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The Basketball Podcast: EP402 with Adam Pike on the Noah Laroche Offense
In this week’s basketball coaching conversation, NBA film analyst Adam Pike of Grizzlies Film joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on the Noah LaRoche offense used by the Memphis Grizzlies and Miami Heat.
Adam Pike independently covers the Memphis Grizzlies and Memphis Hustle basketball teams from a coaching and X’s and O’s perspective. NBA film analyst Adam Pike joins the Basketball Podcast to break down the Noah LaRoche offense and how it has evolved from its D3 roots into NBA adaptations with the Memphis Grizzlies and Miami Heat. We explore why this system is built on 5‑out spacing, constant movement, and conceptual decision‑making rather than set plays or ball screens, and how personnel, culture, and buy‑in shape its success at the highest level.
From Memphis’ wheel pattern and ball‑screen triggers for Ja Morant to Miami’s deep‑penetration, one‑side clears, and egalitarian commitment, this episode reveals how the same system can look completely different depending on who is running it. Listen to the full conversation to understand how movement, spacing, and philosophy drive modern offense
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Adam Pike Quotes:
“The idea is you want to keep the same shell all the time throughout the possession. Even dunker/playmaker is still like conceptually a five out offense. Even if the physical alignment is four out, one in . . basically, any player is going to be able to initiate the offense.”
“The respacing concept, a lot of it is you’re going to read. You’re going to read your teammates. If you’re passing, you have to read whether that player is going to drive or he’s going to shoot or he’s going to pass again. If he swings again . . the original passer was supposed to cut. But if you pass and he’s driving, then you can’t be cutting into the same spot.”
“I feel Miami has always played a little more egalitarian than a team like Memphis has played. So the personnel is probably better suited to a more egalitarian offense where it’s a whole bunch of people sharing the ball together instead of one player having 30 to 35 usage.”
“Miami wants to start the possession or at least get the initial drive to be under the free throw line . . the stats say if you can get below the free throw line, the expected points per possession is a lot higher.”
“[Joe Boylan, former head of player development for the Minnesota Timberwolves] is a big believer in CLA, the constraint led approach and using that to train players. And he recently released an article where he wrote about McDaniels in Minnesota and how he became like a much improved player because he was following these CLA principles and the small-sided games approach.”
“There was a lot of positive feedback on media day about learning the new offense . . they [the players] seem to enjoy it a lot because it’s really fun . . you’re not teaching players plays, they’re playing just based off triggers and quick decisions and principles.”
“A lot of the innovations in Europe over the past couple decades have been teaching everyone all the positions and responsibilities on the court. When you watch Jokic, you can see . . he understands where everyone is supposed to be, what everyone’s role is supposed to be.”
Adam Pike Breakdown:
Adam Pike Selected Links from the Podcast:
Adam Pike
Caitlin Cooper
Samson Folk
Noah LaRoche
Rob Sanicola
Ja Morant
Zach Edey
Desmond Bane
Marcus Smart
Santi Aldama
Jay Huff
Tuomas Iisalo
Jake LaRavia
Draymond Green
Taylor Jenkins
Erik Spoelstra
Bam Adebayo
Jaren Jackson, Jr.
Kel’el Ware
Andrew Wiggins
Norm Powell
Davion Mitchell
Joe Boylan
Jaden McDaniels
Dirk Nowitzki
Steve Nash
T.J. Shorts
Hank Smith
Bob Huggins
Lason Perkins
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