With the NBA playoffs approaching, I’m going to pull back the curtain on playoff preparation and walk you through the process.
Preparing for games during the NBA regular season is drastically different than preparing for the playoffs. It’s impossible over the course of an 82-game season to have an elaborate plan for every game.
With more time before the playoffs, teams can deepen their playoff game plan, but it requires a lot of preparation.
The playoffs require a hands-on approach from the front office, analytics department, advanced scouting team and video team.
During my time in the NBA with the LA Clippers and San Antonio Spurs, each team prepared differently with the creation of true playoff books. These were not CliffsNotes but a hundred pages of valuable information. Teams have moved to the digital world, so all this information is now available on tablets and other devices.
The delivery method has changed, but not the content. A team’s depth chart, regular season stats, season series stats, personnel profiles, call sheets and sets that worked are all included.
In this example of preparing opponents for the playoffs, I will analyze the New York Knicks.
A team’s advance scout provides the play call in an Excel spreadsheet with the name and action performed in that set. It also contains how often the play is run, the degree of success, and a view of the defense deployed.
Here’s an example of a Knicks game that I diagramed with a made-up name. Most teams use FastDraw, a software tool that includes videos and notes.
In addition to the call sheet, the recruiter provides information on player profiles. This is when the front office will also provide information.
The analytics service plays an important role in this process. In addition to essential statistics, it provides data on this season’s series lineups: the best lineups and when to play them.
The analytics team provides a breakdown of individual players. Besides basic stats, it includes advanced stats, shot charts, and detailed play type analysis: Player ball screen right. side of the ground 63 percent of the time.
The bulk of the preparation work falls to the video team. It’s the central hub that makes the playoff books. All information flows to this group which organizes, compiles and completes everything.
But the book is only part of preparing for the playoffs. Most teams create a massive video montage of their opponent to show during sessions. It can contain offensive sets, out of bounds actions, what teams do after timeouts, after free throws and at the end of games.
Here’s a breakdown, starting with the offense:
After this example, a defensive clip is provided. This shows what the team did defensively immediately after the offensive play. Did they press or play in zone? How did they defend the pick-and-roll and the post?
Another element is individual player video, which reinforces everything in the personnel section of the playoff book. Here is an example of what I would include in Jalen Brunson’s personnel search and edit:
• He’s a skilled ball handler, so be ready for spins, in-and-out dribbles, and multiple crossovers in isolation.
• When coming off ball screens, watch out for pull-ups and mid-range jumpers.
These examples are spread across multiple video sessions, so players aren’t overwhelmed. The offense happens one day, the defense the next day, and then the personnel.
This type of adversary reconnaissance takes about a week. Organizing the playoff books and editing the video clips is a grueling task, and that’s why it’s reserved for the playoffs. The regular season schedule is too tight for this careful preparation.
Preparing for the playoffs is the hardest for the first round. Teams should prepare to face several different opponents, as playoff games may not be settled on the last day of the season.
For example, right now in the Western Conference, the only playoff series is the Dallas Mavericks against the LA Clippers in a #4-no game. 5 confrontations. The top three teams prepare from No. 6 to No. 10.
The good news for video coordinators involved in the Play-In tournament is that there is more time to prepare for the playoffs… unless your team is participating in the Play-In tournament.
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(Photo by Jalen Brunson: Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)