如Nerlens Noel, 又或者打小陣容讓Jerami Grant打5號), 他們不會像勇士那樣(
保護Curry)去保護Westbrook, 所以火箭大部分情況下都會鎖定Westbrook來攻擊, 他們知
道雷霆一定會換防, 而這對於Harden來說也是最佳對位.
Harden's counter: This one's simple: Seek and destroy. As long as there's an
exploitable defender on the floor, the Rockets will target him relentlessly
in an effort to get him isolated on Harden. Generating a switch is usually
exactly what they want.
Harden應對: 這就很簡單, 就是尋找錯位然後摧毀他, 只要場上有可以打點的防守人, 火
箭就會無情的鎖定他攻擊, 透過換防來得到想要的錯位.
Blitz
閃電夾擊
Some teams prefer to try force the ball out of Harden's hands when they have
the opportunity. They can do that by trapping or "blitzing" the
pick-and-roll, sending two to the ball and trying to prevent him from turning
the corner.
有些球隊會比較喜歡不讓Harden拿球, 他們是利用包夾或者閃電夾擊來針對擋拆, 派兩個
人去包持球者, 阻止他(透過擋拆)繞過對位.
Plenty of teams have turned to the blitz at various times against Harden, but
the Nuggets are among the few who've relied on it as a primary coverage plan.
Where most teams try to protect their plodding bigs by stashing them as close
as possible to the basket, the Nuggets use theirs, Nikola Jokic, to create
traps 30 feet from the basket when he gets pulled into the high-screen
action. It's a gambit that toes the line between aggressive and reckless.
大多數球隊會在不同的時間點, 去執行閃電夾擊來防Harden, 而金塊是少數把這招作為主
要防守策略的球隊, 大多數球隊會保護她們的長人, 盡可能地把它們擺的離籃框越近越
好, 而金塊則是讓Jokic在遠離籃框30呎位置執行包夾.
In a vacuum, the strategy makes sense. Even if it opens up rim runs for
Capela or open threes for P.J. Tucker, Austin Rivers, and Gerald Green, isn't
it better to make those guys beat you than to let Harden do it?
Statistically, a Rockets catch-and-shoot 3-pointer (35.9 percent) is a better
outcome for a defense than a Harden pull-up three (36.4 percent).
這策略是有其道理的, 即使這會給Capela攻擊籃框機會, 會給P.J. Tucker, Austin
Rivers, and Gerald Green空檔三分機會, 但是讓這些球員來擊敗你比讓Harden來擊敗
你, 更好不是嗎? 據統計, 火箭C&S三分命中率(35.9%), 相比Harden在防守下的急停跳投
三分命中率(36.4%), 前者則是更好的結果.
A team's willingness to sell out with traps varies depending on the time on
the shot clock. Some are aggressive about doubling Harden with five seconds
or fewer on the clock, when they don't have to worry about making more than
one or two subsequent rotations (more on that shortly).
一支球隊執行包夾的時機是取決於場上進攻時間, 有些球隊會在時間剩下5秒或者更短的
時間執行侵略性包夾, 這樣他們就不用擔心隨後的多打少問題.
Harden's counters: Harden doesn't really get spooked when faced with pressure
(his turnover rate against the Nuggets is lower than his season-long mark),
and he can comfortably thread passes through traps - whether it's a pocket
pass to the rolling big, a skip pass to the weak side, or a reversal to an
open shooter out of the pick-and-pop. As soon as that pass is delivered, the
defense is in scramble mode. This puts a huge strain on the shorthanded
defenders on the back end, who risk giving up a dunk or an open three if
their rotations aren't perfect.
Harden應對: Harden根本不害怕受到壓迫(他的失誤率在對抗金塊的情況下更低), 他可以
很輕鬆的在包夾下把球傳出去, 無論是pocket pass傳給roll man, 還是傳給弱側, 或者
通過pop傳給射手, 只要傳出去了防守就會被打亂. 這會給後方防守帶來很大的破壞力,
如果防守輪轉做得不夠完美的話, 他們就會有被扣籃以及空檔三分的風險.
In a Jan. 7 game between the two teams, Harden racked up 14 assists, with
nine of them going for 3-pointers. He contributed a whole bunch more
secondary and tertiary assists when his passes out of traps led to
swing-swing sequences that produced wide-open threes. Tucker hit seven of
them.
