By Hunter Cruse
Now that Nate Oats is going to be in Tuscaloosa, Ala. for a while, it’s time to take a better look at the playing style that has made the head coach such a success in his two years with the Crimson Tide.
Since taking over Alabama basketball last season, Oats quickly established a philosophy centered around the ideas of pace, floor spacing, 3-point shooting and rim attempts. This season that’s helped the No. 8 Crimson Tide (17-5, 12-1 in the SEC) rise to its best campaign in nearly 20 years.
As Alabama fans are aware, Oats’ spread-out attack has resulted in plenty of shots from beyond the arc. The Tide leads the SEC and ranks third nationally this season with 655 attempts from 3. This had led some to think that Alabama is over-reliant on its production from deep. That’s far from the truth.
Instead, Alabama uses its perimeter game to set up what is referred to as “gravity,” the ability to pull defenders to certain parts of the floor. Here’s a look at how Alabama uses the concept to set up its high-scoring attack.
Why is gravity important?
In the possession above, LSU looked to limit John Petty Jr.’s window for success. Trendon Watford and Cameron Thomas send a double-team, causing Aundre Hyatt to rotate from the baseline onto Jaden Shackelford to defend the strong-side corner 3. As a result, Alex Reese is able to attack backdoor to put himself in position for an easy bucket. The cross-court Petty pass was mistimed, but the point stands. These opportunities are created by a combination of Alabama’s spacing and shooting effectiveness that leaves defenders to make risky decisions.
Here’s another example. Stephen Curry is obviously the biggest weapon on the court for Golden State in the closing seconds of a game against Philadelphia. The 76ers decided to send a double-team and trap Curry beyond the 3-point line. His only option was to hit a diving Draymond Green with just 4.2 seconds on the clock. Green, one of the league’s most prestigious passers, finds an open Harrison Barnes to send Golden State home with the victory.
Some would suggest Curry’s threat to shooting is more important than shooting itself. Defenders must attach to the two-time MVP at all times, opening favorable looks for his teammates as seen in the play above. This creates a nearly indefensible situation as defenders also can’t afford to give Curry space to run off-screens or pull up from deep.
While Alabama doesn’t have a shooter like Curry, the Tide can still use this concept in its half-court offense. Four of Alabama’s five starters average 3.8 or more attempts from beyond the arc. The lone exception, Herbert Jones, is shooting 52.8 percent from 3 this season. Alabama’s penchant for 3-point shots often causes defenders to scramble to the perimeter which opens up easy rim opportunities and allows the Tide to use an extra pass to create open shots.
Jahvon Quinerly has done a great job utilizing his teammate’s shooting presence by finding corner shooters in drive and kick situations out of a ball-screen.
Above all, the spacing in Alabama’s offense opens up these opportunities as seen above. Quinerly is one of the most effective players in the conference when attacking downhill, so Abdul Ado (No. 24) switches onto the driving Quinerly causing the freshman Cameron Matthews (No. 4) to turn his body away from Shackelford, resulting in an open three-point attempt.
Opponents are unable to shadow multiple shooters during a possession. A prime example was the road matchup against Auburn in early January. Freshman Joshua Primo went scoreless in the prior game against Florida, so the attention was forced on Petty and Shackelford. Primo caught fire early, scoring 16 points on 6-11 shooting within the first 10 minutes, outscoring the Auburn team by himself.
Another look at what makes this Alabama team so special. In this clip above, Shackelford attacks the basket on the switch, drawing the attention of the entire Auburn defense. Most notably, Jamal Johnson (No. 1) and Jaylin Williams (No. 23) do a poor job of communicating, allowing Shackelford to hit the relocating Primo for an open three-point attempt.
Even a player like Reese, who shoots just 25.8 percent from deep, demands respect as he averages 4.05 attempts from the beyond the arc per game. Through 22 games, Alabama has attempted an average of 29.77 3s per game, making 36.64 percent of them. This creates a shooting gravity that is tough for opponents to prepare for due to the Tide’s numerous options from 3.
