Win card0-3chaos, gambling, weak defense, too many bad shots
Bad defense, bad shooting, gambling hands, and just enough individual scoring to be annoying if you get lazy.
chaos, gambling, weak defense, too many bad shots
Identity
steals turn into runouts and somebody gets hot from three
Win condition
Blount inside, Adler creation, Heinle spacing, everyone else noise
§ Defense
What Bullets give up
PPG allowed84.0
FG% allowed48.3%
2P% allowed52.2%
3P% allowed39.8%
3PM allowed9.7
REB allowed49.3
AST allowed19.7
FTA allowed9.3
TO forced14.7
Most points allowed· 84.0 per gameWorst FG% allowed· 48.3%Worst 2P% allowed· 52.2%Worst 3P% allowed· 39.8%Most rebounds allowed· 49.3 per gameMost assists allowed· 19.7 per game
Our attack theme
Everything is open. They give up 84.0 points, 48.3% FG, 52.2% on 2s, 39.8% on 3s, 49.3 rebounds, and 19.7 assists. That is the most attackable defense on the board.
Bottom lineAttack anywhere you want.
Per-game averages allowed, derived from 3 games per team in the uploaded league box scores. Small sample — real signal, still small.
§ Exploit
Bulldogs exploit sheet
Weakness to forceEverything. BJ allows 84.0 points, 48.3% FG, 52.2% on twos, 39.8% on threes, 49.3 rebounds, and 19.7 assists.
Extra weapon — Smith if active (Mueller out for season)
Sam SmithThis is the most attackable defense in the league, but the right version is still paint first. Burton should be the first touch because BJ has no real rim answer and already got punished inside by Bulldogs. Benson should be the second hunter because BJ's gambling defense is easiest to break with a strong first step and clean read. Plumlee is the kick-out punisher after the paint collapses. Mueller is out for the season, so if Smith is active he is the only add-on shooter.
First 3 actions to call
- 1Burton duck-in or deep seal on the first trip
- 2Benson slot drive at the gambling wing
- 3Plumlee lift or relocate for the kick-out three
Shot dietFull green light, but still paint first.
Staff cardBurton first. Benson second. Plumlee feasts off the collapse. Call: duck-in, slot drive, lift three.
§ Shot diet
Target shot diet — Full green light, but still paint first
Mark Plumlee
Primary shooter
Most 3PA should go to Plumlee, Benson, and Attila. Mueller is out for the season, so Plumlee absorbs the stretch-five volume. Bullets allow 9.7 made threes per game, second most in the league, and we already hit them for 9 made threes (Plumlee 4, Benson 3, Attila 2). The point is not random bombing. It is paint touch, collapse, kick-out, volume.
Paint touch first, then spray. Not random bombing.
What actually beats Bulldogs here
- Casual passing
- Rushed threes because the defense looks messy
- Letting Adler and Heinle play in rhythm
- Treating the game like a blowout before it is one
This is the easiest opponent to disrespect and the easiest game to make annoying by playing loose. Bulldogs should treat this as a maturity test, not just a talent game.
§ Read
Matchup read in plain language
Bullets want the game loud because the quiet version exposes them. If Bulldogs keep the ball strong, touch the paint, and make them guard without steals, the whole structure cracks. If Bulldogs start throwing lazy skip passes and quick threes, Bullets get the exact chaos they need.
