MIES (Switzerland) - Nanterre 92 and the now undefeated FIT/One Wurzburg Baskets served up one of the games of the season in the Palais de Sports at the end of Week 4 in the Basketball Champions League Regular Season.
Not only was it a fantastic game, but also a fascinating one for those of us who like to dig a little deeper into the tactics of winning and losing a game of basketball.
The game started with Wurzburg looking dominant on both ends. Their ability to pressure the ball and force turnovers on the defensive end was enabling them to force the pace on the offensive end. Everything was right where they wanted it, in their uptempo comfort zone.
Nanterre head coach Phillipe Da Silva made the first impactful adjustment of the game after the German newcomers took a 26-19 first-quarter lead.
His team started the second quarter in a switching defense that looked like a hybrid between man-to-man and a match-up zone. Then, when that discombobulated the Wurzburg offense and led to steals and scores for Nanterre, the men in green and white showed Wurzburg a 2-2-1 zone press to slow their tempo and make it difficult to even bring the ball up the court.
In the first clip of the video above we got a good look at the switching defense in the half-court. When you watch it back, look out for Nanterre's #10, Milan Barbitch, making a great read to steal the pass to the roller.
In the second clip we see that 2-2-1 zone press that eventually dropped back into the same switching system in the halfcourt. Watch the shot-clock: By the time Wurzburg could actually set their offense up and get into a set play, there were just 13 seconds left on the clock - 11 seconds were wasted just crossing the half-court line.
The outcome of that second play was a rushed shot for Wurzburg followed by a run-out score for Lucas Fischer. Nanterre had cut the lead to just 1 point, holding the German side scoreless for the best part of three minutes.
Wurzburg head coach Sasa Filipovski had no choice but to call a timeout, which you can watch below. Watch out for the subtitles if you are struggling to make out what is being said. We will translate the terminology afterward.
We could clearly hear Filipovski telling his team that they were up against a 2-2-1 zone and then a switching man-to-man defense.
The next thing we hear him say is "If you don't know what to play, play 4 Side", followed by "Man or zone switching, it's the same, 4 Side". To translate what he means there by 4 Side and why that will help his team against a switching defense, we need to first understand who plays the 4 position, or power forward, for Wurzburg. That player is, of course, Zac Seljaas, the current leader of our MVP Race.
4 Side translates to a pick and roll on one side of the floor with Seljaas setting the screen and posting up against a smaller player switched onto him.
Also important to this set is that Wurzburg clear that corner of the floor so there is no help for any smaller player defending Seljaas with a mismatch. Let's see what that looks like:
What we also saw in that clip is how talented and versatile Seljaas is offensively. Whilst Wurzburg didn't look for him on the post-up after the switch, what did happen was that the smaller Nanterre player now guarding him also had the responsibility to help on the roller when Wurzburg set the next pick-and-roll.
That help meant leaving Seljass open and able to attack the closeout when Jhivvan Jackson fizzed the pinpoint pass to him in the corner. Seljaas showed that ability he's got to put the ball on the deck and attack the closeout. What a finish too!
Nanterre still forced 8 turnovers in the first half with that 2-2-1 press and switching system, but Wurzburg were starting to find ways to attack them.
Watch below to see how Jhivvan Jackson set a screen on his own man to prevent a switch. Nanterre were forced to help off Seljaas and we saw why they were in such a rush to close him out in the previous clip. Seljaas is shooting 52.2 percent from deep, on 7.7 attempts per game!
The French club actually won the third quarter and took their first lead of the game, but Filipovski's team aren't an easy puzzle to solve. The outcome was multiple lead changes and Phillipe Da Silva was forced into a timeout of his own.
With Wurzburg holding a 1-point lead, this time it was Nanterre looking to change the momentum. Let's go inside that timeout and listen in as this time it's the coach drawing up a play for his best scorer to go to work in an Iso situation.
Coach Da Silva's play is called 1 Up and it's the point guard, Ahmad Carver, moving up the floor from the baseline to set a back screen for Desi Rodriguez so he can go to work.
In the clip below we see that play, and Desi Rodriguez shows exactly why his coach trusts him to get the job done when his team needs him.
Immediately after this play, Wurzburg wrestled the lead back. Jhivvan Jackson came up big with 5 points in under two minutes to put the Germans up by 5 points.
Paul Lacombe then answered for Nanterre and with less than a minute to play, Wurzburg's Slovenian play caller called a very familiar play for his star player to kill the game.
Of course, the play we are referring to was the same 4 Side for Zac Seljaas to attack a mismatch. Only this time Wurzburg did find him in the post and we got to see the third level of Seljaas as an offensive threat. The fact that he can score in the post, as a shooter from the outside, and also driving to the rack, puts a lot of pressure on the defense to account for his whereabouts at all times.
Now watch that play back and pay attention to Wurzburg's #3, Mike Davis Jr. Just as Seljaas is going to work, he sets a down screen on the weak side to misdirect and distract any Nanterre players from sending a double team to the post. Davis Jr had 19 points of his own in the game but was fully committed to making a selfless play like this when he could have been hoping to take a clutch shot himself.
In the end, Wurzburg won the game 88-83 and continued their unbeaten start to life in the BCL. They look like hot favorites to qualify directly to the Round of 16 from Group A.
Nanterre nonetheless will come out of this game encouraged from the fact they were never outclassed and never looked beaten at any point during the game.
When the two teams face off again on Wednesday November 6 in Germany, they have every reason to expect they can get a result. Whatever happens, we now have a good idea of where to look for the key tactical battles.