Ron Adams’ Potential Defensive Strategies vs. Pelicans

Golden State Warriors assistant coach Ron Adams will have a variety of defensive looks prepared for the New Orleans Pelicans if they meet in the playoffs.

Ron Adams, the Golden State Warriors assistant coach and defensive mastermind has the team tied for second with the Utah Jazz in defensive rating in the league at 101.6 according to stats.nba.com.

His defensive schemes will be put to the test on April 8th when the New Orleans Pelicans come to town with new Pelican DeMarcus Cousins teaming up with the young talented Anthony Davis. The frontcourt of the Pelicans is scary, good and young.

First, let’s look at how DeMarcus Cousins would fit alongside Anthony Davis and how they would benefit from playing with each other. (via @bballbreakdown)

As Coach Nick mentions in the video above, Cousins loves to work on the left block and turn right shoulder on the left block. He also shoots a bunch of threes, mostly on pick-and-pop plays. Cousins loves to drive to his left when the defender comes running at him.

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Coach Nick mentions Davis’s strengths as well, which were also being a pick-and-pop player, but being able to handle the ball better than Cousins. He uses more finesse than strength like Cousins, which makes this front court duo, a monstrous problem for many teams. Coach Nick also mentions in the video of a potential pick-and-roll play between Cousins and Davis, which could be indefensible.

With all of that being said, the question becomes: What strategy or strategies will Ron Adams employ to try to limit the Pelicans’ star big men?

The first strategy that Ron Adams would potentially have is just a matchup deal with Draymond Green guarding Anthony Davis and Zaza Pachulia guarding DeMarcus Cousins. The matchup with Green defending Davis and Pachulia defending Cousins make perfect sense. Although Green is an elite defender, one of the best in the game, he is too small to guard Cousins in the post, so Pachulia would take that assignment.

Pachulia caused many problems for Cousins in the Warriors-Kings first matchup with Pachulia getting physical and under Cousins’ skin making him force shots and drew fouls against the former Kings center. Green would take the Davis assignment and although he is much shorter than Davis, he holds his own against him by being physical and bodying up Davis, making him uncomfortable. Green’s long 7’3″ wingspan makes it difficult for players to get good looks against him. Additionally, Green had a game-winning pick-pocket steal on Davis in an early matchup against the Pelicans.

Another strategy Adams could utilize is going with a big lineup of Shaun Livingston, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Zaza Pachulia for a two minute stretch. People are probably wondering where the “super death lineup” is at and this would be the best defensive lineup, the Warriors would be able to go to. All of the players are 6’7″ and above, which makes potential double teaming easier and it makes rebounding much easier against the twin towers of Davis and Cousins.

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Adams could also use the tactic of double-teaming Davis or Cousins every so often to attempt to throw one or both of them off their offensive rhythm. What the “every-so-often-double-team” does is it makes Cousins or Davis to not only have to make a quick decision with the ball, but also keeps them off balance. They don’t know when the double-teams are coming.

Whatever strategy Adams decides to use against the twin towers of Davis and Cousins, expect the Warriors to double-team aggressively when they do and provide great help defense.