Pacers coach uses Luis Scola, not Roy Hibbert, to teach this defensive trick
When most people think the Indiana Pacers, they think defense. And when they think Pacers defense, they probably think Roy Hibbert. He's the big man in the middle around which all the other defensive action revolves, and he's known as one of the kings of one of the NBA's trickiest tactics, the rule of verticality.
If you're unfamiliar, verticality is essential to contesting a shot at the rim -- or, more precisely, inside the restricted area. You can't take a charge in that arc under the basket -- but if you go straight up, you are entitled to the space you occupy and that above you. It's a difficult maneuver, but one that pays dividends for those who know its intricacies.
But when Pacers coach Frank Vogel wants to teach the finer points of verticality to his players, Hibbert's not his go-to example, it seems. Instead, Vogel turns to Luis Scola, according to Grantland's Zach Lowe:
So why Scola? FanSided's Ben Gibson has a solid theory:
"The [...] reason might be because even in the NBA, Hibbert is an exceptionally tall player. At 6’8″, Scola is only an inch taller than the league average. If I’m watching video of both players trying to do the same thing, I’m going to be more convinced I can do it if they player I’m watching isn’t freakishly tall."
Or maybe Vogel's just a really big van of Scola's hair, which looks majestic when he leaps straight up and lets gravity do the rest. Only Vogel knows for sure.
(h/t 8points9seconds)
Photo Credit: David Richard/USA Today Sports
