The Problem with European Basketball in the United States
Last week, I heard a high-level coach criticize American basketball because there is too much dribbling and too many pick-and-rolls. He specifically said that there are far more pick-and-rolls in the U.S. than in European basketball. He characterized European basketball as passing and cutting with the occasional pick-and-roll.
I disagreed with the assessment of the two games, but I would not call myself an expert on European basketball. However, Jasmin Repesa, Head Coach of the Croatian National Team and Lottomattica Roma probably counts as an expert on European basketball.
As a clinic in Toronto last month, Repesa said:
In Euroleague/International basketball, 80% of set offense starts or finishes with the pick and roll.
This is the problem. We have coaches and media members who criticize American basketball, and hail European basketball, and they really have no idea what they are talking about.
Serbia’s national basketball association actually banned pick and rolls for any under competitions under 18 because they relied on the pick and roll too much. I do think European basketball is superior in a lot of ways to the American game, although clearly people making these comments should know what they’re talking about, because I wouldn’t be making statements about pick and rolls when as Repesa correctly says, European basketball is FULL of pick and roll.
Coach Harris said this on November 1, 2009 at 3:23 PM |
The sheer number of people who comment on-line about the game of basketball while knowing very little about what is actually happening on the court during a specific sequence of action in a specific game is simply incredible.
There is not such thing as “American” basketball. Maybe, at one time in the history of the game there was, but not any more.
Neither is there any such thing as “European” basketball today.
There is only “basketball” … and, when it’s played with a shot clock, as it is today, everywhere, a well-coached team better know how to, both, use and defend against an assortment of Pick & Roll/Pop actions, in addition to other “set pieces/plays” and a “continuity-based” offense, if it’s going to succeed against high calibre opponents.
khandor said this on November 3, 2009 at 12:32 AM |