National Basketball Association

How Frank Vogel challenges common conceptions of offensive rebounding

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Mar 31, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel gestures against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at Barclays Center. The Nets defeated the Pacers 111 – 106. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

It is a common belief chasing offensive rebounds hurts a team’s ability to get back in transition – Frank Vogel’s teams have proven that’s not always true.

From the 2011 season to last season, there were only eight teams that finished a season with an offensive rebound percentage better than 30 percent. Compare that the period from 2000-01 to 2005-06, when there were 47.

As teams move quicker, some coaches have shifted their focus from offensive rebounding and second-chance points to getting players out of the paint and back in transition as quickly as possible.

Coaches like Gregg Popovich and Doc Rivers have been two of the league’s most ardent preachers of this philosophy — and they have certainly had their fair share of success with it.

Frank Vogel, however, might argue their philosophy is based on some incorrect assumptions. He certainly takes a different approach.

Since 2011, Vogel teams have been a touchstone example for other coaches trying to strike a balance between offensive rebounding and transition defense, as they have consistently finished near the top in most offensive rebounding metrics and transition defense measurements.

Most importantly, they also won.

Vogel teams managed to crash the offensive glass without players getting stuck down at the baseline and lagging in transition.

This approach both slows other teams down and creates more points for the offense. This article will look at how each element of this process works, and how it might be applied to the Orlando Magic.

Apr 8, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (22) fights for the rebound between Orlando Magic forward Tobias Harris (12) and forward Aaron Gordon (00) during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

How players don’t get stuck at the baseline

One of the biggest keys to Vogel’s approach is making sure players are available for offensive rebounds while still getting in a good position to dart back in transition.

If wings and/or perimeter players get bogged down in the paint after every shot, chasing down opposing fast breaks becomes borderline impossible. It is crucial they make the correct movements to maintain this balance.

Make no mistake, personnel is key to any rebounding game. This short video is a good example of both the effectiveness of Vogel’s system and its players.

As Miami Heat players clog the paint, Indiana Pacers guards and wings are able to move closer to the basket than they normally might.

When Roy Hibbert goes up for his first shot and the rebound becomes available, the Pacers backcourt moves closer to the free throw line, staying partially behind the Heat five.

The Heat are forced to box out slightly farther away from the basket while still remaining in the paint, giving Hibbert an opening to grab his own miss and score.

Moving corner shooters and wings from the perimeter, down to the baseline, and up to the free throw line is only part of what makes this work. The other part is having a mammoth like Roy Hibbert circa 2013 dominating down low.

When the defense is spread out more, Vogel’s Pacers would have one or two big men down low, often sending one perimeter player down toward the baseline, while the remaining players moved back either in transition or around the free-throw line.

December 1, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert (55), power forward David West (21) and small forward Paul George (24) celebrate the 105-100 victory against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

How offensive rebounds can prevent a fastbreak

In 2013, the Indiana Pacers were at the top of the league in defending the fast break.

NBA.com’s Opponent Fast Break Points and Team Rankings’ Opponent Fastbreak Efficiency both had Indiana second to none, as the team continued to develop and thrive in Vogel’s system.

The team also finished around the top in most offensive rebounding statistics.

Although his offensive rebounding numbers have never been anywhere close to “elite,” Paul George, along with his athleticism and versatility, may have been a lynchpin here.

Roy Hibbert’s jumps in production, finishing in the top three in the league most offensive rebounding metrics, certainly did not hurt either.

The rebounds Hibbert and David West could not gobble up were often picked up by George or other wing players who could effectively run the loop pattern discussed in the previous slide and run back and defend in transition.

The concurrence of these improvements are not a coincidence.

When a team sends more bodies down low to grab offensive rebounds, the defense is forced to respond and send more players down low to box out.

When opponents know a team is going to go after an offensive rebound (or when they know they have a Roy Hibbert down low), they will not be able to trickle down the court to get on the break. Especially if the guards have the discipline to stay balanced and play safety from the top of the key.

A team can have it both ways on the offensive glass and preventing transition.

Sep 26, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic head coach Frank Vogel, center Bismack Biyombo (11), center Nikola Vucevic (9) and forward Serge Ibaka (7) pose for a photo during media day at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Can the Magic win with Vogel’s philosophy?

Clearly, Frank Vogel had his fair share of success in Indiana.

Admittedly there was never a serious championship run, but it is tough to argue with their string of playoff appearances.

He had the ideal set of personnel to run his system: Paul George, a dominant Roy Hibbert, a stretch big in David West, the athletic and versatile Lance Stephenson and many more important role players and bench cogs to make everything work.

The Magic have nearly all the necessary pieces at their disposal to develop a team with similar success.

Serge Ibaka is the first to come to mind as an ideal player to plug into this system. Although he lacks Hibbert’s raw mass, he provides rebounding and rim protection while still being able to stretch the floor like West.

Bismack Biyombo may not be as versatile, but he was one of the top offensive rebounders in the league last season.

While Nikola Vucevic does not share Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo’s rebounding and defensive strengths, playing him alongside one of them and Aaron Gordon would give the team a similar look to Vogel’s Pacers lineups with West, Hibbert and George.

Nikola Vucevic might hit a pick-and-pop jumper and trot back in transition while Biyombo stays down low to grab the rebound as Aaron Gordon loops around from the wing toward the free-throw line.

The guards might either crash the boards or move back in transition, depending on the opponent and their defensive alignment.

This theory could become more complicated, however, if Gordon spends more time at power forward than small forward. Vogel said he intends to use him similarly to George. But putting him at the four could make offensive rebounds more difficult to grab and make the team more prone to fast breaks.

A lineup with Gordon and Vucevic is suspect on defense and rebounding. A lineup with Gordon and Biyombo is suspect on offense. Ibaka might be the ideal center to pair with Gordon at the four because of his versatility. But that gives up size.

A lot of the team’s success will be riding on Gordon’s development.

As the season gets going, it will be interesting to see how Vogel uses his rotations to maximize the roster’s talent and minimize its weaknesses.

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