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This is probably a bigger deal in the FIBA game than it is in the NBA, in part because the court is smaller and defenders can take the ball off the rim without getting called for goaltending, but post-ups are becoming increasingly dangerous throughout the basketball world.
And I don’t mean for the teams defending those post-ups.
The most difficult thing for a team to cover is constant ball and player movement. If defensive units have to move side to side without ever getting a second to take a breather, they’re likelier to eventually break down.
That’s why so many teams have tried to emulate some of the principles that led the 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs or mid-2010s Golden State Warriors to championships.
When the ball goes to the low block for an old-school post-up, there’s instantly an easy spot to key in on. If it stays there for a few seconds, defenders on the weakside can take a little break. And while good passers from the low and high post can turn some of those things into advantages, most centers and power forwards aren’t Nikola Jokić.
That’s part of why Team USA has looked faster and more dynamic when Anthony Davis or Bam Adebayo are on the floor in place of Joel Embiid.
Now, of course, Embiid is one of the absolute best scorers in the world. On a floor with a little more spacing and in a system built to accentuate his strengths, Embiid’s post touches and knack for generating free-throw attempts are a big part of what makes him so good.
But unless you have one of those all-time great bigs, in FIBA or the NBA, more motion-heavy attacks should be the goal.
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