ALDIN Ayo has built a reputation as an innovative coach who keeps up in this new age of basketball and always tries to be unpredictable.
But the new Converge coach doesn’t mind turning to a once-tested system that’s now frowned upon for somehow being outdated and easy to scout – if the scenario calls for it.
Asked by a fan on SPIN Zoom In which between dribble drive and Euro ball he would implement if he were Gilas Pilipinas coach, Ayo welcomed using both systems depending on the circumstances.
Aldin Ayo on Dribble Drive and Euro ball
“Aabot kasi palagi sa sitwasyon na pwede mong gamitin yung dribble-drive eh,” Ayo began. “Pag nandun ka sa situation na breakdown, mangyayari at mangyayari yun eh.”
“And yung Euro, maganda rin, kasi very passive and very effective siya,” he added.
Dribble drive is a type of motion offense that is reliant on guards to attack for a layup or to kick out to an open man on the perimeter. Current national coach Chot Reyes has turned to this pet offense to steer the Filipino dribblers to a runner-up finish in the 2013 Fiba Asia Championship that set the stage for the country’s return to the World Cup for the first time in almost four decades.
European style of basketball, on the other hand, can be described as more team-oriented with quick ball movement, and sparked the rise of stretch forwards. Former Gilas coach Tab Baldwin is among its advocates.
“Pero kahit yung Euro style, pag dinaya yan ng depensa,” Ayo continued. “Say for instance they switch, may mismatch sa taas. Ang small man natin, kinukuha ng big ng kalaban, of course, you’re going to choose kung alin yung i-exploit mo: yung mismatch sa poste o yung mismatch sa ibabaw, and once you choose yung mismatch sa ibabaw, it will end up with dribble-drive.”
“So a little bit of both. It will just depend on the situation on the floor,” he added.
At the same time, the composition of the roster should be considered on what would be your go-to system to employ, according to Ayo, who has been known more for his defense, spreading “Mayhem” on the floor with suffocating full-court pressure.
“Syempre, iisip ka rin na kung ano yung magiging compatible sa mga players mo, kasi magde-depende sa materials mo eh,” the two-time college champion coach said. “Yun naman ang iniisip palagi ng mga coaches. So whether it’s dribble-drive or Euro style, there are a lot of things we need to consider first before tayo makapagsabi na kung alin yung effective.”
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