If you were a coach, how would you stop an explosive transition offense like Team USA has?

Question

Would you play a more perimeter oriented game so that your team can get back on defense? Do you try to match your offense with their offense and play a running game too? Do you foul them hard on transition plays to intimidate them?

Answer 1

I'd waste every second of the shot clock as possible and have a guard drive and shoot or drive and dish.  If you slow the game down it slows down the uptempo play and then the USA can't go crazy on you.  Do not try and match the running play because the USA is deep they'll keep running all day.  Shouldn't have to deal with transition plays if you let the clock run down because the shot clock will go off or either team will get a rebound close to the bucket.  You step in though and try to take a charge don't swat and give them an and 1.

Answer 2

1. A combination of the three.

First, if my team was very quick and explosive, a running game would be nice, and if many of these fast players are also good spot up three point shooters who can pull up for a three instead of going to the hoop, then that will be nasty.  

Second, most teams the US are perimeter oriented, so that's already been done. Third, I would foul some of the high flyers hard when they try to dunk.  The dunks the Americans are doing aren't just for two points, but also to intimidate the competition.  

I've also notice that only the Americans have been dunking at any and every possible opportunity of all the men's teams in the Olympics so far.  Everybody else has been playing the women's game, or under the rim for 95% of the time.  Another way I think European teams can fire themselves up is to start slamming it in more for alley oops and the like.  These guys CAN dunk, they just don't do it either because it's a high risk high reward play and I also think the coaches of the other teams have strongly discouraged dunking because it does use up energy.

Answer 3

be liiek the celtics. all group togther when slashers start coming to the rims. and  start hacking  

Answer 4

MAN UP AND TAKE CHARGES!

Answer 5

on defense, they would play a hard zone possibly with traps.

on offense, either fire 3 pointers all day or pound it in the middle.

regardless, the other team would have to take risks, claw, scratch, bite, and do whatever they can to slow team USA down.

Answer 6

You have to play a zone, and you have to really slow down the ball on offense, and hope for the lowest scoring game you can get.

The zone neutralizes their quickness and their wish to run up and down the court, and their great athletic advantage.

The slow down on offense...dictates the speed of the game, and they are more likely to slow down their own game as a result.

I would use a box and one defense makes sure a man is always on the ball while still having another zone player in the vicinity so that there is almost always a double team on every player with the ball,