Offensive rebounds mean extra possessions. But they also mean defensive risk, because if your players don't succeed in grabbing them, then they are usually further behind transitioning to defense than if they had not tried to get their misses back. Some coaches prefer their defense to begin earlier even if it means not getting as many extra possessions through offensive rebounds.
Telling numbers: Reds' rebounds made difference against Efes
Olympiacos Piraeus and Anadolu Efes Istanbul came into their showdown on Thursday ranked 18th – dead last – and 14th, respectively, among all Turkish Airlines Euroleague teams in offensive boards. Yet they were ranked second and sixth, respectively, under their defensive boards, which shows where their priorities lay.
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But on this occasion, dead-last Olympiacos held Efes without a single offensive board well into the second half and 4 total for the game while getting 13 of its own shots back. Shaquille McKissic led that effort with 3, while Koustas Skoukas and Moustapha Fall had 2 each.
In a game won 87-85 on the buzzer in overtime, that discrepancy might seem secondary. But with Efes actually outperforming the Reds 90-105 in performance index rating, something had to make a difference. Those 9 extra possessions in the battle on the glass, scattered throughout the game, were a big part of that ultimate difference. With all else relatively equal, Olympiacos took 6 more shots, all three-pointers, and got to the free throw line 8 more times than Efes. Just enough to be close enough for Sloukas's overtime game winner to make the difference.