Film Study: Fixing OKC’s Pick And Roll Defense

The Chicago Bulls ran six pick and rolls in the last 5 minutes of their 104-98 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, all six resulting in either a score or trip to the foul line. The Thunder’s inability to adjust in those final minutes sealed the game in favor of Fred Hoiberg’s team. Coming off a loss to the Raptors where the offense stalled, it wasn’t the scoring that was to blame but the disappearance of what has been a staple of OKC’s teams over the years – big stops.

Pick-and-roll defense over the years has evolved tremendously. Teams have learned to combat favorable switches and essentially nullify its effect with savvy defensive awareness and coaching. The most common method, however,…