Win card3-0best defense, best inside efficiency, no obvious weak link
Most complete team in the league. Defense first, clean finishing, no obvious weak link in the top unit.
best defense, best inside efficiency, no obvious weak link
Identity
make the game half-court, defend the paint, punish bad possessions
Win condition
adult basketball, clean two-way profile, multiple real scorers
§ Defense
What Knickerbockers give up
PPG allowed48.0
FG% allowed34.2%
2P% allowed35.4%
3P% allowed32.8%
3PM allowed8.0
REB allowed25.0
AST allowed12.7
FTA allowed9.3
TO forced14.0
Best defense in the league· Only 48.0 points allowed per game
Our attack theme
Best defense in the league by a lot. They hold teams to 48.0 points, 34.2% FG, 35.4% on 2s, and only 25.0 rebounds. There is no clean weakness. The only real path is a hot perimeter night plus strong possession value.
Bottom lineHardest cover. No obvious weak category — win on shot-making + possession discipline.
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 forceNone cleanly. KJ allows only 48.0 points, 34.2% FG, 35.4% on twos, and 25.0 rebounds. They also force 14.0 turnovers. This is the hardest cover.
KJ is not a 'find the weak defender and eat' team. The best chance is still Plumlee as the pull-up mismatch scorer against Holman or Johnson in space, with Benson as the control creator who keeps the offense from bleeding turnovers. Attila matters more here than against anyone except maybe BSJ because the possession has to stay clean. Burton becomes a bigger offensive target if Garrett is out. If Garrett plays, Burton is more of a screener, rebounder, and cleanup piece than the first option.
First 3 actions to call
- 1Plumlee drag screen into pull-up or reject
- 2Benson-Attila two-handler entry to keep the first possession clean
- 3Burton duck-in after KJ shifts to Plumlee
Shot dietSelective threes only. Only real shotmakers fire.
Staff cardPlumlee scores. Benson controls. Attila stabilizes. Burton only becomes a feature if Garrett sits. Call: drag screen, two-handler entry, duck-in after shift.
§ Shot diet
Target shot diet — Selective threes only
Mark Plumlee
Primary shooter
Mueller is out for the season, so the rematch looks different from Apr 2. Primary volume now goes to Plumlee, then Benson, Attila, and Smith if available. We made 10 threes in the first meeting, but that came in a five-player game and the loss turned on 16 turnovers. The lesson is not bomb away. The lesson is only real shotmakers shoot, and only off a clean paint touch or clean reversal.
Nobody else shoots deep, period.
What actually beats Bulldogs here
- Turnovers
- Burton foul trouble
- Holman deep catches plus Forster rhythm scoring
- Garrett stuffing every possession if active
This is the one matchup where Bulldogs cannot drift for even a short stretch and expect to recover easily. KJ is too solid. Bulldogs have to beat them with control, not with hopeful shot variance.
§ Read
Matchup read in plain language
KJ wants the game to become grown-up half-court basketball. They defend, rebound, and make you pay for impatient possessions. Bulldogs should not confuse pace with rushing. The right counter is early offense with control, smart spacing, and zero live-ball turnovers.
§ Playbook
From the Bulldogs playbook
What to attack first
Holman in switch or paint stress, Garrett workload if active
§ Cross-matches
Starting cross-matches
- Benson on Forster
- Plumlee on Holman as primary perimeter matchup
- Burton as Holman interior help and general glass anchor
- Attila on Johnson or the weakest creator
- D. O'Reilly or Morrison on Garrett if size is needed, but Plumlee may have to take him if the wing matchup demands it
§ Coverage
What to deny · What to dare
What to deny
- Live-ball turnovers
- Holman catches in the paint
- Easy Forster spot-ups and trail threes
- Garrett rebounding without contact if he plays
- Any possession where KJ gets to play against a tilted floor because Bulldogs rushed the first read
What to dare
- Johnson jumpers
- Strang extra volume
- Nistler off-the-bounce creation, not catch-and-shoot rhythm
- Taylor becoming aggressive as a scorer
- Secondary creators taking late-clock self-created shots instead of clean inside finishes
§ First five
First five priorities
First five — offense
- 1Two handlers on the floor, no exceptions
- 2Attack before KJ gets fully set in the half court
- 3Put Holman into space and into switch decisions
- 4Make Forster defend real action, not just contain and rebound
- 5Touch the paint before settling for kick-out threes
First five — defense
- 1Benson sits on Forster's comfort spots
- 2Plumlee keeps Holman from easy paint catches
- 3Burton stays ready as interior help, not a perimeter chaser
- 4Tag Johnson on the roll every time
- 5Everyone rebounds Garrett if he is active
§ Script
Scripted first five possessions
- 1Simple two-handler entry with Benson and Attila involved
- 2Plumlee action to make Holman switch or recover
- 3Burton duck-in after a drive to shift help
- 4Benson isolation only after the defense is tilted, not from a dead stop
- 5Transition push if the rebound is clean, pull out if it is not
§ Why
Why those first actions matter
The opening possessions are designed to keep Bulldogs from playing into KJ's hands. The game gets dangerous when Bulldogs start static and let KJ guard without movement. Early action forces their defenders to make choices and increases the chance that the weak-side help gets pulled just enough for Burton or Plumlee to matter.