§ Playbook
From the Bulldogs playbook
What to attack first
the paint, then the gambling
§ Cross-matches
Starting cross-matches
- Benson on Adler
- Plumlee on Heinle
- Burton on Blount
- Attila on McMahon or weakest spacer
- D. O'Reilly or Morrison on the other rebound or gamble piece
§ Coverage
What to deny · What to dare
What to deny
- Live-ball steals
- Heinle catch-and-shoot comfort
- Adler early offense threes and easy creation
- Blount repeated deep paint touches
- Any possession where their gamble creates a one-pass runout
What to dare
- Gernhart jumpers
- Neufeld tough off-the-bounce threes
- McMahon as a primary scorer
- Everyone not named Adler, Blount, or Heinle trying to decide the game
- Low-efficiency role players turning extra possessions into jump shots instead of clean paint finishes
§ First five
First five priorities
First five — offense
- 1Paint touch on the first trip
- 2Make the gamblers defend a cut after a ball fake
- 3Feed Burton if the interior is soft
- 4Use Benson to collapse the defense before spraying out
- 5Keep the ball simple and strong
First five — defense
- 1Burton lives with Blount one-on-one first
- 2Chase Heinle off screens
- 3Make Adler create over a set floor
- 4Help off Gernhart
- 5Finish the rebound and run
§ Script
Scripted first five possessions
- 1Burton seal in the paint
- 2Slot drive at the gambling wing
- 3Back-cut after the first aggressive denial
- 4Plumlee lift into a clean kick-out three only after the paint is touched
- 5Attila simple organizer possession, no risk pass needed
§ Why
Why those first actions matter
Bullets are at their most alive when the other team starts playing impatiently. The opening script is there to prove the opposite. Bulldogs should get a clean paint touch, punish the gamble, and force Bullets to defend multiple actions without a steal. Once that happens a few times, their defense usually starts breaking on its own.
§ Bench
Bench and rotation notes
- This is a Burton and Benson game first
- Smith can break the game open if it stays organized
- Do not go too experimental just because Bullets are weaker
- If the game gets sloppy, shrink the rotation before expanding it
§ Scout
Opponent personnel & directives
Identity: League's Worst Team
31.5% FG (league worst). 84 PPG allowed (league worst). 27.2% 3P on 34 3PA/game. We beat them 86-75 on Apr 16.
Adler: 16 PPG, 40% 3P (2 GP) · Heinle: 11.3 PPG, 47% 3P on 17 3PA
Chase both off every screen. Close out hard. No airspace.
Adler: 16 PPG, 40% 3P (2 GP) · Heinle: 11.3 PPG, 47% 3P on 17 3PA
Chase both off every screen. Close out hard. No airspace.
16 PPG · 38% FG · 53% 2P · 22 pts vs us
Burton 1-on-1. Live with post-ups. Do not give him multiple paint touches.
§ Halftime
Halftime trigger tree
If Bullets have too many steals or runouts
- Slow the offense one gear
- Keep two handlers on
- Stop throwing the heroic pass
- Value the boring possession over the flashy one
If Heinle has made two or three
If the lead is small because the game is sloppy
§ Late
End-of-half and late-game details
Even against Bullets, the game can get weird if Bulldogs stop thinking clearly. Late in halves, the rule is the same: strong handlers, strong touches, and no gift-wrapped gamble plays. Let them shoot over a set defense instead of helping them create easy ones.
§ Close
If ahead · If behind or tied
If ahead
- Stay mature
- No quick threes
- Make them guard action until the game is over
- Use the clock without becoming passive
If behind or tied
- Attack the paint immediately
- Do not let a gamble defender create the winning swing play
- Force their defense to stay connected for the full possession
§ Dossier
Shorthand game plan — original dossier notes
When we have the ball
- Post Burton vs Blount — he burned Blount for 22 in Apr 16; keep feeding that matchup.
- Attack Adler and Heinle in closeouts. They're shooters, not defenders.
- Pace them off the floor — they can't defend (84 PPG allowed, league worst).
- Drive the rim. They allow 50%+ 2P and offer no interior resistance.
- Don't settle for 3s — keep it simple and force the issue in the paint.
When they have the ball
- Chase Adler and Heinle off every screen. Close out hard. No airspace.
- Burton 1-on-1 vs Blount; live with post-ups.
- Do not give Blount multiple paint touches.
Keys to win
- Chase their shooters off screens.
- Burton works Blount 1-on-1.
- Foul them in 1-and-1 spots (43% team FT).
One-sentence bench message
Play grown-up offense and their structure falls apart.