Some of the best basketball games are ones where teams battle for a one on one battle that goes into the final seconds and the best player takes control of the ball and has the chance to take the game’s final shot. This is when the best players have the ability to shine, and it is a situation that can create a lot of suspense.
What is it? ISO stands for “isolation defender”. The ISO defender is the one who takes on the role of the primary defender. He becomes a “wall defender” and holds his position, trying to limit the space that the other players have so that they cannot get open in the open court.
Is ISO the Same as One vs. One?
When Do ISO Moments Occur in a Basketball Game?
The best defender is usually the one who prevents the ball from entering the basket. If the player keeps the ball away to his side, it is called an off-ball screen. The defending player must use a combination of defensive skills on the ball and defensive techniques, such as defending off of the ball.
What Basketball Player Tends to be the ISO Player on the Team?
For the Pacers that role will be Victor Oladipo and Bojan Bogdanovic.
The first is a good pick and roll finisher, a guy who can take the ball to the rim and score. He also showed this year that he can play a little bit above the rim on defense.
The second is a three point shooter especially in the clutch. He’s excellent at creating his own shot and making the right pass.
If you don’t have a good overall team performance, your isolation player is the one having the hot hand on the team. The players with the best game are always the ones taking the last shot.
Possible Scenario: The team has an overall good performance, but has a strong player with a low shooting percentage. The opposing team is more than willing to help the opposing player, so the defender is forced to help on that particular matchup.
Conventional wisdom would probably say to “play the percentages” and force the defender to help that team’s weaker shooter.
But, if he’s on the court, what can they do? You have to pick something else, and if he gets to the free throw line, you have to pick someone else, or just foul.
What Creates an ISO Ball Moment?
The ISO playing style occurs in the last few seconds of a basketball game. You can see a lot of this playing style when both teams are in the lead. Because of this playing style, the game can be tied or in the final 3 seconds of a quarter. Also, there is no need to foul or be charged foul if a player is running down the court with the ball.
What is an example of an ISO Moment During a Game?
Team A is up by two points now, and there are 18 seconds left in the game. Team B gets the ball and there are 18 seconds left in the match, so the shot clock doesn’t matter anymore since it is 24 seconds. Team B wants to have the last shot at making a two-pointer or win the game with a three-pointer.
Lebron James starts to drive up the court, and he will then make one or two dribbles in the center of the court for about 15 seconds. The coach should then call for a set play. Since the players and coaches know the exact timing of the set play, Lebron James might not touch the ball at all while he is driving up the court. Lebron James will then pass the ball to a teammate, who will start the set play.
With 9 seconds on the clock, Lebron James has the ball in the paint, he can either throw the ball to another teammate or pull-up for a three-pointer. Lebron James will most likely pass the ball to a teammate in this situation. Lebron could also hit a shot at the rim, but if he misses that would mean the other team gets possession, so we are going to assume that Lebron will pass the ball.
What Do the Other Players Do on the Court?
In the NBA, you cannot rely on one player to take the shot in the final seconds of a game. Although one player can take the shot, in the final moments of the game, the entire team needs to be involved. If all of the players are in the game, then they can all run around and create a game-changing play that helps them win this crucial game.
This is a play that will usually be set up by the ball handler or the primary ball screen who will set a ball screen and move into the key. Once the initial passer is in the key, the secondary ball screen will come back to the ball handler or primary ball screen depending on the play. This play is usually set up because it allows the player to get open for a shot, layup or dribble pass to a teammate.
What Does the Opposing Team’s Defender Do During the ISO?
The defender needs to play close to the ball handler. If the defender doesn’t close out like they should, then you can get the ball if the defender gets toasted by the ball handler.
Most of the time, most defenders won’t play close to the basket because it is unlikely they will score a basket. Only when the ball handler starts getting closer to the basket will defenders need to play closer to defend.
Why Can’t the Defense Double Team During ISO Basketball?
No rule stops double-teaming against the ball handler during basketball. Teams don’t do that right away because they don’t want to leave an offensive player open since that will create a mismatch. The moment you double team the ball handler, they can pass it to an open teammate to take the last shot of the game.
In the NBA
In professional basketball, double teaming is done only on the perimeter. The concept of a double team is used, with the second defender positioned to defend the ball handler as soon as the ball handler turns pass the ball to another teammate.
Conclusion: What Does ISO Mean in Basketball?
The best player with the ball is the shooter. He is the one who has the best skills and who can move the ball quickly and accurately. The players near the rim usually rush to get to the shooter as he has the best opportunities to score.
When two superstars are going one vs. one against each other, it’s always a highly anticipated moment. Especially when it’s superstars from two different factions having a moment with each other, fans will be really excited.
