Hi, back again with another quick observation post on AR.

We’ve agreed in previous discussions that teams have started aggressively defending AR when the Lakers make him take it up the court alone without prior action:

https://www.reddit.com/r/lakers/comments/17wgf1w/quick_observations_on_ars_struggles_this_year/

https://www.reddit.com/r/lakers/comments/17xzryl/another_quick_observation_how_to_alleviate_ars/

2nd units featuring AR as the primary ball handler almost always initiate with the high PnR on the right side of the floor. Last year, AR sliced up defenses by getting his defender on his back hip and making quick plays out of a 5-on-4. This year, teams have been either been forcing him to reject the screen and digging center to keep him out on on the 3, or just aggressively picking him up full court. This is intended to make AR execute more unfamiliar and advanced plays. When he struggles to, it looks like he’s “doing too much” though he’s just making the right textbook counter.

For some reason, the Jazz haven’t exploited AR’s weaknesses at the POA. He’s just been jogging the ball up the court with ease. AR’s been cooking with the same playbook as last year - defender on the hip, getting to the foul line and finding the roller, open shooter, or drawing contact on a floater. In 3Q, he got to the foul line and passed backwards to Wood for an open 3. He’s so surgical with this, I wish there was a scheme that gets him into this more.

As a result, AR shot 54%, with 2 more points than LeBron in just 2 more minutes.

At times, they’ve employed “no-middle” but aren’t particularly aggressive with it too. As such, this game shouldn’t be taken as a sign of AR’s development, and he’ll likely still struggle to initiate offense when teams scheme against him at the POA again. Sadly, it’s not like we’ve employed an offensive scheme to overcome AR’s struggles too.

There are signs that AR is experimenting and getting reps in on overcoming his POA struggles. In 3Q, he also rejected a screen on a “no-middle” defense, faked a wrap-around towards the middle to keep the 2-man trap on him, before swinging it for some nice ball movement. Just making a defense scramble to get back in position is a good POA play. In 2Q (I think), finally executed a nice skip pass to the weak side corner right on time, but didn’t eventually result in a basket. Of course, AR started eating the Jazz once they switched off in 4Q.

Most significantly, the man just fights to stay on the floor.

Even when he’s struggling with offense initiation, he’s putting effort into all the little offensive things: constantly watching the floor and making slight off-ball repositions to stretch the defense, cutting through the paint to force interior defenders to tag him and be late to double AD. Watch AR repositioning himself to get in Brooks’ blind spot and then sneaking up to make Lebron’s pass easier right before the deep 3 during the Rockets game

On defense, he’s always making the right switches and staying in position. The same time last year, Westbrook was just completely losing his man at least once a game. Against the Kings, it was hilarious watching AR fighting to box out Sabonis when he’s the weak-side corner defender, but he did it so consistently. Against the Jazz this game, he’s also been putting in a little more hustle on the defensive side in 2Q.

AR just gives coaches a reason to leave him on the floor and practice the schematic counters to the defense that teams are employing against him. What a player.

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