在1月7日的比賽中, Harden送出14助攻, 有9個是來自於三分球, 他從包夾中傳出去的
球, 這產生了大量的間接助攻三分, PJ命中了其中7球.
http://tinyurl.com/yxeyvfrp
Lest you think the blitzes only opened up the long ball, Capela's averaged
27.5 points in the season series against Denver. The trade-off for the
Nuggets hasn't really been worth it.
閃電夾擊並不會只會導致空檔三分, Capela這賽季對陣金塊場均27.5分, 這代價對金塊來
說並不值得.
Hedge and recover
A more conservative way to defend a Harden pick-and-roll without switching is
to hedge. It carries some of the same risks as blitzing, but it works toward
a more sustainable outcome that should involve less scrambling and less
stress on the back line.
有一種更保守的策略來防Harden擋拆而並不需要換防, 那就是hedge, 這種方式與閃電夾
擊有相同風險, 但是這種方式的後續可延續性比較好, 帶給後方防守的壓力比較小.
The Thunder usually hedge with Adams when the Rockets use his man as the
screener. They also do it sometimes with one of their weaker wing defenders.
Dennis Schroder did a good job at this late in the teams' Christmas Day game,
buying Paul George enough time to loop under the screen and recover, and thus
affording the Thunder more possessions with their best defender stapled to
Harden:
在Adams的對位者上前掩護的情況下, 雷霆經常用Adams來執行hedge, 有時候會讓用比較
弱的側翼來執行, Dennis Schroder在聖誕節那場比賽就做的很棒, 給Paul George爭取到
足夠的時間來繞擋拆並且防守還原, 這給雷霆的最好防守人保持在Harden身前更多回合:
http://tinyurl.com/y6txfjok
Here's an example of Curry doing a poorer job of it, but the rest of the
Warriors covering for him (note Curry motioning for the pre-switch before his
man, Rivers, goes to set the screen):
http://tinyurl.com/y5zwfeuv
Curry做了最差的示範, 但是勇士其他球員幫他彌補錯誤
The Pelicans are another team that used hard hedges as a means of keeping
their best perimeter defender, Jrue Holiday, attached to Harden.
鵜鶘是另外一支球隊使用hard hedges來讓他們最好的防守人Jrue Holiday保持在Harden
身前.
Harden's counters: Similar to what he can do to beat traps, Harden can bust a
hedging defense by slinging a quick pass to the screener once he slips off.
He can also make a quick move to the basket before his primary defender has a
chance to recover. That effectively gives the Rockets a four-on-three, but
with Harden running it instead of a secondary playmaker.
Harden的應對: 跟破解包夾的做法類似, 他可以吊球給掩護者或者在防守人recover之前
就先快速切入到籃下, 成功的話就會形成四打三局面.
Go zone
使用區域聯防
An increasingly common look against the Rockets is a zone, with the Nets and
Heat using it most prominently. That might seem counterintuitive against such
a prolific 3-point shooting team, but for the most part, it's been effective,
largely because it simplifies pick-and-roll coverage.
對付火箭有一種策略最近開始普及化了, 那就是區域聯防, 籃網以及熱火用的最明顯, 對
付三分大隊而使用這種策略看起來是有違常理的, 但結果是絕大部分都很有效果, 這是因
為它簡化了擋拆防守策略.
The Rockets' offense plays outside-in, doesn't really utilize back cuts, and
doesn't feature a playmaking big man. So, leaving the high post and baseline
vulnerable is a perfectly acceptable trade-off for diverting Harden's
north-south drives. The scheme does put a ton of pressure on the perimeter
defenders, however, particularly against someone who can shoot and make skip
passes as well as Harden can.
由於火箭進攻並不跑開後門, 也不使用策應型長人, 所以放空高位以及底線區域, 來阻撓
Harden的切入, 這是完全可以接受的. 這策略會帶給弧頂防守人很的壓力, 特別是對抗
Harden這種能傳能投的.
In a Jan. 16 game against the zone-happy Nets, the Rockets got up an NBA
record 70 threes. Harden took 19, hit five, and assisted on five others (he
had 14 potential assists go for naught thanks to cold shooting from his
supporting cast). The Nets did a good job of contesting those threes, though,
and came away with the win because the Rockets hit fewer than a third of them.
在1月16號對陣籃網的比賽裡, 火箭出手了70個三分, 打破了NBA紀錄, Harden 19中5, 5
次助攻(他拿了14次潛在助攻做了白工, 這得感謝他隊友太鐵了). 籃網在干擾那些三分出
手做的很棒, 並且贏下了比賽, 而火箭命中率卻不到三分之一.
