The BKT EuroCup's top team overall so far scores a lot but is also playing more full-court defense more than any team in competition history.
Stats review: Using full-court pressure
Stats
3 Mins read
Paris Basketball is now three wins clear of the rest of Group A following its victory over second-place Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv in Round 15. With 14 wins and a single loss, Paris has taken the BKT EuroCup by storm this season. While the team's record pace in offensive efficiency has a lot to do with that, Paris has taken a unique approach defensively to capitalize on its shot-making and to leverage its depth.
Full-court pressure is a bit of a rarity at the highest levels of professional basketball. It's a taxing style of play that requires great commitment from the defenders trying to keep the ball in front of them the full length of the floor. As a result, teams only send defenders to pick up the ball over the length of the court on around 11% of all possessions, with many of those coming in situations where a team is forced to commit a quick foul.
Paris has picked up full-court on a EuroCup-record 31% of the possessions it has faced this season. While a few teams will test the boundaries toward the 20% mark in some years, 30% is nearly double the league-high in many seasons over the last decade. While Paris may not employ the most effective full-court press in terms of efficiency or steal rate this season, its combination of effectiveness and consistency poses a unique challenge for opposing offenses.
Paris has been able to push that boundary due to a confluence of strengths. Its virtually unprecedented shot-making consistency is a key factor in how prolific the team has been picking up in the backcourt, since it is far more difficult to press off missed shots or turnovers compared to makes. Able to go 11 deep in the rotation, as it did in Round 15, means that Paris's depth is also a significant factor in that full-court strategy as teams that press regularly must be able to rotate liberally due to the physical toll that style of play takes on players.
Sometimes Paris's pressure quickens the pace and sometimes it forces opposing offenses to grind out long possessions. In general, it accomplishes its goal of disrupting the flow of the game. That is an interesting wrinkle for what will likely be the first team in EuroCup history to score over 1.11 points per possession for a full season and something to monitor as it pursues championship aspirations in the coming months.