This is related to conversation people were having about flaws of defensive systems
http://www.vantagesports.com/#story/...-trail-blazers
Six of the eight teams that hedge the least on pick-and-rolls are in the top 10 in fewest opponent three-pointers made per game. This happens because containing on pick-and-rolls generally requires less help. When a player hedges, he leaves the roll man open and the weakside defender's job is to come over and bump the roll man. Kick it out to the open corner man and you have your first rotation, which against good passing teams is only the first of many.
The best example of a team that doesn't hedge and succeeds by doing so is the Portland Trail Blazers, who have hedged on only 1.23 percent of all pick-and-rolls defended this season, by far the lowest mark in the league. The Trail Blazers currently rank 3rd in defensive efficiency and allow the third-fewest three-pointers.
Playing a drop-down style of defense on pick-and-rolls doesn't guarantee success, of course. The Pelicans and the Celtics are in the bottom 10 (i.e., fewest) in both Helps per 100 Chances and Hedge%, yet they rank 25th and 13th in defensive efficiency, respectively. However, both are in the top 10 in fewest opponent three-pointers allowed, much like the Blazers were last season.
On the other side, you have teams that hedge aggressively and often. Those teams can also be good defenses as shown by the LeBron-era Miami Heat. But even they ranked 26th in opponent three-point attempts last season, which shows something about the inherent flaws in the system. In terms of volume, there isn't a team this year outside the Heat and the Cavs who hedge as much (both over 28 percent of the time), and both are struggling to defend the three-point line.
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