Teams have typically set up in a 3-2 formation to account for Houston's
outside shooting, but the Heat often converted it into more of a 1-2-2, with
one guy pressing up on Harden to guard against his pull-up from as far out as
35 feet. Their configuration also made it easy for them to trap Harden late
in the shot clock, which worked some of the time.
他們通常會祭出3-2區域聯防來應付火箭外線, 但熱火比較常用1-2-2區域聯防, 派一人去
對Harden施壓, 讓他出手35呎遠的急停跳投三分, 他們的人員配置使得他們能夠很簡單的
在進攻時間快到時, 去執行包夾Harden, 這在某些時刻確實很奏效.
http://tinyurl.com/y36r9nrz
Both teams mostly did a good job of executing the scheme, and Harden lit them
both up for 58 points. Against Harden, good process often begets poor
results. He did a lot of his damage versus the Heat in transition and
semi-transition, off turnovers and offensive rebounds, and on contested
pull-ups you really can't do anything about.
這兩支球隊大部分都執行的不錯, 但Harden還是砍下58分. 對付Harden即使執行的不錯,
但經常還是會導致不如預期的結果, 在熱火那場比賽裡, Harden利用對手失誤打了很多轉
換快攻, 半轉換快攻以及進攻籃板, 這對熱火造成極大傷害, 而他出手的那些受干擾急停
跳投, 這完全拿他沒辦法.
http://tinyurl.com/yxlynwem
Despite Harden's individual numbers, it feels like we'll keep seeing more
zone schemes from Houston's opponents.
雖然Harden個人數據依然猛, 但似乎我們以後會從火箭對手中看到更多區域聯防的使用.
Harden's counters: Against the Heat, the Rockets frequently cleared out the
strong side of the floor. The Heat left an extra defender on that side
anyway, meaning an open shooter on the weak side was only one swing pass
away. Harden's vision and passing precision make that a dangerous proposition.
Harden應對: 對陣熱火火箭經常清空強側, 而熱火會留一球員在強側, 這意味著弱側有人
被放空, Harden的視野以及精準的傳球能力會讓這策略變的很危險.
What's next?
接下來是什麼?
A lot of this stuff comes down to execution, and a lot of execution comes
down to personnel. It takes strength, length, quick feet, and smarts to
tackle the assignment, and some teams simply don't have defenders capable of
bothering Harden. Some teams do have the right personnel and a smart scheme
that they execute to a T, and they get burned anyway.
很多策略需要執行力, 執行則需要球員具備力量, 臂展, 移動速度以及球商來完成任務,
有些球隊就是沒有人員配置來防Harden, 而有些球隊具備了正確的人員配置並且擁有聰明
的防守計畫來執行, 但還是被打爆了.
Just about every team employs most of these approaches to defending Harden in
some variation. Each scheme has nuances, and every team executes them a
little bit differently. It'll be interesting to watch how or if those
coverages evolve, which ones stick, and whether any teams come up with an
entirely new wrinkle, particularly since the Rockets could see one or more of
the Nuggets, Thunder, Warriors, and (dare to dream) Bucks in the postseason.
Historically great players force the rest of the league to get creative in
response. Few players are inspiring more creativity right now than Harden.
http://tinyurl.com/yxs2cluk
出了一段時間的文章
虎撲也沒人翻
這幾乎整理了全聯盟對Harden的防守策略
而且樣本足夠大 不是湊巧拿下幾場
我的感覺是今年Harden處理球能力又達到另一個境界
去年射手太多 空間拉太開 導致對手防守策略簡化成換防
所以我沒感覺去年Harden處理球有到這種程度
Zack Lowe上週在podcast上也有聊到這點
他舉一個Harden mvp case就是他對聯盟教練做過mvp民調
其中一位支持Harden教練說 字母哥的MVP要跟他的教練擺在一起講
字母哥不會投籃 必須圍繞一堆射手 但是Harden不用
Harden幾乎誰都能搭 你可以搭兩個roll man 配2個半吊子射手
要從頭到尾單打 Harden也做得到
搭3個半吊子射手 1roll man也行
Harden可以搭你 我這樣的路人 甚至是Ben Simmons
對手防守策略證明了這點 Harden隊友證明了這點
說Harden就是個獨立的生態系統
Lowe說他一整季都支持字母哥 直到打完馬刺他動搖了
雖然他十之八九還是會投給字母哥
不過他對Harden這樣的評價我倒是很意外