§ Bench
Bench and rotation notes
- This is the game where Attila and Benson need shared half-court responsibility
- Smith can help if Bulldogs need another scorer, but not at the cost of defensive structure
- Morrison helps if the glass becomes a problem
- If Garrett is active and the game gets too physical on the boards, Bulldogs should value size over extra spacing for a stretch
§ Scout
Opponent personnel & directives
League's Best Team · Lost to Them 56-63
No star dependency. 5 players at 14+ PPG season. League-best defense at 48 PPG allowed. Their offense swings 30 pts game-to-game but they never lose.
The Engine · Every Game 16+
18.3 PPG · 53% FG
Benson on him. Force him left. Don't let him reach his spots.
Most Efficient Finisher in League
14 PPG · 81% FG · 88% 2P on 21 season FGA · Only 36% 3P
NEVER let him catch in the paint. Front on post-ups. Plumlee takes him perimeter; Burton stays in the paint and cuts off the roll.
18 PPG · 40% FG · 16 RPG when healthy
Finisher · 0/8 from three all season
7.3 PPG · 59% FG
Tag on rolls. Live with his 3 — he never makes it.
§ Halftime
Halftime trigger tree
If Bulldogs have 8 plus turnovers by half
- Simplify the offense immediately
- Benson and Attila share every important possession
- Stop trying to be clever
- Make KJ guard full possessions without gifting them transition chances
If Holman has two fouls
If Garrett is out
If KJ controls the half-court tempo
§ Late
End-of-half and late-game details
This is the matchup where Bulldogs' own foul-line hierarchy matters most. The wrong player touching the ball late can throw away a clean possession. KJ will make the game exact if the score is tight, so Bulldogs need to know before the final minute who the release valves are and who they are not.
§ Close
If ahead · If behind or tied
If ahead
- Protect the ball with Burton as the likely foul-line target (Mueller out for season)
- Do not let Plumlee or D. O'Reilly become the emergency release valve
- Make KJ defend one more action before the ball sticks
If behind or tied
- Benson starts it
- Plumlee punishes the tilt
- Burton finishes the possession if the paint opens
- If foul math matters, Johnson is the best target on their side, not Taylor
- Avoid the hero three unless the paint touch already happened
§ Dossier
Shorthand game plan — original dossier notes
When we have the ball
- Two ball-handlers on at all times.
- Attack Holman in switch scenarios.
- Run — their offense is half-court oriented.
- Don't settle for 3s; their rotations are sharp.
- Isolate Benson vs Forster. Force fouls.
When they have the ball
- Forster is the target. Hold him to 14 or fewer.
- Holman never catches in the paint. Front him.
- Tag Johnson on rolls.
- Nistler/Strang — live with their 3s.
- Garrett status — if he plays, Plumlee on him.
Keys to win
- Survive Forster — hold him to 14 or fewer.
- Force Holman to weaker hand in paint; live with floaters.
- Exploit Garrett's absence if he misses — attack Holman at rim.
- Force pace — their half-court schemes are the danger.
- Take care of the ball — target sub-12 TOs (vs 16 in Game 1).
One-sentence bench message
The game is decided by turnovers before it is decided by talent.