The Last Great Offense

Fast break basketball centers around the premise of pushing the ball up court before the defense is prepared for a dunk, lay-up, or quick spot up three. Perhaps the most exciting brand of basketball is a well executed fast break offense, however this withering art in the NBA is being replaced by the team defense approach. Defensive intensity has become the championship template in professional basketball as a result of the formula's recent dominance. Last year's Boston Celtics, the 2004 Detroit Pistons and the Spur Dynasty have accounted for more than half of the NBA titles in the last ten years. Entrenching yourself in great defensive habits will create stops from which the fast break should be run. Fast break teams always look to speed away up the court for easy buckets as defense holds marginal importance. Basketball at the professional level is a high scoring affair in which it is far more difficult to stop another team than it is to succeed at the offensive end. Any team can put points on the scoreboard, but its the great teams that can dig in on defense and turn you away. So many games in this league are basket trading affairs that are ultimately determined by who finally makes a stop. Orchestrating a great defensive scheme is clearly easier said than done, but it is the philosophy that wins and without it your franchise is headed in the wrong direction. 

From 2004-2008 the Phoenix Suns were the premiere up tempo, high octane, fast break, and run and gun team. The best offensive team of my lifetime (thus far) was revamped in 2005 with new coach Mike D'Antoni and future two time MVP Steve Nash. With Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, Leandro Barbosa, and Raja Bell this team suddenly became the NBA's most dangerous. Yet at the end of the day this team was nothing more than an offensive juggernaut who could never overcome those formidable on defense. The defensive schooled San Antonio Spurs eliminated the Suns from the  2004 Western Conference Finals series and another two times in earlier rounds. One of the greatest fast break times of all time was certainly qualified on talent to win several NBA Championships, yet something always held them back. The underlying reason of these failures was not that these Sun teams were over matched and beaten at their own game, yet at their team philosophy's core. The fast break offense is unstoppable when in full swing, yet to thrive in it's culmination for long is beyond arduous. When a team is shooting unholy percentages from beyond the arch and salivating over copious open looks they truly cannot be defeated. However, more often than not humans cannot perform at such a high level and the offensive reliance always rears its ugly head. Flawless execution, crowd energy, exuding confidence, impressive endurance, and luck are all required components of a true fast break team. On top of all of these unrealistic prerequisites there is still the most important aspect, the right ensemble to carry out this mad dash.  To effectively wield this style of play you need an array of amazing shooters with superior speed and quickness. Not only is this hard to come across, but often a team consisting of  players honing this particular skill set are smaller. "Small Ball" requires the use of point and shooting guards and a power forward who plays center, because no true center can soar to the fast break. A team who lives and dies by the three and needs to score well above the hundred point mark every night is bound to falter. When the offense gets out of rhythm and cannot score 120 points a night there no defense to fall back on, as defeat is inevitable.

Suns General Manager, Steve Kerr, knows the futile nature of his fast break team as he began to cultivate the need for balance, the need for defense. He has brought in a new coach to help abandon D'Antoni's run and gun style and Hall of Fame Center Shaquille O'neal in hopes to become more defensive. Kerr's assessment for the team's future was an accurate one because it included an understanding of balance. Phoenix is still a team versed in offense and to transform to an all defensive team quickly would be border line inconceivable. To introduce a change in culture gradually and aspire to become a team part defense part offense is the Sun's best path to travel. Earlier today the former Bull (turned GM) seems to have taken a step more towards fortifying that strong offense again. A trade for fast break scoring virtuoso Jason Richardson has many curious after the mission statement calling for defense. Even more peculiar was parting ways with their best bench defender and three point specialist Raja Bell. Trading Bell for a player better on offense, yet key word weaker on defense seemed to be a conflict of interest. 

Richardson is a great player who is an average defender and a prolific scorer, I'm just not ready to anoint him the messiah of change for the Phoenix Suns. What the future holds for this team remains to be seen and if this future is to be a bright one it won't be using the fast break.