Why is going small > going big?

[iamgine]

It seems the notion was when the other team goes small ball, the opponent need to match it. But why does the opponent not go the other way; going big?

i.e when GSW plays Draymond Green at center, why not counter with...say playing Mason Plumlee and Brook Lopez together.

[Im so nba'd out]

It seems the notion was when the other team goes small ball, the opponent need to match it. But why does the opponent not go the other way; going big?

i.e when GSW plays Draymond Green at center, why not counter with...say playing Mason Plumlee and Brook Lopez together.

Mason plumlee wont score on whoever is guarding him draymon would.if we had more skilled big men in the league they would go big but we dont.

[dubeta]

LeBron was the only player to successfully implement small ball

No one else ever won a championship with small ball.

[Im Still Ballin]

I'm not sure if you can make that statement but if one things for sure players are a lot better shooters today than in previous eras

[coin24]

LeBron has small balls

No one else ever was an alpha with small balls.

[CavaliersFTW]

LeBron was the only player to successfully implement small ball

No one else ever won a championship with small ball.

Rick Barry.

[CavaliersFTW]

It seems the notion was when the other team goes small ball, the opponent need to match it. But why does the opponent not go the other way; going big?

i.e when GSW plays Draymond Green at center, why not counter with...say playing Mason Plumlee and Brook Lopez together.

Teams do do big line ups, when they have the option.

This is an old example, but I just highlighted the game for my YT channel so it's fresh in my mind - in 1963 G6 Finals one stretch of the game was played with 6-11 Wiley at center and 6-11 Ellis at forward (not normal, normally they used 6-9 LaRusso at that spot) and they slid LaRusso to the "small" forward spot and put Elgin Baylor, normally the Lakers small forward, as a guard along with Jerry West to give Baylor, who had a hot hand, a chance to hit from outside and to offer him so relief crashing boards against Bill Russell and Satch Sanders. It actually worked they went on a big run that Boston had to figure out a new plan to counter.

I think any change in lineup, whether going big or small, can be effective in throwing a wrench in the other teams defensive strategy. Whether a coach decides to go big or small I don't know, maybe an attempt to exploit match ups but I don't think there's a science too it. I think most teams have to go "small" more often than "big" because they often probably regularly field a "big" line up and don't have much/any flexibility to go any bigger. The easier direction to go is probably smaller.

[Nets fan 93]

Mason plumlee wont score on whoever is guarding him draymon would.if we had more skilled big men in the league they would go big but we dont.

This

[AintNoSunshine]

Because bigs today can't play for sht, the only thing they're good for is to get a rebound and hand it over to the guards.

[L.Kizzle]

Because it's a week era for bigs. Wouldn't happen to the 90s Knicks.

[Siemens]

[Pushxx]

Because rules favor perimeter play.

Too many things down-low are offensive fouls. Plus ballhandlers are able to dismiss defenders more easily lately with their off-arm so driving and kicking is even more-so one of the best plays in basketball.

[navy]

It seems the notion was when the other team goes small ball, the opponent need to match it. But why does the opponent not go the other way; going big?

i.e when GSW plays Draymond Green at center, why not counter with...say playing Mason Plumlee and Brook Lopez together.

Because your gonna have your bigs guarding the perimeter in which lots of threes will be shot . Most teams dont have good enough inside presence scorers to match small ball with big lineups.

[T_L_P]

Going small is pretty overrated imo, even in today's perimeter-oriented game.

Teams are still better off when they roll with two bigs.

[keep-itreal]

That's because most centers and power forwards today are offensively inept.

I don't understand how these atheletic seven footers can play their whole career is still not know how to post up. What do they even do in practice???