How does this entice recruits?
The NBA is quickly translating to a more perimeter-centric approach with advanced analytics becoming a common resource for coaches, players, and fans. Oats noticed this first-hand as the statistics teacher and basketball coach at Romulus High School in Detroit from 2002-13. His thought process holds up today as roughly 95 percent of Alabama’s field-goal attempts result in a 3, free-throw, or shot inside the paint.
Due to its NBA-style scheme, Alabama offers one of the best pitches to high-level recruits looking to make a quick transition to the next level. Five-star point guard JD Davison, who signed with Alabama in November, follows the likes of Collin Sexton and Kira Lewis Jr. as a bursty guard that should excel under the Tide’s fast pace. The system is also beneficial for complementary pieces such as a prototypical 3-and-D wing or stretch big. Alabama is never dependent on one player, and that’s what contributes to such a balanced attack. During its 115-82 win over Georgia, five Alabama players scored in the double-figures.
Alabama’s gravity can be grounded at times
When watching Alabama, it’s easy to notice times when the coaching staff shows its frustration of players settling for a contested transition 3 or forcing turnovers into driving lanes. It doesn’t happen often, but Alabama has faced serious deficits from the lack of ball movement and turnover-prone approach.
Unlike past seasons, when Lewis or Sexton led the offense, Alabama doesn’t have a primary initiator to keep the engine running. A key to Oats’ system is to have a consistent offensive flow. Jones has carried a larger on-ball presence this season, while Quinerly provides that on a 20-minute basis in the second unit. However, Alabama’s point guard play can be lacking at times.
Takeaways
Understanding a deeper view of the science behind Alabama’s attack creates a better perspective of the Tide’s recent success. The Crimson Tide play an exciting brand of basketball, fitting into the current progression of the sport. Oats has positioned himself into the upper echelon of coaches, while the program trends upwards.
Now that Nate Oats is going to be in Tuscaloosa, Ala. for a while, it’s time to take a better look at the playing style that has made the head coach such a success in his two years with the Crimson Tide.
Since taking over Alabama basketball last season, Oats quickly established a philosophy centered around the ideas of pace, floor spacing, 3-point shooting and rim attempts. This season that’s helped the No. 8 Crimson Tide (17-5, 12-1 in the SEC) rise to its best campaign in nearly 20 years.
As Alabama fans are aware, Oats’ spread-out attack has resulted in plenty of shots from beyond the arc. The Tide leads the SEC and ranks third nationally this season with 655 attempts from 3. This had led some to think that Alabama is over-reliant on its production from deep. That’s far from the truth.
Instead, Alabama uses its perimeter game to set up what is referred to as “gravity,” the ability to pull defenders to certain parts of the floor. Here’s a look at how Alabama uses the concept to set up its high-scoring attack.
Why is gravity important?
In the possession above, LSU looked to limit John Petty Jr.’s window for success. Trendon Watford and Cameron Thomas send a double-team, causing Aundre Hyatt to rotate from the baseline onto Jaden Shackelford to defend the strong-side corner 3. As a result, Alex Reese is able to attack backdoor to put himself in position for an easy bucket. The cross-court Petty pass was mistimed, but the point stands. These opportunities are created by a combination of Alabama’s spacing and shooting effectiveness that leaves defenders to make risky decisions.
Here’s another example. Stephen Curry is obviously the biggest weapon on the court for Golden State in the closing seconds of a game against Philadelphia. The 76ers decided to send a double-team and trap Curry beyond the 3-point line. His only option was to hit a diving Draymond Green with just 4.2 seconds on the clock. Green, one of the league’s most prestigious passers, finds an open Harrison Barnes to send Golden State home with the victory.
