#defensive-strategy

#defensive-strategy

Transforming a team takes time, normally. Reducing the influence of previous coaches takes time, normally. Yet, for Massimiliano Allegri and AC Milan, that has not been the case. Perhaps the lack of solidity last season helped Allegri change things at Milan quickly. Maybe it was his reputation among the squad. It will probably never be known why or how the transition was so smooth. However, it needn't be.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) report this morning, Chivu is planning 'two pincers against the sprinters' tonight. The Romanian has drawn up a preventive control for Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic's counter-attacks. On the right side of the defence, Manuel Akanji will receive assistance from Carlos Augusto, while on the other side, Federico Dimarco will sacrifice himself to help Alessandro Bastoni in duels. This certainly isn't a guarantee of success, but it should stop too many 1v1s happening.

Pete Carroll is known for his defense. While he never called plays as the Seahawks head coach, Carroll was the mastermind behind the Legion of Boom defense, which brilliantly adapted Monte Kiffin's Tampa 2 scheme to the modern day league. Aided by generational talents like Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Bobby Wagner, and others, Carroll built a dominant team on the strength of his defense.

This is their second matchup against the Cavaliers this season and in their last game Toronto was able to pick up a 112-101 victory on Halloween. Cleveland was without Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Darius Garland during that game, which undoubtedly made winning the game easier for Toronto. In tonight's matchup Mitchell and Allen are slated to suit up, which will make securing the victory more of a challenge for Toronto.

Both sides come into this fixture riding positive waves of momentum and Arne Slot and Co. will be eager to build on their big win over Real Madrid. To do that, however, Liverpool will need to find a way to nullify the array of stars that make City such a formidable force. With that in mind, let's take a look at some City players that the Reds must account for if they want a positive result on Sunday.

He meandered through the first 24 minutes, taking just six shots and rarely looking to attack his matchup. Then, in the second half, his motor revved high in a 98-79 victory that improved the Warriors to 4-1. He was the driving force of a third-quarter run that saw the Warriors turn a three-point deficit into a 15-point advantage in 12 minutes.

"We just have to do a better job early on of settling in quickly and being aggressive, and having a play style no matter what the call is [that's] about finishing drives," he said of New England's offense. "Defensively, [it's] about being able to answer," he added. "These are plays that they worked on. These are game-plan plays, trick plays that they've been working on."

The 4-2 49ers are broken. Fred Warner is gone for the season. So is Nick Bosa. Brock Purdy is still sidelined. Ricky Pearsall is, too. That's just a few of the many, many names. The Niners' defense is reeling, and the offense is sputtering. Now, the 3-2 Atlanta Falcons-a team that's won two straight-come to town with the NFL's scrimmage yards leader in Bijan Robinson and a quarterback in Michael Penix who isn't afraid to let it rip.

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra may have no choice but to embrace a defensive-first mentality this season after the injury to Tyler Herro. It may not be what Heat fans were hoping for, especially after their offensive struggles last season, but this is what will give the Heat the best shot to keep their head above water in the Eastern Conference until their All-Star guard returns.

It's exactly what we wanted, Hunt said. Coming into it, we didn't know we needed that but I think, on reflection, it was fantastic for us. Australia really brought it, especially in that first half. We felt pressure we hadn't felt in the start of the tournament so far and it was really good for us to get that under our belt. Also to work out that rugby contest and come out with a scoreline like that is a testament to the girls.

Burton matched Plum step for step as the crafty veteran struggled to shake free to the rim, cutting off every passing lane before it came open.

The Sharks did pick up Nick Leddy, Dmitry Orlov, and John Klingberg this offseason, yet their defensive additions do not secure long-term stability.

Mbeumo impressed with his touch and dynamism in the attacking third, linking up well with Cunha and Bruno Fernandes in an interchanging front trio.

The Patriots' 2025 class featured an impressive eleven selections, the joint most in the NFL, with a focus on offense initially and later on defense.

"We love him. Loved him at school, loved him in the pre-draft process, love him at Summer League. He's tough. He plays hard. He has a high level of accountability for himself and his teammates. We're excited to see what that looks like with our veteran guys. We think that our group of forwards/wings are going to push each other every day. That's how they'll all get better." - Anonymous Raptors scout via Keith Smith

Gonzalez is a high-motor wing with great defensive tools and a slashing style on offense. If his jumper and handle develop, he could be a versatile two-way starter.

It's interesting, in my 40+ years I've never shown clips to my teams of NBA defense... Until this season. We watched the Thunder at least 3x a week.