The worst pick up players.

[VDusen04]

Re: The worst pick up players.

The player who doesnt know how to rotate on defense and makes you look like a fool when you switch on his man after a pick and roll and your man scores.

Yeah I feel that actually. Most of the time, when I'm playing in my own area, I'm comfortable enough in my environment to talk and get this figured out really quickly. Plus, it seems a lot of players are keen to switching on pick-and-rolls by default (unless it's going to result in a horrible mismatch).

However, there's one specific gym I play in where most of the players have been raised to never switch on screens, but that idea is dependent upon real-game helpside, traps, and hedges. So, when those things don't occur and they don't know to switch, those open layups tend to happen. At that point, I have to make myself speak up and create a plan for the next situation.

[24]

Re: The worst pick up players.

I hate the guy that's in full NBA uniform. I was playing in a 3 on 3 game the other day and this guy walks right up to us, interupts the game and he is decked out in OKC gear from head to toe. He was wearing their practice jersey and shorts along with matching sneakers and a headband. I wanted to laugh right in his face

[cavsfan2]

Re: The worst pick up players.

I hate the guy that's in full NBA uniform. I was playing in a 3 on 3 game the other day and this guy walks right up to us, interupts the game and he is decked out in OKC gear from head to toe. He was wearing their practice jersey and shorts along with matching sneakers and a headband. I wanted to laugh right in his face

It's funny how the person who does that usually sucks

[nova91]

Re: The worst pick up players.

The player who doesnt know how to rotate on defense and makes you look like a fool when you switch on his man after a pick and roll and your man scores.

This absolutely pisses me off.

It annoys me but I also kind of like when I step into the gym at 5'5" the 5'9" to 6'1" guys are licking their chops trying to decide who gets to guard me. They think that just because I'm shorter than they are that I'm weaker than them or that they will get to block the hell out of my shot every chance they get. Then I show them that I have a 36" vertical and that while they may be about 15-20 pounds heavier, that I am 180 Lbs and I am fairly strong with a squat max at 400 and a leg press max at nearly 800.

[wwharton]

Re: The worst pick up players.

Yeah I feel that actually. Most of the time, when I'm playing in my own area, I'm comfortable enough in my environment to talk and get this figured out really quickly. Plus, it seems a lot of players are keen to switching on pick-and-rolls by default (unless it's going to result in a horrible mismatch).

However, there's one specific gym I play in where most of the players have been raised to never switch on screens, but that idea is dependent upon real-game helpside, traps, and hedges. So, when those things don't occur and they don't know to switch, those open layups tend to happen. At that point, I have to make myself speak up and create a plan for the next situation.

Relatively speaking, this isn't that bad though. There are subtle ways of working with guys without calling them out (which rarely works), as long as all of the other 4 guys aren't incompetent. If I'm playing with guys that never switch, I'll just go under everything unless it's a serious shooter. Or I'll guard a post person or weaker player, and basically play a one man zone to pick up drivers. Luckily you don't see a lot of proper "rolling" in pick up games, so as long as you're not the one getting screened, you can usually make up for the clueless teammates.

[VDusen04]

Re: The worst pick up players.

Relatively speaking, this isn't that bad though. There are subtle ways of working with guys without calling them out (which rarely works), as long as all of the other 4 guys aren't incompetent. If I'm playing with guys that never switch, I'll just go under everything unless it's a serious shooter. Or I'll guard a post person or weaker player, and basically play a one man zone to pick up drivers. Luckily you don't see a lot of proper "rolling" in pick up games, so as long as you're not the one getting screened, you can usually make up for the clueless teammates.

Very true on all accounts. The gym with the players that don't switch is a place I don't often frequent, but everyone else knows each other, so for a second I felt a little dumb when I gave up the basket on the roll (due to my switching). I think I'll have to take your advice and play below the screen more often.

[wwharton]

Re: The worst pick up players.

Very true on all accounts. The gym with the players that don't switch is a place I don't often frequent, but everyone else knows each other, so for a second I felt a little dumb when I gave up the basket on the roll (due to my switching). I think I'll have to take your advice and play below the screen more often.

That brings me to another contribution to this thread. I hate the guy that thinks that bc the guy you're guarding scored, you're not playing defense. I get hit on a pick (that wasn't called), rotate when someone else gets picked, or am the first person back on a fast break... it's a team game people. Defense is much easier when everyone is ready to pick up anyone.

[redsrule]

Re: The worst pick up players.

That brings me to another contribution to this thread. I hate the guy that thinks that bc the guy you're guarding scored, you're not playing defense. I get hit on a pick (that wasn't called), rotate when someone else gets picked, or am the first person back on a fast break... it's a team game people. Defense is much easier when everyone is ready to pick up anyone.

But when the guy they are guarding scores, it was a fluke, defense didn't help, etc.

[BlakkMajik3000]

Re: The worst pick up players.