Some would suggest Curry’s threat to shooting is more important than shooting itself. Defenders must attach to the two-time MVP at all times, opening favorable looks for his teammates as seen in the play above. This creates a nearly indefensible situation as defenders also can’t afford to give Curry space to run off-screens or pull up from deep.
While Alabama doesn’t have a shooter like Curry, the Tide can still use this concept in its half-court offense. Four of Alabama’s five starters average 3.8 or more attempts from beyond the arc. The lone exception, Herbert Jones, is shooting 52.8 percent from 3 this season. Alabama’s penchant for 3-point shots often causes defenders to scramble to the perimeter which opens up easy rim opportunities and allows the Tide to use an extra pass to create open shots.
Jahvon Quinerly has done a great job utilizing his teammate’s shooting presence by finding corner shooters in drive and kick situations out of a ball-screen.
Above all, the spacing in Alabama’s offense opens up these opportunities as seen above. Quinerly is one of the most effective players in the conference when attacking downhill, so Abdul Ado (No. 24) switches onto the driving Quinerly causing the freshman Cameron Matthews (No. 4) to turn his body away from Shackelford, resulting in an open three-point attempt.
Opponents are unable to shadow multiple shooters during a possession. A prime example was the road matchup against Auburn in early January. Freshman Joshua Primo went scoreless in the prior game against Florida, so the attention was forced on Petty and Shackelford. Primo caught fire early, scoring 16 points on 6-11 shooting within the first 10 minutes, outscoring the Auburn team by himself.
Another look at what makes this Alabama team so special. In this clip above, Shackelford attacks the basket on the switch, drawing the attention of the entire Auburn defense. Most notably, Jamal Johnson (No. 1) and Jaylin Williams (No. 23) do a poor job of communicating, allowing Shackelford to hit the relocating Primo for an open three-point attempt.
Even a player like Reese, who shoots just 25.8 percent from deep, demands respect as he averages 4.05 attempts from the beyond the arc per game. Through 22 games, Alabama has attempted an average of 29.77 3s per game, making 36.64 percent of them. This creates a shooting gravity that is tough for opponents to prepare for due to the Tide’s numerous options from 3.
How does this entice recruits?
The NBA is quickly translating to a more perimeter-centric approach with advanced analytics becoming a common resource for coaches, players, and fans. Oats noticed this first-hand as the statistics teacher and basketball coach at Romulus High School in Detroit from 2002-13. His thought process holds up today as roughly 95 percent of Alabama’s field-goal attempts result in a 3, free-throw, or shot inside the paint.
Due to its NBA-style scheme, Alabama offers one of the best pitches to high-level recruits looking to make a quick transition to the next level. Five-star point guard JD Davison, who signed with Alabama in November, follows the likes of Collin Sexton and Kira Lewis Jr. as a bursty guard that should excel under the Tide’s fast pace. The system is also beneficial for complementary pieces such as a prototypical 3-and-D wing or stretch big. Alabama is never dependent on one player, and that’s what contributes to such a balanced attack. During its 115-82 win over Georgia, five Alabama players scored in the double-figures.
Alabama’s gravity can be grounded at times
When watching Alabama, it’s easy to notice times when the coaching staff shows its frustration of players settling for a contested transition 3 or forcing turnovers into driving lanes. It doesn’t happen often, but Alabama has faced serious deficits from the lack of ball movement and turnover-prone approach.
Unlike past seasons, when Lewis or Sexton led the offense, Alabama doesn’t have a primary initiator to keep the engine running. A key to Oats’ system is to have a consistent offensive flow. Jones has carried a larger on-ball presence this season, while Quinerly provides that on a 20-minute basis in the second unit. However, Alabama’s point guard play can be lacking at times.
Takeaways
Understanding a deeper view of the science behind Alabama’s attack creates a better perspective of the Tide’s recent success. The Crimson Tide play an exciting brand of basketball, fitting into the current progression of the sport. Oats has positioned himself into the upper echelon of coaches, while the program trends upwards.
