NBA: What Pro Basketball Could Learn from Eastern Iowa

Considerable debate has emerged in professional basketball circles over the last few years regarding efforts to enhance the offensive output of the league. As a result, several rule changes have been adopted, including a shortened time clock to advance the ball across half court and restrictions on defensive players' ability to hand check offensive players. Yet even with those changes, the National Basketball Association has seen little increase in its offensive output and is a far cry from its common 120 point games that entertained fans decades ago.

Perhaps the league should hire Division III college basketball Head Coach David Arseneault from tiny Grinnell College in Eastern Iowa to serve as a special consultant on increasing offensive production? After all, Arseneault's teams are famous for averaging over 115 points per game during the season, while simultaneously relinquishing that many points to opponents – sometimes intentionally.

Simply put, Grinnell's philosophy is to execute the Run-and-Gun offense at a frenetic pace. Patterned after Paul Westhead's Loyola Marymount teams from over 10 years ago, Arseneault believes the Run-and-Gun works best when run to the extreme.

As a result, his players are encouraged to take quick shots, frequently from three-point range. Collecting easy offensive rebounds for quick buckets is an integral part of this strategy. If the offensive boards aren't secured, the team is then taught to shift to a full-court press defense in an attempt to get the quick turnover.

Often, Grinnell gambles on defense and gives up easy layups and dunks. But Arseneault doesn't mind as long as the team is back shooting quickly at the other end of the floor. The idea is to get more possessions and offensive rebounds than opponents, while trading three- for two-pointers with them.

In an interview with USA Today last year, Arseneault said, "It's hard to explain how the other guys dunking on you can be a good thing. But for us it's all about controlling the tempo and maintaining a sense of chaos."

In addition to a chaotic pace on the floor, Arseneault's scheme boasts an unorthodox substitution system. Because it is so frantic and demanding, Grinnell uses all its players in every game, and five-player substitutions are not unusual. Consequently, opposing teams can never get comfortable with who's guarding them or whom they're guarding on defense, prompting confusion and frustration among their adversaries.

Though the offense sparks controversy among many basketball traditionalists, it's difficult to argue with the team's results. Prior to Arseneault's shift in offensive philosophy, Grinnell was a perennial loser, suffering through 30-straight losing seasons. Since the change, they've been a consistent contender for the Midwest Conference title. The Run-and-Gun isn't without its flaws; however, especially on the defensive end. For example, Grinnell once scored 148 points in a game and still lost the contest.

According to Arseneault's book titled "The Running Game: A Formula for Success," the offense is based on five basic principles. First, the team must take at least 94 shots in a game. Second, more than half the shots need to come from three-point range. Third, they are supposed to shoot 25 more times than their opponents, which explains why they need all those three-pointers to offset the opposition's layups and dunks. Fourth, offensive rebounds need to be garnered on 33 percent of the shots the team takes. Finally, the team needs to create 32 turnovers with their press defense.

Despite the offensive success of the Run-and-Gun, it's unlikely that NBA coaches would ever seriously consider adopting it because of the liability that it generates on defense. Nevertheless, if the league hopes to restore the entertaining offenses that launched it into a worldwide power decades ago, a visit to Eastern Iowa may be just what the doctor ordered.