The greats of lacrosse and basketball employ similar approaches to their craft.
It has been said that the National Lacrosse League “looks like the NHL and plays like the NBA.”
The comparisons to ice hockey are abundant. Five field players and a goalie. Identical playing surface dimensions including complementary boards and glass. The existence of a penalty box, power plays, penalty kills, substituting players on the fly and sudden death overtime to name a few. The similarities are self-evident.
How the NLL plays like the game of hoops has much to do with the presence of a 30-second shot clock and an 8-second midfield marker. Analogous to basketball, NLL action features set plays, pick-and-roll sequences, screens, post-ups and even lacrosse’s version of a dunk. Courtesy of the omnipresent shot clock, scoring is high, with shots on goal occurring at a rapid clip.
Below is a look at some of the interesting parallels that exist when comparing the styles of play of the NBA’s best, and their counterparts from the world’s foremost box lacrosse league.
When operating with the ball, often far away from the hoop/goal, both Stephen Curry and Josh Byrne utilize screens (or the threat of a screen) to create the necessary space to unleash a long-distance scoring attempt. These all-time greats have combined for six league championships and three MVP awards amid years of perfecting this approach.
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