5. The OG

You know this person because he is there everyday, as he’s a true gym rat. Those kicks he’s wearing aren’t the retro models, they’re just the original shoes. Just like older guys on the golf course always hit straight drives, the old cat is money from 20 feet in. Because he may have lost a step or 3 due to age, he’ll compromise this by playing a little dirtier, so watch them elbows, pulls and grabs. No one really calls off-the-ball fouls during pickup, so you might wish that someone else is guarding you rather than him. NBA equivalent: Robert Horry

This is all me right here...lol

No use in wasting my limited energy running around the court behind or boxing out some 18 year old, when a simple tug on their shirt while I go up for the rebound will suffice.

[TMagic]

People that want to play zone. That **** is lazy as hell.

When I first moved to Miami and went to play, I walked up to a guy on offense as we're about to check the ball and said "I got him." Then dude on my team looks at me and says, "we're playing 2-3. You got that space. I was all like...



Zone? Who the hell plays zone in a pick up game? That was the first time I ever played zone during a pick up game and I was 23 at the time. Lol

The trend continued during my time there, and more often than not, teams played zone. But what pissed me off the most about it was that most these dudes did not know how to play it at all. Always having guys that over rotated, didnt rotate to the right spot, or stuck completely to their "zone". Plus guys at the top always played the zone as if they dont really have to D up because theres help behind them. So it was easy as hell to get into the paint.

I would get so pissed because even though we are in the zone and there SHOULD be help, that doesnt mean you can take it easy on defense. Your goal should be to not let anyone get past you and into the paint, because then the zone is broken. They did not understand that for crap.

Then sometimes they would have the nerve to actually call more complex zones like a 3-2 or 1-3-1. This always registered this response...

Spoiler

[wwharton]

Re: The worst pick up players.

People that want to play zone. That **** is lazy as hell.

When I first moved to Miami and went to play, I walked up to a guy on offense as we're about to check the ball and said "I got him." Then dude on my team looks at me and says, "we're playing 2-3. You got that space. I was all like...



Zone? Who the hell plays zone in a pick up game? That was the first time I ever played zone during a pick up game and I was 23 at the time. Lol

The trend continued during my time there, and more often than not, teams played zone. But what pissed me off the most about it was that most these dudes did not know how to play it at all. Always having guys that over rotated, didnt rotate to the right spot, or stuck completely to their "zone". Plus guys at the top always played the zone as if they dont really have to D up because theres help behind them. So it was easy as hell to get into the paint.

I would get so pissed because even though we are in the zone and there SHOULD be help, that doesnt mean you can take it easy on defense. Your goal should be to not let anyone get past you and into the paint, because then the zone is broken. They did not understand that for crap.

Then sometimes they would have the nerve to actually call more complex zones like a 3-2 or 1-3-1. This always registered this response...

Spoiler

I think more pick up teams should play zone, but it's good that they don't for exactly what you just said... most people don't know how. But there's always a pride thing about needing to play man to man. If I see insane match up problems with the opposing team, I'd rather play a zone. It never happens but I never understood the issue from a general stand point.

[Altimus]

Re: The worst pick up players.

Playing zone in pick up ball never works. It just gives some people more of a reason to stand and do nothing.

[TMagic]

I think more pick up teams should play zone, but it's good that they don't for exactly what you just said... most people don't know how. But there's always a pride thing about needing to play man to man. If I see insane match up problems with the opposing team, I'd rather play a zone. It never happens but I never understood the issue from a general stand point.

Yeah. I wouldnt mind if people used it in appropriate situations and played the
zone the right way.


But they never did. They'd use it just so they wouldnt have to play man to man. Thats why I thought it was always lazy.

Playing zone in pick up ball never works. It just gives some people more of a reason to stand and do nothing.

Exactly.

I played the corners because I was usually middle of the pack height wise. One of the most frustrating things was having the ball rotate around the perimeter.

I'd move up to help cover the 45° angle offensive player on a ball reversal. He'd get the ball and the guy at the top playing D would NEVER recover assuming that he's my responsibility now. Which always left the backside open for the corner three or someone wide open short corner for an easy score.

No concept of a "bump" or help and recover.

And dont even get me started on boxing out/rebounding out of their zones.

[VDusen04]

Re: The worst pick up players.

Playing zone in pick up ball never works. It just gives some people more of a reason to stand and do nothing.

I am largely in agreement. For the most part, teams in my experience that fall back into zones in pickup ball are squads largely made up of players who aren't terribly interested in playing defense with any significant amount of effort; usually out of shape players who know their opponents are ready to work.

On the flip side, I do remember a group of 20 year olds who'd show up and wait until they could get in a game on the same team, then they'd run a zone and attempt live off turnovers and layups. Their zone was busted, but their opponents were sometimes devoid enough of strategy and basketball intellect to allow that defense to be effective.

[Ermolli]

Re: The worst pick up players.

Here most of the times it's defended playing zone; I think it's because it's more used outside of the states, the lack of people in shape, most can't play 1 on 1 defense and because it takes less effort. I prefer to play man defense but I had to get used to playing this way, it can be annoying because many don't try much to defend well and I try to rotate and help as much as possible because I like playing defense, even more than offense.