The Warriors and Cavs battled in the first two games of the NBA Finals, both having success with certain offensive and defensive schemes. The 2018 NBA Finals has resembled a boxing match, with both teams punching and counter-punching each other (with plays, not fists, although that almost happened). In Game 1, we witnessed one of the greatest…
Plays of the Week – May Recap
The month of May featured some fantastic XsOs with the NBA Playoffs in full swing and Real Madrid winning the EuroLeague Final Four. Missed our Plays of the Week emails from May? No worries – we got you covered. Catch up at the webpage versions below. Plays of the Week emails are generally sent on Tuesdays. Subscribe…
NBA Finals Team Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron James has led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 4th consecutive NBA Finals appearance, and the offense flows through him every possession. There were many times throughout the 2017-18 NBA season where it looked like this could be the year for a new Eastern Conference representative in the Finals. However, the Cleveland Cavaliers were able to…
NBA Finals Team Preview: Golden State Warriors
The reigning NBA Champion Golden State Warriors have made it to the NBA Finals for the 4th straight season with an efficient offense based on controlling tempo. Throughout the 2017-18 NBA season, the Golden State Warriors have boasted a high powered and efficient offense. There is no secret to GSW’s success. The Warriors ranked first in…
Eastern Conference Finals: Video Breakdown – Celtics-Cavs Game 2
A look into offensive actions the Boston Celtics utilized to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2, specifically Point and Zipper Series. The Boston Celtics have taken a 2-0 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers by doing what they were supposed to do – win at home. With the series shifting to Cleveland, there is…
Zalgiris Kaunas: Winning Ways Part 4 – ATO and EOG Series
Despite having the lowest budget among Euroleague Playoff teams, Zalgiris Kaunas has succeeded with an efficient offensive style. This is Part 4 and the final installment of our Zalgiris Kaunas series, covering ATO and EOG sets. Read Part 1 on Horns Series, Part 2 on Iverson Series and Part 3 on Spain PNR Series. ATO and…
Impact Player: How Draymond Green Makes Winning Plays
Versatile skills, high awareness and all-out effort make the Warriors’ Draymond Green an impact player on both ends of the floor. I have written a lot about the 2018 NBA Playoffs here on the FastModel Sports blog. It’s been a lot of fun breaking down things like the Utah Jazz defensive game plan, how Brad…
Eastern Conference Finals: Video Breakdown – Celtics-Cavs Game 1
Kevin Bruinsma analyzes the offensive and defensive strategies the Boston Celtics used to handle the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1. The Boston Celtics took a 1-0 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday afternoon with an impressive 108-83 victory at TD Garden in Boston. Let’s take a look at how the Celtics controlled the game from the…
Zalgiris Kaunas: Winning Ways Part 3 – Spain PNR Series
Despite having the lowest budget among Euroleague Playoff teams, Zalgiris Kaunas has succeeded with an efficient offensive style. This is Part 3 of our series on Zalgiris Kaunas, covering Spain PNR sets. Read Part 1 on Horns Series and Part 2 on Iverson Series. Part 1 also includes a profile on head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius…
Zalgiris Kaunas: Winning Ways Part 2 – Iverson Series
Despite having the lowest budget among Euroleague Playoff teams, Zalgiris Kaunas has succeeded with an efficient offensive style. This is Part 2 covering the club’s Iverson series. Read Part 1 on Horns Series here, which includes a profile on Zalgiris Kaunas Head Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius and his style of coaching. Iverson Series A main strategy Zalgiris used in…