Offensive Set Usage

[Vann_the_Red]

I've been pondering how best to leverage this setting on the Strategy tab. When I first looked at it, I assumed it meant you would want to be high on this scale when you didn't trust your playmaker(s) (i.e., poor court IQ and/or low familiarity with your offense). Now I'm wondering if I have that right. Any thoughts on using it?

TIA,

VtR

[Wayne23]

PointGuard will check in and his take may be very different. For me, the more experienced and higher rated my players, particularly my guards, the lower the amount of set plays. BUT, if I'm playing the game out, late in the game I want to set up a play whenever I can do so.

[Vann_the_Red]

Thanks, Wayne. That's exactly how I used it. Upon further reflection, though, I wondered if it wasn't the exact opposite. :-) If they don't know the offense, might as well let 'em run what they want.

[Wayne23]

Let's see what PointGuard's take is. He and I are frequent flyers here and we don't play the same way. I'm always interested in what he has to say.

[PointGuard]

Yeah, I'd say that the better the team knows the offense, the more frequently you want to run set plays. They'll be better at it and therefore more successful running a set play than when they were less experienced with it. If they're inexperienced and unfamiliar with set plays, then they're gonna screw them up and turn the ball over or have a broken play, so you may as well let them play free-stylen more often. As they practice and practice and practice the sets, they'll improve how they perform them in a game, having fewer turnovers and scoring more frequently.

[Vann_the_Red]

Oh, wow. Thanks, PG. I've been doing this wrong. :-)

[PointGuard]

Laughs...well you may have or I may be wrong.

[NCAAhoops]

I agree with point guard on this, practice, practice practice. Very important to spend time with a plan in mind. I have a long method that is maybe more than I want to post so here is a condensed version.
1. Start of season of new game or season I look at how many freshman and sophomores will be in my top 7 rotation. In other words inexperienced players.
2. Lots of freshman and sophomores means more offensive freedom because they have low offensive and defensive proficiency. If that case I may drop one offensive set and only run two for more practice time as I can add a third offensive next year and I don't press so I can practice more man and zone defense same thing I can add that later this year or next.
3. If I have more juniors and seniors then I drop offensive freedom way down because they will be experienced at my sets and I'll run sets 80% of the time.
4. If they are young then I weight more toward offensive practice until Christmas to become a more offensive practiced team (mind you I'm a higher rated defensive coach), my theory on this is other teams starting young players are not practiced much at their defense either so hopefully my more offense practice becomes better than their less practiced defense as they have theirs spread evenly so my offense should be better than their defense in a few weeks during non conference games.
5. At Christmas I switch more practice time to defense as all teams are bumping those numbers across the board so now I need more stops on defense. I keep up offensive practice but now more weighted toward defense as my offense should be better by now.
6. By the middle of January I see where I am in standings as far as am I good enough to make noise in a tournament or not. If so I stick to my plan, more defense practice, if not I look at the recruits I have got coming in the next year and make practice changes now to be prepared to play the style or practice what I feel will be best for the next year as I feel this year is over and plan to be better next year and have a team with practice in what I will run with hopefully a new stud recruit next year and do some damage in tournament then.
7. rinse and repeat for next year.

That's the basics of what I do. I also feel I have fewer issues with players attitudes because if they are doing well offensively early they don't complain as much. Can't swear the game even has that ability but I feel like I don't have as many problems this way. Of course it could just be a fluke.
I also make in game adjustments based on turnovers and FG% I'll go up or down based on stats as the game is being played. To many turnovers I'll up freedom and then play with the pace I run to try and find an answer.
Also if my team is athletic I usually go with more freedom as they are athletic enough to get their own shot. Low athleticism less freedom, slower pace and more practice so they can find time to get the best shot available.
Lot more things go into my decisions but that's the basics of what I do.

But as mentioned above, players better at offense and defensive proficiency make fewer mistakes. Less turnovers on offense, less wide open drives to the basket, fewer fouls on defense just like real life.