Assume:

 

You are the Head Coach of Team 2, and you play in Region A. As coach of Team 2, you are ranked as the consensus #2 Team in Region A.

 

The only team ranked ahead of you is Team 1 (who is ranked as the consensus #1 Team in Region A). You play Team 1 at home two weeks before the regional tournament.

 

Team 1's star player is a point guard, and their 2nd best player is a post player. Your two star players are wings and cannot adequately defend the post player on Team 2.

 

You play Team 1 (again, two weeks before region) and their star point guard is not going to play, but is 99% likely to be back for the regional tournament.

 

 

 

Do you:

 

Press and take advantage of Team 1's star point guard's absence?

 

Play as you normally would and allow your team to get a more realistic experience defending Team 1 (particularly their post player, who is the 2nd best player on the team), hoping that they use it to improve?

 

 

 

Considerations:

 

Is it more valuable to simulate the type of game you'll most likely need to play to win in tournament play, or would you rather go for the kill and try to beat Team 1 as badly as you could, despite the fact that they aren't at full strength and will be later on?

 

Does it have to be either/or? What other factors should you account for?

 

Thoughts?

If I normally don't press then I wouldn't. If you are not a good pressing team to begin with then why do that?

I'm sure the coach would have scouted this team many times and know what they can and can not do. I would think you would play them as normal and not show anything new that the other team can use at the next meeting.

 

Just my opinion.

You play to win the game.

You play to win the game.

 

Exactly. If you normally press against teams that you think you can be successful by doing so, and you think by team 1 missing their guard you can be successful in doing so, then you do it. If you don't normally press under most circumstances as a rule because you aren't very good at it, then you probably don't start now. Worry about the next game if/when you play them again, the next game you might play against them down the road should have NO bearing on what you do in the present.

Give you an example from last year with my team.

 

we are playing a team that doesn't have good ball handlers and no true PG. We are not a pressing team but I decided we needed to press them to exploit their weaknesses. By pressing we kept them in the game. The next time we played them and in the district we did not press and won handily.

 

Don't try to be something you're not even if the other team has a weakness. Trying to exploit theirs could end up explointing your own if your team is not that type of team.

I ask this because I saw a situation once where a team's star PG and primary ball handler was out of a game similar to this with injury. The opposition pressed some, but definitely weren't what I would consider a "pressing" team. They pressed the whole game in the regular season matchup. They pressed occasionally, but not what I would consider "lots" in the postseason matchup, which they lost (and this happened over a decade ago). I won't say anymore for sake of identifying the teams, etc., but that's where I got this scenario.

You do what you normally would do.... If you are ranked that high you have your bread and butter defense (even if you aren't ranked that high) and you stick to your guns. You should know what you are good at by that time.

I think something that I was trying to get at that maybe didn't come through:

 

Do you try to demoralize the other team with a large victory (even though the opposition isn't nearly at full strength) or do you prepare your team to play them by game planning as you normally would when the other team would be at full strength?

Play your system. In game adjustments as needed.

As a coach you go out and do whatever you have to do to win. If the other team is down their best player and attacking that position would help you win, then do it. Whatever it takes to get the W.

If I have anything that might work in my favor during the postseason, I don't show it during this game.

If I have anything that might work in my favor during the postseason, I don't show it during this game.

 

This is me, personally, unless I think that I need to use it during the regular season to perfect it for the postseason.

I suppose in my mind I would:

 

1. Play my system

2. Try to win the game (obviously)

3. If within those two things, I think we can gain some kind of mental edge for the post season, I might try to do that as well. However, I don't think that is much of an option, because if their best player isn't playing. No matter if you win or lose, they are going to point at the fact that their best player didn't play when they watch the film, and they are probably going to think they are different team with him on the floor.

You do what gives you the best chance to win.

 

If I think pressing a team with a man out gives me the best chance to win then yes I press. You can never look forward to a possible future matchup. If a rematch happens then I look at what gives me the best chance to win that matchup at that time.