The Billups Layup Play

This just seems like it is KGs fault, he has to recognize that Chauncy’s man is beat and help him out. I mean he didn’t even look, who did he think was going to stop him? Maybe the man on the in-bounds player is supposed to sag and protect the basket, I dunno.

That said, I play mostly pick up basketball games now, but when I play an organized game it is incredible how I have forgotten how to switch on defense. And on screens and pick and rolls between gaurds and big men, switching and playing team defense is critical.

Communication and practice helps, but really it is just a sixth sense which I seemed to have lost.

Pierce was defending the inbounds pass. He didn’t protect the paint. Paul left that whole side wide open for a cutter to exploit. He could have stopped the pass from even being thrown in but didn’t.

I admit pierce does look guilt afterwards and he should have been closer to the paint but i still think its more KGs fault. The ball could still have been passed nearly under the basket for the bucket, or if pierce sags into the paint, billups could have curled off to the corner for a jumper. That is obviously better, but the point is you have to stop the open man. KG could have done it.

I think its weird that you either see the in-bounds defender either guarding the in-bounder face up, or facing away. Maybe pierce could have guarded the play better if he split the difference and could have seen billups coming.

if KG stops the man cutting because paul didn’t close down the paint, then rip gets a wide open jumper from the top of the key.

Which, in retrosepct, would have been a tougher shot, but at the time, you can’t fault KG for sticking to the play and cutting rip off from a wide open shot.

Maybe they practice inbounds plays where the paint is shut off, so KG didnt bite on the cutter because he thinks hes covered. But he seems oblivious to what is happening behind him.

KGs decision comes 2 seconds into the video, billups is wide open 3 seconds in, rip doesnt come off the screen until 4 seconds in, play over.

According to the analysts on NBA TV last night, the play was Pierce’s fault for jumping the inbounds pass towards the 3 point line as opposed to the lane.

Take that for what it’s worth but probably doesn’t matter in the long run. Hopefully they learn from it and lets get on to taking games 3 and 4.

“My philosophy would’ve been to protect the paint first, so obviously KG made the wrong decision if we use that philosophy”

“My philosophy would’ve been to act like I would have known what I was doing to make KG look like he wasn’t making 20 million more dollars a year than me.”