What's this position-less basketball? (split)

[CruzDude]

Positionless ball could well have the benefit of making other teams match up with you rather than the other way around, as the Kings seem to have tried to do for a few years without much success. Run TMC was positionless ball that was exciting and run, run, run as PDA and Malone now want to do. Big diff now from that team is Cuz in the middle and Rudy at the wing and in few years a chance to go deep in playoffs. I like it. The name isn't great but says there is a new culture coming.

 

[The_Jamal]

I cringe every time I hear 'position less' basketball.

What I HOPE it means, is that every player on the court can perform every basketball skill. Shoot. Pass. Defend. Slash. Dribble. Rebound. Etc. And Vivek/PDA are just trying to use some catchy (terrible) buzzword for it.

It's becoming a crutch to some degree because its so ambiguous. Something doesn't work out? no biggy. Position less basketball, remember? Carl Landry signing? Position less basketball. Taking SG's in back-to-back years because Ben had a bad rookie season... you guessed it, position less basketball!!!!

Has Malone ever referred to position-less basketball? I want to say he hasn't, which is pretty funny. I feel bad for Malone sometimes. PDA and Vivek spouting out basketball nonsense half the time, and Malone is like, 'Guys, just find me a couple defenders. Please. Pretty Pretty Please.'

The term "match-up" basketball is probably a more accurate description of what it "positionless" basketball should be called. Just look to what the Spurs do to teams for the prime example. They can go big at you with TP-DG-Kawhi-Duncan-Splitter. They can space with adding Diaw for Splitter. They can run a super floor spacing roster with Kawhi-Diaw as the bigs. They can run a variety of back-court lineups with Manu running PG or him off-ball. And because everyone on the roster is an oustanding/unselfish passer, there's no keying in on one player that you have to stop every night.
The Spurs force you to play there way and you can't game-plan to stop any couple looks because they have dozens of different looks they can throw at you. They can run in transition, grind it out, play physical, a finese game. To me, that's the exact definition of "positionless" basketball

 

[Prince_XY]

Here's a quote from a Q&A with Vivek:
"I want to basically play a new brand of position-less basketball. I want to have these super-athletic, young guys that can run and feel out the game. Guys like Rudy Gay, and Derrick Williams, these are guys who can play the 1-2-3-4 positions."

Regarding Demarcus Cousins he says that boogie is a mismatch on the floor, too big for smaller guys and too fast for the bigger ones.
"He represented the 21st century player that I talk about."
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/67010/qa-kings-owner-vivek-ranadive

So I think it is about versatility and creating mismatches. In the half court they try to be like the spurs, share the ball and play good defense (see Summer League) and try to use mismatches. And whenever there's a chance get out and run. But I don't think it's run'n'gun, more like a more athletic spurs team where the players are able to create mismatches because of their versatility or if you will their ability to be positioneless

What scares me is it seems like Vivek is more concerned and concentrating on improving at one end of the floor only - OFFENSE.

This is so juvenile and amateurishly dumb in the NBA. Concentrating your strategies more on one end of the floor can only work wonders occasionally on High School teams.

 

[Chubbs]

I may be wrong, but I think first and foremost, Vivek is trying to form a team that is entertaining, with players worth rooting for. That's been noticeably lacking in recent years.

It's hard to find less likable players than the guys on the team when they took over. There's a reason only two are left. I could list them but that'd just be rude.