OL: Is the installation at least in part because you have guys who have been system players? Kobe, Pau et al? You know system basketball is something theyre comfortable with?
MB: Yes, that is part of it. This team is built that way, and because theyre built that way, because theyre used to it, I think it will help them out at the end of the day.
LOL: How does the Princeton work with having someone like Nash? As is my understanding, its not as much a heavy pick-and-roll offense, but more motion and ball movement.
MB: The way that well put it together, Steves going to have an opportunity -- hes going to quarterback the team -- and so hes going to have an opportunity to come down the floor every possession and in early offense play pick-and-roll if he wants to. Its up to him, based on where he decides to take the ball or a call that he makes or an action that he does, its up to him to get us into some of the looks of the Princeton offense.
So again, with him quarterbacking, or making that decision, hell still have a chance to get the ball back after he moves or after bodies move. I dont want to completely give away what were trying to do, but in a nutshell, he will have an opportunity to play pick-and-roll at the beginning of almost every play set coming down the floor in early offense. And if not, he can also choose to get to some of the looks out of the Princeton by making a pass or doing an action or doing a call or whatever.
LOL: I know youre a defensive-minded coach, but when you think about the aesthetics of what the offense could look like, the amount of options available to you, I suspect its been hard to stop smiling.
MB: And thats whats exciting. The versatility that we do have it gives us the ability to do a lot of different things. We dont want to give too much, especially early on, and then in the same breath as the season goes along were going to learn from them based on who they are individually and as a unit.
I feel like I have a nice foundation, or a nice mix, in mind to give the team when you talk about combining some of the stuff that we did last year with some of the Princeton stuff that Eddie did in Washington, and then kind of going from there.